25.4.2013

I use my HDPVR 2 with my PS3 using all the cables that were supplied in the box, so need need to splash out on Sony's expensive component cables or more HDMI cables (it comes with 2)I capture at 6mb/sec as this is more than enough for 720p and I primarily play Fifa which only goes up to 720p so recording in full HD would just be a waste of disk space. Even at this relatively low capture rate (it goes up to 20mb/sec if I'm not mistaken) the quality is still amazing! I had a HDPVR 1 before hand and the difference in quality is amazing, I can't compare it to the Elgato as I dont have any experience with it, however it would be hard to beat the HDPVR2 for quality and why would I even bother trying the Elgato when this works so well.Compared to the HDPVR1 it is a lot more tidy,no massive component cables going to the TV just a HDMI and you can now even hide it behind the TV or console as the USB cable provided is long enough to reach almost anywhere in a standard size room. It also looks a lot nicer, with the full green light when recording and the sleek shiny design, however the fact that the light blinks when the plug is on but the console or PC isnt detected can be kind of irritating.The light/console and PC detection is probably my only issue with this product. The light will only stop flashing when you power on your console and then connect the PVR to a pc, upon which it will change to being on solidly and turning the console off will result in the light going off. Personally it would be much better for me if the light was just off when not recording, full green when recording.Also on the topic of the console detection, the PVR will only start pass through once connected to a PC, if you use a desktop this is fine, just leave it permanently plugged into the PC, however if like me you use a laptop and it happens to be in the living room, if you want to power up your PS3 and watch some BBC Iplayer in bed, unfortunately you'll have to go retrieve your laptop or have no signal from your console to the TV. Hopefully Haupaugge will take this into account and maybe update drivers so it automatically passes through and the light doesnt constantly blink if a PC inst connected. I understand this is designed to have a PC attached to it, but I dont always want to record everything I do.The main benefit of having a HDPVR2 is the incredible software! The Hauppauge capture centre is 100x better than the ArcSoft PVR1 software. It combines capturing and streaming and does it brilliantly. As I understand it the software is currently in beta testing or has just finished it so its still a work in progress, and if youre reading this a few months after writing, no doubt all the suggestions will have already been added. The software does its job brilliantly and the recording is instant and preview window doesnt turn black (as with the PVR1) so for people streaming with an xSplit screen region this is ideal for capturing whilst streaming without interrupting picture. There is a built in mic recorder that auto syncs the mic with gameplay so you dont have to do it yourself. At the time of writing there is no way to manually change the level game audio is recorded at so currently this feature isnt too great as commentary is drowned out by game sound. However Haupaugge have confirmed that it will be added in the next software update, so when youre reading this the likely hood is its already added. The streaming software is also incredible, there is almost no delay from software to stream, however again audio levels can be and issue (until the software update)and I personally dont use it as I like to play music and chat with other people on skype whilst streaming and there is currently no way to stream sound from other programmes, it is just game sound and your mic. Hopefully this will be added in the future but this hasnt been confirmed like the volume level control. There is also a editing centre (although I stick to Sony Vegas) and enough settings to get whatever quality you want and to keep all you tech nerds busy for weeks (however if you just leave it on default it works fine, thats what I did so dont be put off by that)All in all the product itself is brilliant and I would recommend it to anyone looking to record/live stream console gameplay, the light and pass through settings kind of bug me but I can get over it and hopefully they will be altered.As for the software its the best capture software I've seen by a long shot and the fact that its only new and is constantly evolving and having new features added is even better.

13.12.2014

The quality of the video files this device produces is simply outstanding. I've been really impressed. I chose it partly because I have had good results from a Hauppauge product before (Win TV7) and partly because I am running an ageing Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop with Windows Vista and some of the other capture devices I could have bought require Windows 7 upwards. Delivery from Amazon Logistics was swift so no chance of complaints from me there. I was well aware of the problems a number of unlucky people have had as I read all the reviews first but my experience has been very positive overall so far and I feel that taking the chance has been well justified.I still have a lot of playing aroundto do to find out just what I can get out of this great little box of tricks in terms of changing the settings in the supplied capture programs but after just over a week owning one that's to be expected. However, the Hauppauge Capture software generally worked well for me using the settings I found when I started it up for the first time. My first impression is that it looks easier to use than the Arcsoft Showbiz program that was also installed. I immediately got HD video files ( .ts format) in 1920 x 1080i resolution, no problem whatsoever. I find that streaming these files to my DLNA enabled TV results in picture and sound quality that is every bit as good as the original input. I can only say that the device itself has performed admirably from the start but if there are any shortcomings these lie with the software, possibly in part because of the limitations of the computer it runs on.I have found that if I use the Export to MP4 option in Hauppauge Capture I end up with an MP4 file that has no sound. This also happens if I import the .ts file into Roxio Videowave (2009 version) which software then requires me to allow it to convert it to .mpg format to facilitate editing. A search on Google shows this sort of thing is a common problem. One workaround is to convert it with the freeware converter Video to Video, which gives a .MP4 with the sound as it should be. But, you still need to make sure that whatever you convert the .ts files to, regardless of the software you use, the conversion also gives you acceptable picture quality. From my experience lately, that's not automatically guaranteed. So far I much prefer to stick with the original .ts files as these have given me the best results. An approx. 20 minute video at 1920 x 1080i resolution has generally given me a file size of about 1.8-2.2 GB, so a standard 4.7GB DVD will hold about 45 mins worth if the files are burnt directly to it. For me, that's not a problem and the playback quality cannot be bettered. Basically, as a general thing the more you have to process a file the worse it gets.One other thing I have noticed is that when recording, you can get momentary flashes, blips and other image artefacts on the Capture display, but the files you get normally show none of this. The issue is actually mentioned on the Hauppauge website as nothing to worry about. This is presumably because the image processing doesn't take place on the computer- only the input display so the file data is intact before you can see it. I find that shutting down other programs which are running at the same time as the capture program before you start recording makes for a better display as the load on the processor is reduced. If your capture software hangs or you see defects in the recorded file, you definitely need to do this as the load on the chipset is so great it interferes with the saving of the file, or at least that's my opinion.In conclusion- I'm very happy so far, so if you're considering buying one I'd say go for it.UPDATE 17/1/2015: I am now getting very consistent high quality captures using the Arcsoft Showbiz software to record using MP4 format and a recording bitrate of 10MB/s. NO glitches or image artefacts AT ALL so far in the recorded files in quite a number of hours of use and the sound was fine from the start. The capture display seems steadier too, if not totally free of momentary glitches but those have got to be mainly down to my laptop. It IS important to shut down other programs beforehand, that are likely to steal processor time when capturing. I find that disabling the wireless connection to the laptop before capturing also helps in this respect.

3.1.2012

This seems to be the de facto standard on the market for recording video gaming in HD, which was the reason I decided to get one. I went for the gaming edition as the cost was only slightly more than the standard version and it comes with a component cable with plugs for the PS3/ Xbox 360. If you already have component cables for your consoles(s) then there will be no real benefit to buying this version other than the alternate colour scheme of all black/ green light. Inside the box in addition to the device itself is the aforementioned cable, a heavy duty component cable for input to your TV, the power adapter, user guide and a CD containing the capture software and drivers.It's very small so should sit comfortably wherever you decide to put it.It's very simple to get started, just connect the component cable from your console to the input on the PVR, then attach the heavy cable from the PVR to your TV, and hook the USB from the PVR to your PC. Installing the drivers is just a case of plugging in the USB cable and then running the CD, then you can install the capture software, Arcsoft Showbiz. This is what you run on your PC to save the video down into a file you can edit and is very simple to use, although I would recommend getting some additional software to edit and encode your videos later (I'm using AVS Video Editor which is pretty easy to use and supports the M2TS files that the PVR can output). On Windows 7 64bit everything installed without any issues. Power is required on the device even when not recording if you want to use the console while the PVR is hooked up - just something to bear in mind as it pretty much means it will require a permanent power socket. Another thing to note is that the USB cable is quite short, probably 0.5m, so if you're not using a laptop you will need to take this into consideration. I use one so I can just move it closer when recording and unplug afterwards. The laptop is a fairly new Core i5, but actually capturing footage doesn't seem to require much power so I'm pretty sure more modest specs will be fine, although processing your edited videos will definitely benefit from a higher spec, especially on the CPU.When you're ready to start capturing you just click the button in Arcsoft and the green light on top of the PVR will light to tell you it is running, and you will see the audio/ video on your PC, albeit with a 1 second delay - importantly though, there's no delay from the pass-through to your TV so your gaming will be unaffected. Picture quality is excellent and obviously you can tweak this with bitrates etc if filesize is an issue. I record directly to an external USB drive without issue which allows me to move the recordings around easily as the files can get pretty big, I'm seeing files around 750mb per 10 minutes or so of footage at a fairly high bitrate.Can't fault it.

21.9.2014

I've been using repairing comparing and utilising Audio, Video & Computer software/hardware for many a moon.I purchased this PVR2 GE Plus from amazon and it arrived on the 14-09-14, from about 15 minutes after connecting it up to my video & audio sources inc HDMI, component & composite the Hauppage capture froze after 2 minutes recording on the lowest settings, so I tried arcsoft showbiz but NOPE it stopped recording too. So I swapped video sources rebooted the PC plugged out/in the Hauppage but the same thing happened.I downloaded the updated software and drivers did a clean install after hcwclear but after 7 minutes recording the old big freeze came back!Ok ok I thought maybe it's the software

28.1.2014

Occasionally we want to archive special TV broadcasts recorded on sky box to protect against SKY disk failure (concerts and the like). This kinda works even though it's not the primary design point of the box. From Sky HDMI out we go to an 'HDMI to component convertor' (available off AMAZON) - at 1080i or 720p (can't decide which is best yet) and into the Component conector on the PVR2. To get Dolby sound, we are using an optical from SKY to the PVR2. Not noticed any audio synch isues yet although potentially with Audio going direct and video going via conversion we might get some. We are using a NUC PC as an entertainment box, (so no local storage) and writing to a NAS.

21.7.2012

The HD PVR is a really good peice of equipment, I suggest buying this over the Roxio Game cap as it records in HD, Once collecting this off the post man I turned to unpacking it straight away, However I found it confusing as there are a lot of wires and a lot of holes that they need to go in, Due to this I searched you tube for a set up video which if like me you prefer watching then reading then I suggest you take this approach and watch the video, It fits nicely next to my tv and doesnt take up that much room, It is worth the investment if you want to start capturing gaming footage or any other footage for that matter, I use it to create commenteries which I then upload to youtube,

30.12.2011

I have been wanting this for sometime now and finally just purchased this today I cant wait for it to arrive I thought the normal version was out of my price range but when I seen it on amazon for £139.99 and I seen the gaming edition for £149.99 I had no choice but to snap it up.....But when I was going to hand over that kind of money i decided to do alot of research and see peoples views and see video footage for myself of the quality !!!after this extensive search I found that the hauppauge hd pvr is the most advanced system out there for people who want to record their online/ offline gaming sessions without needing a high spec pc that costs a fortune or a hard drive thats as big as bill

16.2.2013

The unit i was using before was a composite Dazzle PVC100 unit, and was a good jumping off point for making videos using recorded gameplay, and came with some amazing studio programming that i am still using now, all for around £50, BUT if you want the best then i cannot sing this unit's praises highly enough.My Dazzle was starting to die a little as the quality was awful, however this comes with the the necessary equipment to do whatever you want, including a rather nice looking cable that plugs into the Hauppage unit which is a 3 system Component cable which fits the Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 (though i only use it for 360 and Wii U as i do not own the PS3),

22.1.2014

I bought the HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition because I create professional gaming videos for YouTube. For 3 years now I've been using the Black Magic Intensity pro. And after looking online for better setups I decided to have a go with the PVR2. However, once receiving the product, the box was ripped in a few places, not to big of a deal. The setup of the product was simple and supurb. A lot less of a hassle than the Intensity Pro. However after doing multiple render tests with different file formats etc. I decided to return the PVR2 only because of few of reasons.1: The 2-3second delay between the Xbox and the PC's preview window. This bugged me a lot as it makes timed recordings a lot more of a hassle.2: Limited customisation to the output file,

22.3.2018

I had to order a replacement because the first one that arrived had the wrong power supply oddly enough. It was still factory sealed so I'm not sure what happened there! Amazon sent the replacement free of charge that arrived 2 days later though so I can't fault them, great customer service.The device itself was exactly what I expected. I'm running it on a 13 inch 2017 Macbook Pro and so far I'm loving it, it works flawlessly. The Hauppauge software isn't the best and doesn't save your settings, so you have to set it up every time you load it up - but that's a minor gripe and nothing major for me.Before this I was using the Avermedia Game Capture HD,

22.4.2012

I've had my Hauppauge HD-PVR Gaming Edition for about 5 months now. It is fantastic and it does exactly what you need it to do.In the box is the PVR and some cables along with the instructions.The PVR looks cool, and when you're recording it has a awesome green light.Setting up the PVR is simple. All the wires you need come with it. First I connected the PVR to my TV using the component cables, and then I connected it to my PS3 easily using the cables provided. Then you set your PS3 to the right mode and connect the PVR to your PC with the USB cable provided and your pretty much done. You install the software provided and you click capture and it captures whatever is on the TV screen.The software isn't amazing though.

9.2.2016

My daughter got this for Christmas so she could become a Minecraft vlogger. She had heard that her favourite Youtubers were using this machine so that's what she wanted. After some initial head scratching and being almost at the point of returning it (after installing the software etc you need to switch off then back on again. DOH!), it's an absolute breeze to record your gameplay in excellent quality. The included software is decent enough, it allows you to add audio and do some basic editing, however, my daughter only uses it to save the original footage before opening it in Sony Vegas where she can mix the audio levels, and do more advanced editing. The machine itself is quite small which is great for keeping it out the way,

30.12.2011

The HDVR is very simple to install and get going. Another advantage is the weight, it weighs next to nothing so it's possible to stack on your Xbox 360 at least for those who are tight on space. This gaming version also comes with a component cable for the 360 and PS3 so you won't have to swap out cables or buy a switcher. It comes bundled with a recording program for basic editing and uploading. My only wish would be for them (Hauppauge) to remake the HDPVR with the ability to control by remote (if posible). It also assumes that everyone has everything set up in a compact space so if your PC or laptop is going to be far away from the HDPVR you will need an extension cable. However,

25.6.2013

If you're going to be recording footage from your xbox or other gaming consoles to make letsplay's or guides etc for youtube with any regularity, sooner or later you'll possibly want your video's to be recorded in HD and this bit of kit fits the bill perfectly. It's not cheap but it does give you high performance recording options.It's not too tricky to set up but don't expect a 'plug and play' experience, there may be a bit of faffing around to get the setup right for your system. Check and double check your connections on your console, pc, tv, and anything else you need to incorporate and check what's included in the box to make sure you have all you'll need.

9.7.2013

I record videos for my YouTube channel and i have got to say what an amazing piece of kit this is! Firstly the Arcsoft software is dreadful but you can download Hauppauge Creator for free from the website, which is absolutely top of the range! Not only can you edit your videos to YouTube, you can now record your voice while you play saving you loads of time. The customer support (tech guys) are magnificent i had a little trouble and Elton Adams from Hauppauge Computer Works UK was very eager to sort out my problem, he went out of his way to get me up and running again. Even though the problem was not down to the software as i couldn't minimize the Hauppauge Creator,

Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition Plus - Reviews

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