On-Board PCI-E Video Capture Card or External PVR?
8 replies, posted
Hey all, I want to get away from software recording methods for my games, especially since I'm running 5680x1080 or 2560x1440 most of the time and when recording in BF4 and other graphic intensive games I take a pretty good performance hit. (even though I only record 1080p)
So my question is (for any game-recorder enthusiasts out there), if I wanted to record my screen/gameplay, should I get an onboard capture card or an external Hauppauge PVR type recorder? It'd be nice to have an internal card, but if it's going to take a good deal of processing power from my CPU or GPU I'd rather just get an external unit, thoughts?
You seem to be under the impression that HD PVR is a standalone device. It's not, it just gives your computer a stream of data to save to your hard drive. The reason it has a power input is that it draws more power than USB provides. Really there's no difference between internal or external solutions (in general) besides whether they're, well, internal or external.
However, Hauppauge's HD PVR has a hardware encoder, I'm not sure whether other products have that.
If HD PVR is the only one, definitely get that, as encoding is the bulk of the work when recording.
Of course, if you have a second PC, you can always record with that.
Do you run Nvidia or AMD?
[QUOTE=LordCrypto;44330143]Do you run Nvidia or AMD?[/QUOTE]
Hopefully yes, Nvidia shadowplay.
[QUOTE=DrTaxi;44330093]You seem to be under the impression that HD PVR is a standalone device. It's not, it just gives your computer a stream of data to save to your hard drive. The reason it has a power input is that it draws more power than USB provides. Really there's no difference between internal or external solutions (in general) besides whether they're, well, internal or external.
However, Hauppauge's HD PVR has a hardware encoder, I'm not sure whether other products have that.
If HD PVR is the only one, definitely get that, as encoding is the bulk of the work when recording.
Of course, if you have a second PC, you can always record with that.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the clarification on the difference, I was under the assumption that the external recorders did most of encoding themselves and simply saved the information to the connected pc.
Well and that's just the thing, I actually only have my main desktop I could use, I wouldn't be able to use my laptop for real-time encoding. I have a GTX 780, but shadowplay is still in it's early stages, and in BF4 it's really buggy, and only works some of the time... even when it does it's really laggy. That's why I was looking at a standalone recording device.
[QUOTE=007SILVERTOE;44339039]Thanks for the clarification on the difference, I was under the assumption that the external recorders did most of encoding themselves and simply saved the information to the connected pc.
Well and that's just the thing, I actually only have my main desktop I could use, I wouldn't be able to use my laptop for real-time encoding. I have a GTX 780, but shadowplay is still in it's early stages, and in BF4 it's really buggy, and only works some of the time... even when it does it's really laggy. That's why I was looking at a standalone recording device.[/QUOTE]
If you want a standalone recording device that won't affect video performance I'd stay away from devices branded for "gaming" since they tend to be finicky in my experience.
I'm guessing your video card is newer and has either DVI or HDMI outputs, so essentially what I'd do is buy a powered DVI or HDMI splitter/amplifier to mirror the signal (Don't mirror from your video card) and purchase an external recorder that has either an HDMI input or DVI input.
It won't be a cheap solutuion, but it's probably the most professional way to record at such high resolutions without putting any toll on your PC.
Like DrTaxi mentioned above, the major work being done is the encoding as well as constantly writing the file to your hard disk.
We use Panasonic P2 Decks for recording/archiving video where I work, but for a p2 deck you're looking at upwards of $2,000 per deck. I'm sure if you shop around sites like bhphotovideo.com and markertek.com you can find an external recording solution, or just purchase a cheap PC with decent specs, & download free encoding software such as Microsoft Expressions Encoder or Adobe Live Media Encoder.
[QUOTE=Akito8;44346929]If you want a standalone recording device that won't affect video performance I'd stay away from devices branded for "gaming" since they tend to be finicky in my experience.
I'm guessing your video card is newer and has either DVI or HDMI outputs, so essentially what I'd do is buy a powered DVI or HDMI splitter/amplifier to mirror the signal (Don't mirror from your video card) and purchase an external recorder that has either an HDMI input or DVI input.
It won't be a cheap solutuion, but it's probably the most professional way to record at such high resolutions without putting any toll on your PC.
Like DrTaxi mentioned above, the major work being done is the encoding as well as constantly writing the file to your hard disk.
We use Panasonic P2 Decks for recording/archiving video where I work, but for a p2 deck you're looking at upwards of $2,000 per deck. I'm sure if you shop around sites like bhphotovideo.com and markertek.com you can find an external recording solution, or just purchase a cheap PC with decent specs, & download free encoding software such as Microsoft Expressions Encoder or Adobe Live Media Encoder.[/QUOTE]
Awesome man thanks. Definitely not looking to drop that kind of money but I never though about just scrounging up an old desktop for encoding and saving, I might just do that instead. Thanks!
[QUOTE=007SILVERTOE;44347827]Awesome man thanks. Definitely not looking to drop that kind of money but I never though about just scrounging up an old desktop for encoding and saving, I might just do that instead. Thanks![/QUOTE]
No prob! If you need any help feel free to PM me
