Nifty Little Device!
My first "capture card" was my Panasonic DVD recorder. The video files were VOB and even though it wasn't HDMI,the quality was decent in SP mode and no lag. I was getting lines in my videos on the sides,top and bottom,cropping the video to the middle and maybe it was my settings but overall it was just a hobby so I didn't mind at first.
A couple years in and I decided,when I got an HD TV,to evolve a bit and get my first real capture card. That being said,my first encounter with Hauppauge wasn't a good one. I bought the green alien looking one with all the plugs and wires,and my first time hooking it up I put the wires in wrong and the colors were off. But it wasn't just the many wires that ticked me off the most-it was the software. If I'm playing a shooting game and I'm mad cause I die,I wanna hear myself getting mad as it's happening instead of having to go back and record my voice over the video afterwards. Could I record myself on Audacity and sync it in later? Sure but it could be a hassle,downright aggravating at times to get the sound synced. I want my voice crisp,audible with the video and in sync with the video. My voiceovers were too loud and not into the game because I'm recording after,not during. Not only that,it froze on me after a year. A lot. It got to the point where I put the Hauppauge on the backburner in favor of my Panasonic.
A question I asked myself-was there a capture device with audio that can be synced as I'm playing? I got my answer after doing research;Elgato HD capture card.
Smooth,easy to use,files good enough in mp4 to enjoy,yet compressed in the smallest file size possible so I could literally upload 40 videos a day on youtube. People would even ask me how I uploaded so many t once and my answer:Elgato. Not only that,I can record my voice over each if desired in one take. No syncing with Audacity or other software after I had to edit the video-all commentary in one take.
So for those 2 years or so,anyone that approached me asking about a capture card,I told them straight off the bat:stay away from Hauppauge,get an Elgato!
Well,time passed and I started watching some other people's videos. Just out of curiousity I asked them what they use for game capture cards. One day one of my friends used the very word that made me cringe:Hauppauge. Hauppauge Rocket. I said yeah,but Elgato allows commentary with the game. He said so doesn't this. Everything I said Elgato could do,he said more or less the Rocket could do. But here's what interested me the most:he said you didn't need a pc to record,just plug it in. I thought how is that possible?
Curiousity got the best of me. I bought the Hauppauge Rocket and the HD60 Elgato the same day. I opened the Rocket first just because I was curious about it more.
After reading the reviews,I expected the beginning to be frustrating,maybe even a bit of a headache. It was,yet where I expected it I already had the patience for it ahead of time. Updating the drivers,installing the software,and finding out which hdmi cable goes where and trying to get the color of it to turn from blue to green were the biggest steps of frustration. Yet,this wasn't my first capture card and I was prepared for it.
First impressions-no lag while I play and ,like any good game capture card,when I press record and press the button again,it automatically makes a file out of a video I can then upload straight to youtube. Now I do a lot of fighting games,and I'm aware that people's attention span doesn't last,so many of my videos are full of action,short and sweet. Well,here is my first video:
https://youtu.be/OR0PNkqpKRg
Now here's what I also noticed;it's twice the size of my files I use with Elgato software. The quality is about the same,yet-I do notice it's a little crisper. I know there's ways of adjusting this,yet I also know that twice the size = twice the quality. Here's my Elgato video,half the file size:
https://youtu.be/AEHeXP_lByw
Can you really see a huge difference? I'm honestly gonna say no,but I know there is a slight difference maker.
So then I put the mic in to test the audio. Audio syncs in great as the game is playing,and I love it! The videos I made aren't uploaded yet,well,one of them is,but DOA5 includes a lot of button meshing and there's a lot of swearing,so just be warned:
https://youtu.be/4IOOxpSpaGE
also keep in mind for the most part I don't record myself playing fighting games for the very reason a) you hear a lot of button meshing and b) a lot of swearing lol but it was just a test. Yet,the Halo Master Chief Collection there is less of both so I have found those to be a lot more enjoyable.
When I downloaded the software online,I noticed something:Haupaugge is learning from their past mistakes and evolving. I wouldn't go so far as to say they're copying Elgato or any other software,but they definitely are learning from what people like and don't like and adapting to it to better compete with brands like Elgato.
So as a wrap up to the review,I'll say this: there's my "off" and "on" switch. There's days when I have off where I have plenty of time to put on my pc,play for hours,hook up my capture card,bring my pc to my console and play. That's my "on" switch. Elgato is perfect for those days. Then there's days when my "off" switch is "on". I don't feel like taking out my pc,be it lack of interest or tired from coming home from work. All I want to do is put my console on,not be bothered and just play without any lagging or recording. Those are the days when I can do that and still record for hours thanks to Hauppauge's PC Free Mode. And yes,I have more "off" days than "on". Then,all I have to do when I have time is take the thumb drive out of my Hauppauge,put it in my pc,and upload and/or edit.
| Brand | Hauppauge |
|---|---|
| Series | HAU01540 |
| Item model number | 1540 |
| Hardware Platform | PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 |
| Operating System | PC |
| Item Weight | 1 pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 3.4 x 4.7 x 1.6 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 3.4 x 4.7 x 1.6 inches |
