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AverMedia does not provide an installation disc with the Live Gamer Portable. Instead, the drivers can be downloaded here, directly from their website.
The main screen lets you select one of four options on the left hand side: Bulletin, Capture, Stream and Video Folder.
The Bulletin section is basically just a news section. Even though it is not bothersome, this function could have worked just as well as a ticker along the top or bottom of the screen.
The Capture and Stream sections offer the same configuration options. Having these areas separated means you can record gameplay in higher quality without having to continually adjust settings if you want to start streaming. As can be seen in the screenshots above, there are three options available when setting up the Live Gamer Portable: Newbie, Amateur and Pro. These options all serve to get you up and running as fast and effortless as possible.
The Video Folder button brings up the folder designated to store recordings.
Taking a closer look at the Newbie option we can see why it has been named as such. If you followed the instructions in the manual you can simply click Detect. The software will detect the best settings for you and by hitting the Ready button you can start recording or streaming without the need for more details.
The Amateur option offers access to all possible options but spreads these out over clearly labelled tabs along the top of the screen. The Amateur screen also shows diagrams for each possible connection method. Handy if you have any doubts.
The Pro option is, in essence, exactly like the Amateur option. The main difference is that all settings can be changed without selecting different tabs. All options are self-explanatory and AverMedia has done a good job keeping things nice and simple.
The Video Format option lets you choose between TS and MP4 files. If you decide to record commentary the software will create a separate file for the microphone input. A clever feature that increases flexibility when editing.
Setting up a live stream is a straight forward process. Selecting the Login option on the Stream screen brings up a small screen where you will be asked to define the Streaming Service, your username and password. Selecting Apply completes the set-up process.
I completed the set-up process for a TwitchTV account and was up and running within 5 minutes.
There is also a Speed Test available which attempts to login using your details and then performs a speed test for 15 seconds. It is important to keep in mind that your bandwidth will vary throughout the day. For that reason we would recommend using the speed test during the busiest part of the day. Having a worst case scenario bandwidth indication will help you select settings that will let your stream survive even if your bandwidth degrades.
We could write entire books on the performance aspects of capture cards, but the proof is in the pudding. For that reason we recorded three videos at resolutions of 1080p and 720p. We also switched between recording at 30fps and 60fps, as well as using a Video bitrate of 40000kbps.
[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF358f0jzsQ'] [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlMFSuL5BUI'] [yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YX9uWMzvgE']I also recorded a clip in the PC Free Mode using an Xbox 360 onto a SanDisk Ultra 32GB Class 10 HC1 Micro SD Card.
[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XIezmBmzPE']I think we can all feel a little bit safer knowing that I do not own a Ferrari.
