Suggestions for a good capture card?

[KillaVolt]

What I want to do is setup a dedicated computer for the specific purpose of capturing HD gameplay (xbox,ps3) to stream.

I was looking at the Avermedia Gameplay Recorder (MTVLIVGHD) but I wanted some input from some people who are better versed in this topic.

I like this card because it has HDMI in and out, which allows me to connect my ps3/xbox/laptop and then run the output to my TV if I want to.

I have a couple of concerns though;

1.) would there be a better operating system than Windows to run on the PC that would allow maximum resources to be allocated to the capture/encoding process?

2.) The propagation delay involved with going from console>capture card>TV>eyes. would this be a concern?

3.) Are there any comparable capture cards? this seems to be the only one I can find with in/out.

[DB83]

I'll start this off, not by personal experience, merely by reading some topics on here.

I may be mistaken but I believe that the ps3 enforces hdcp which will prevent capturing over hdmi unless you have additional equipment known as a hdcp-stripper. I would also believe that the hdmi output is more intended for your monitor else how will you be able to see the game-play ?

There are other capture devices. Elgato makes one and so does Hauppuage. Since these have component inputs I belive that capture is then possible from a ps3.

[KillaVolt]

the encoding computer would have no monitor. it'll be remotely controlled from my laptop, and the ONLY thing it would be doing is capturing video.

the HDMI output would be going to my TV.

[DB83]

Maybe you would care to enlighten us on your method of remotely controlling a PC from a laptop ?

[KillaVolt]

windows has this feature built right in. Remote Administration.

[DB83]

I think you mean 'Remote Desktop'

But, having never done this, can you really do it on two computers that share the same IP ?

I also think, even if this is possible, that invoking an internet connection on the capturing PC is going to compromise its capturing qualities.

[DB83]

There is one thing that really bugs me with this 'idea' of using the remote desktop.

Surely, this must be invoked from the 'home' computer and to invoke it you need to see what the PC is doing. i.e YOU NEED A MONITOR ON THE PC

If you do not have a monitor connected to the PC you do not have a cat's chance to get this set up. What comes first - egg or chicken ?

[KillaVolt]

are you missing the part where I TWICE mentioned that the output of the capture card would be connected to my TV?? how else would I see the games I'm playing.

also if Im not mistaken the remote desktop service runs on both PCs and can be setup to automatically accept a connection, for instances where a users monitor may not be functioning or where one may not have physical access to the computer at the time.

At any rate there are tons of options for remotely controlling a computer with no IO devices connected to that computer.

as for the PS3 HDCP issue, it looks like that can be fixed by having some additional hardware, DVI+Audio to HDMI converter.

however, this still all goes back to the question of propagation delay's.

No offense, but you don't really seem to understand what's going on here and have kept deviating away from my original 3 questions.

[usually_quiet]

What I want to do is setup a dedicated computer for the specific purpose of capturing HD gameplay (xbox,ps3) to stream.

I was looking at the Avermedia Gameplay Recorder (MTVLIVGHD) but I wanted some input from some people who are better versed in this topic.

I like this card because it has HDMI in and out, which allows me to connect my ps3/xbox/laptop and then run the output to my TV if I want to.

I have a couple of concerns though;

1.) would there be a better operating system than Windows to run on the PC that would allow maximum resources to be allocated to the capture/encoding process?

2.) The propagation delay involved with going from console>capture card>TV>eyes. would this be a concern?

3.) Are there any comparable capture cards? this seems to be the only one I can find with in/out.

1.) You do not have much choice but to stick with Windows if using a capture device from AVerMedia. The company doesn't seem interested in providing drivers for Linux or OSX, and I don't recall seeing third party drivers for any of their HD capture products in the past. If you want to use Linux for some reason Hauppaugue has the best track record for Linux support, but I don't know if Linux drivers exist yet for the HD-PVR 2. The Ubuntu forum that turned up in my search was down for maintenance. Elgato's HD Game Capture is for OSX and Windows only.

Unless you decide to use a different capture device than the Avermedia Gameplay Recorder (MTVLIVGHD) that encodes using software or you are trying to play a game and capture using the same PC, you do not need to worry much about the impact encoding or the device's capture software has on system resources. Like the majority of HD capture devices, the Avermedia Gameplay Recorder (MTVLIVGHD) does hardware encoding and outputs a H.264 transport stream, which requires minimal system resources to record to an HDD.

2.) HDMI out is a pass-through via an internal splitter so there is no delay.

3.) Already answered by DB83.

[DB83]

are you missing the part where I TWICE mentioned that the output of the capture card would be connected to my TV?? how else would I see the games I'm playing.

also if Im not mistaken the remote desktop service runs on both PCs and can be setup to automatically accept a connection, for instances where a users monitor may not be functioning or where one may not have physical access to the computer at the time.

At any rate there are tons of options for remotely controlling a computer with no IO devices connected to that computer.

as for the PS3 HDCP issue, it looks like that can be fixed by having some additional hardware, DVI+Audio to HDMI converter.

however, this still all goes back to the question of propagation delay's.

No offense, but you don't really seem to understand what's going on here and have kept deviating away from my original 3 questions.

I have not missed anything. I perfectly understood that you will be using your tv to watch the gameplay. To me there was logic in mentioning the monitor issue re the connection from the device. This was not a deviation but more of a clarification.

I could be wrong but I simply fail to see that you can set up ANYTHING on a PC if it does not have a visual display unit attached to it at the setting up stage. But since you are the expert and can also inform us lesser mortals of the 'tons of options for controlling a computer with no i/o devices connected' I will let you do so.

I did you a favour in mentioning the hdcp issue - your 'fix' will not work.
I also mentioned the other capture devices that could be used

My profound apologies for not even attempting the propogation issue but then I did say that have no experience of gameplay capture.

Do come back when you remotely need more help but since you know it all then I doubt that you will.

Have a nice day.

[KillaVolt]

buddy, I wasn't trying to be rude, but you fixate on these minor issues.

Obviously in order to set the computer up it needs to have a monitor, after that point, it will be running without a monitor and controlled by laptop.

I never mentioned anything about the setup process, but you kept going back to that, and still seem to be confused by the idea of having a tower running without a monitor, mouse, or keyboard.

This tower will be by my entertainment stand and I don't want that cluttered up with a computer monitor, also the monitor would be sitting 8 feet away from my eyes so I wouldn't be able to see anything anyway unless I have a 32" monitor.

the PS3 workaround.... This won't work why?? The DVI-HDMI converter is already being widely used to stream PS3 so I fail to understand why you say it won't work when it's already being used for this exact purpose, It appears to be acting as an HDCP stripper.

[DB83]

It may have more appropiate to say 'it should not work' rather than 'it will not work'. Devices that deliberatively circumvent hdcp are, I would have thought, illegal in most Western countries. That some converters do would be more by accident than by design.

Even so, I still think it is quite a lame idea doing this by remote [whatever]. Best of luck with that.

[KillaVolt]

how else would I turn on/off the streaming if not by remote access to the tower? Would I drag a monitor and its associated wires to my coffee table for the few minutes I would need to turn on the capture and setup the stream, then unplug the monitor and put it away again?

Would I just leave the monitor on my entertainment stand underneath my TV, or mount it to the wall beside/near my TV? I could setup a station on my coffee table, mounting a monitor to a flexible arm and run the cables slyly under my carpet...

This topic of remote administration seems wildly outrageous to you, when in fact it's quite a common thing and easily achievable.

Maybe I'm asking the wrong question here, How would you set it up? spending as little as possible on only what you NEEDED to achieve the goal of streaming gameplay from xbox and ps3 (not at the same time). not to mention having the option to stream pc gaming from my laptop also.

[KillaVolt]

This is my current setup, and the proposed streaming setup.....drawn crudely with as much artistic skill as I will ever display.

[DB83]

It's not outrageous but you, in your OP, were concerned about delays. There are bound to be delays in using networks to access remote machines.

Something a little more subtle is to have the capture PC connected direct to the tv (not from the capture card). The tv then acts like a large monitor and is controlled with wireless mouse etc.

Your schematic (beautifully drawn I may add ) looks ok. What is the idea behind having the hdmi out from the laptop to the hdmi switch ? Just to have the laptop screen show up on the plasma ?

[KillaVolt]

the delays I'm worried about are the delays between pressing a button on the controller, and when its finally received by the console, and output to the TV. HDMI delay. Im not worried about the speed at which I can remotely control the encoding computer.


the HDMI out from the laptop is just if I want to play a PC game and stream it as well. that won't always be connected, I don't do much PC gaming anymore.

I can't output the video from the encoding computer to the TV because there are only two HDMI ports, so would require more/different switching hardware, and would be pointless because if i'm playing PS3, I can't play a game AND display the video from the encoding computer.....also that video wouldn't be needed as its just encoding and streaming.

[DB83]

Ok. It has been an interesting, and not entirely fruitless, discussion.

Unless others care to contribute, might I suggest you come back to the topic when you have all this set up and cover any issues at that time.

'til then.....