Using a Hauppauge HD PVR as an inline encoder?

[Nvchzhd]

Hello All,

I record lots of youth sports, on Saturdays I can be at the football field for over 12 hours. I have a Sony Fx7 which I love, the only drawback is all the tape I go through, transferring it to computer and then converting it. This season I have hooked it up to a laptop and record straight to the hard drive, but still need to covert the video since I have yet to find any software that captures in mpeg4 or H.264. The process still takes a long time.

I looked into encoders that would convert the stream as it goes to the computer but are very expensive. Them I saw the Hauppauge HD PVR for about $200. Would this work as a encoder if I hook my camera to it them to my computer? I'm hoping it will because as of yet I have failed to come up with any other ideas.

Thanks

[Brad]

Don't see why not. I was going to recommend the HD PVR 2 instead but I see the camera doesn't offer HDMI output.

The HD PVR 1 can be had for considerably less than $200, especially used. Local for $150 and a BIN on eBay for $100 with free ship.

[jman98]

The Hauppauge devices record in real time. For example, if you have 12 hours of video then you have to play that video and feed it into the HD PVR and it will take 12 hours to record it. The HD PVR, HD PVR 2 and Colossus are all capable of recording directly using H.264. In fact, that's the ONLY video codec they can use. The encoding chip is capable of using other codecs such as MPEG-2, but nobody has ever written anything to support it. I don't recommend recording directly to MP4 containers although the device supports it. People have posted here that recording directly to MP4 containers often results in audio synch issues. It's best to record straight to TS containers. I have the Colossus (it's basically an internal version of the HD PVR devices) and it's what I record to. If your current conversions are faster than real time (I doubt it, but I suppose it's possible) then using the Hauppauge would actually slow you down.

[jagabo]

I'm currently comparing an Elgato Game Capture HD to the Hauppauge HD PVR 2. I suspect they both use the same hardware inside because their abilities are almost exactly the same.

A few things I like better about the Elgato device: it's USB powered so you don't need an external power supply. Encoding bitrates up to 30 Mb/s. 9 frame GOPs are easier to edit. An adapter cable for standard component inputs (5 RCA plugs) is included. Some of it's disadvantages: it's raw recordings are 4 GB TS segments. The included software can convert to one big MP4 file but it takes time to remux. You must use the included software to capture.

The Hauppauge has a few advantages: More flexible software. You can use a capture graph to record without wasting CPU on displaying the video and playing the audio, or for capturing on an old computer that doesn't have the power to handle HD h.264 video. Better scaling algorithms if you downscale while recording (simple Bicubic vs point on the Elgato). A button on top of the device lets you start/stop capturing with the press of the button. And disadvantages: 54 frame GOPs are harder to edit. Limited to 14 Mb/s recording (not enough for 1080i30 or 1080p30). An additional cable adapter is needed to record standard component sources (5 RCA plugs).

[Brad]

Adapter cables for 5RCA are included with the HD PVR 2 (standard YPbPr with the "base" model plus PS3->YPbPr with Gaming Editions). It's composite/S-Video that you have to pay extra for.

From what I've read the Elgato Game Capture HD doesn't support 5.1 audio input while two versions of the HD PVR 2 do.

[jagabo]

Oh, you're right about Hauppauge including standard 5 RCA component adapter cables. And the Elgato does not record in 5.1. That may not matter to the OP who's shooting football games.