Console Capture

[dneill]

Just curious if anyone had any good suggestions on a console capture device. I have been doing some game reviews recently and have just been recording my TV screen with my camera. 

The consoles I'm looking to record video from is NES, SNES, SEGA, Wii, and the Playstation 3.

I do own a Retron 3 for convenience, but I do also have the original consoles, not sure which would be better to use with a capture device.

I've came across a few that you can stick a hard drive in and it records right to the drive itself, which would be more ideal for me. But I have also seen the ones that hook right up to your computer.

Anybody on the site currently do this? Any suggestions or ideas?

Thanks!

[Megatron]

I am not an expert on this by any means,  but for low res consoles I have used a Dazzle and a Hauppauge with HDMI systems.  I don't put on youtube or anything, I just record stuff occasionally.  But a Dazzle is easy for plug and play stuf with composite cables.  Anything past 32bit consoles look like crap with them, hence the hauppauge. Mine has an HDMI and Component input. 
Both come with programs for capturing which run on your computer.

What you want to consider is that capture cards (hauppauge) are more expensive, but generally run much smoother.  With external capture devices like the Dazzle, it has the potential to skip frames during recording, which can screw up the video/audio sync.   With NES/SNES etc where there is mostly just music this hasn't really been a problem for me, but if I do a game with voices, or constant sounds, etc I tend to prefer a capture card.

[Jeff]

Software is very important. I have one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Roxio-Easy-VHS-DVD-Version/dp/B001LQO4P4
and like the reviews say, the included software is garbage. However, I've been using a free program called Virtualdub and have been getting good results.

Here's a video I made after I modded a sega genesis for s-video, so this is the quality you can expect from a cheap usb device:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJqQE8X1fRM

A PS3 might look okay in 480 s-video, if you're going the cheap route, but you get what you pay for.

Also I'm not recommending mine, it tends to leave some kind of checker board distortion in raw recordings. Dot crawling, I think it's called.

[dneill]

I'm thinking External is the route I'm going to take.

I'm currently running an iMac which doesn't allow me to install a video capture card.

Thanks for the advice, guys! If anyone else has any ideas, keep them coming!

[larryinc64]

I used the Diamond GC 500 and the Elgato Game Capture HD for my let's plays.
https://www.youtube.com/user/PowerPlaid/videos
All my videos uploaded used the Diamond GC, It's ok but does not support the resolutions of N64, Genesis, PS1, and a few others. Not a bad lower end card if you get it cheep enough.
The Elgato has a great end result but is a bit finicky, It handles files poorly, saving it in 2 spots on your PC and sucks up a lot of space, and it occupationally screws up, I lost a recording because it did not save it for whatever reason and it flips out a bit if your PC runs out of space. But it is kinda worth it, it is very easy to set up, plug it in, set the input, and record and the footage looks beautiful, and worked with every system I tossed at it, Genesis, N64, PS1, PS3, Wii U, Wii, NES, ect.
I'm happy with it, I can post some screenshots of footage if you like.

[dneill]

I used the Diamond GC 500 and the Elgato Game Capture HD for my let's plays.
https://www.youtube.com/user/PowerPlaid/videos
All my videos uploaded used the Diamond GC, It's ok but does not support the resolutions of N64, Genesis, PS1, and a few others. Not a bad lower end card if you get it cheep enough.
The Elgato has a great end result but is a bit finicky, It handles files poorly, saving it in 2 spots on your PC and sucks up a lot of space, and it occupationally screws up, I lost a recording because it did not save it for whatever reason and it flips out a bit if your PC runs out of space. But it is kinda worth it, it is very easy to set up, plug it in, set the input, and record and the footage looks beautiful, and worked with every system I tossed at it, Genesis, N64, PS1, PS3, Wii U, Wii, NES, ect.
I'm happy with it, I can post some screenshots of footage if you like.

I've came across the Elgato before. I just wasn't aware that It did retro systems like N64, Genesis, etc.

Let's see a screenshot!

[larryinc64]

I don't have any other footage off hand of older systems, I had some recording tests I made of NES and SNES to show my co-host Matt, but I might have deleted them.
These are from some not yet posted episodes, running on a N64 through standard composite cables.
You will need a video splitter because there is no composite pass-through, I use these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/10pcs-RCA-Jack-Female-to-2-RCA-Jack-Female-Y-type-Coupler-Adapter-Connector-Lot-/400637872337?pt=US_Audio_Cable_Plugs_Jacks&hash=item5d47e0c8d1

It looks just like how it looks on the TV, no notable quality loss. The image is the size of the video file created. All composite inputs are upscaled to that size.

[quickfingers818]

I use the Elgato Game Capture HD. Works extremely well and the software is very simple to get a hold of. I use it to capture footage from NES games to PS4 games.

http://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Capture-PlayStation-Definition-Recorder/dp/B00840353W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400505052&sr=8-1&keywords=elgato+game+capture

[dneill]

Yeah, it's looking like the Elgato is the way to go for an external device.

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! Maybe once I get things up and going I'll post up a review.