AV:Amarec Lossless Captures

Note from Derf: This page can be polished up and moved to the AV wiki, since there's another page for OBS lossless capture.

This page shows you how to use the Amarec software to get excellent quality, uncompressed game captures.  I've had many issues with this software over the years and sometimes it won't work at all with Windows 10.  If you'd like to try it, use v3.10 or higher, as I've seen weird bugs with other versions...including a bug that recorded at 30fps, even though it was set to 60fps!

 

**Required Software:**

This capture method uses mostly free software.  Please download and install the following:

• • Amarec (latest version, 3.10 or higher):**  http://www.amarectv.com/english/top\_e.html **x264 Codec:  https://sourceforge.net/projects/x264vfw/  /  https://www.videolan.org/developers/x264.html**

• • Alternative Codecs:**

• • Lagorith (Alternate Codec):**  https://lags.leetcode.net/codec.html **UT Video (Alternate Codec):**  https://www.videohelp.com/software/Ut-Video-Codec-Suite

• • Warning:**  If you're using the Datapath direct capture method, make SURE you've completed this page and your Vision window is loaded and configured before starting!!!

**Video Capture**

You'll need to configure Amarec to your computer and devices.  Luckilky, once the main setup is complete, the only thing you'll need to change in the future is capture resolution - Very quick and easy!

\- Open Amarec.

\- Click the top-left button to open configuration options.

\- In the "General" tab, the only thing I change is the "Path":  This is where you file will be saved. [[[File:AmaRecGeneral-300x222.png)](https://cdn.retrorgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AmaRecGeneral.png]]

\- Graph1 Has some of the most important settings. - First, make sure your capture card is selected. - Chose whichever resolution matches your source.  For Vision direct, this will be the EXACT resolution shown in the Vision window.  I've seen HDMI sources show incorrectly, so I normally just manually set it when that happens.  For direct RGB captures, you'll want,  RGB 24-bit and YUV for component.  I normally just let the capture card detect the refresh rate. \- Select your audio device as well.  I've seen this be mis-labeled - Just keep selecting until you hear sound. - Choose your audio samplerate [[[File:AmaRecGraph1.png)](https://cdn.retrorgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AmaRecGraph1.png]]

\- Here's my settings for Graph2.  I think they're all default: [[[File:AmaRecGraph2-300x222.png)](https://cdn.retrorgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AmaRecGraph2.png]]

\- I believe the "live" settings are just for the preview window.  I've never changed them.

\- I've never even used the preset window.

\- The Recording window has some important settings. - First, make sure the Frame rate is set to 60 fps. - Set the Filter Processing to Off - Leave audio uncompressed - Now press the "Update Codec List" button (see below): [[[File:AmaRecRecording.png)](https://cdn.retrorgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AmaRecRecording.png]]

\- Scroll down and select "x264", which is a codec you installed earlier. - Hit Setting. [[[File:AmarecCodec1.png)](https://cdn.retrorgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AmarecCodec1.png]]

\- I recommend setting it to "Single pass - lossless".  You can add compression here if you'd like, but I've found that I get the best quality when leaving everything uncompressed until the very last step.  Keep in mind, you'll get _very_ large file sizes. [[[File:AmarecCodec2.png)](https://cdn.retrorgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AmarecCodec2.png]]

\- I don't change any settings in any of the other tabs.

\- Now hit okay and you'll be back at the main window. - If you're using Vision direct capture, the image might be upside down.  That's perfectly normal - I just watch the Vision window, not Amarec's. - Now just hit record! [[[File:AmarecUpsideDown.png)](https://cdn.retrorgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AmarecUpsideDown.png]]

 

Luckily, all of your settings should save after exiting.  That means once you've configured Amarec, all you'll need to do when you need to record video is launch the program, go into settings and select the proper resolution: [[[File:AmarecResolution.png)](https://cdn.retrorgb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/AmarecResolution.png]]

 

I've set this software up no about 20 different computers and each one reacts slightly different - Some just work perfectly and others never work right at all, with inverted video and audio recording issues.  I've since switched over to using Virtual Dub 2 for captures, so you might want to check out that guide instead:  https://www.retrorgb.com/uncompressed-captures-with-vdub2.html

Click here to go to the next section: Scaling Retro Gaming Captures.  Click here to go to the main capture page.