The Gamer's Quarter

[purplechair]

I'd like to be able to capture screenshots and videos of my console games, for various reasons. To this end, I've been looking into video capture cards and stuff, but I'm not really sure about what to look for.

A USB device would be handy (if I could use it on either my laptop or PC), but I gather they're quite laggy. But I was thinking, I could just play the game normally on my TV and record the video with a VCR, then play back the recording through the capture card. But then that'd bringing more hardware into the mix, and it would be handy if I could play console games straight on my laptop.

This is a general request for stories and advice from anyone who might happen to know anything about such things. What kind of setups do you use?

[dessgeega]

i have an adaptec videOH capture device, which is not too expensive and comes in a usb version. originally i would record to video tape and then feed the tape into the capture device, since it does in fact have a lag of a second or two.

now, though, i have an a/v distribution amplifier, which allows me to connect a single a/v source to two different places simultaneously (in this case, to plug the game console into both my television and capture device at the same time).

to record from the computer, i just use camtasia.
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[purplechair]

Notes taken; thanks given.

[Six]

Does anyone have one of those newfangled DVD player/recorders? Do they work well?

The thing is that our TV is in the basement, while the computer's on the second floor. I'm thinking that burning and transcoding DVDs might be a reasonable alternative to getting a capture card and trying to find a working VCR that I can ferry up and down two flights of stairs whenever I want to record some footage.

[Fred]

I don't mean to frivolously bump an old thread, but there's an Adaptec video capture device for eight bucks shipped on Woot RIGHT NOW. You have maybe a half-hour to get it. Impulse buy force GO!

[ryan]

How are USB capturing devices these days? The only one I've tried was one back in 2000-2001 and it maxed out at 320x200.

I really wish woot would load. C'moooooooon!
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Come to me, Mordel. We shall depart.

[GcDiaz]

I have a GameBridge USB thingie for connecting consoles (or whatever uses RCA/s-video, really) into my PC for recording. The lag must be minimal, because I managed to record Ch1 of DC Ikaruga with no problems besides my own incompetence. The sound does tend to crackle and pop sometimes, just like mom's vinyl.
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[ryan]

And only $14 on Amazon! Thanks for the suggestion, I'm definitely going to have to try this out. I'm going to have a den/office soon with a desk big enough for my primary and secondary monitor, and thanks to this puppy I think I can finagle a way to have some older stuff hooked up to the secondary one. Yessssss.
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Come to me, Mordel. We shall depart.

[GcDiaz]

I warn you that it will be inferior to just having a TV (any TV) set up in its stead. Fine for recording if you must, but everyday use? Hell no.
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[dessgeega]

i bought a gamebridge. it couldn't be much worse than the videoh device i'm using now, which i'd sorely like to replace.
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[SuperWes]

The Gamebridge is very nice for recording, but be careful when installing the software that it comes with. It likes to make itself the default launcher for an awful lot of common filetypes. There's nothing more annoying.

-Wes
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[dessgeega]

there's nero.
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