VGA2USB LR
As part of my IT consulting business, I had the task of creating a reporting system for computers running a command line interface only, such as DOS or Unix. In order to create reports, I set off looking for a screen capture solution. Furthermore, I needed a solution that would be able to capture what is shown on the screen at set intervals, and preferably in video format.
After searching the web, I was able to find adapters that converted a VGA signal into composite RCA video. From there, I used a Hauppauge capture card to record the video to capture the composite video stream on another computer. While this solution did the trick, the video quality was not sufficient and of extremely low resolution (320x240) which was completely unsatisfactory.
After another month of searching I stumbled upon a device called the Epiphan VGA2USB LR, which gave promises of replacing my VGA to RCA video converter and Hauppauge capture card, allowing me to capture at a resolution of 1280x1024 at 30 frames per second, and providing lossless capture quality.
The Epiphan unit is about the size of a pack of cigarettes and appears as a high resolution external video capture device or webcam in Windows. It is interfaced with the PC using USB 2.0. After using the device for a little bit over a year, it really does what it promises, and does it well. Using the VGA2USB LR, I was able to achieve video capture at well over 40 frames per second when recording from the command line interface, all this in the same resolution and quality as the source signal. Sure, it was overkill but my client was more than satisfied with the results.
Finally, using the free SDK and API provided by Epiphan Systems, I was able to interface the VGA2USB LR with my client’s custom reporting software. The VGA2USB LR has been functioning reliably ever since and support at Epiphan Systems was always helpful and quick to reply to my requests or problems.
I would recommend the VGA2USB LR to anyone looking for a screen capture solution in unusual circumstances like mine.
More information http://www.epiphan.com
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