As I've noticed there are only two decent capture cards out there that gamers will be interested in buying without spending a ridiculous amount of money; these being the Hauppauge HD PVR and the BlackMagic Intensity Pro (or shuttle, external equivalent) Hauppauge HD PVR Pros External Device Supports upto 1080i Component inputs Requires Mid-Range system specification Cons Driver compatibility is terrible Software supplied is glitchy IR Remote doesn't function unless certain drivers are uninstalled, reinstalled then patched. This still occasionally doesn't fix the issue. Numerous hardware issues have been stated Quality - recorded at 720p YouTube - Halo Reach: Envy Edited by Crypocalypse. Published at 720p. Current average sale price: £160 / $250 BlackMagic Intensity Pro Pros Supports HDMI Input Drivers are easy to install Supports full 1080p Onboard software is fairly easy to use Cons Internal card - not for inexperienced PC users. Card requires a pre-set up via control panel Only detects signals pre-set on the recording software Requires Mid-High range system specification Quality - recorded at 720p YouTube - Halo Reach: Reflect Edited by Crypocalypse. Published at 720p. Current Average sale price: £130 / $200 My Personal Experience After using the Hauppauge for 2 years or so, I've come to terms with the device functionality. I found numerous problems with the hardware which I'd like to think the majority of issues are caused by poor drivers published by hauppauge. The product was originally designed for use with Windows Vista or Windows XP. The driver update for Windows 7 that has been recently released however does fix some of the functionality problems with those operating systems, but also creates some new ones of its own. The onboard software with the device also cannot be used by windows 7. You have to instead download a different published variant (Arcsoft Media Extreme 2) which is a further £100+ to purchase. I did find a trial version of this software on Arcsoft's site, and they stupidly enough have a download link for the full version which requires no activation on your part nor any expiration timers. This however, may have been amended since then. For the most of it, the Hauppauge serves it's function as it should. It captures HD footage with use of a mid-range specification. It also doesn't require any additional slots other than a standard USB port, but it can be problematic if you use any other USB leads other than the lead provided as it struggles to send the signals over a distance greater than 2m (or so it has been reported). I originally purchased this device roughly 2 years ago for £210 (not sure how many dollars that is) and I was really excited at the time. It did, however, take me a grueling 4 hours to set up with constant driver configurations and pc restarts before the device itself could be detected. After a while, the device itself started to deteriorate and the picture quality drastically cut back until the device warmed up. Which, conflicts a lot of what people stated in forums claiming their device failed to send any signals after 15 minutes of use. Mine, sent the signal, but for the first 15 minutes or so it struggled to display black or white so constantly flicked between the two making the whole picture do "the michael jackson thing" like forge occasionally does when lighting effects get confused. I eventually came to the point where I could no longer record in 1080i, and had to downgrade to 720p permanently. As for the BMIP, I wouldn't really like to base my full opinion off the few weeks I've owned the card. It's initial set up required me to buy a new Hard Drive because mine existing Hard Drives write speed was not as it should be and therefore the card wouldn't function. After purchasing a Solid State Drive (I was gonna buy one the month after regardless ) the card now works perfectly. However, because the Xbox 360 1080p signal is sent at 59.97fps, the device does not recognise the signal because it can only decode 1080p at 30fps. However, other people have successfully used the BMIP on 1080p for xbox using older versions of the software provided. You cannot downgrade though. As soon as you enter the old capture program, it prompts you to update. If you cancel the update, the program itself closes. So, this issue may be rectified in future software versions, or you may be able to use programs like Adobe Premiere Pro (if you already have them, or fancy paying £500+ for the program). This article is basically to advise users who are interested in choosing either one of the capture devices pretty much what they're in for. If any of you have any further questions about my experience with either product, feel free to post here / message me.
No, it's almost instantaneous. Probably about 15ms at most. Hardly noticeable anyway, I could probably go into match making with it.
I was actually just researching this last night myself. I was thinking about buying a Happauge PVR. The problem is I hate playing in standard definition and I don't have any good video editing software. I don't want to buy a black magic either because my laptop can't support a USB 3.0 connection. I think I'll wait until they come up with something more convenient for me or not at all. Thanks for the information.
From experience, the hauppauge only seems to work with the software it comes with, or the newer version (2.0). However, once captured and converted, you can use it in any editing programs (or like I do, forward it onto people who have those decent ones ) It's a shame that the shuttle is only 3.0 compatible, however don't let this little thread put you off completely. Rifte uses a hauppauge hd pvr (i think) and as far as i'm aware, his works fine. It appears none of the high spec cards are fully functional at most and require certain sacrifices of time for initial set up. I do still have my hauppauge that i'm looking to sell (significantly cheaper) for about £50 at most + P&P. I don't particularly want to ship it abroad, but if you are looking for a device relatively cheap, let me know. The only problem is with mine is, it doesn't function when cold. Which is really odd, however, wrapping it in a jumper and leaving it on for 10 minutes or so heats it up and gets the picture crystal clear again, and it's as good as new. Really odd like, no idea why it happens either...
I'd be interested in buying that hauppage off you stevo. I live in Leeds. Send me a PM if your interested!