Video Source Multi Port HDMI Video Capture Card or HDMI to Computer

[NDWCMedia]

I'm trying to use 3 videocameras.
Should I use individual video capture cards?

Is there a multi port video capture card?

If not is there a multi input port 4:1 to HDMI connect to laptop?

Pros or Cons?

NDWC Media
ndwcmedia01@gmail.com

 

[.norman.]

I use 3 cameras with no issue, all connected via USB. 1 webcam and 2 capture devices. works great.


if you are having trouble getting multiple cameras to work over USB, make sure that each camera is connected to it's own USB controller. for instance if your computer has 4 USB ports on the back in stacks of 2 (typically each stack of 2 is 1 controller) that would be 2 controllers. if you have a usb-c connection, that would be another controller, usb on the front, another controller. do not put them all on the same controller. cameras are tremendous resource hogs on the usb controller.

 

[NDWCMedia]

My laptop only has 1 USB 3.0 port. So OBS requires separate HDMI port for each camera input.

 

[.norman.]

My laptop only has 1 USB 3.0 port. So OBS requires separate HDMI port for each camera input.

ugh, sorry about that. i hate that manufacturers are doing away with the usb ports.
but if there is a USB-C port, those are often usb 3.2 and it might have enough bandwidth to support 2 cameras on it, but you will need a usb-c hub to test.

 

[.norman.]

I'm trying to use 3 videocameras.
Should I use individual video capture cards?

Is there a multi port video capture card?

If not is there a multi input port 4:1 to HDMI connect to laptop?

Pros or Cons?

NDWC Media
ndwcmedia01@gmail.com

but to answer your question, you could look into an ATEM mini by Blackmagicdesign or something similar. but they are expensive.

 

[4xBill]

It’s been about 10 months since I’ve steamed. Before this week I believe I was running a version of OBS 26. Now that I’ve updated to the latest and greatest I’m having an issue running the same 4 cameras in the same configuration. 3 of the cameras are hooked up to a powered USB multiport. The 4th is an overhead view connected to a separate USB bank. I host live streaming of DJ’s. That is why I have the 3 cameras on the powered multiport. I need the distance for a deeper perspective of the shots. This wasn’t an issue until I updated. I can add all 4 video capture devices though I can only show 1 at a time. I have to deactivate one VCD, go to another and activate it. Only one can be seen at a time. All other VCD windows show a black screen. Unless of course I deactivate the one live VCD and activate another. When I try to activate another Video capture Device with one already activated I can see the light on the one I’m attempting to activate flash 3 or 4 times before it gives up.
Processing power shouldn’t be an issue. I built this computer for streaming only. I didn’t want any problems running this and the audio software. I barely used 8% of the CPU when I was previously running OBS. Do you think multiple cameras on a single USB bank could be my issue? Though it wasn’t before the update?

CPU: Ryzen 5 2600 OC’d to 3190
RAM: 32 GB DDR4
GPU: Nvidia GTX 1060 3GB RAM

Thanks for any insight!