With our foray into TwitchTV and live streaming, 2old2play needed something to show off our console prowess to the masses. With that in mind Hauppauge was kind enough to send over a HD PVR Gaming Edition for review.
If you’re new to the streaming or capturing world, Hauppauge leads the market in PC capturing devices and with their latest machine we have the option to record and stream from your Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 in HD with no lag in play response. While it does have its set of flaws, the final verdict for this product is a must buy for anyone just starting off in capturing and sharing their console gaming experiences.
One thing you will notice when unboxing the HD PVR Gaming Edition is that the unit is quite small. At roughly the size of a Nintendo Wii the PVR fits nicely in any tight space and is perfect for on the go capturing at any location. It’s also light weight, but maintains a durable feel so it should last fairly long in the hard environments of a gamers backpack.
Unlike earlier editions of the HD PVR, the Gaming Edition comes with all the cables you will need to set up your unit. This includes a 5v 2 amp power supply; USB cable for PC capture; a component video and audio cable for pass through; installation CD-ROM with ArcSoft Showbiz; quick install guide; and component video and stereo audio cable set for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. All you need is your gaming system, and TV to play it on.
One flaw to note is that the HD PVR GE does not come with a HDMI or DVI capability. This may be a down side for some who solely game on PC monitors, but a quick trip to any PC store will produce a HDMI to Component Video adapter. We’re hoping future revisions of the hardware include HDMI compatibility since component cable seems to be losing its place as the standard.
How it works
Setting up the HD PVR GE is a stress free task. First, plug the console end of one set of cables into the system of your choice, and the other end into the inputs on the PVR. Next, run the composite cables from the PVR’s output into your TV. All you need to do now is install the software and drivers on your PC, plug in the USB cord and power supply, then turn on the unit and start capturing.
In terms of quality, the HD PVR Gaming Edition captures everything using the H.264 codec so even longer gaming sessions won’t monopolize your hard drive space. With a bit rate of around 7MBps and about an hour of gaming we found less than 4GB of space used. That’s not bad considering the unit allows you to set anywhere from 1MBps to 13.5MBps.
While the HD PVR Gaming Edition does give you an option to capture in both 720p and 1080i, we did find that sticking with 720p offered better image results due to 720p's absences of interlacing found in 1080i. Sadly the HD PVR does not offer 1080p, but we also feel the use case aims toward Youtube videos, streaming, and general over-the-web sharing which doesn’t warrant such a bump in resolution. Your videos will still look amazing to anyone over the web.
How's the editing?
A factor to consider when using the HD PVR Gaming Edition is how you will edit your work after a long gaming session has ended. One thing to remember is that while there is no input lag from your TV to the console, you will receive lag between the PC monitor and what you see on your TV. After the capture is complete you can use the ArcSoft Showbiz software to work on your project.
The system allows you to capture in three formats - .TS, which is a 'transport stream' for many media player; .M2TS, which is compatible with the PS3; and .MP4, which works with the Xbox 360. You can edit all these files using the software in the box, but you can only record PS3 gameplay in .M2TS format. The software itself isn’t robust, but it will do the job for most use cases.
Solid Hardware, Decent Price
For the price, the HD PVR Gaming Edition offers a great solution for gamers starting out in the world of streaming and/or capturing console game play. The unit produces quality video in a format that any PC user can manage without the need for an insanely expensive PC rig. While we do wish the HD PVR came standard with HDMI you won’t be likely to find another capture device in its class. 2old2play will personally be using it to stream our live Battlefield 3 event with PMS in the coming weeks.
Those looking for a more in depth review can watch our next live episode of Thick and Thin this coming Tuesday March 20th at 3:45pm Central where we will take the Hauppauge HD DVR Gaming Edition for a spin.
