Video capture card/device.

[Clear Tranquil]

Looking to record footage from PSX/PS2/X Box 360. I currently only have a CCRTV but I might invest in a HDTV and PS3 soon.

I would preferably like to get some video capture going that doesn't blow the bank.

Any recommendations?

[Grefter]

The TV you have shouldn't matter, you will be recording the signal from the devices, not the output of the Television (though and HDTV is good to have with PS3 and X-Box just because people have started using fonts that are hard to read in standard definition).

Also you are using a laptop or a desktop?

[Clear Tranquil]

Thanks Gref~

Laptop.

[Lady Door]

DEFINITELY do not get a PS3 without an HDTV. It's nearly impossible to read PS3 text on a SDTV. :|

Sorry I can't help on the capture device issue.

[Grefter]

I don't have a great deal of experience with capture stuff.  Checking external capture devices though on NewEgg they float around $100 US plus or minus $40 presumably for varying quality.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010380047+1685342852&name=Capture+%26+Editing&cm_sp=tvtunersubcatstore-_-flashstorefront-_-videocapture&Page=1

Was the page for reference.  A google search claims the "Dazzle" ones are popular but it was a bad search and had no actual depth to it.

Edit - A friend that has looked into capture stuff recommended http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815116074
Or something like it.  It is a bit on the pricier side but you get built in hard drive and should be a bit easier to use (don't have to have your laptop plugged in the whole time).  Which reminds me I should probably pimp his video stuff here sometime.

[Tide]

Tal and I use Hauppage, which is capable of recording in very high quality. It is however, expensive as all hell (mine was around 250 dollars Canadian before tax). It is easy to connect and doesn't seem to require a USB 2.0 port, which is in its favour. The only complaint I have about the actual hardware is that the USB cable is too short. So if you have some sort of game station set up like I do, it may not fit 100% and you will need adjustments.

If you want something cheaper, Pinnacle (or Dazzle) is an acceptable substitute. It however requires more wiring and both Tal and I agree that it is a piece of shit >_>. Basically the quality isn't as high and there's more definitive cases of input lag. Mine was very sensitive as well and required specific positioning or it wouldn't record at all.

Your other option is to use an Internal tuner. You'll need to ask specific PC people to see if they know how to install it because yours truly has no experience with it. It should however, remove recording/input lag but requires your PC to be near top of the line as I understand it. The above two are both external tuners.

If you want to record PC, Manycam is a great desktop recorded (and it was free last I checked).

[Talaysen]

Regarding Tide's complaint on the Hauppauge cord being too short, it's true, but you can invest in a USB extension cord to mitigate that.  Make sure to get one with a boost or whatever they call it, otherwise it probably won't work.

The biggest benefit of the Hauppauge is the passthrough to the TV, so you get zero delay.

[Clear Tranquil]

Thanks everybody

I went ahead and ordered this one -


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hauppauge-Capture-Definition-Hardware-Encoders/dp/B001M0MY10/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348698479&sr=8-1-spell

Hopefully I manage to get it set up ok and will be recording soon

[Clear Tranquil]

Hmmm. Do I need an extra PS3 component wire for this? (I have one from my PS2 if that will do) ... but then where does the yellow head go? Oh god too many wires, wat do~

[Talaysen]

It didn't come with a two ended component cable?  You'll need one of those to plug from the device to the TV, I believe.

[Clear Tranquil]

It did yeah but it has five segments each end (ten total) and the instructions that came in the box really aren't clear on where everything goes =/ There are two rows of slots on the back of the device, five in a row with the holes matching the colours on the segments of the component wire but I don't know if I'm supposed to fill all those holes or not >_> I know I have to somehow connect the device to the TV and the PS2/3 so I was really confused at first because there didn't seem to be enough segments on the cable for both the TV/gaming device and for filling in the back of the Hauppage but I finally thought of the PS2/3's own component wire which also has red/white segments but now I'm not sure what to do with the yellow segment of the gaming device's component wire, am I just supposed to leave it loose?~

[Talaysen]

Yellow?  That sounds like composite.  Is it only three things?

The way I have mine set up, my PS3 (or any other console) plugs into the bottom row on the device (five slots), then the top row of the device plugs into the TV (five slots both ways).  If you only have three, then I believe that goes into the front.  I'm not sure if that will feed into the TV, though.

[Grefter]

Depends entirely on your tv really.  Recommend familiarizing yourself with different kinds of cables, then think of how you need your video and audio to output to various devices. Bare with the mobile links as I am posting this from my phone.  You are by far most likely looking at variants with Audio cables.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Component_cable

Component is three plugs for Video.  May be paired with two more audio cables for Stereo audio in some cases.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_video Composite
Composite is a single video cable.  May be paired with two audio cables for Stereo as well.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/DVI_cable
DVI is a more complex plug and will be HD transfer.  Probably would have a separate audio cable.  You likely aren't looking at this.  Common for monitors though.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI_cable
HDMI is is also an HD cable (duh) and may transmit Audio as well.  Depends pretty much on what you are running it through.  Some boxes will block audio through I to make piracy harder (you are not likely looking at this with your box).

Audio separate you are probably just looking at standard looking audio jacks like your headphones will have or something similar.

There is some others you aren't likely looking at.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_cable
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svideo
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaxial_cable


The main thing to remember is that this stuff works fairly logically and you don't have to plug shit in and it magically works.

Assuming you don't have a separate receiver or anything to fuss with it should just be a straight chain of devices to think of.

You want your Games to output sound and video to record to your device.  Then you want that to output to the TV so you can play.  The sections on the recorder should clearly label which parts are input and output.  You will onl need one input and output of audio and video to and from the device.

Stuff gets harder if you have limited ports and cables and stuff.  Remember that the device will only be able to output in as good a quality as it receives.

When in doubt HDMI for the win.

Not sure if this was the kind of thing you needed but hope it helps.



Aaaaaaand I missed my bus stop.

[Yoshiken]

I can tell you now, I had a lot of trouble trying to record with one of these because my TV doesn't have component cable inputs. We could get it with black and white recording or black and white TV image, but couldn't get both in colour. :v

[Clear Tranquil]

... and we have lift off!~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzJgxFDxsl4&feature=youtu.be

(Grefters dun watch, ToGf final boss SPOILERS, etc~)

Still have to fix the sound up, etc but yeah.

Thanks so much to everyone for all the help, advice, information, etc in this topic again I ended up going for rigging it up with composite since yeah it turns out my own PS3 didn't come with a component cable apparently, at least I've been using that rigged up with composite and a seperate HDMI cable and that's what was confusing me before~

I might order a PS3 component cable some day and try to get the whole thing set up with component eventually dunno but for now I'm happy

* Clear Tranquil dances~