If you’ve ever dreamed of recording Xbox or PS3 gameplay video footage right on your desktop, then read this review of Roxio Game Capture HD Pro
Roxio’s game capture device allows gamers to stream their game online or make recordings of it for later use. The system works with both PC and console games, though live streaming does require that the user have a Twitch TV account (which is free). Recorded videos can be uploaded on whatever other sites the user desires, such as Facebook or YouTube.
Set up
Putting the device’s components together is simple: run the HDMI cord from the console to the Roxio capture device, and then run another HDMI cord from the capture device to the television, and then one last USB cord between the device and the PC. After that, install the software on the PC, and that’s all there is to it. Some users report issues with the machine being fussy about doing these things in the right order, but as long as the game console is off before starting, the process has surprisingly few bugs.
Use
Picture: Recording video footage of Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3
If you’re primarily a console gamer, and your PC isn’t very good, there may be some issues with use. Game recordings, especially high-quality ones, take up large amounts of hard drive space. Streaming games is a resource- intensive process, as well, one whose rigors may be beyond even a decent PC. A good PC with 1MBPS or higher upload speeds irons out a lot of the bugs, but a bad connection or slow computer can render this device next to useless. The quality settings will probably require quite a bit of messing with to find the sweet spot.
Features
For those who are recording their game play, the program does have some video editing functions. The editing suite is a bit laggy, but more or less functional. The editor has the ability to add text to the video, disguise the voice in your narration, create picture in picture and more. Once recorded, sharing videos on Facebook or YouTube just requires one click. However, it should be noted that customer support is minimal. There is no available phone support, and many times the e-mail based support is unhelpful.
Problems
While the video is great when working with a PC that will accept its highest quality, the audio quality can suffer quite a bit, even with good hardware. There is no available version of the software that’s compatible with OS X, so Mac users are out of luck with this one. Also, a required HDMI cable doesn’t come packaged with the system for some reason, which may throw consumers for a loop when they take it out of the box.
As long as you have the computer to support it, this is a very cool bit of tech for showcasing your gaming skills and capturing memorable victories to relive later. For the $150 dollar price tag, it may be worthwhile for some to wait until patches for the buggy software come out, allowing the device to function more smoothly. Other than that, the Roxio Game Capture is pretty sound.
