Specs:

• High speed connection via USB 2.0 port
• Video inputs: HDMI or Component Video
• Audio inputs: HDMI or stereo audio (RCA x2)
• Supported Recording Resolutions: 480p/i, 576p, 720p, 1080 60i/30p

PC Requirements:

• Microsoft Windows® 8, 7, Vista™ SP2, XP (SP3 for 32 bit & SP2 for 64 bit), Intel® Core 2 Duo Processor 1.8 GHz or AMD Athlon x2 64 2.0 GHz, 2GB RAM
• Dual Core 2.3 GHz above is recommended for 1080 30p/60i recording
• DirectX® 9.0c compatible graphics card or higher, sound card
• 2GB free hard drive space for installation. 10+ GB free recommended for video recording
• Internet connection required for capture, live streaming, registration, product updates and tutorials.
• Internet upload speed for Live Streaming: 1.5 Mbps. 2.5 Mbps above is recommended
• 720p live stream requires at least 4.5 Mbps internet upload speed
• One available USB 2.0 port

Supported Consoles:

• PlayStation 4
• PlayStation 3
• Xbox One
• Xbox 360
• Wii U
• PC

Included:

• Roxio Game Capture HD Pro Capture Device
• USB Cable
• Roxio Game Capture and Video Editing Software
• Getting Started Guide

Not Included:

• HDMI Cables
• Component AV Cables

Retail Price: $119.99 – $150

Nerd Rating: 7/10

*All in-game images were taken using the Roxio Game Capture HD Pro in conjunction with my personal PlayStation 4. Images featured come from Assassin’s Creed Unity and Dragon Age: Inquisition, both visually stunning games in their own right.*

I’ve recently been really into playing video games and doing walkthroughs that eventually make their way onto Youtube, but there’s only so much you are able to do without a game capture device. Realizing this fact, I eventually broke down and purchased one off of Ebay.

What is a game capture device, you ask? A game capture device makes it so you are able to record large chunks of gameplay in an editable format. The higher end cards will also allow for live streaming to Twitch but this seems to be nonexistent for capture devices under $100. Basically if you want to be a console gamer on Youtube or Twitch, you’ll eventually want to look at getting one of these babies. While it is possible on next gen consoles to live stream and record video straight from your console, a capture device is going to end up being more stable and come out with higher quality video (but more on that later).

Before buying, I did a lot of extensive research as to which device would be right for me and my needs without hurting my wallet. Prices for capture devices can range anywhere from $20 to a couple hundred. That being said, I really wanted something that would give me a good bang for my buck without breaking the bank. I made it my goal to find a good quality capture device on a budget of less $100 including shipping costs and extra purchases needed. However, I found that nearly all of the capture devices under about $70 did not have HDMI capabilities (pretty much necessary for HD video capture) which was a deal breaker for me. That narrowed my search field considerably.

After many days searching and researching I found a listing on Ebay for a Roxio Game Capture HD Pro for $65 CAD which equates to about $52 USD. I pounced on this deal like a compulsive hoarder at a yard sale. In my research and searching I hadn’t been able to find the HD Pro below $100 and still in its box. It was a steal from the moment I bought it. At such a low price I thought for sure that something was wrong with it but it was in fact fully functional in its original packaging with all of its original software and components. Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

When the capture card finally arrived it was very easy to set up for the most part. There are a couple of hoops that you need to jump through in order to get it set up with consoles but it’s nothing that wasn’t solved with a quick google search.

One of the few things that disappointed me about this card was that it didn’t come with HDMI cables that are needed for set up. Luckily I always have a ton of extra ones lying around but I can see how it would be a frustrating for those who spent full market price. I got my HD Pro on a steal so I didn’t shed many tears about this fact.

When I eventually got around to actually recording footage, the program was very straight forward and simple (once I had fully updated the software). What irked me though was that it doesn’t record in .mp4 very well. I have the option to switch the settings to record in .mp4 but for whatever reason the device is more efficient recording in .m2ts format. Again, this issue isn’t that big of a deal because you can later reproduce it in .mp4 when you edit the video through Roxio’s editing software.

The editing software that came with the device is surprisingly quite nice. I’ve been using Camtasia a lot before making this purchase and I found that the two programs were similarly layed out. The thing with the Roxio video editing software is that it can be buggy at times but as long as you’re patient and save every once and a while, the software is an added bonus for the HD Pro. I still prefer using Camtasia over the Roxio software but I use the software to convert the recordings from .m2ts to .mp4. From there I use Camtasia to edit in commentary and effects.

The main selling point for the Roxio is the fact that it records in full HD. Despite all of its downfalls with the editing program and the little issues here and there, the high quality capture is what makes the Roxio Game Capture HD Pro a great capture device for what you pay for.

So why should you get a game capture device rather use what came already built in with your next gen console/PC? The simple fact of the matter is that using a capture card is more stable and of higher quality than you can get with your console’s recording system. This article does a great job at explaining the issues that consoles (and even PC’s) can face when trying to record HD video. The shortened version of it is that consoles take away the power that you have with a capture device. Both the Xbox One and PS4 only record up to 720p with a maximum of 30 fps. From there, adding it to Youtube will only further downgrade the quality of the video. On top of the quality issues you face with the consoles you still face a time cap for how much you can record. On the Xbox One you can only record 5 minute clips. On the PS4 you can record up to 15 minute clips but sometimes (especially with games with longer missions such as Dragon Age: Inquisition) missions exceed that time cap. With a game capture device you are in control of the quality of your videos.

The video that I’ve captured with the Roxio Game Capture HD Pro has been stable, consistent, and of good quality. For tangible proof my series of Dragon Age: Inquisition over on Youtube has been recorded entirely using the Roxio (Except for the commentary). I’ve been really satisfied with the quality of the footage for the price that I payed for it. It’s not the best but it is better quality than what I would have gotten if I had something else that was in a similar price range.

Verdict: If you’re on a budget but you want to dive into the world of Twitch and Youtube gaming, the Roxio HD Game Capture HD Pro is excellent training wheels for you to establish yourself while still making high quality HD videos. I’d say that this is a definite buy if you’re looking for a game capture device, but I highly recommend getting it either used or on an auction site if you want to give your budget a little slack.