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So, if you see the Type C connector on the bottom of the Figure, you could be connecting to USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, or USB 4, though USB 2.0 is unlikely. When considering both USB and Thunderbolt understand that the connector is different from the standard and related performance.
#BEST VIDEO CAPTURE DEVICES OBS 1080P#
Even at 5Gbps, USB 3.0 can transport only a single uncompressed 1080p60 stream though it might be able to handle two uncompressed 1080p 30 streams. With a top speed of 480Mbps, USB 2.0 clearly can’t transfer uncompressed video which is why all USB 2.0 capture dongles used H.264 compression to transfer the video into the notebook. In Figure 1 (from Wikipedia) you see the speeds and connectors of USB 1.0 through USB4. With USB, remember that the standard was created to connect to and supply power to peripherals like keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, and the like. 4K video is 4x both amounts, so about 6Gbps for 4K30p and 12Gbps for 4K60p. At 1080p 30fps, that bitrate is about 1.5Gbps, double that for the 60p you’ll want to capture if you’re a gamer. For perspective, understand that most current capture dongles attempt to transfer uncompressed video into the computer. So let’s start with a quick review of USB and Thunderbolt connections and connectors. The computer side has two primary connectors, USB and Thunderbolt. If you want to broadcast from another device, like a computer, you’ll need a dongle that supports VGA or DVI input, though you’re better off acquiring the signal via the Network Device Interface (NDI) or similar protocol that vMix and Wirecast both support. Looking at the source side, of course, you need inputs to match your camera, which typically means either SDI or HDMI. The first obvious concern is whether the unit connects to your camera/output device and notebook. Note that the products listed are meant to be representative, not exhaustive if your company has a product that should be considered with those listed please add it as a comment to the online version of this article. This buyer’s guide will help guide your purchase decision.
#BEST VIDEO CAPTURE DEVICES OBS SOFTWARE#
You’ve got the notebook and software now you need the dongle, which can cost anywhere from $40 or so to over $700. One of the most popular production setups is a notebook running a video mixer like OBS, vMix, or Wirecast connected to the camera via a capture dongle, which is inexpensive and provides access to titling, transitions, and special effects that add a professional touch.
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There are myriad technical options for doing this, from encoders attached to (or even inside) the camera to dedicated standalone appliances. Any event captured with a camera can easily be live-streamed.