Gameplay footage, final thoughts and rating
In the ‘Produce’ section, there’s a handy feature allowing you to upload directly to YouTube, with the ability to choose a variety of quality settings from 320x240 up to full-HD 1,920x1,080. The higher quality the video the longer it takes to upload – it took me in excess of two hours on my home broadband to upload the 2GB 1080i Soul Calibur V video you see below. If you want to upload more quickly you simply choose a lower resolution with a lesser quality bit rate, which speeds up the processing time.After choosing the resolution you want to upload at, the software automatically converts the file, you’re prompted to input your YouTube details and next thing you know, it's on the net. It’s simple, effective and does exactly the job you want it to do.
Within the ‘Produce’ section you can also create files in a variety of formats, including WMV and MPEG 1 and 2, for saving onto your hard drive where you can keep them for your viewing pleasure or upload them to other video sites. Finally, the option to burn directly to a DVD also comes in handy if you want to take your footage on the move or file it for prosperity.
Overall, it's a very basic editing package, but superb at what it does. The HD PVR is simple to use and efficient at getting your files online, though, if you’re planning on doing voice overs or serious editing you may want to look at grabbing some professional software to go with it.
Summary
Video capture cards do the same thing as the HD PVR Gaming
Edition, but Hauppauge's little black box provides an incredibly simple solution that is
easy to setup and captures the highest quality footage that you could
possibly want.
While the video editing software isn’t the most in-depth, it has some great
features, such as the automatic upload to YouTube, and it does provide a very effective and intuitive way of editing.
The proof is really in the recordings though, and despite being disappointed at the slight input lag between HDTV and PC preview window, the Hauppauge HD PVR has an abundance of options to cater for those who just want to produce good quality gaming videos and get them up on YouTube quickly. It’s maybe a little expensive at £199, but from the moment you plug it in and start capturing footage, the whole process is simple and silky-smooth and the final result is outstanding.
The Good
Minimum fuss to setup and use
Good software for instant editing, uploading to the net or burning to
disc
Smooth process from capturing right through to upload
Produces high-quality footage
The Bad
Serious editors may want a more in-depth video editing suite
Some input lag between HD TV and PC Preview window
HEXUS Rating
Hauppauge HD PVR Gaming Edition
HEXUS Where2Buy
The Hauppauge HD PVR Gaming Edition is available to purchase from Play.com
HEXUS Right2Reply
At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.
