capture card opinions

Krier023

Useful Poster
I know hd pvr is going to be the one that everyone says, but has anyone experienced with any other caputre cards. I was looking into the avermedia hd dvr and was just wondering if you guys think a less well known capture card would have as good quality as an hd pvr? because its only 100 dollars instead of 200.
 

obo

New Member
Honestly, i use a dazzle dvd recorder and it works really well for recording. All in all it probably costs around 70-100$ to get it all set up depending on which cables and which dazzle you get. And that would be brand new.

You could likely get one on ebay with everything you need for 50 bucks or so. It's not going to be hdmi quality, but it's great for anybody on a budget.
 

Krier023

Useful Poster
yeah. my budget is 100. I had a dazzle, and i mean the quality was ok, but i wanted something better, so i picked up a hava wireless for cheap and used it, then the hava acted up all the time with its wireless abilities so i sold it and have my mind set on the pcie card(avermedia)
 

M1A1xVIKINGxFTW

Active Member
Krier023 said:
yeah. my budget is 100. I had a dazzle, and i mean the quality was ok, but i wanted something better, so i picked up a hava wireless for cheap and used it, then the hava acted up all the time with its wireless abilities so i sold it and have my mind set on the pcie card(avermedia)
I would save another hundred and get a black majic intensity pro if your going to go the PCIe way.
 

LoveKillzSlowly

New Member
If you are using components or use only a laptop go with the Hauppauge HD PVR, If you want to play/record on the best quality go with the Intensity Black Magic M1A1 mentioned. I've heard some pretty good things about the avermedia you mentioned and the quality overall is nice, plus it's cheap.
 

Krier023

Useful Poster
Thanks LoveKillzSlowly thats the kind of info i was looking for. I think I am going to go with the avermedia because i have seen them go for 70 on ebay, and im not looking for perfect quality but im looking for the best quality that wont break the bank.
 

odingalt

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I found that you need one heck of a computer to be able to process HD footage. We use the Black Magic Intensity Pro. The drawback is it doesn't record in 1080p, only 1080i (over HDMI though which is much better quality than component in my opinion). For all the extra sitting around and watching my computer grind away to produce a video, makes me wish the final output was 'true' HD quality.
 

Krier023

Useful Poster
odingalt said:
I found that you need one heck of a computer to be able to process HD footage. We use the Black Magic Intensity Pro. The drawback is it doesn't record in 1080p, only 1080i (over HDMI though which is much better quality than component in my opinion). For all the extra sitting around and watching my computer grind away to produce a video, makes me wish the final output was 'true' HD quality.
Thanks for the advice Odin. I'm not to worried about the processing as I just built a new gaming computer(4core 2.8ghz processor, running on 8 gigs ram and a 1.5tb hard drive) but I think I have my mind set on the avermedia. Inexpensive alternative to a blackmagic. But the avermedia doesn't have an output, so how do you guys think I would go about setting it up to my tv(also no hdmi output only input)?
 

odingalt

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Yeah that's another thing annoying about my Black Magic - if I don't have the software running on my PC then the HDMI output doesn't work. I always have to have an instance of Media Express (software bundled with the Black Magic) running in the background to see my XBOX360 on my TV (as I have my XBOX 360 hooked up to record all the time, so the output goes to my HDTV)
 

obo

New Member
Krier023 said:
Thanks for the advice Odin. I'm not to worried about the processing as I just built a new gaming computer(4core 2.8ghz processor, running on 8 gigs ram and a 1.5tb hard drive) but I think I have my mind set on the avermedia. Inexpensive alternative to a blackmagic. But the avermedia doesn't have an output, so how do you guys think I would go about setting it up to my tv(also no hdmi output only input)?

I was talking with a guy at radio shack the other day, and i was asking about hdmi splitters, because i wanted to record/stream hdmi while playing on my xbox. Basically at this point in time, there are no hdmi splitters. For some reason you can't split an hdmi signal, the best you could do was have a switch that alternated where the hdmi signal was being sent. HDMI is amazing quality but its a really new technology and functions entirely different from analog/component cables.

If you want to record in HDMI, you would have to get a tv or a recorder with hdmi out.

(at least this is what I've been told, correct me if i'm wrong)
 

M1A1xVIKINGxFTW

Active Member
obo said:
Krier023 said:
Thanks for the advice Odin. I'm not to worried about the processing as I just built a new gaming computer(4core 2.8ghz processor, running on 8 gigs ram and a 1.5tb hard drive) but I think I have my mind set on the avermedia. Inexpensive alternative to a blackmagic. But the avermedia doesn't have an output, so how do you guys think I would go about setting it up to my tv(also no hdmi output only input)?

I was talking with a guy at radio shack the other day, and i was asking about hdmi splitters, because i wanted to record/stream hdmi while playing on my xbox. Basically at this point in time, there are no hdmi splitters. For some reason you can't split an hdmi signal, the best you could do was have a switch that alternated where the hdmi signal was being sent. HDMI is amazing quality but its a really new technology and functions entirely different from analog/component cables.

If you want to record in HDMI, you would have to get a tv or a recorder with hdmi out.

(at least this is what I've been told, correct me if i'm wrong)
you cant split HDMI because its a digital signal.....you can split analog but not digital.
 

obo

New Member
And that would be why. Thanks M1A1.

I'm sure theres a way to split it, but it would most likely be a box that recorded the signal and then sent out two separate signals, basically double mirror-ing the original signal. And to be honest the money it would cost to do that is most likely a lot more than it's worth. You would be better off getting the better quality capture card that has hdmi-out when it's all said and done.
 

obo

New Member
yeah those boxes are what i was talking about. You would honestly be better off just buying the better quality capture card with hdmi output. Then you don't have to buy two more cables and a splitter.
 

Krier023

Useful Poster
good good find remmnever. Thank you. I feel like for 60 more dollars this hauppage will be much better, and will have an input and output
 
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