Topic: Whats that device that lets you record your gaming?

[Caterkiller]

There is a device that allows you to record what happens on the screen. I don't know what it's called, but it's how many high quality gaming session videos make it to youtube. I am thinking of getting such a thing mostly because of smash bros. Do any of you have this thing and know what it is? Thanks.

[Mop it up]

You are thinking of a video capture device or capture card. The capture device is external and plugs into a USB port (this is mostly what you'll find out there) and the capture card is, well... a card that you insert into your motherboard. I don't know the official name for that type of slot...

Anyways, I myself have this one:

http://www.adstech.com/products/USBAV-709-EF/intro/USBAV-709_intro.asp?pid=USBAV-709-EF

It comes with video editing software so it has everything you need. It works pretty well, though the construstion feels pretty cheap so I doubt it would take much physical abuse.

Dazzle seems to be the popular brand:

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Products/Consumer+Products/Dazzle/

I haven't tried anything from them myself though.

Note that generally, you get what you pay for. More expensive = better quality. With most of the devices, the image will be delayed when displayed on your PC whilst it is recording. So if you're trying to play a game then it could prove pretty difficult. I get around this by recording my game playing onto a VHS tape, and then play the tape back to record it onto the PC.

[Morari]

Dazzle has been making absolutely great a/v capture devices for years and years, so they're not at all a bad suggestion. The included Pinnacle software, while far from my personal favorite in video editing, is generally respected.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"Do any of you have this thing and know what it is? Thanks."

OK, I'm disappointed in you.

[Chozo Ghost]

If you have a DVD recorder you could hook your console up through that and then you can record onto DVD as you play. Then you can take the DVD to your computer and somehow extract the video from it and put it on youtube, or wherever.

But then again, what others have suggested would probably be simpler.

[MegaByte]

Do any of you have this thing and know what it is? Thanks.

Hauppauge HD PVR.  It's how I get direct feed for NWR.

[ThePerm]

my dazzle doesnt work anymore because pinnacle can't keep their records straight and my registration number like does not exist in their database. It never worked for n64 games either, or vhs recordings of n64 games...it worked on everything else though.

[Mop it up]

my dazzle doesnt work anymore because pinnacle can't keep their records straight and my registration number like does not exist in their database. It never worked for n64 games either, or vhs recordings of n64 games...it worked on everything else though.

I've not used a Dazzle device so I don't know how it works, but did you try fiddling with the options? I think that normally a capture device won't recognize a signal from a Nintendo 64 (or Super NES or NES) because the games run at a resolution of 320x240 whereas everything else is 640x480, so you have to set the device to record at 320x240. At least, that is how mine works.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Those game systems output at NTSC (720x480) after upscaling the picture from whatever small resolution the system has.  Capturing might not works on some devices because the scanline output from early game systems is a bit funky.  Like the N64, weird things have to happen to make Zelda64's 20fps expand to fit 30fps for NTSC.  Capture devices are more sensitive than TVs, since TVs will try to display whatever you throw at it in an analog approach; the capture device has to make sense of what's incoming to make an appropriate digital copy of the analog information.

[NWR_Lindy]

Now, for recording Nintendo DS games you can pretty much forget it.  The only non-homebrew capture cards I know of come directly from Nintendo, and are not publicly available.  Aaron and I were trying to find some a few months ago and came up empty.

[ThePerm]

yeah the dazzle thinks either your pirating video, or its static. I tried everything possible,i could make it work if i had used a vcr/dvd recorder, but my dvd recorder broke so thts not an option anymore.

[Caterkiller]

Oh my gosh I forgot I made this thread! Thanks for the info guys!