Capturing clean footage from vintage computers isn’t easy—and Chris Edwards shows exactly why in his latest video. What begins as a straightforward Amiga capture setup turns into a multi-hour troubleshooting session involving cables, converters, and inconsistent screen modes. The goal: record clear video from an Amiga 1200. The reality: chaos.
Chris begins by testing a 350 MHz Tripplite VGA splitter, hoping it will improve his Amiga capture setup. With his Amiga 1200 fitted with a PiStorm32 and a ScanPlus AGA, it should be a quick fix. But nothing goes to plan. Adapter pins are bent, VGA cables are flaky, and screen signals flicker or drop out completely.
He rotates through an endless lineup of devices—USB-C capture cards, HDMI converters, a Stream Deck, and OBS software. In some modes, he sees success. In others, nothing appears. NTSC high-res laced and MultiScan Productivity modes show promise, but standard 15 kHz output causes consistent problems. The Amiga capture setup refuses to behave.
By the end, Chris gets some decent results using a 31 kHz screen mode and the VGA splitter. Games like Geio’s Quest display clearly. But it’s far from consistent. Vintage video output, it turns out, doesn’t care about modern convenience. One cable moved, one port switched, and it’s back to troubleshooting.
