Datapath capture card question

Hello vvvvorum,
I have an installation that I would like to use VVVV, and have some questions about some of the hardware I am thinking of using… The goal is to be able to pipe existing video feeds (8 hdmi independent feeds) on to a video wall (3 softedge blended projectors) and with animated transitions. My question is for anyone with experience with the datapath (or ems imaging) capture cards. I am thinking about getting the ‘VisionRGB-E2’ that has two DVI inputs (able to capture VGA and DVI/HDMI) - Can I use two videoIn nodes and get the input from each input simultaneously? Or only one at a time? This question also applies to the ‘VisionSD8’ (8 SD composite inputs (use hardware hdmi to composite scalers before they hit the input)).

Also the motherboard on the system has 4 PCI-e x16 slots (one used for graphics card output, 3 free). Is it possible to use 2 ‘VisionRGB-e2’ and get 4 simultaneous inputs? If this was possible I would get a 4input SD card and only downscale the signal of 4 inputs (4HD in and 4SD in). Sometimes there are only 1-3 inputs going to the renderer and large on wall, the SD would only be used for 6up and 8up configurations so they will be smaller on the wall.

Other capture cards I am thinking could work for this installation is blackmagic decklink duo (2 of them) (I have read all about the troubles with decklink from older post, need a very stable solution…)

Anyone with experience of multiple videoIn from the datapath cards (and multiple datapath cards)?

dunno about 2 cards, i use vision SE (i think) super card so far… Yes works thru videoin, yes up to 5 inputs. but…
biggest problem it’s start to overheat when use DVI + 4 SD’s 30 mins max if you use them same time, then you can roast a stake… So, nothing is impossible if you wise and can split signal among cards, also make some reallly nice cooling for them and cooling i mean some climatcontrol with dryed air

Thank you for your input. The heat issue is very good to know, as I have thought of solutions involving your card. From looking at the datasheet, it looks like there are no heatsinks on any of the ICs on that board (there is one, could solder copper heatpipe to extend). Is this true? Which chips heat up (if you have an IR thermometer around, don’t go touching them)? I can always add some heatsinks/copperPipe to everything and fan it away. I will stress test the system to manage temps.

The case has plenty of fans (and armed with a dremel a 220mm side fan is easy to add) and is inside a cabinet with 4 220mm fans with HEPA filters keeping dust out.

The 2 inputs of the datapath vision RGB-E2 can be used simultaneously !

I have never used two of this cards in one system, but my guess is that it will work.
Depending on resolution and framerate of the signal you want to capture, there of course might be a performance issue !?

And the more direct show streams you have running at the same time the more likely you will get problems with stuttering video. This seems to be not only to be a performance thing but also a vvvv-timing thing. Setting “wait for frame” correctly most of the time helps … but somehow not always.

I never experienced any overheating problems with the vision RGB-E2.

Markus