Capturing game console video/audio?

[GunSlingerAUS]

Hi folks

Firstly, this is my first post here, so please go easy on me! I’ve got a background in PC tech, and dabble in consumer electronics, but my knowledge of professional AV gear is non-existent. It’d be greatly appreciated if you could use language that mere mortals can understand.

Now on to my request for information – thanks in advance if you can help!

I need to capture video and audio of Xbox 360, PS3 and PC games, to use on a gaming website .This will be used for reviews, previews, etc. Note that the video player for this site is still under development. We currently use Final Cut Pro for our video edits. The maximum resolution we’ll support is probably going to be 720p, but most users will probably want to watch an even lower resolution due to speed constraints.

I’d like to be able to do this capturing in our regular gaming testing environment. This is comprised of:

Display: Sanyo PLV-Z2000 projector (1080p), connected via HDMI switch box to inputs
Audio: Samsung HT-BD2 7.1 surround sound/Blu-ray, connected via Toslink switch box to inputs
Inputs: Xbox 360, PS3,Gaming PC – all using HDMI for video, Toslink for audio

We may also need to capture Nintendo Wii footage – I believe this uses component out and RCA audio connectors?

I would love your recommendations on the easiest way to capture video and audio for our needs. Again, please note we don’t need broadcast quality captures – we’re looking to equal the quality of sites like Gametrailers.com. And as my editor uses Final Cut Pro, the format should be easy to use in this program if possible.

Money is also an issue – we simply can’t afford to blow $20k on a custom built box to do this. However, note that we do have great HD cameras, so I was thinking that a low tech version of capturing footage could be directly off screen using a camera, and buying a new amp that could output sound to the camera? Would the image quality be acceptable though?

Or is there a device I can buy that will do this, or will I need to build a custom PC for this task? Or is there no way to do it on the above setup, and I’ll need to use other cabling other than HDMI and Toslink?

Hope that you guys can help out, even if it’s just pointing me to some resources where I can find the answers!

[jagabo]

BlackMagic Intensity.

[GunSlingerAUS]

You're the third person to recommend this! Do you know if the HD Fury will remove the HDCP protection, allowing the Intensity to capture the gaming stream over HDMI?

[jagabo]

You're the third person to recommend this! Do you know if the HD Fury will remove the HDCP protection, allowing the Intensity to capture the gaming stream over HDMI?

No, the HD Fury will output VGA. The HD Fury 2 outputs component video. If you get a HD Fury 2 you can also use the Hauppauge HD PVR to capture component video as h264/AAC/AC3 in a M2TS or TS container.

[steelahlive]

Blackmagic intensity Pro - doesn't remove HDCP protection though.

[jagabo]

Blackmagic intensity Pro - doesn't remove HDCP protection though.

That' why there's talk of using the HD Fury 2. It converts (using stolen keys) HDCP protected HDMI to component video that the Intensity Pro can capture.

[anubis13]

So if you go from HDMI to the HD Fury 2 and convert to analogue then reconvert to digital with the Blackmagic do you get quality loss from all the transfers?

[jagabo]

So if you go from HDMI to the HD Fury 2 and convert to analogue then reconvert to digital with the Blackmagic do you get quality loss from all the transfers?

Yes the D/A and A/D conversions do cause a little quality loss. I don't have the HD Fury 2 but from what I hear its output is very good. And the Hauppauge HD PVR's component capture is very good (at high bitrates).

[yoda313]

Fyi I don't believe games use copy protection in hd mode. I could be wrong about that but that is my suspicion. Copy protection is mainly found in dvds and bluray (I'm referring to dubbing of course not game copying - an entirely different discussion).

Also I have all three consoles you're talking about so yes I have some experience with them.

As far as the WII - it does have the option to use component cables. HOWEVER it maxes out at 480P. It does not do high def.

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Are you wanting to record in TOP QUALITY first and then convert to lower resolutions for uploading later? Or do you want to record at your target resolution for quicker uploading?

If you simply want 480i captures any recording device will work.

If you want progressive and 5.1 audio your options narrow considerablly.

I strongly recommend the use of the hauppauge hd pvr 1212. I have the unit and it is excellent. You're only drawback is that it only has one set of component inputs and one fiber optic input. You could get a component swticher and a fiber optic switcher so you could leave everything connected and use the switcher to go from one unit to another.

The way the hauppauge hd pvr works is it records whatever resolution it is being fed. If its 720p it records 720p, if its 1080i it records 1080i. FYI I don't know if it is capable of recording 1080p. That might be a drawback for you if you want to record in TOP QUALITY in your initial pass.

From there you can either record in m2ts or now with the update mp4. You will then need to convert to whatever your upload format is. If you are restricted to 480i you will have to downconvert to that for your uploads. If that is the case you might as well use a standard capture device and not waste the extra money (unless you want to use it for a cable/sat/fios hd pvr on other pursuits by gaming then you can justify the cost).

With that said if you want full 1080p you probably need to consider the blackmagic capture device. I don't know its capabilities as I do not own one and have done little to know research on it. As I know it does record with hdmi but I have read it takes a lot of disk space for captures.



If you have more specific questions please let me know and I can see what I can do.

FYI I have backed up hddvd's with my 360 through the hauppauge hd pvr and I get excellent results at 7mbp/s (it can go higher - don't know the max though). But at 7mbps at 720p with 5.1 I can record two hours and it will be under 8gb so it can burn on a dual layer dvd if that is important to you for archiving. I know harddrives are cheap but sometimes having a physical backup is nice.

[jagabo]

FYI I have backed up hddvd's with my 360 through the hauppauge hd pvr and I get excellent results at 7mbp/s...

It would be interesting to see sample frames of the original HD DVD (ripped) and the HD PVR recordings, side by side.

[yoda313]

FYI I have backed up hddvd's with my 360 through the hauppauge hd pvr and I get excellent results at 7mbp/s...

It would be interesting to see sample frames of the original HD DVD (ripped) and the HD PVR recordings, side by side.

I can try that tomorrow. I did rip three of my hddvds with anyddvd hd into mkv.

However this won't be a pure comparison. I believe i captured the hddvds into 720p. Also I think I converted the rips to 720p also. But that would still be a kind of apples to apples comparison since both would be digital and the same resolution. Though I'd have to redub part of the one that I had ripped. I didn't redub the ones I ripped - I figured that was a waste of time. But I'll try to do that this weekend for you.

Would you want a seperate thread?

Also How would I get around any forum issues? It would be instantly apparent which movies they are.....

[jagabo]

Thanks yada313.

Would you want a seperate thread?

Either way is fine with me.

Also How would I get around any forum issues? It would be instantly apparent which movies they are.....

As long as you're posting frame caps from your own discs I don't see any problem.

[yoda313]

Yep they're mine. I won't be getting rid of them. Just think they'll be collectors items mabye! This generations beta!

I'll try to get to this this weekend. I have my mkv's on a harddrive and it won't take long to do a short dub of the same movie.

[jagabo]

Thanks yoda. Oops, i see I typed yada earlier! LOL

[yoda313]

no prob!

[anubis13]

Is there a device that could remove HDCP from a blueray/cable/satellite HDMI signal and just be HDMI in and out without converting to component?
I've done some searches but have not found anything viable.

[jagabo]

Is there a device that could remove HDCP from a blueray/cable/satellite HDMI signal and just be HDMI in and out without converting to component?
I've done some searches but have not found anything viable.

About four years ago the Spatz-tech DviMagic hit the news:

http://www.engadget.com/2005/07/15/spatz-techs-dvimagic-killing-on-hdcp/

The device disappeared from their web site shortly thereafter. I have never seen any reports or reviews by anyone who actually had one or even witnessed one in action. I suspect it was all a misinterpretation. Hollywood and Intel are working very hard to keep anything like this off the market.

[anubis13]

I saw that in my searches but it's not available anywhere and doesn't look like it's even real. I find it hard to believe that no one in the entire world has built and sold a true viable HDMI to HDMI HDCP stripper.

[igor_video]

Maybe another option would be to simply use component as the source from the console. A component splitter and a black magic card using the component-in for the capturing.

No digitial content protection due to the component protocol. Consider also the source on the console is usually 720p/30fps anyway. The resources required for the capturing on the pc can be awkward though if your new to it since it's capturing 720p uncompressed (raided drives, fairly good cpu required etc).

As an aside, but related, does anyone know of any camcorders that can capture 720p directly from a component source (av-in). none of my searches come up with success.

edit - some posts suggest video games can be recorded without issue with the content protection using hdmi and the black magic card.

[steelahlive]

Old topic, but haven't been around for a while. I would suggest as igor said using the component cables from source to the breakout cables that come with the BMI card. You will still get your desired input/output resolutions and no HDCP problems will exist. So for instance, and not supporting it but if you wished to watch/capture a netflix video from xbox 360 using this configuration would work.