Types of input: When choosing the right capture card you need to make sure the capture card has the right input for the device you want to record with. By far the most popular input is HDMI which is used by most gaming consoles like xbox 360, xbox one, playstation 3, playstation 4 and Wii U.
Video gaming is no longer just a pastime for children. In fact, 49% of American adults currently play some type of video game on a regular basis, and four out of five homes own some kind of device used for video gaming. The popularity of gaming today most likely stems from the fact that the majority of 30-40 years olds grew up playing video games as children, and many have continued to do so as they have grown into adulthood.
Another contribution to gaming popularity over the last decade has been the advent of smartphones and handheld tablets. These new gaming mediums have piqued the interest of many people who previously may not have played video games. Titles like Candy Crush Saga, and most recently Pokemon Go, have taken the world by storm with over 20 million daily players in the US alone.
The Video Capture category contains software that will allow you to record video from external devices or content on your computer. Capture game footages, webcam feeds, or make video presentations. The Video Capture category contains software that will allow you to record video from external devices or content on your computer. Capture game footages, webcam feeds, or make video presentations. USB 2.0 VHS to DVD Video Capture Device Windows 10 or Mac OS X- USB Video Grabber. USB 2.0 Analog Audio Video Capture Card,TV DVD VHS Game Player Camera to PC MAC $22.98.
Video game culture refers to a subculture formed by the commonality of playing video games. What once started as a subculture seems to be entering the mainstream as more and more people identify themselves as gamers. The influence video games have on popular culture is becoming more evident as we see an increasing number of prime time TV commercials, advertising new video games as well as TV series, and big screen Hollywood movies based on popular games.
Game Capture Elgato
The term gamer, which used to be a slang term for a frequent video game player, has made its way into the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Video gaming is no longer the anti-social activity it once was either. Online capabilities now allow people on different continents to play games together and chat in real time using headsets. Entire social networks have sprung up around gaming with websites, forums, and even conventions focused on specific games or genres.
These massive online video games have allowed for the creation of gaming clans, which are large teams of players who often logon to play specific games at specific times. The team members will help each other complete quests and vanquish players from other clans thereby helping each other increase in levels or unlock special game features.
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Best Video Game Capture Card
The Rundown
- Best Overall:Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI at Amazon, “With H.264 compression, the Colossus 2 records at HD resolutions up to 1080p all while storing data on your PC.”
- Runner-Up, Best Overall: Hauppauge WinTV-quadHD PCI Express at Amazon, “The Hauppauge works inside both full and half height PCs with minimal installation.”
- Best Apple Option:DIGITNOW HDMI Video Card at Amazon, “The HDMI supports resolutions up to 1920 x 1200 and it does so in a smooth, reliable way.”
- Best Multifunction:Hauppauge Digital TV Tuner at Amazon, “At just eight ounces, the Hauppauge is small and easily disappears when connected.”
- Best Video Game Capture:Elgato HD60 at Amazon, “Elgato offers ‘flashback recording,’ allowing the user to ‘slide back time’ retroactively.”
- Best Internal Card:Blackmagic Design DeckLink at Amazon, “The inputs automatically detect and switch between audio formats, and it supports all your favorite software.”
Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI
The very best tuner TV Card is the Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI. Requiring just a single PCIe x1 or x16 slot, the feature-rich Colossus 2 is capable of recording videos directly from cable TV, satellite receivers and DVRs, as well as PlayStation 3/4 or the Xbox One or 360. With H.264 compression, the Colossus 2 records at HD resolutions up to 1080p all while storing data on your PC hard disk where space is limited only by the size of your own hard drive. Additionally, live streaming on applications such as Twitch and YouTube with Hauppauge’s StreamEez features add another layer of video game recording and playback.
With many TV tuner sticks, PC performance during playback and recording can often be a concern, but Hauppauge addresses this with video compression handled directly inside the Colossus 2 to offset any potential impact to PC performance. Audio quality is also not affected, thanks to the optical audio input that delivers standout audio quality from both video game playback and live TV broadcasts. Lastly, the final benefit of almost unlimited storage over a storage-limited DVR helps make the Hauppauge exceptionally well-valued. If you run out of storage on the PC with video, offload it to an external or cloud-based drive and carry on with new recordings. It’s that simple.
Runner-Up, Best Overall: Hauppauge WinTV-quadHD PCI Express TV Tuner
If watching, pausing and recording up to four ATSC or clear QAM HD TV programs at the same time catches your eye, the Hauppauge WinTV-quadHD PCI express TV tuner card is exactly what you’re looking for. For use with computers capable of fitting a half-height PCI express board, the Hauppauge works inside both full and half height PCs with minimal installation and setup. The included remote control comes with a one-meter infrared receiver cable for easily plugging into television, so it's ready to work right out of the box. Beyond controlling playback from the comfort of your couch, the actual capturing is done via third-party programming or with Microsoft’s own Windows Media Center that’s active on Windows 7, 8 and 10. Support for all ATSC formats with four ATSC over-the-air digital TV tuners onboard is included, so the Hauppauge won't miss a beat and can handily grab programming that’s currently being broadcast.
Best Apple Option: DIGITNOW HDMI Video Card
If you’re looking for a Mac-centric video card, it’s likely that you aren’t looking for a coax-to-USB situation. Whether you’re streaming video games, TV, film, or otherwise, you need something compatible with the latest video and streaming software. That’s where this option from DIGITNOW comes in. It connects to video via HDMI and then connects through to your computer via USB 3.0 (though it does support 2.0, as well). The USB connectivity is, according to the manufacturer, pretty plug-and-play, and won’t require you to track down and install some cumbersome driver software. The HDMI supports resolutions up to 1920 x 1200 and it does so in a smooth, reliable way (with less risk of cutouts). They also claim to support auto-deinterlacing for increased compatibility. It’ll work with your Mac of course, but it also supports PC and Linux devices and has been designed for everything from Xbox One to PS4 Pro all the way to standard HD television streaming. Plus, it does it all in a footprint less than the size of standard credit card.
Best Multifunction: Hauppauge Digital TV Tuner
While Hauppauge’s Digital TV Tuner might be primarily designed for the Xbox One, its multipurpose function for both the Xbox and live TV make it an ideal purchase for buyers. Initially, the Hauppauge’s primary function is to enjoy over-the-air television alongside game play with the Xbox One allowing access to any broadcast networks available in your area. This type of viewing would eliminate the need to switch inputs between games and TV. Beyond the Xbox, the Hauppauge adds extra functionality by including an activation code for the company’s Hauppauge Win TV v8 application for Windows 10, 8.1, 8 and 7. The application itself allows Hauppauge owners to watch TV in a window or full screen as well as record digital TV programs to a connected PC’s hard drive.
Installation is easy, just connect the Xbox One via USB, and with the included antenna, it can receive the best reception within a 10-mile radius from any TV transmitter. For reception beyond 10 miles, a high-quality antenna can be separately purchased to boost the channel selection. At just eight ounces and measuring at 3 x 6.5 x 8.5 inches, the Hauppauge is small and easily disappears when connected to either the Xbox One or connected Windows PC. If you were not already sold on the Hauppauge TV tuner, perhaps the addition of streaming live TV to Windows PCs or iOS and Android devices around the house is enough to win you over.
Best Video Game Capture: Elgato Game Capture HD60
If capturing memories of video games are just what you need to remind your friends later of that all-important victory you achieved, Elgato’s Game Capture HD60 is a great get. Capable of recording from both the Xbox One, Wii U and Playstation 4, the Elgato records 1080p quality with 60fps right back to your Mac or PC. To make things even more convenient, Elgato offers “flashback recording,” allowing the user to “slide back time” retroactively and record your game after you’re done playing.
A built-in live streaming feature offers connectivity to Twitch, YouTube or Ustream that offers users not only a way to record their own victories, but a way to show them off to the world. Additionally, there’s just one-click sharing available to push captured videos to YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. Most important is that at 3.7 ounces and measuring at 4.4 x 3 x 0.75 inches, the Elgato doesn't take up any room on your desk.
Best Internal Card: Blackmagic Design DeckLink Mini Recorder
From Blackmagic Design, this low profile PCIe capture card lets you record SD, HD or 4K footage via HDMI or SDI. Its input panel holds a single SD/HD/3G/6G-SDI input and its HDMI 2.0a connections let you capture all formats up to 2160p30 on your computer. The inputs automatically detect and switch between audio formats, and it supports all of your favorite software including DaVinci Resolve, Fusion, Premiere Pro CC, After Effects CC, Avid Pro Tools, Photoshop CC and more. You can even develop customizable capture solutions with the Blackmagic Desktop Video SDK for Mac OS X, Windows and Linux.