I finally figured out the solution to a tough problem and wanted to share. :) Display audio captures work differently on different computers when using the "display capture" source for video.
I'm using OBS to do a display video capture on a new Dell Precision 7730 laptop and on a new Dell XPS-8930 Desktop. For both computers I've selected the "display capture" source. The Desktop is running at 4K (3840 x 2160) while the laptop is running (most of the time) at 1080p, although it has a 4K screen and can do 4K too.
So with "display capture" selected as the source in OBS on the Dell Precision 7730 the audio comes along with it! No further mucking around. Works great when I click "start recording". The "desktop audio" level shows up under the mixer box. Again to emphasize: The only thing in the "sources" box in OBS is the "display capture" . Audio came for free somehow. Clicking on "display capture" to have a look at properties provides no audio clues, either. Says "Display 0: 1920 x 1080 @ 0,0". nothing more shows in the associated drop-down.
On the Desktop Dell XPS-8930 though, life hasn't been nearly as happy. Selecting "display capture" in OBS records the video, but NO audio. Nothing shows up in the mixer box here, completely blank. Pfffttt. Spent weeks messing with everything I could think of. Clicking on the "display capture" here brings up the same information as with the laptop, no clues about audio: "Display 0: 3480x2160 @0,0". Nothing more on the drop down.
One of the things I tried was adding "audio input capture", which did nothing. Tried messing with drivers for audio and monitor. Tried using the display port connector from the graphics card, rather than the one powered by the Intel i7-8700K chip (the laptop is an i9 6 core). I tried using the 64 bit version of OBS rather than the 32 bit. None of this helped.
So today I finally find it: add the "audio OUTPUT capture" to "sources" (along with the "display capture"), then when you click on it for properties chose your audio source. LOL. (audio) output and not Input? On what planet? I was just staring at the thing and those famous words from the movie "contact" came to me "think like a Vegan. On multiple planes and in multiple dimensions". I said to myself "in someone's odd view of things, maybe they think audio OUTPUT is what needs to be selected rather than audio INPUT". Tried it, Yep. Whyyyyyy? weeks and weeks of messing around to find this. So with audio OUTPUT added to sources the mixer box gets properly populated with a volume slider, and my display capture video now has nice audio to go with it.
Which brings up the philosophical question: why does this work differently on the Dell 7730 laptop than on the Dell 8930 Desktop? The laptop display capture drags audio along with it. The desktop display capture does not, and the audio (OUTPUT, LOL) has to be added separately. Why?
I hope this helps someone else out there and saves them the weeks I have spent.. I had to give up during those weeks and use movavi screen recorder instead, which worked perfectly BTW capturing the video AND audio.
I'm using OBS to do a display video capture on a new Dell Precision 7730 laptop and on a new Dell XPS-8930 Desktop. For both computers I've selected the "display capture" source. The Desktop is running at 4K (3840 x 2160) while the laptop is running (most of the time) at 1080p, although it has a 4K screen and can do 4K too.
So with "display capture" selected as the source in OBS on the Dell Precision 7730 the audio comes along with it! No further mucking around. Works great when I click "start recording". The "desktop audio" level shows up under the mixer box. Again to emphasize: The only thing in the "sources" box in OBS is the "display capture" . Audio came for free somehow. Clicking on "display capture" to have a look at properties provides no audio clues, either. Says "Display 0: 1920 x 1080 @ 0,0". nothing more shows in the associated drop-down.
On the Desktop Dell XPS-8930 though, life hasn't been nearly as happy. Selecting "display capture" in OBS records the video, but NO audio. Nothing shows up in the mixer box here, completely blank. Pfffttt. Spent weeks messing with everything I could think of. Clicking on the "display capture" here brings up the same information as with the laptop, no clues about audio: "Display 0: 3480x2160 @0,0". Nothing more on the drop down.
One of the things I tried was adding "audio input capture", which did nothing. Tried messing with drivers for audio and monitor. Tried using the display port connector from the graphics card, rather than the one powered by the Intel i7-8700K chip (the laptop is an i9 6 core). I tried using the 64 bit version of OBS rather than the 32 bit. None of this helped.
So today I finally find it: add the "audio OUTPUT capture" to "sources" (along with the "display capture"), then when you click on it for properties chose your audio source. LOL. (audio) output and not Input? On what planet? I was just staring at the thing and those famous words from the movie "contact" came to me "think like a Vegan. On multiple planes and in multiple dimensions". I said to myself "in someone's odd view of things, maybe they think audio OUTPUT is what needs to be selected rather than audio INPUT". Tried it, Yep. Whyyyyyy? weeks and weeks of messing around to find this. So with audio OUTPUT added to sources the mixer box gets properly populated with a volume slider, and my display capture video now has nice audio to go with it.
Which brings up the philosophical question: why does this work differently on the Dell 7730 laptop than on the Dell 8930 Desktop? The laptop display capture drags audio along with it. The desktop display capture does not, and the audio (OUTPUT, LOL) has to be added separately. Why?
I hope this helps someone else out there and saves them the weeks I have spent.. I had to give up during those weeks and use movavi screen recorder instead, which worked perfectly BTW capturing the video AND audio.
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