Micomsoft SC-500N1 RGB Capture Card

[Ed Oscuro]

Process Explorer is super awesome. I just keep it in a directory on the desktop and set to replace TaskMan.

[lettuce]

I always just used the Task Manager in Win 7 to.

Some observations.

1. RealTemp shows me 100% load even with nothing open but Core Temp shows 0% as does task manager. I get like 6-7% CPU used momentarily with the card selected in Amarec. Buggy Real Temp? It's not had an update since January 2012.
2. I encode with x264 and load increases to 100% on all cores and I see a slight jump in temps of 2-3c. I have my CPU underclocked so even at max load I never go over 40c.

Do you have one of these StarTech Capture Cards in your system??. Load RealTemp again, and if its still at 100% go into Control Panel>Hardware & Sound>Power Settings and go into which every power plan you have enabled and click on the 'Restore Default Settings For This Plan' and see if RealTemp drops down from 100% Load???

I really dont think its a bug with RealTemp, as if you look at my last vid i uploaded, it shows the temps increase when i load my capture program, if CoreTemp is to be believe in that there is no load being place on the CPU then why do the temps increase?

[lettuce]

Ok i have kind of figured out the issue but as of yet dont know how to stop it from happening. Basically watch this video.....

http://youtu.be/S9jplXLGECM

It would appear whatever Power Plan is enabled when the StarTech card is initialised it puts 100% Load on the CPU.
If you select any of the other 2 power plans then the CPU Load drops to 1 or 2%
Upon closing the Capture program it seems to enable the next power plan, (for what reason or how i dont understand but you can see it do it in the video)

So the way to stop 100% Load is change the power plan to any of the other 2 when you start capturing.

Im guessing this happens for everyone and it a bug/conflict with every card, the fact that i manage to stumble across this is just pure luck, as it can only be detected with RealTemp, im betting if everyone downloaded and use RealTemp they would see the same results as me.

Now is iWindows at fault here or the card hardware itself, as something defiantly isnt right here? Not sure how or why its able to change the windows power plan on exiting the program either!?

Im not sure if this could be fixed with a driver update or if Micomsoft or StarTech actually care!

[N64Fan]

I still get 100% load regardless of the power plan setting.

You could probably fix your issue permanently by going to the power plan advanced settings and set PCI Express > Link state power management to a different setting since balanced/power saver use different settings with this.

[blizzz]

Im guessing this happens for everyone and it a bug/conflict with every card, the fact that i manage to stumble across this is just pure luck, as it can only be detected with RealTemp, im betting if everyone downloaded and use RealTemp they would see the same results as me.

I've detected the same thing with the Win8 task manager and also accidentally found out about the power plan thing. I have no idea how that actually changes anything. My guess is that it resets the PCIe bus and cuts off whatever is happening to the CPU. What's also weird is that it sometimes stays at 100% after closing the application, even after a restart, but most of the times return to 0%.

You could probably fix your issue permanently by going to the power plan advanced settings and set PCI Express > Link state power management to a different setting since balanced/power saver use different settings with this.

I tried that and it didn't work. Only changing / reseting the plan solved it temporarily.

[lettuce]

Is indeed a pain!, but at least have kind of figured out a work around.

I guess i could make a Batch file that loads AmaRec and changes the power plan, and then upon exiting AmaRec changed the Power Plan back.

[lettuce]

Ok i have a work around for this in a form of a batch file. Just follow these steps:

1. Create a new power plan and call it something like 'Capture Card Plan' (Control Panel>Hardware And Sound>Power Options>Create A Power Plan) I usually use the Balanced Power Plan as a base for a custom made one

2. Open note pad and copy and paste the following code in,

Code: Select all

@echo off
REM Second batch file changes power after time delay, needs to run
REM concurrently with AmaRec, so use START to launch it
start /b changepower.bat

REM AmaRec messes with power scheme on exit,
REM so use START with WAIT switch
start /b /wait c:\your directory/your capture program.exe
REM so that resetting to default only happens AFTER AmaRec has finished.
powercfg -setactive Your default Power Plan GUID code here

and change the location of Amarect or what ever program your using as needed. You will also need the power plan GUID, (which is explained in the next step) and save it as Start.bat or something

3. load command prompt and type 'powercfg/list' this will list all your power plans, the info your after is the series of numbers and letter after 'Power Scheme GUID:' rather than type this line in if you right click the top of the command prompt window and select "Edit > Mark," drag the cursor over the GUID you want to copy, then hit Enter, and it will be copied to the clipboard.

4. Open another note pad and copy and paste the following code in....

Code: Select all

@echo off
REM Give the capture card time to initialise before changing power schemes
REM I've set it for 5 secs, you may need to tweak it
timeout /t 5 /nobreak
REM Change the power scheme to alternate
powercfg -setactive Capture Card Power Plan GUID code here
REM Close the window
exit

and save as something like 'powerchange.bat'


That should work, you can load up the power plan window and see it change back and forth upon opening and closing AmaRec

[dieKatze88]

http://www.startech.com/AV/Converters/V ... 0p~ECHDCAP

bought one of these for work and play.

Did some streaming with it, it works about as well as you'd expect. It's driver lives in a folder with the following name:

SC500EC.V114.3YS.SC114.3_STARTECH

Sounds familiar if you ask me... What's the current Best Driver for HDMI? as this one only supports HDMI unless there's some REALLY cool undocumented dongles that can be built for the Mini HDMI port.

Annoyingly, this card does NOT support hotplug in its ExpressCard form. So you have to leave it in all the time, but HDMI cables are snug and its pretty easy to pull the card out when disconnecting the source. It's also easy to pogo eject it when inserting the source. Whenever it comes out, the computer has to be rebooted. Eugh.

[BuckoA51]

You folks having trouble with the 100% CPU usage, I noticed Micomsoft pulled their latest driver due to some sort of bug or other (can't tell from the Google translated page), maybe you want to try going back to v1.1.0.116 or v1.1.0.108?

[dieKatze88]

You folks having trouble with the 100% CPU usage, I noticed Micomsoft pulled their latest driver due to some sort of bug or other (can't tell from the Google translated page), maybe you want to try going back to v1.1.0.116 or v1.1.0.108?

Can you link me to this driver? I'm hoping it solves the CPU clockrate issue. It's annoying as hell on a desktop, but on my laptop it's just downright obnoxious.

[BuckoA51]

http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/sc-500n1_download.htm

Latest driver breaks compatibility with Videokeeper, but Amarec still works fine.

[lettuce]

Hang on dont they bundle VideoKepper with the driver download??

Have to give em a go, but i dont hold much hope for them to fix the cpu load bug...they might not even be aware of it.

Is there a change log for this update?

[BuckoA51]

Only what's on that page, you can try to Google translate it.

[lettuce]

Ok the drivers date is August 2012???

※ Because the bug was found in the driver that published on August 28, has been revised. Thank you to install the latest driver again those who have installed the 28th edition in August.

● We support the (IvyBridge) third generation Core processor.

● I now supports 1024x600, 1360 × 768 with DVI-D and analog RGB.
※ Because of these resolutions is not registered as EDID resolution SC-500N1/DVI, you may not be able to select the resolution of these devices to determine the resolution available on the basis of the information of EDID (such as PCs). It is available only equipment that can output the resolution of these forces.
※ "The resolution of these Amareko TV are available in ". Not available "VideoKeeper (Video Keeper)" In.
※ 1024x600, 1360 × 768 because it is optimized RINGEDGE of SEGA Corporation to (analog RGB / DVI-D), there may not be displayed correctly on a computer or other devices. (: We have not tested with respect RINGWIDE Note.)
※ resolution of 1360 × 768, the case of a connection in the Analog RGB, you might want to false recognition and resolution 1024x768 or 1280x768 depending on the device to be connected.

● Operation is now available in Windows Media Encoder x64.
※ I recommend capturing progressive video because there are times when the de-interlacing does not work properly.

● I improve the problem that the screen shakes up and down when you enter the resolution of 1080p with analog RGB.

● I have slightly adjusted the display position of the screen capture.
※ It may display position has changed from a previous version of the input resolution.

● I was supported corporate capture card "SC-510N1/AVS".

Hmm, Haswell is out now and they have only just added ivybridge???

Also mentions about a 1080p resolution i though this card was capable of display a 1080p signal???

[BuckoA51]

You can do 1080p capture but only at 24fps

[lettuce]

You can do 1080p capture but only at 24fps

Ah, shame they could of pushed it to 30fps

[blizzz]

You can do 1080p capture but only at 24fps

Ah, shame they could of pushed it to 30fps

They did, works at 1080p30.

[BuckoA51]

oh nice

Any way to force the Mini to output at 1080p/30?

[Fudoh]

1080p30 isn't a valid timing anyway. I think the card accepts 1080p60 and drops half the frames for recording, right ?

[lettuce]

Im not sure, if i select 1080p on the 360, i get the 'no signal' screen in Amarec

[blizzz]

1080p30 isn't a valid timing anyway. I think the card accepts 1080p60 and drops half the frames for recording, right ?

No, it doesn't allow 1080p60 input. Only 1080p30 from a PC (or 1080p24).

[Fudoh]

ok, we're talking the 500N1 ?

The 512N1 does this right ? 1080p60 in and 1080p30 recorded ?

What's 1080p30 from a PC supposed to be ? Nvidia's output panels lists 1080p30 but means 1080i60.

[blizzz]

Yes, I'm talking about the 500N1. 1080p30 is 30 full pictures per second, no interlacing. I got it when I connected the HDMI out on my Ivy Bridge to the card.

I think the 512N1 can record 1080p60, but I don't know anyone who owns one yet.

[Thrill]

I was talking to blizzz on SDA who informed me about the 100% CPU bug. I was able to replicate it eventually.

While trying to figure out a proper fix other than the power settings thing, I was browsing the Amarec blog here: http://amalabo.blog35.fc2.com/blog-category-21.html

The first post I saw instantly put me into detective mode. Driver version 121? But the Micomsoft page here says 116: http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/sc-500n1_download.htm

After some seconds I figured out what they had done. All new driver updates for the SC-500N1 and future cards are here: http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/sc-512n1_download.htm

Latest driver is June 7, 2013 for both Micomsoft cards (and VideoKeeper works now).



Enjoy!

[akumajo]

coming soon ! http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/xcapture-1.htm

[lettuce]

I was talking to blizzz on SDA who informed me about the 100% CPU bug. I was able to replicate it eventually.

While trying to figure out a proper fix other than the power settings thing, I was browsing the Amarec blog here: http://amalabo.blog35.fc2.com/blog-category-21.html

The first post I saw instantly put me into detective mode. Driver version 121? But the Micomsoft page here says 116: http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/sc-500n1_download.htm

After some seconds I figured out what they had done. All new driver updates for the SC-500N1 and future cards are here: http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/sc-512n1_download.htm

Latest driver is June 7, 2013 for both Micomsoft cards (and VideoKeeper works now).



Enjoy!

So theres no 100% CPU usage bug anymore then?? As since i have installed Windows 7 Update 1 the batch file fix i posted above no longer works

[lettuce]

coming soon ! http://www.micomsoft.co.jp/xcapture-1.htm

DAMN!!!!, does that do 240p and 1080p @ 60fps??

[Thrill]

Sorry to get your hopes up lettuce but nope.

I still need to go into power settings and select "power saver" to disable the 100% load. Balanced or high performance does not reset the load (I have SP1 to). I even went as far as carbon copying the power settings from power saver over to balanced and it did not help.

One thing I noticed though. If you click Device Setting to configure input it will 100% load as expected but if you click Audio Device Setting to configure inputs of the card it will not 100% load.

Also about XCAPTURE-1, yes it will do 240p and 1080p at 60 fps: http://micomsoft.co.jp/shop/xcapture-1.html

You can see this from the chart. From left to right: Composite, S-Video, Component, HDMI, RGB

[lettuce]

Sorry to get your hopes up lettuce but nope.

I still need to go into power settings and select "power saver" to disable the 100% load. Balanced or high performance does not reset the load (I have SP1 to). I even went as far as carbon copying the power settings from power saver over to balanced and it did not help.

One thing I noticed though. If you click Device Setting to configure input it will 100% load as expected but if you click Audio Device Setting to configure inputs of the card it will not 100% load.

Also about XCAPTURE-1, yes it will do 240p and 1080p at 60 fps: http://micomsoft.co.jp/shop/xcapture-1.html

You can see this from the chart. From left to right: Composite, S-Video, Component, HDMI, RGB

Might purchase one then...or though its about £230 before shipping and tax charges to the UK . Are they available to buy now??

[akumajo]

Sorry to get your hopes up lettuce but nope.

I still need to go into power settings and select "power saver" to disable the 100% load. Balanced or high performance does not reset the load (I have SP1 to). I even went as far as carbon copying the power settings from power saver over to balanced and it did not help.

One thing I noticed though. If you click Device Setting to configure input it will 100% load as expected but if you click Audio Device Setting to configure inputs of the card it will not 100% load.

Also about XCAPTURE-1, yes it will do 240p and 1080p at 60 fps: http://micomsoft.co.jp/shop/xcapture-1.html

You can see this from the chart. From left to right: Composite, S-Video, Component, HDMI, RGB

Might purchase one then...or though its about £230 before shipping and tax charges to the UK . Are they available to buy now??

available mid july