how do you guys capture gameplay?
- Thread starter dracono99
- Start date
janejana
[06] Combatant
Uh, how much are you willing to pay? Realistically if you want HD you'll probably need to spend around $150 at least.
I have a friend who uses a Blackmagic Intensity Pro, which is a little under $200. It's an internal install, and I haven't heard many good things about Blackmagic's customer service. It used to be a good deal a few years back, but there's better stuff for less out there nowadays.
Hauppauge has the best track record for capture cards - if you are comfortable with internal installation the Colossus is excellent, only $150 and has true HDMI support. They also make an external capture device that's easier to use but it's more expensive and only has component inputs.
Roxio sells a low-cost (relatively) card at $100, but it only outputs video at 480p. Haven't heard or seen much about it aside from the price...if you've never used capture devices before it is probably your best choice; it sounds easy enough to use. But if you want the highest quality possible, I'd go with Hauppauge.
I have a friend who uses a Blackmagic Intensity Pro, which is a little under $200. It's an internal install, and I haven't heard many good things about Blackmagic's customer service. It used to be a good deal a few years back, but there's better stuff for less out there nowadays.
Hauppauge has the best track record for capture cards - if you are comfortable with internal installation the Colossus is excellent, only $150 and has true HDMI support. They also make an external capture device that's easier to use but it's more expensive and only has component inputs.
Roxio sells a low-cost (relatively) card at $100, but it only outputs video at 480p. Haven't heard or seen much about it aside from the price...if you've never used capture devices before it is probably your best choice; it sounds easy enough to use. But if you want the highest quality possible, I'd go with Hauppauge.
Jaxel
Administrator
Anyone who buys a Hauppauge is a fool (and yes, most streamers out there are FOOLS). Hauppauge does not use DirectShow when their input feeds; which means you can't view the video directly in your preferred capture program like VirtualDub, Wirecast or FMLE. This is why you see a lot of streamers using screen capture software to output the video. What they are doing is viewing the input with Hauppauge's shitty WinTV software, and then screen capturing the view.
If you're doing this, you are losing a lot when it comes to quality and can lead to a lot of aliasing. Out of all consumer level capture cards, the Blackmagic Intensity Pro is the only one I've found that can do high definition, HDMI and uses the DirectShow interface. You would be a FOOL to buy the Hauppauge just to save yourself $50 as it will give you more trouble in the end as they are in fact NOT easier to use. Easier to hook up, yes, but not the use.
Not to mention, the HD-PVR is a sham. It claims to do uninterrupted HD, but this is simply not true. It is impossible, yes IMPOSSIBLE to send HD video over USB2.0; there is just simply too much data going through the pipes. So how does the HD-PVR do it? It doesn't. It takes the HD signal, compresses it, sends it over the USB2.0, then decompresses it at the other end. Which of course means a massive loss of definition and quality.
If you're doing this, you are losing a lot when it comes to quality and can lead to a lot of aliasing. Out of all consumer level capture cards, the Blackmagic Intensity Pro is the only one I've found that can do high definition, HDMI and uses the DirectShow interface. You would be a FOOL to buy the Hauppauge just to save yourself $50 as it will give you more trouble in the end as they are in fact NOT easier to use. Easier to hook up, yes, but not the use.
Not to mention, the HD-PVR is a sham. It claims to do uninterrupted HD, but this is simply not true. It is impossible, yes IMPOSSIBLE to send HD video over USB2.0; there is just simply too much data going through the pipes. So how does the HD-PVR do it? It doesn't. It takes the HD signal, compresses it, sends it over the USB2.0, then decompresses it at the other end. Which of course means a massive loss of definition and quality.