Although nearly all programming language can be used to develop your custom capture card application with our RESTful API, we provide example code and helpers for Go, C++, C# and Python.
Other programming languages can be used but they do require to have JSON video formats integrated.

EDID stands for Extended Display Identification Data. It is a standardized metadata format embedded in display devices (such as monitors, TVs, or projectors) that communicates the display’s capabilities to a video source device (like a graphics card, computer, DVD player, or set-top box).

This communication enables the source to automatically select the best compatible video output settings, such as resolution, refresh rate, color characteristics, and audio capabilities, ensuring optimal picture and sound quality without the need for manual configuration by the user.

The EDID data typically includes information about the manufacturer, product type, serial number, supported display timings and resolutions, display size, color characteristics, luminance, and pixel mapping (for digital displays). This information is stored in the display’s firmware, usually in non-volatile memory like EEPROM.

EDID is transmitted through a communication channel known as the Display Data Channel (DDC), which works over standard video interfaces such as VGA, HDMI, DVI, and DisplayPort. The source device reads the EDID data during connection or startup in a process often called an “EDID handshake,” allowing it to configure its output correctly for the connected display.

The system originated from standards published by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) and has become essential for plug-and-play functionality in modern AV and computing environments. When EDID is missing or faulty, users may experience resolution mismatches or display issues.

In summary, EDID is the “identity card” of a display that helps video sources including capture cards identify and adapt to the display’s optimal capabilities automatically, enhancing user experience and compatibility across devices.

Streamers often use capture cards for several important reasons:

Connecting External Devices: Capture cards let streamers capture video and audio from devices that can’t directly run streaming software—such as game consoles (PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch), cameras, or even other computers. This makes it possible to include high-quality gameplay footage or live camera feeds on their stream.

Improved Performance: When streaming games from a console or a second PC, a capture card offloads the video encoding from the main gaming device. This helps maintain smooth gameplay without slowing down the system or causing lag, as all the resource-heavy streaming work is handled on a separate computer.

Professional Video Quality: Capture cards support high-definition resolutions and frame rates. They preserve image clarity and synchronization, which is essential for delivering a polished and professional-looking stream.

Advanced Streaming Setups: For streamers who use multiple cameras, overlays, or dual-PC setups, capture cards allow flexible mixing of video sources and seamless switching between them during a live broadcast.

For Medical: In medical use cases capture cards are often use to capture live video of operations. This is done to share information regarding procedures and well as for training purposes e.g. live display in the operating theater. But Surgeons do also often use this live display during the procedure as well. This is why latency performance is critical, since it is essential to be able to provide instant feedback for the Surgeon to judge their hand movements.

In summary, streamers use capture cards to connect external devices, achieve higher stream quality, boost performance, and support advanced multi-device streaming setups. Medical use cases have very demanding requirements in terms of latency performance.