HDMI video capture for R-Pi 2/4 & RISC OS - recommendations?

I would like to record the HDMI video output (preferably with audio) from a Raspberry Pi 2 or 4 running RISC OS.

Specifically, I want to record a work-in-progress game which runs in a low-res screen mode (800×600 @ 32-bpp), which I suspect relies on the AnyMode module. The game runs at a consistent 60 fps on a 60 Hz screen. The RISC OS desktop runs in 1920×1080 on my system. Note that the game relies on ARMv7 (inc. VFP & NEON) instructions, therefore it will not run under RPCEmu.

Can anyone recommend a HDMI recorder/capture card that definitely works with RISC OS?

I was looking at this one from Amazon:
“XIIXMASK Video Capture Card, Audio Video Capture Card, USB 3.0 Capture Card 4K HDMI Loop-Out, 1080P 60FPS/2K 30FPS Video Game Capture for Streaming Works for PS5/Switch/Camera/PC/OBS”

(Amazon link) https://tinyurl.com/mr3p32m9

However, I don’t want to buy it unless I know for definite that it works correctly (video capture with audio) with RISC OS.

It would be nice not to do what I’ve done so many times in the past – namely, point a phone/video camera at the screen!

Thanks,
David.
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Can anyone recommend a HDMI recorder/capture card that definitely works with RISC OS?

They only need to be compatible with the resolutions RISC OS outputs. So 1080p 60 should be OK.

I have an older version of the one in your link. It doesn’t like changing to a different native resolution in RISC OS. Its OK if RISC OS boots up in a supported resolution. e.g 1080p60.
If you have the latest ADFFS (2.84 19th June) loaded then the screen will get scaled. The capture will be done in the RISC OS native resolution.
Audio capture just relies on HDMI audio being configured correctly in RISC OS.

They only need to be compatible with the resolutions RISC OS outputs.

At least one of them, you mean? RISCOS is capable of rather a wide range of different resolutions!

At least one of them, you mean? RISCOS is capable of rather a wide range of different resolutions!

It wouldn’t be much use if it supported none of the resolutions!

The one I have only supports capture at 1080p60/30. The 4K mentioned is only for passthrough. For different resolutons the screen can be scaled using ADFFS ( for numbered screen modes) or AnyMode (with disable_mode_changes in cmdline/txt).

Thanks for replying, Chris.

I’m not using a numbered screen mode; the 800×600 display resolution is set up with the following bit of BASIC:

DIM Mode% 23
Mode%!0 = 1
Mode%!4 = 800
Mode%!8 = 600
Mode%!12 = 5 : REM 32 bpp
Mode%!16 = -1
Mode%!20 = -1
SYS “OS_ScreenMode”, 0, Mode% : OFF

So, that device I referred to earlier (the XIIXMASK Video Capture Card), perhaps along with ADFFS, should be a fairly safe bet? I won’t hold it against anyone if it turns out not to work with RISC OS :-)

David.
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So, that device I referred to earlier (the XIIXMASK Video Capture Card), perhaps along with ADFFS, should be a fairly safe bet?

I believe ADFFS can only scale numbered screen modes. AnyMode should work as long as disable_mode_changes is in cmdline/txt and RISC OS is using 1080p60 or 30.
You might need to add the below to config/txt to make sure 1080 is used as the native resolution in RISC OS.

hdmi_group=2
hdmi_drive=2
hdmi_mode=87
hdmi_cvt=1920 1080 60 3 0 0 0

Can anyone recommend a HDMI recorder/capture card that definitely works with RISC OS?

Has it got to be a hardware solution?
You can make videos using Zoom session recording and sharing the RISC OS screen via VNC.

You can make videos using Zoom session recording and sharing the RISC OS screen via VNC.

Thanks, I’ll look into it. Currently I know next-to-nothing about Zoom and VNC, having never used them.

Ideally I’d like the screen to be captured at not less than 60 fps which should be possible with a HDMI capture card.

Ideally I’d like the screen to be captured at not less than 60 fps which should be possible with a HDMI capture card.

The RISC OS vnc server is very slow. At best it will miss most of the frames.

I’ve just ordered the aforementioned XIIXMASK video capture card. I’ll have a play with it, and report back here hopefully confirming that it works fine with RISC OS.

I use an Avermedia EZ Recorder 330. Works great. It works with any HDMI video source but does need a HDD ( reccommended ) or a fast USB stick to record to. It can be found here on Amazon

https://amzn.eu/d/0as8zleA

This is an example of a recording

https://youtu.be/yQFxpbfzzSw

Hope this helps

Greg

I use an Avermedia EZ Recorder 330.

Thanks, that looks like a good solution albeit slightly beyond my limited budget. Judging by the YouTube video you linked to, the results look fine. I’ve already taken the plunge and gone for the (considerably cheaper) device I’d been eyeing up on Amazon; it arrives in the next day or two. Hopefully it won’t disappoint.

Okay, so the video capture device arrived from ever-reliable Amazon, and it works mostly fine with the Raspberry Pi 2B + RISC OS setup, except that the audio output is not getting recorded for some reason. I usually use a small WIMAXIT screen with my Raspberry Pis, and audio comes out its built-in speakers just fine (including with RISC OS). As a workaround, I plugged a cable into the headphone socket of the R-Pi and ran it into the microphone socket of the capture device (not ideal). The resulting audio quality is just about passable.

Here’s a screen recording of me playing a work-in-progress game of mine:
https://youtu.be/xWjFQW0C1BU

David.
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