PS3 Picture/Video Capture Equipment - Anyone got experiences?

[The Stig]

So I relooked quickly into how I can capture stuff from my PS3 into video/screenshots (I assume if it can do video it can do screenshot no prob lol).

Came across this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-revi...owViewpoints=0

(US version: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B0018LX0DY)

Anyone used it before? I can't get my head around on how it works. It sure does beat the olden day solutions where I required a TV Card and extra monitors and such. And looking at the holes, I assume that it can do stuff from PS2 too?

What i can't understand is does this device sit between my PS3 and my PC, and then I use the supplied software which will somehow pick up the signal on the cable and display it on my PC? I don't have HDMI input on my machine, output only, so I'm not sure exactly what bridge it is using here to do so.

EDIT: Regarding the first link, the company's website )http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/site/prod...ata_hdpvr.html) has this:

http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pics/PVR-...am_front_s.gif
http://www.hauppauge.co.uk/pics/PVR-...ram_back_s.gif

Which increases my confusion =( - no HDMI anywhere, so how is HD possible?

[hey]

Best i can tell, you connect the component cables into the box, and connect the box to your computer via usb. It claims to record in HD, but input is via component/svideo, so that is obviously bullshit.

It should work fine with the ps2, or any other console even.

[The Stig]

This was keeping me awake, so I went to do some other research:

First, I never knew a "HD Component Cable" existed:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerplay-Hi...2685307&sr=8-1
(is this really true? I cannot believe it myself lol)

And then I randomly found a video of a guy doing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXbjr8QtVfY

The video is in 2 parts, 1st is just the setup, 2 is the actual recording and such.

So by this logic it would record in HD (otherwise how are everyone doing it on the review?).

However, the review on the cable seems random at best. A few claims that it's the same as HD (to the untrained eye, maybe) and a lot of reviews saying it's ghosting or there's lag, or there's some flicker or some other error.

Too sleepy now to do more research ><, will take a look tommorow and report back with more incase anyone else is interested.

[hey]

Hah, i often forget about YPbPr. Yes, they are real, and can give higher resolutions (not sure what the max is offhand, maybe 720p/1080i? idk).

It should do what it claims, but i would try to find something with hdmi.

[Callisto]

Use this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16815100049, half the price and same quality(also only goes up to 1080i). The built in software isn't the best but it gets the job done, here's an example of stuff from my PS3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvEiq9TY038

Almost everything on my yt channel there was taken with this card, the blazblue stuff was from the 360 via HDMI but it's the same quality. I use 1280x720 capture resolution and record to h.264(can also do mpeg-2 or avi, but it has trouble picking up avi codecs). I'm having some issues with getting it to work with virtual dub, but the software it comes with is decent enough. Make sure to get the newer version of the software from the Aver website, instead of using the old one that comes in the box.

Re: HD component cables, those are the red/blue/green ones. The yellow one is 'composite' not 'component', as long as you have 3 video(r/g/b) with the standard red/white audio those should be HD-capable. YPbPR component cables can deliver full 1080p HD, but most capture cards under $300 can't do 1080p, but really if you're just putting it on youtube 720p should be more than sufficient.

Edit: I almost forgot, if you do use the card I linked you will need to use component for the PS3 as well. The card isn't HDCP-compliant so HDCP devices like the PS3 cannot be input to it via HDMI. The 360 works fine with HDMI on it.

[Tymon]

I bought the HD PVR because I wanted plug-and-play, which capture cards can't offer.

I don't have much to say other than that it works exactly how I want it to.

I have my Comcast HD DVR hooked up to it most of the time; if I want to hook up my PS3 all I do is switch out the cables. The other end goes to my TV.

Records in up to 1080i, though I have never personally recorded in this resolution as there hasn't been a game or TV show I've watched in that kind of native resolution.

That's why yPbPr isn't that bad, because it does handle native 720p just fine, and that's what 90% of HD games and shows are displayed in anyway.

A better (no question) option is the BlackMagic Intensity: http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity

The problem here is it requires modern PC hardware too; it doesn't run well, or at all, unless you're on an X58 or newer motherboard.

I would recommend the HD PVR if you want an easy to use USB option, or the card Callisto posted if you don't mind internal hardware.

Just for example's sake, here's a video I recorded with my PS3 using it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gy1gyTnJi-I&hd=1

[Callisto]

Yeah black magic products are awesome, just a bit out of my price range, hoping to pick one up down the road.

[Tymon]

I plan on buying one as well, once I get a new computer.

My old P5N motherboard just can't handle it.

[The Stig]

Callisto: That card is indeed cheap! But I think I cannot currently go down that route, yet. I don't have a desktop.

Tymon: Any sort of lag or sound coming unsync'd issues with HD PVR? Or was it all more or less perfect from the first recording. My initial plan is to make videos of course, but a side plan is also to take screenshots. Is there a screen capture option with that app?

And I like plug and play, keeps it simple =)

[Callisto]

The black magic deal definitely captures, and anything that captures tends to have a still shot function as well. If you're using a laptop, you may want to check out the manufacturer's websites to see the recommended specs, both capturing and processing/editing HD video can be really resource-intensive.

[The Stig]

The guy on the video I linked seems to be using some average or low end laptop and I think that if he got it to work I should have no problem on my one (4gb RAM, Q9000 CPU (quad) and GTX 260m)

Looks promising then. Will probably invest in one when I next get paid.

FFXIII is the only game so far that uses 1080i mode on my TV (oddly enough, the game box says 1080p and my TV can support 1080p for sure, but for some reason when I get in game it will only switch to 1080i. But with FFXIII I'll record in 720p and take snaps at 1080i/p to make lovely wallpapers!)

[Callisto]

Have you toyed with the display settings on the PS3 itself? You may have it set to only output at 1080i at the max. I personally have mine set to 720p since neither the card nor my TV are capable of 1080p, I'm no expert in the matter and it seems like a giant debate, but I think that an interlaced 1080 is slightly worse than 720p when it comes to things with lots of constant motion such as games.

[Tymon]

Callisto: That card is indeed cheap! But I think I cannot currently go down that route, yet. I don't have a desktop.

Tymon: Any sort of lag or sound coming unsync'd issues with HD PVR? Or was it all more or less perfect from the first recording. My initial plan is to make videos of course, but a side plan is also to take screenshots. Is there a screen capture option with that app?

And I like plug and play, keeps it simple =)

Nah, none at all.

My only beef is that the software sucks and they pretty much require you to use it, it won't capture from stuff like Sony Vegas or Windows Media Maker.

I mean, it works, but my main issue with it is that the sound comes through the speakers while it records and you have to mute your whole PC if you don't want to hear it. There's no mute button.

That's all petty stuff, though. The actual job is done very well.

[hey]

I mean, it works, but my main issue with it is that the sound comes through the speakers while it records and you have to mute your whole PC if you don't want to hear it. There's no mute button.

Win 7 is awesome for that~

[The Stig]

Tymon: Sounds great. This fills me with confidence a bit. Last thing, I noticed on the youtube video it outputs to MTS2 mr MST2 (I forget currently)...

1. What do you use to do the video editing?
2. I know Callisto semi-answered this already, as by all logic it should be there, but I need to know anyway, can it take screenshots? =p -- My idea was to play a PS3 game on my TV, and then I leave my laptop on ready to record or capture (so in effect I'm using 2 screens, 1 to play on, 1 to capture) -- instead of pure recording I would like to be able to tap a button to just snap whatever I've got on my screen currently, this way I won't need to break open any video editing software and go through it frame by frame.

[Hiryo]

I use Sony Vegas 10 for editting and and screen captures. When I am at my absolute laziest, I will use Window's Snip for SD images of something going on in-game, but Sony Vegas can take a video and make any definition pictures out of it.

The only thing with that is, if you don't have a computer with good(even just up-to-date) specs, then you will get a bit of blur in a lot of the stills.

[Callisto]

I use Vegas 10 as well, it's pretty fantastic. There's a relatively popular crack for it going around, I'm not going to link it here for potential legal reasons but if your google-fu is existent at all you shouldn't have trouble finding it.

As far as the two screen deal, don't forget that if you want to do it that way you'll need a splitter for the component cable signal, and compared to HDMI splitters they're kinda expensive. I've used my TV as my monitor up until last week so it's never really been an issue for me, but I just got a new monitor so I need to get a splitter myself.