Adaptec Gamebridge 1400 (play console games on your PC!) - Now $10 at Fry's - review!

Have you guys upgraded to SP2?

As for installing the drivers, it said not to look to microsoft update during that, and the thing should be unplugged before installing the drivers. Also read the pdf file if you still are having problems. I gotta admit too, the software bundled with it is crap. But once I got it working [after like 30 tries] it was a piece of cake.

The thing most likely installed the drivers already so maybe you should go to device manager and uninstall the 14xx driver under the audio and video. Then try rreinstalling.
 
[quote name='ashram']get the 1410 (one with tv tuner) then....it will work with rf and composite inputs[/QUOTE]
Seriously?!? If I buy this, I can play my old systems (atari, segas, colecos, nins, et cetera) through my laptop? I ... I can toss that crummy old tv?!


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[quote name='halu102']Have you guys upgraded to SP2?

As for installing the drivers, it said not to look to microsoft update during that, and the thing should be unplugged before installing the drivers. Also read the pdf file if you still are having problems. I gotta admit too, the software bundled with it is crap. But once I got it working [after like 30 tries] it was a piece of cake.

The thing most likely installed the drivers already so maybe you should go to device manager and uninstall the 14xx driver under the audio and video. Then try rreinstalling.[/quote]Yea, I've been upgraded to SP2 for quite some time. Im about to try uninstalling the driver and try again.
 
[quote name='guinaevere']Seriously?!? If I buy this, I can play my old systems (atari, segas, colecos, nins, et cetera) through my laptop? I ... I can toss that crummy old tv?!


SayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYes[/QUOTE]
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[quote name='guinaevere']Seriously?!? If I buy this, I can play my old systems (atari, segas, colecos, nins, et cetera) through my laptop? I ... I can toss that crummy old tv?!


SayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYesSayYes[/quote]
Keep in mind that certain twitch reflex games will suffer due to low framerate.
 
[quote name='Z-Saber']Keep in mind that certain twitch reflex games will suffer due to low framerate.[/QUOTE]
On a 16-bit processor I don't see a problem. I'm not expecting a game running at todays specs. Unless you're saying that the games will be chopped drastically?

And thank you zewone. =)
 
[quote name='soulwish2003']Check out www.woot.com ... Adaptec GameBridge AVC-1410 19.99.[/quote]

They had to do this after I had gotten one. I would have gotten two from them and given one to a friend. Oh well.
 
i just picked one up at woot...almost bought it last night at outpost for damn near $40

at this point im not exactly sure what im going to do with it but i have options at least
 
[quote name='guinaevere']On a 16-bit processor I don't see a problem. I'm not expecting a game running at todays specs. Unless you're saying that the games will be chopped drastically?

And thank you zewone. =)[/quote]The framerate of this Gamebridge is 30fps max. Every Atari game I can think of runs faster than that, but those extra frames will be dropped.
 
[quote name='Z-Saber']The framerate of this Gamebridge is 30fps max. Every Atari game I can think of runs faster than that, but those extra frames will be dropped.[/quote]

Is it 30fps max because of the hardware or is there some way to boost it using different software?
 
I just noticed the 1410 over at woot.com and due to the price and size of it, I'm very temped. I currently own a Dazzle USB video capture. I originally bought it to create some gameplay videos of Halo2. Do I really need to buy this item if I've got that dazzle cable? I can't really decide. Playing on my laptop sounds pretty cool, but from when I've tried there definitely is a delay with the dazzle, at least the couple of times that I actually tried.

-Frank
 
Am I doing the math right that this thing is having to transfer over 26MB (!) per second to do 640x480x30fpsx3bytes/pixel?

If I'm calculating that right, wow! This really does need USB 2.0, and it's pushing USB 2.0 to it's real-world max.

Regarding the install, I have the non-tuner version, and it also goes through the driver install twice (and once every single time you switch USB ports after that). The popup warns you about that though, so no big deal. And yeah, you start the installer with it unplugged, but about the first thing it does is tells you to plug it in, and then it starts the driver install. I just went with the default to check Windows Update or whatever, and it scans for awhile and then presumably pulls the drivers off CD.

I *still* haven't had a chance to pick up an S-Video cable, but so far so good on Final Fantasy II. Sitting a few feet away from your monitor makes it look better (since you're not sitting right next to a TV either).
 
[quote name='crazeman']damn and i just ordered for $32 after shipping at outpost.com a day or two ago :bomb:[/quote]

I ordered it from Outpost yesterday afternoon. Missed the post about Woot! I could have saved $6.50!!!!! (Yes, I'm a CAG!)
 
[quote name='quercus']I ordered it from Outpost yesterday afternoon. Missed the post about Woot! I could have saved $6.50!!!!! (Yes, I'm a CAG!)[/quote]

I hear ya man.


Someone want to anwser my question.:whistle2:#

Can you fraps videos with this with better quality than what it does out of the box?
 
[quote name='super_nerd']Is it 30fps max because of the hardware or is there some way to boost it using different software?[/quote]No, that is the absolute peak as far as I can tell. Other software does nothing.
 
[quote name='guinaevere']Thanks for the specs, Zsaber! I'll have to think about this.[/quote]Welcome. I personally wouldn't have bought it had I known this, but I'm not about to go through the hastle of returning it. I'll find some use for it.
 
Didn't somebody say that it was possible to use dscaler to get 60 fps, but interlaced?
Right now, it's the fps issue that is holding me off from buying it
 
[quote name='Z-Saber']No, that is the absolute peak as far as I can tell. Other software does nothing.[/quote]

Thanks for the info! 30fps shouldn't effect watching the telly or movies right? I just want it so I can watch some shows and play my old school rpgs.
 
Just got mine today and it loads up but the picture is really jumpy and the sound hardly comes through at all. is this a problem with the unit or my comp do you think?

Edit: I plugged it into my other computer and it works fine. I figure it either has to be a problem with my videocard or my USB ports. Kinda stinks since I got it for use on that laptop. I know the USB ports are as up to date as I can get them so maybe if I update or roll back my video card drivers that will fix it.
 
[quote name='CaptainBlue']When i insert the disc to install it says i need a usb 2.0 port...my motherboard has 4, and it is plugged into one of them, why does it not work?
[/quote]

That looks like a nice mobo. I don't know why it would say you need a usb 2.0 port unless you reinstalled windows xp or something and dont have the updated drivers so the computer thinks you have usb 1.1 maybe? Service Pack 2 comes with usb 2.0 drivers so I don't know what else to say.
 
I've tried everything I can think of to get it to work right on my laptop. The picture is jumpy and frezes every now and then. I reinstalled the USB drivers, reinstalled the video card drivers, reinstalled the software and drivers for the gamebridge and its still exactly the same. I'm at a loss as to what to try.
 
[quote name='Klank']I've tried everything I can think of to get it to work right on my laptop. The picture is jumpy and frezes every now and then. I reinstalled the USB drivers, reinstalled the video card drivers, reinstalled the software and drivers for the gamebridge and its still exactly the same. I'm at a loss as to what to try.[/quote]

I guess you could try shutting down all programs you don't need atm, like your virus scanner, firewall, etc. Personally I don't bother to install a virus scanner or firewall on my PC because they're useless, BartPE FTW.
 
[quote name='super_nerd']I guess you could try shutting down all programs you don't need atm, like your virus scanner, firewall, etc. Personally I don't bother to install a virus scanner or firewall on my PC because they're useless, BartPE FTW.[/quote]

I've only got a virus scanner and it does not take up much memory. I can't figure out what could be the cause of this. My laptop is a 2.4gig p4 with 896mb of ram and 128mb (really crappy) video card. It should run fine on here. Well it was cheep enough that if I can't get it to work its not a huge deal.
 
I had to uninstall the software since it made all my media files freeze every few seconds. After that I had to reinstall my GFX card since it seems to take that info away and I was stuck in 640-480 mode for a while. This is a newer PC and I dont have too much installed and havent had trouble before. I cant even contact cust, support on the adaptec website since it says my S/N and all the other info that comes with my product is invalid. I cant even call them since a computer wont let me speak to somone without a "correct" number. Has anyone else had this problem and do they know a quick fix? I like using the product but it ruins my windows media capabilities.
 
[quote name='danny-o']I had to uninstall the software since it made all my media files freeze every few seconds. After that I had to reinstall my GFX card since it seems to take that info away and I was stuck in 640-480 mode for a while. This is a newer PC and I dont have too much installed and havent had trouble before. I cant even contact cust, support on the adaptec website since it says my S/N and all the other info that comes with my product is invalid. I cant even call them since a computer wont let me speak to somone without a "correct" number. Has anyone else had this problem and do they know a quick fix? I like using the product but it ruins my windows media capabilities.[/quote]

Don't bother trying to contact the tech support since the product was so cheep they want you to pay this massive fee before they will help you out. There is no free tech support sadly. My problem is similar but I think it must be related to my video card somehow since its a really old crappy mobile card.
 
Anyone have any tips on how to get the 30FPS max?

I'm playing Halo 2 online and there is a slight delay, maybe 20-25FPS. Doesn't seem like a lot, but if I can get the full 30FPS, I should be able to play better.

The videos it records look really nice, especially for the price. When i watch the videos I have recorded it plays at the full 30FPS.
 
Hmm it is running great on my pc except for one major flaw. I get random green lines popping up for a frame or two horizontally across the screen and a popping noise. Any idea what could be causing that? If I can fix that then it will be perfect.
 
Yes, thats my motherboard, when i said 4 usb ports, i wasnt counting the extra 2 that you have to plug in and put out one of the slots on the back of the case. (you can look in the pics)

I do have windows xp SP2 installed.

Could it be that since i cant do the windows validation, that there is an update i need, that i cant get?

A friend of mine suggested updating my mobo bios, but when i did that, upon installation it told me i didnt have an asus mobo and installation could no longer continue.

So then i tried the asus cd, that CAME with my ASUS mobo, and tried installing asus updater... "No asus motherboard detected"

Anyone have any ideas?
 
I got this thing to use on my laptop; I had some initial hiccups getting it to work at all, the Intervideo software was just craptastic on this box, but I went to DScaler and it worked like a charm.

I occasionally get a few stutters, but after tweaking the settings a bit I ended up getting a great picture with minimal stutters (half a second of freeze at most, maybe happens once every 5-10 minutes... for what I'm using it, gaming during downloads/compiles, for it's tolerable.) Plus I'm running Vista RC1 right now, so I'm going to attribute any minor oddness/performance issues to that for now.

One odd issue, DScaler picks up the audio fine for playing, but if I set the recording settings to use the Soundbridge Audio, I get an error:

An error occured while initializing the waveIn device: The waveIn device could not be opened.
Click to expand...

Any thoughts?
 
I got mine in the mail today - thanks, OP!

Installation: The quick installation instructions were almost TOO quick. And by that I mean the on-disk .pdf explained how to properly install the drivers and device (two rounds of Windows XP "Add New Hardware," etc.). I followed those directions, and was set to go immediately, actually.

I am using it currently on my main desktop PC, but I will give it a go on my laptop and update regarding performance there.

Performance on desktop PC: So far, so good! I hooked my PS up to it (composite - I'll try S-Video tonight) and ran a shooting game to test response time and overall picture. I used "Bokan to Ippatsu! Doronbo" since it has a FMV intro and bright, animated gameplay.

The FMV was fine, especially since this is PS FMV from an already old video (I think the FMV is taken from the actual show, which was from the 70's in Japan, I think). The game itself seemed okay. A little grainy, but to be expected given the boost in resolution to a PC monitor. The game response time was fine, too, though just a *hair* slow. Didn't affect me playing the game though, and I might even play the game on a standard TV later just to make sure it's not just how the game always was.

Playback was a snap, and shrunk down it was very, very nice. Fullscreen was essentially what I had seen as I played, which was a very good capture overall.

I'll keep messing around with it and edit this post if I need to. I say for $24.99 + shipping this is a great little deal.
 
for some reason my cd/dvd rom drive can't read the installation CD.

i checked the product's company website for drivers/install file and came up empty.

can someone point me to a link where i can d/l the nessessary files to run this thing? or can someone upload the files. someone at Woot.com was kind enough to upload the ISO for me.

thanks
 
tested this out on my 2 year old and not so great runnign laptop and had better results than I was thinking I would get... here's the turnout:

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-orK25Pgjd0[/media]
 
yea i got the 1410 a week ago. the first time i used it, it worked perfectly, did the instructions, installed the software and had my xbox running on the laptop.

2nd try wasnt so easy, as the video signal wasnt reading, then i moved to Dscaler and had the same results.

a couple nights and headaches later

id call it the 5th attempt, i turned on my xbox before pluggin anything, plugged the gamebridge and av cords, then plgged the usb in the comp, and it was reading against, playing perfect in default software and Dscaler.

I figure its best to have the video game console on and running, having the av cables plugged, then connecting the usb to comp to avoid problems (tries it again, works!)

what i liked the most is that i didnt have to mess with any settings to get the video and audio on laptop, everything was in sync, recording was easy and files were viewable and small size(in default software)


unit was worth the money for the conveinence and options, like a few people here ill also start to post game videos on youtube.

my advice, the "InterVideo Home Theater"(default) works best for gaming, use Dscaler if you plan on TV viewing and encoding for its vast options.
 
Yeah, so I bought this from Woot on the 22nd, and somehow I got highly screwed on their shipping and I won't see it for another week at least. Should have just spent the 5 bucks more and got it from outpost.
 
Any chance that any Mac software might be able to support this product? I bought the 1410, have an Intel iMac, so I've been using it on the Windows partition; however, I use the Mac side more often so I was wondering if anyone knew if Mac software could ever support this. Thanks very much.
 
Still no go on geting it to run on my laptop. However it does run really well on my desktop. I took a few videos of disgaea 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIs-xQc4hKI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajv994Mf6zg

Both are on highest settings for recording.

Overall I am really happy with this product as it works great on the PC at work. I was originally going to try to run it on my laptop at work but since I can just toss the software on the PC and and its all set to go it worked out great.
 
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