The Easier CAP UVC is a mixed bag when it comes to capturing videos. On the PC I’ve written a review here, created a video of the device and even compared it to other USB capture devices. But when it comes to capturing videos using a Mac, it really boils down to finding the best Easier CAP software for Mac.
Turns out there doesn’t appear to be many, if any.
I made the personal mistake thinking that upgrading the Mac OS to Catalina all previous drivers for USB capture devices would still work.
Boy was I wrong!
After I updated the OS, I then proceeded to test a few of the USB capture devices, only to see mixed results. Not only that, the laptop felt like it was in chug city and was extremely slow, so I searched how to downgrade back to Sierra.
I’ll be updating to High Sierra but that’s where I’ll leave it at..
32bit Apps For Video Transfers
Why Apple had to completely phase out support for 32bit beginning with Catalina, I don’t understand. PC’s don’t have this sort of issue, that I’ve encountered.
If you have a later model MacBook Air or Pro or iMac that has sufficient ram memory, there is the option to install parallels, but it’s not free.
This video goes through installing Parrallels to run an older 32bit version of Mac OS. While that is one option that can work, I just can’t imagine people who may have an old MacBook Air with just 128GB of hard drive space trying to add another OS in there.
You really going to split that into two slots?
Also if your old MacBook Pro only has 4GB ram (like mine) and you’re expected to run two operating systems at the same time – well, my answer is above.
Best Easier CAP Software For MAC
With the Easier CAP connected to MacOS Sierra, it registers the driver AV2USB2.0 – so why is it hard to find programs that will work with it?
Obviously if you’re purchasing a brand new USB capture device, they will state whether they are compatible with Mac, and hopefully they will come with their own capture software.
The easier CAP is an older variant and can be found on Amazon.
The Easier CAP never stated on its packaging that it was compatible with any Mac OS. I was just curious to see if would work. But that being the case, there appears to be only two pieces of software that I can initially use.
And they appear to be old. Like, really old!
EchoFX
EchoFX makes a software called VideoGlide that is compatible with quite a few different USB capture stick devices
I’d link to their site but Google thinks they’re not secure and I haven’t bought it I couldn’t tell you if it’s any good or not.
EasyCapViewer
Another software that was on the market was EasyCapViewer from Ben Trask.
This software appears to be so old it states at the top of the page: 2015-08-01: I’m no longer working on EasyCap Viewer.
I mean in all fairness, they probably became busy with other things in life.
But that doesn’t help the rest of us who want to transfer their tapes to digital.
OBS Studio 24.0.2
So what is my reccomendation?
It’s OBS Studio for Mac. But this version is no longer kept on their website. You can download it here. The installer package is along the bottom of the page, otherwise they try to convince you to download the latest updated version (which is no good if you are running Sierra).
OBS Studio is free and works with several USB capture devices I’ve tested. That being said, I can’t guarantee every capture stick will be compatible.
If you haven’t upgraded your Mac OS above Sierra/High Sierra then using the following method to transfer your videos will actually work fine.
So download the installer and copy it across into your applications folder.
Setup for Easier CAP For OBS Studio
Once you have installed OBS Studio, it’s time to set up the connection between the Easier Cap and the laptop.
Make sure to connect the composite cables from the VCR into the Easier Cap first then plug into the USB port.
I prefer to do this for these type of devices because it lessens the chance of any USB failure from wiggling about while trying to connect the AV cables.
Under the sources window there is an add ‘+’ icon. Click on that to see the various input sources available. The second last option Video Capture Device is what you are after.
Give the video capture source a name. If you decide to copy more videos at a later stage you will be able to simply click the capture device and the video image will show.
Click ok will bring you back to your source list which will now display the easier cap UVC name.
If you click on the cog icon below that – the driver preferences will open.
Using the drop down window, select the driver that has been installed. In this case it’s the AV TO USB2.0. Select OK and hit play on the VCR.
At this point the video will appear. There may be a case where it doesn’t appear, if so, you will need to close OBS Studio and re open it. This will usually fix that error.
Finally, there is a Settings menu along the lower right hand side. If you open that menu, you can double check that the audio is recording from the USB device driver.
With everything correct, simply click OK and OBS Studio will keep those preferences.
Something to note, you will not hear the audio as it is recording, but you can check the monitor levels as it captures the video.
Easier CAP Results
As I mentioned earlier, my first capture test was with Catalina OS and OBS Studio. When I saw the results I thought Ok, so it doesn’t work on a Mac! So the video sat in a folder – until I decided I wanted to downgrade the OS to test the AVerMedia Live Gamer Portable.
Testing the Easier CAP on Sierra OS was a different ball game. No longer are there jutters in frame rate.
So definitely the Easier CAP will work if you stick to Mac OS 10.13 as the maximum option. As soon as you go into the updated 64 bit territory, the device will not work properly.
Would I say the quality is perfect? No, but it’s certainly better than expected. It’s amazing how an update can ruin the quality.
Looking at the properties, OBS Studio allows you to change the frame rate and bitrate size, so you won’t have an issue with those. The six minute clip has a 226mb file size which roughly equates to a 2.2GB file for an hour. The fact that you can capture in an MP4 format makes it easier to swap to other devices or Smart TVs.
Conclusion
This review is really to show that you can use the easier CAP UVC with a Mac computer under certain two requirements:
- Running only up to High Sierra as an OS
- Download 24.0.2 of OBS Studio
If you are willing to do those things then you might be surprised with the quality from the easier CAP onto a Mac. You may be able to get a better quality if you increase the bitrate higher. Just when I thought this device was a write off, it pleasantly shows that it can still get the job done.
