Hi-res Image Capture
859 words eaten alive on April 28, 2008 - Filed Under computers, gadgets -
I remember a few years back when a local band wanted me to convert some of their videos from VHS to DVD. Doing it through a computer was the only way I could accomplish the task. It’s not something I typically do since I don’t have the proper equipment to do it properly, but they’re childhood friends of my brother so I agreed to give it a try.
It didn’t go too well however, the video capture card I was using was pretty good for some things, but when it came time to recording video from an external source it all fell apart. The sound wouldn’t synchronize properly at first, and once I figured that out and got the footage onto the computer I then had problems converting it to a DVD format. The conversions seemed to work ok, but then the audio was horrible and sounded like it was playing from a tin can. I eventually gave up on the whole process.
If I had only had one of these new high resolution DVI frame grabbers by Epiphan Systems things would have gone much smoother. Of course they didn’t exist back then, but you know, wishful thinking and all that. The DVI2USB are, as the name implies, a video capture box that allows you to capture from DVI. Most computer video cards feature one or two DVI outputs, most hi-def cable boxes or satellite receivers also come DVI equipped. Most newer equipment has switched over to HDMI, but HDMI to DVI adapters are pretty cheap and readily available.
The DVI frame grabbers are capable of capturing frames up to 2048×2048, that’s the equivalent of a 4 mega-pixel image from a digital camera. Most standard capture devices will only handle up to 640×480 which by todays standards is worse than what most cell phones are capable of. With prices ranging from $299 to $2000 these are a little more than the average PC user is likely willing to spend, but even the $299 model is capable of recording images up to 2048×1536 and videos at 29 frames per second at 640×480.
The official press release can explain the finer details better than I can, so check it out.
Press Release
The DVI2USB Solo, as part of the only external DVI frame grabber line on the market, is intended as a solution for those who would like to capture lossless images from single-link DVI sources, while the DVI2USB Duo is made for those that have dual-link DVI capture in mind. Both devices have capture rates of 30 frames per second at any supported DVI resolution, being up to 1920×1200 for DVI2USB Solo and 2048×2048 for DVI2USB Duo.
Both devices employ Epiphan’s revolutionary lossless compression technology, making them perfect for those that need to capture the high-quality and high-resolution picture that you would expect from a DVI source. Just like with the rest of Epiphan’s frame grabbers, the user is able to capture to still image as well as AVI movie, broadcast the captured image over the internet, and print or record the captured image with the touch of a button using Epiphan’s VGA Printer and VGA Recorder products.
What sets the DVI2USB Solo and Duo apart from other frame grabbers on the market is their ability to capture 100% lossless diagnostic-quality images at a capture rate of up to 30 frames per second. The DVI2USB Duo is able to transfer images at up to 330 megapixels a second, compressing the stream on-the-fly, meaning that the captured images are translated from the source to the destination machine without any delay.
Both devices are able to capture from any source that is VESA-compatible, including Windows and Unix machines, embedded devices, medical hardware, scientific and lab equipment, and more. What’s more, the DVI2USB devices are extremely easy to use and can be mastered in a matter of minutes. Capture software is available as a free download from Epiphan Systems’ website, however, because both devices employ WDM drivers, virtually any other software made for capturing video or still images is compatible.
Similar to the rest of the devices in Epiphan’s VGA2USB and DVI2USB line of frame grabbers, both the DVI2USB Solo and DVI2USB Duo devices are lightweight and portable, yet made with rugged, aluminum casing. The DVI2USB Solo weighs in at just 90 grams and is about the size of a small box of paperclips. The DVI2USB Duo, meanwhile, has the weight of 300 grams and is about the size of a small paperback novel. Because of their compact design, both devices can be transferred between different sources with ease.
To purchase or to find out more information about the DVI2USB Solo, the DVI2USB Duo, or any other Epiphan Systems’ product mentioned in this article, please visit epiphan.com or call 1 (877) 599-6581.
About Epiphan Systems:
Epiphan Systems Inc. markets, develops, manufactures, and supports a line of niche VGA/DVI signal processing products. Epiphan Systems produces the world’s only external frame grabber devices capable of transferring images over USB bus at high resolutions (up to 2048×2048). Epiphan Systems also produces products for archiving, printing and broadcasting of VGA and DVI video signals locally and through the WEB.
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