Bought Laptop is it a Keeper?

[soccercam]

I have maximized 400.00 and bought the following laptop.
Gateway® NV55S02u Laptop Computer With 15.6" LED-Backlit Screen & AMD Quad-Core A6-3400M Accelerated Processor, White (http://www.officedepot.com/catalog/catalogSku.do?id=661459&pr=&customerEnteredSku=661459)

CPU is supposed to be better than some I5's.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu_lookup.php?cpu=AMD+A6-3400M+APU+with+Radeon+HD+Graphics

I have one EasyCap device and one on the way. I would buy one more if the first two work together on the computer. I have read that they might not.

Assuming I can buy other USB capture devices that play nice, do you think this laptop will be capable of capturing video without redlining the CPU?

(3) devices 640x480 at 24 or 30 fps? I am trying to produce soccer matches for a local access channel, via a saved dvd. I read about another guy doing something similar but at only half the resolution.

I bought it from Office Depot and they will not take a refund if I open it to try it out?:eek:

Don't worry I will not hold anyone accountable for taking a guess. Worse comes to worse, I have 14 days to exchange/upgrade to a different Laptop.

[soccercam]

Tried Vidblaster on my PC amd Athlon x2 6000+ I used my EasyCap and my web cam. Processor stays below the redline. The pc was rated by passmark at 1647

The laptop is ranked by passmark at 3,534 (Bigger is Better).

[rjmurdock]

I'll be curious to hear about results of your 2-3 cameras recording @ 640x480 test on this laptop.

I'm considering buying an ASUS - Laptop / Intel® Core™ i7 2630SQ Processor / 17.3" Display / 8GB Memory / 1TB Hard Drive / 2GB graphic card in hope to help smooth out the final output frame rate.

I currently have been testing the VidBlaster v1.19 Trial version on my HP DV7 w/ i5 processor and 4GB memory laptop. Althought the "info" selection from right-clicking on the Program window tells me I'm getting 30 fps, it LOOKS more like 10-15 fps because of the slight motion blur/progressive frame rate look I'm getting. I'm also still dealing with video/audio sync issues even thought I've avoided using firewire cameras (using EasyCap w/ s-video inputs). Interestingly, I've keep my CPU % under 80% by not recording to disk but instead recording the Program window's output via a 2nd monitor HDMI output direct to tape using a HDMI to S-video converter unit connected to my Sony GVD-1000 (640x480 SD).

I've read some posts that version 2.0 is a little more optimized and thus has some of the CPU overhead, but VidBlaster has not included this version yet for trial test use (although I did read that should be remedied soon).

On the other hand, I haven't read (so far) about anyone producing broadcast-quality video (SD or HD) with their VidBlaster system. Would love to hear if you are and how you're doing it.

[Sinc747]

RJ: Download v2.08 from the Downloads section of this forum. It is a legitimate Trial Edition.

[rjmurdock]

Thanks Tom,

I did download the 2.07 beta trial version, a few more nice bells & whistles compared to the v1.19 that I was testing with. And the CPU Usage monitor is showing a little better performance (less CPU usage) for the same tasks I tested with v1.19.

Still the same problem with not quite smooth video. I watch a few of other users videos and can make this observation. The gentleman who was doing the one man shoot of his kid's hockey game with an i5 had video smoothness a little more worst than what I'm seeing with mine now. However, another gentleman was shooting what appeared to be a pro-hockey game was streaming/recording in 720p and the action was pretty smooth. He was using an i7-980. I currently have an i5-430 processor in my HP laptop.

I've gotten the impression from other post that the CPU processing speed is the single most determining factor as to how well VidBlaster performs.

I found a CPU Performance Chart at (http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html) that I think should be a good guide to VidBlaster CPU requirements. My current processor didn't even make the chart, but it's newer brother, i5-450M, was on it with a PassMark rating of about 2.471 (so mine has to be below the 2 rating). The laptop I'm considering to get tomorrow has an i7-2630QM processor, which ranks a 6.330 ranking, which is at least three times or more better than my current processor. The really smooth 720p pro-hockey video had been captured with an i7-980 processor, whick ranked 4th from the top of this chart with a rating of 10.228.

I really want to find a good laptop (not a desktop) to shoot broadcast quality SD video with VidBlaster because I want the portability for quick & easy setups anywhere. I'm feeling pretty confident that the Asus laptop with the i7-2630QM will perform well enough for my current needs and possibly may do OK with HD streaming as well. I let you know in a few day.

BTW: The best rated laptop I7 processor on this chart is an i7-2860QM, which has a performance rating of 8.532. However, the cost of this laptop was around $2500, and the Asus I'm getting is $1099 at Best Buy. So for the money versus performance gain (8.532 vs 6.330), I'm thinking I'm getting the best value (especially since it'll be at least 300% better than my current i5-430).

So, how do everyone elses processor stack up against this chart's ratings?

p.s. Tom, the Best Buy in P'cola has one in stock. I'm waiting unitl tomorrow evening for the store in Destin to get three more in. : )

RJ

[Rafal Oramus]

RJ, it's not only about CPU (and GPU) - it is about capture devices.

Kid's hokey game was captured with a cheap easycap device. And Daniel's 720p pro-hokey video was probably captured with much more expensive Blackmagic Declink card.

Also, bitrate has huge impact on image quality. I think Daniel's video was recorded locally (on his PC) then converted and uploaded to YouTube (bitrate +/- 2 mbps, I guess) and kid's game was streamed live (500-1000 kbps?).

For example - here is my recording. 640x360, streamed live, 700 kbps.
www.ustream.tv/recorded/17457098 (http://www.ustream.tv/channel/wisla-tv1)

[rjmurdock]

Ralaf,

My concern is not so much the frame rate and image quailty of the streaming video as it is to recorded video. I would like to use VibBlaster to replace my old Videonics Mx-Pro video switcher for recording long-form events & stage performances. I need the best video quality I can get for DVD sales. I don't want to give customers a DVD of web-looking video. And since dance and sports are fast moving subjects, smooth frame rate is important. Streaming LIVE is a great marketing tool, but in the end I make my money with DVD sales (for now).

I am, however, hoping to start a new biz venture that can create local shows (for both LIVE & pre-recorded streaming, & even for local TV broadcast). I love the quality production I'm seeing on such internet broadcasters as I have seen on Twit.tv (http://www.Twit.tv) and Revision3.tv (http://www.Revision3.tv). I strongly believe that with the advent of Google TV & Internet-Ready HDTV sets, as well as smartphones and tablets, we are about to enter into a video publishing revolution for the masses, much like e-books and blogging did for writers.

Again, I would love to hear from anyone who is producing quality DVD videos for resale using VidBlaster as their production switcher.

[soccercam]

I chickened out and bought the CPU you are considering (I7-2630). I have two easycap devices hooked up to two cameras and a webcam at 640x480. The CPU level meter barely moves. It is nowhere near the redline. I have no idea how that translates to video smoothness, but I am going to try a soccer game tomorrow.

One thing I noticed testing my other computers is that you need to be careful what other modules are running. A player module running an HD video source will also drain the CPU.

I am guessing the 400.00 dollar quadcore amd A6 computer might have had a chance of working, but it may have been borderline.

BTW I bought my scratch and dent Dell XPS from the outlet for $607+tax. Just keep looking and you will find the same or better. Their stock changes rapidly. Also, people have been complaining about the USB3.0 slots, but I updated the drivers off of the easycap disk and they seem to work fine with windows 7 64 bit. Possibly that problem has now been fixed. Also, you may want to get the 1080p monitor instead of the lower resolution one that I bought.

Good Luck,

Let me know how yours goes.

BJ

[weconverse]

My impression is that memory speed and motherboard bus design (2/3 channels) are also really important factors. Most laptops come short here.

[soccercam]

Below is the memory type and speed for ram the laptop I just bought. This should match up to most desktops on the market. I am not sure what the metric is for the motherboard but it supports the I7 chip and 64 bit architecture. These new mobile intel chips run at two speeds to conserve power, maybe that would effect performance?

1333MHZ,DDR3,2X4G

[weconverse]

sorry, not enough info. It's is a science to tell. Trying rules...

[Icersman]

I'm running Pro on my Toshiba core duo laptop with one SD cam. Processor gets near 100% at times but the Ustream feed is not too choppy.

I'm considering starting a side biz doing local sports. That will send me shopping for an i7.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897

[Icersman]

I chickened out and bought the CPU you are considering (I7-2630). I have two easycap devices hooked up to two cameras and a webcam at 640x480. The CPU level meter barely moves. It is nowhere near the redline. I have no idea how that translates to video smoothness, but I am going to try a soccer game tomorrow.

One thing I noticed testing my other computers is that you need to be careful what other modules are running. A player module running an HD video source will also drain the CPU.

I am guessing the 400.00 dollar quadcore amd A6 computer might have had a chance of working, but it may have been borderline.

BTW I bought my scratch and dent Dell XPS from the outlet for $607+tax. Just keep looking and you will find the same or better. Their stock changes rapidly. Also, people have been complaining about the USB3.0 slots, but I updated the drivers off of the easycap disk and they seem to work fine with windows 7 64 bit. Possibly that problem has now been fixed. Also, you may want to get the 1080p monitor instead of the lower resolution one that I bought.

Good Luck,

Let me know how yours goes.

BJ

Bob

Do you have a link to the scratch n dent area? I was looking through the Dell outlet pages and all the XPS models I saw were in the $700+ range.

I'm afraid after all the issues I had for our home opener on Friday that it may be time to upgrade to the i-7. I'm not sure if it's hardware or software with the upgraded Pro version I installed over the summer, or a combination of both.

EDIT: I spotted this ASUS (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Asus+-+Laptop+/+Intel%26%23174%3B+Core%26%23153%3B+i7+Processor+/+14%26%2334%3B+Display+/+8GB+Memory+/+750GB+Hard+Drive+-+Aluminum+Platinum/3411094.p?skuId=3411094&id=1218399174251) at Best Buy, especially for the 8 gigs of RAM, but the i7-2620M is only ranked 155th, while the 2630M is 55th.

[soccercam]

Dell was running a special 20% discount off of their outlet laptops. I found it on techbargains.com. Do a search on Google for dell and coupon codes. Be careful of the ones that do not show you the codes without clicking on a link or registering for their site.


I am not sure which one's are available now. Last weekend I saw an I7 around with the same processor as mine at one of the major retailers for around 700.00.

[soccercam]

I have now tried recording a few soccer games using my laptop and two Easycaps. I am still waiting on a third from China.

I think the Easycap model is stk1160. Although I am not thrilled with the resolution, the laptop cpu handles the load easily. I am thinking of upgrading to one of the recommended capture sticks. I am wondering if my resolution issues are due to the camera. I have an AG188U panasonic single 1/3 ccd and a JVC Svideo consumer grade camera. So far the JVC is better than the old AG188U camera but still not as good as I wanted. When I was recording church services, I used the AG456 (Also Svid) which I thought was as clear as my JVC. BTW, I upped my resolution to 720x480 and it seemed to help a little. My goal is to be able to read the player numbers when zoomed out to the full field width. I would like to know if anyone has been able to see a difference between something like the old 3 CCD Cannon L series and a consumer grade camera using Easy caps. I did check that my resolution was about the same using a firewire to my computer, so i doubt it is the Easycaps.

Lastly, Press boxes at High School games have horrible HVAC. They have huge windows with no ventilation. Also, the windows, usually one per booth, can only fit one camera. I ran a cable through the wall into the next booth to add my second camera. At least, I don't have to fight anyone for space. Almost no media ever goes to soccer games and the booths are designed for football games.

[soccercam]

http://content.dell.com/us/en/dfh/d/campaigns/dfh_pc_landing_page.aspx?dgc=EM&cid=74243&lid=1937257

I just noticed that dell is offering discounts again on the outlet laptops.

[Icersman]

It looks like we may get a laptop (http://www.dealigg.com/story-Dell-XPS-15z-15-6-Laptop-Core-i5-2410M-2-3GHz-6GB-RAM-500GB-HDD-Windows-7-Premium-3) donated. Passmark ranks the i-5 processor here (http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=Intel+Core+i5-2410M+%40+2.30GHz). The 7200 rpm HD will help as well.

Certainly, this should be an improvement over what I have now, which runs at about 100% through our webcasts.

Any thoughts, or does anyone use this processor?

The price is right, that's for sure! :D

[Sinc747]

@ Steve: Doesn't seem like much of an improvement as the i5 is a dual-core, too. While I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, it may not be worth the time and energy to transfer all over to a different laptop for marginal improvement. I'd hold out for the i7.

[soccercam]

I agree with Tom. The passmark CPU ranking of the I7 that I bought is on that same list Intel Core i7-2630QM and is ranked twice as high. Hopefully you have the option of upgrading, but if not free is free :) Did you see my entry about the 20-25% discount from dell in October. With that savings you could upgrade to the I7.

[Icersman]

I agree with Tom. The passmark CPU ranking of the I7 that I bought is on that same list Intel Core i7-2630QM and is ranked twice as high. Hopefully you have the option of upgrading, but if not free is free :) Did you see my entry about the 20-25% discount from dell in October. With that savings you could upgrade to the I7.

Yeah - I don't want to look the "gift horse" from the PSU computer store in the mouth either. I'm not sure about their purchasing procedure from Dell, but I'm thinking of offering to pay the difference to get the i7.

I did see the coupon offer for a "scratch and dent" model. That could certainly sweeten my offer.

Thanks guys

[Icersman]

Just heard that I will probably getting an i7 after all! Whoohoo! :D

Here's (https://shop.computerstore.psu.edu/products2.cfm/ID/5484/brand/TOSHIBA) what we're looking at. It will have either 6 or 8G of RAM.

[soccercam]

632.00 with coupon code 4QH8?F?0CQ9M3Z

System ID: DDC39ZFD
XPS 15 - L502X
Scratch & Dent - SD
System Price: $829.00http://i.dell.com/resize.aspx/xps-l502x/295
ProcessorProcessor: Intel Core i7 2630QM 2.0GHz (2.8GHz Turbo Mode, 6MB Cache)Operating SystemGenuine Windows 7 Home PremiumBaseXPS L502XHard Disk Drive750 GB SATA Hard Drive (7200RPM)Memory6 GB DDR3 SDRAM 1333MHz (2 DIMMs)Media BayBlu-ray Disc Combo (DVD+/-RW + BD-ROM)VideoNVIDIA GeForce GT 525M 1GB graphicsSystem ColorElemental Silver ALuminumLaptop Screen15.6 inch FHD (1080p) B+RGLED Display with 2.0 MP webcamLaptop Battery9 Cell Primary BatteryNetwork Interface CardIntel Centrino Wireless-N 1030KeyboardKeyboard with Gesture TouchpadHardware Upgrade125V Power Cord
130W A/C Adapter, 3PSoftware UpgradeGenuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Operating System DVD
Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit Operating System DVDOffice SoftwareMicrosoft Office Starter

[Icersman]

632.00 with coupon code 4QH8?F?0CQ9M3Z


Heck of a price, but I'll take $0 with sponsorship of Penn State hockey! :D ;)

[weconverse]

Gentlemen,
Please try to focus on the idea with this forum. Or at least the topic (here General support) A tip on where to find fine hardware with good pricing is always useful. But when tips turns into lengty shopping discussions - at least I get annoyed (here, not in relevant forums). I guess it would even be OK here, but in the After hours section.
Thanks.