# Analogue To Digital

# 1 Still Image

See camera.

# 2 Moving Image

# 2.1 EasyCAP

USB 2.0 Video Adaptor with Audio

  • bulky USB device with LED and cables

  • inputs

    • S-video (black DIN socket), untested

    • composite video (yellow RCA socket), works with SCART-to-composite cable from VCR

    • stereo audio (red and white RCA sockets), integrated audio interface is noisy and suffers from xruns, so I use my Edirol UA-25 instead

    • provided USB extension cable makes it stop working properly, plugged directly into port of powered USB hub works fine

  • video formats

    • 720x576i50 PAL (bottom field first)

    • 720x480i60 NTSC (advertised, untested)

  • bundled software CD for Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Vista, requiring at least Pentium III 800 with 4GB HDD and 256MB RAM.

  • works fine on Debian Linux with built in usbtv driver, gives /dev/video0 or similar

    • configure with mplayer 
mplayer tv:// -tv driver=v4l2:norm=PAL:width=720:height=576:outfmt=uyvy:device=/dev/video0:input=0:fps=25:buffersize=256:alsa:amode=1:forcechan=2:audiorate=48000:adevice=default:forceaudio:immediatemode=0 -mc 0 -ao alsa:device=hw=4,0
  • check with ffplay 
ffplay /dev/video0 -vf bwdif=parity=bff
  • record with ffmpeg (use meterbridge to check audio level, use qpwgraph to connect ffmpeg to correct soundcard) 
ffmpeg -f alsa -thread_queue_size 64 -ac 2 -ar 48000 -i default -f video4linux2 -thread_queue_size 64 -i /dev/video0 -vf bwdif=parity=bff -pix_fmt yuv420p -profile:v high -level:v 4.1 -crf:v 16 -bf:v 2 -g:v 15 -codec:a copy "$(date --iso=s | tr ':' '-').mkv"

# 3 Sound

# 3.1 Edirol UA-25

24it 96kHz USB Audio Capture

  • formats

    • 44100 Hz duplex

    • 48000 Hz duplex

    • 96000 Hz with toggle on rear to select input or output (not duplex)

  • inputs

    • two balanced(?) 1/4“ TRS + XLR combo sockets on front, with individual volume controls

    • input limiter activated by switch on rear, LED shows peak / activation

    • phantom power activated by switch on rear, untested

    • right input Hi-Z toggle on front (impedance?), untested

    • digital input on rear, untested

    • direct monitoring of input with level control and toggle, and mono monitor toggle, controls on front

    • MIDI input DIN on rear

  • outputs

    • stereo 1/4“ TRS headphone socket

    • two balanced 1/4“ TRS sockets on rear

    • two unbalanced RCA sockets on rear

    • digital output on rear, untested

    • MIDI output DIN

  • works fine on Debian Linux, no special driver needed