Question / Help Using OBS and Live Gamer Portable LGP Lite to capture MacBook video output

tarilabs

tarilabs

New Member
Hello
I'm trying to use OBS with the device Live Gamer Portable LGP Lite to record the video of laptops.

Specifically MacBooks. Typically during meetings or meetups the speaker present with MacBook and a projector for the slides. I am not able to capture any video from MacBooks laptops. Typically the MacBook is connected via Thunderbolt / mini DisplayPort to the LGP Lite, then pass-thru to the videoprojector. On the videoprojector we can see the screen no-problem, but I cannot record the video and no preview is displayed. I tried both with RECentral and OBS. Sometimes, very occasionally, only one frame is displayed in preview of OBS, but then it freezes, whatever is on the videoprojector/pass-thru it went ahead and we can see it good, while indeed the OBS preview of the input device is freezed at the first frame.

I would like to point out we do NOT have any problem with Windows or Linux laptop. We have non-Apple laptop sometimes connected via mini DisplayPort with the same cable adapter to HDMI in of the LGP lite; other times the non-Apple laptop has HDMI output and we connect again to the HDMI in of the LGP lite. We can record with OBS at 1080p without any issue.
This confirms is a problem with Apple MacBook laptops.

I have 2 times the speaker coming with the most recent MacBookPro, a previous version, and I tried with a friend MacBook Air mid 2011.
The problem is always the same.
When we connect the mini DisplayPort of the MacBook to the HDMI in of the LGP lite, and then pass-thru to the projector, on the projector we can see everything updated and good, but we cannot record (neither using RECentral or OBS)
I always use Windows 10 as the host for the RECentral and OBS.

My question is: has anybody experienced the same?
Any question or feedback, please?

Thanks in advance
 
Narcogen

Narcogen

Active Member
If you cannot record using the LGP Lite on OBS or any other program, I'd say it's a question for Avermedia's Mac support. Did you try doing a screen recording with QuickTime player?

Also you should post a log.
 
tarilabs

tarilabs

New Member
Narcogen said:
Did you try doing a screen recording with QuickTime player?
Click to expand...

My end-goal is to have the video out of the MacBook recorded by OBS on another computer, where I also add webcam and other stuff like background, etc. So your proposal is not viable but thanks anyway.

I did indeed contact AverMedia although without an answer.

My main reason for posting this question here is to try understand if anybody experienced the same or potentially found a solution.
 
Narcogen

Narcogen

Active Member
I asked about QuickTime player to isolate the source of the problem, not to suggest an alternate workflow. If QuickTime can record from the device but OBS cannot, then the problem may lie with OBS.

If neither can, then the problem is likely with the Avermedia (or, more likely, with its driver).

Also, I am not suggesting using QuickTime player on the guest MacBook you are trying to get video from, but rather as a replacement for OBS on your own machine which you are trying to record to. From your original post, I assume the situation is that you have a projector, a laptop, the Avermedia LGP, and a guest machine. You are connecting the guest machine's video output to the LGP and sending passthrough to the projector. The LGP is then connected to your own machine, where you intend to use OBS to make a recording of the guest machine's video output. Or is there no local machine, and you are installing OBS onto every guest machine that comes in, Mac, Windows or Linux? If so you may not need the LGP at all as OBS can capture an entire display. This would avoid any driver-related problems with the LGP on MacOS.

I assume your local machine is not a Mac? Are you saying that the incoming video signal from a MacBook cannot be recorded on a Windows machine it is connected through the LGP, whereas other machines can be?
 
D

DJPeterHillas

New Member
Same exact problem, I've been searching for an answer for weeks. Macbook pro -hdmi adapter - hdmi - lgp - monitor - lgp usb into my streaming pc .
I get video from the passthrough, but only a red border of the preview; the transform border. That is, after I brought the image to the front and stretched to fit screen. I am VERY KEEN on finding an answer, even if it's as unfortunate as; MAC hdmi doesn't work in general for the LGP/ or the hdmi out from the mack is like hdcp protected but i have a splitter as well and it doesn't work either way.
 
tarilabs

tarilabs

New Member
DJPeterHillas said:
Same exact problem, I've been searching for an answer for weeks. Macbook pro -hdmi adapter - hdmi - lgp - monitor - lgp usb into my streaming pc .
Click to expand...
Thanks for writing DJPeterHillas, I forgot I wrote about this issue on this forum too.
I can confirm the issue I originally reported, is due to the fact video output on the MacBooks is HDCP protected, always.
Even the manufacturer of my capture card, confirmed MacBooks video output is HDCP protected.
Then of course the manufacturer couldn't further help.

But with this knowledge, I was able to circumvent this, with similar strategy of the HDMI splitter for the PS3, with the difference the output I want to capture is our presentation so we are the owner of all the rights to capture it.
I tested with HDMI splitter which also strips HDCP, and we were finally able to capture the PowerPoint presentation of our speaker who uses MacBooks.

Please notice not all HDMI splitter do strips HDCP.

I hope this helps you too on your quest.
 
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