Table of Contents
Record with OBS Studio
The biggest challenge when recording from an Android TV Box (video streaming hardware) is to record video and surround sound in sync. I tried several ways of doing this and found one which allows me to do it in one recording without too expensive hardware. I have not found a video capture card on the market which allows to record a protected video stream or multi-channel surround sound.
Note: This guide is not intended to teach you how to circumvent copy protection. Make sure the source or service you are recording from allows you to make a copy for your own use before you record. Creating multiple copies or selling copies is prohibited by law.
Settings
Gear
- Media Player: Nokia Streaming Box 8010 or Xiaomi Mi Box S 4K Android streaming and video player
- BDP: OPPO UDP-203 4K Ultra HD Bluray Disc Player (player with HDMI passthrough and analog surround 7.1 audio outputs)
- Video Capture: Blackmagic Intensity Pro 4K PCI-e capture card
- USB Audio: ESI U86XT USB audio interface
- Isolator: Conext Link AD104 RCA Stereo 2 Channel Ground Loop Isolator Signal Noise Filter Suppressor (avoid ground loop)
- NoHDCP: UGREEN 40281 HDMI Audio Extractor (disable HDCP)
With this setup you can record video and 5.1 or 7.1 audio at the same time.
Cost of gear
- Media Player: 100 USD
- Disc Player: 1000 USD (you need to find a premium player or another device with HDMI passthrough and analog surround audio outputs). Instead of a Disc Player you can utilitze any 5.1 pre-amplifier which supports an audio codec currently used by Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, etc. If you use a pre-amplifier with variable output volume make sure you adjust the volume so you don't need to post-process amplification to it. Note that not every 5.1 pre-amplifier works, only one which supports the audio codec in the source stream.
- Multi-channel USB audio interface: 300 USD (with 6 or 8 analog inputs). If you don't have one or do not want to buy one you can record the 6 channels in 3 stereo pairs and then sync the audio with Audacity. 3 stereo pairs means you need to record the stream 3 times, each time you connect a different pair of analog output to the analog stereo input of the Video Capture card (e.g. L/R, C/LFE, SL/SR).
- Ground Loop Isolators: 30 USD (for 6 channels)
- HDMI to HDMI converter: 30 USD (to remove HDCP)
- TOTAL: 1500 USD
Connection diagram
flowchart LR;
Isolator["Ground
Isolator"];
Capture["Video
Capture"];
USBaudio["USB Audio"];
Box["Media Player"];
Box--HDMI-->NoHDCP;
NoHDCP--HDMI-->BDP["Disc Player"];
BDP--"FL/FR
C/SW
SL/SR
(6ch RCA)"-->Isolator;
BDP--HDMI-->Capture;
Capture--"PCI-e
or
USB"-->PC;
Isolator--"FL/FR
C/SW
SL/SR
(6ch RCA)"-->USBaudio;
USBaudio--USB-->PC;
click PC "#software"
Notes:
- The UDP needs to be set to Source Direct to pass through the video to the capture card, and the input needs to be set to HDMI In.
- While Netflix has a desktop client from which you could separately record 5.1 audio, other streaming clients on Windows do not have this feature.
Steps
- Switch on Media Player
- Switch on Disc Player
- Set Disc Player to HDMI in with remote or handheld app
- Start OBS
Software
- OBS Studio 27.2.4
- HandBrake 1.5.1 (GUI and CLI version)
- SMPlayer 22.2.0.10060
Desktop Audio 5.1
- Video: none
- Audio: Windows 10 App
FHD Surround 5.1 (Intensity Pro)
- Video: Mi Box S → 40281 (HDMI) → Intensity Pro (HDMI)
- Audio: Mi Box S → 40281 (SPDIF) → AVR-4308 (5.1 through Pre Out) to U86XT (Line IN 1-6)
- Make sure you connect the U86XT through a Ground Loop Isolator to the AVR to avoid ground loop issues while recording
- Set the AVR-4308 to volume -10 dB
VHS Stereo (Intensity Pro)
- Video: HR-S6711EU (composite) → Intensity Pro (Y - green)
- Audio: HR-S6711EU (stereo) → Intensity Pro (RCA)
- Audio monitor: HR-S6711EU (stereo) → AVR-4308
OBS Studio
Settings
- Output
Hint: Chose Simple or Advanced, not both, then save. Simple is good for lossless recording of both video and audio. Advanced is only necessary for some special use cases.- Output Mode: Simple
- Recording Path
- Recording Quality: Lossless Quality
- Output Mode: Advanced
- Type: Custom Output (FFmpeg)
- File path or URL
- Container Format: matroska
- Audio Bitrate: 256 Kbps
- Audio Track: 1
- Audio Encoder: pcm_s16le
- Audio
- Sample Rate: 48 kHz
- Channels: 5.1 or Stereo
- Video
- Base (Canvas) Resolution: 1920×1080
- Output (Scaled) Resolution: 1920×1080
- Downscale Filter: [no downscaling required]
- Common FPS Values: 60
Properties Intensity Pro 4K
- Video Connection: HDMI
- Audio Connection: Analog RCA (we do not record the audio stream)
Properties ESI U86 XT
- Device: U86 Multichannel 8 (ESI Audio Device (WDM) - U86)
- Advanced Audio Properties - Sync Offset: -120ms
- Advanced Audio Properties - Tracks: 1
Filters
- Limiter: Threshold -1.00 dB, Release 60 ms
Deinterlacing
- Disable