Question / Help Using VGA instead of HDMI, different quality in outputted recorded video?

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Boom123

Member
Hello,
I am thinking of switching over to VGA as my connection instead of HDMI because my TV supposedly has 20ms less input lag when using VGA as the PC port, so thought I'll give it a shot. I record not stream. My question is, will the recorded video files have any difference from when I was recording while connecting with HDMI? (maybe since the PC knows it's connected via VGA it handles YCbCr or RGB differently?) Or is the difference just what I'm seeing on screen at that time, and the video file will be the same regardless of the connection?

I plan on uploading these videos in the future, so I wouldn't like my choice of going to VGA affect the potential quality for the viewers.

Any negative thoughts for using VGA for OBS?

Thanks in advance for any help :)
 
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Boom123

Member
bump please. Just require a confirmation before I could continue recording. Just wondering if any other factors apart from the above could affect quality like digital to analog conversion, etc.

Thank you
 
carlmmii

carlmmii

Active Member
Any digital->analog conversion happens at the very end of the output chain with your GPU. That has absolutely no part in the OBS capture process (and it would require a subsequent analog->digital conversion if it did, meaning it would be acting as a capture device... which it does not).

The only difference you might have is with the color profile you have set. This is applied pre-capture, so if you have specific color calibration profiles applied for the different monitors, then that will show up as a difference in capture. Other than that, it's exactly the same (excluding resolution/framerate differences of course).
 
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Boom123

Member
Thank you for your reply @carlmmii , I don't have different monitors. I'm hooked up to the same tv, all I did was switch from a HDMI cable to a VGA cable. Didn't change any settings in OBS. With VGA the image looks slightly blurrier/not as sharp as compared to HDMI, that is why I want to be sure that this is not being reflected in the recorded video output. The input lag definitely is less though.

Can you please define 'color profile you have set'? I have always left all the Advanced settings in OBS at default.

By 'it's exactly the same (excluding resolution/framerate differences of course)', you mean if I manually change the resolution or framerate correct? Not the VGA is causing a change to these automatically?

Thanks once again for you help, really appreciate it.
 
carlmmii

carlmmii

Active Member
Since you're comparing outputs going to 2 discrete ports on the GPU, from the standpoint of windows, you're actually dealing with 2 different monitors as far as it's concerned.

Can you please define 'color profile you have set'? I have always left all the Advanced settings in OBS at default.
Click to expand...
The color profile I referred to is handled within your GPU drivers. If you have an NVidia card, this would be the Nvidia control panel... for AMD, Catalyst Control Center. Right-click on desktop->select your appropriate control panel. The color profile would be something you set up in there, which from the sounds of it, has not been touched. I wouldn't worry about it.

By 'it's exactly the same (excluding resolution/framerate differences of course)', you mean if I manually change the resolution or framerate correct? Not the VGA is causing a change to these automatically?
Click to expand...
As long as you have the same resolution and framerate between the two connection methods, there shouldn't be any change at all. Just double-check to be sure -- keep in mind... windows. It doesn't know it's the same monitor, and some monitors can handle analog vs digital signals differently as far as what resolutions they allow. 1920x1080 is pretty much guaranteed nowadays though, so if that's what you're using, I wouldn't worry.
 
B

Boom123

Member
carlmmii said:
Since you're comparing outputs going to 2 discrete ports on the GPU, from the standpoint of windows, you're actually dealing with 2 different monitors as far as it's concerned.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that information, I didn't know that.

carlmmii said:
The color profile I referred to is handled within your GPU drivers. If you have an NVidia card, this would be the Nvidia control panel... for AMD, Catalyst Control Center. Right-click on desktop->select your appropriate control panel. The color profile would be something you set up in there, which from the sounds of it, has not been touched. I wouldn't worry about it.
Click to expand...
Ah ok, thanks for the clarification. No changes in there, I left these at their default values since I've had this pc.

carlmmii said:
As long as you have the same resolution and framerate between the two connection methods, there shouldn't be any change at all. Just double-check to be sure -- keep in mind... windows. It doesn't know it's the same monitor, and some monitors can handle analog vs digital signals differently as far as what resolutions they allow. 1920x1080 is pretty much guaranteed nowadays though, so if that's what you're using, I wouldn't worry.
Click to expand...
I kept the same resolution, framerate, and all OBS settings, literally the only change I did was switch cables. The output file is upscaled to 1920x1080 60fps, but the game plays in 640x480 (old retro games).
 
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