Hauppauge HD PVR Gaming Edition Review

Rating: 8.5.

If you own an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 console then today's review product might raise an eyebrow. Have you ever wanted to share video content showcasing your gaming exploits? The Hauppauge HD PVR Gaming Edition records high definition video from either console direct to your computer in compressed H.264 format. This time Hauppauge supply all the cables you need for a complete ‘out of the box' experience.

This product allows the gamer to share video recordings of their gaming sessions and then upload them to Youtube or other video streaming services. Hauppauge say that the videos can be used to ‘discuss tactics' with fellow clan members. Heck, even if you aren't socially active, you can play back the recordings on your own computer.

Hauppauge claim that the HD PVR Gaming Edition records fantastic quality images in 1080i with H.264 compression. The Gaming Edition also features optical audio input, so you can record 5 channel audio directly from the game console.

H.264 is a good codec to use, as it offers excellent image quality while allowing for good compression rates. We have tested this format before and it often only takes one third the storage capacity of the ever popular MPEG 2 format.

The latest version claims to have a ‘real time' video pass through option which means you can watch the game play while recording the video signal directly to the hard drive.

Hauppauge include all the cabling and software to record the video content – all you need is a compatible computer and either a Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.

Hauppauge bundle ArcSoft ShowBiz with the product, a fairly capable capturing and editing package.

The software disc is multiple language …

… and contains both the drivers and ArcSoft ShowBiz software.

The software instructs the user to turn on and connect the HD PVR Gaming Edition. Then the drivers can be installed. This takes a couple of minutes.

The software has a handful of options for encoding rates and video standard display.

The default settings seemed spot on to us, although if you want to record at a lower resolution with lesser quality bitrate, there are options to configure the software here. There are several options also available for video rendering, as well as the option to use hardware acceleration. We experienced no problems when enabling hardware acceleration while using a HD6970 or GTX580.

The software detected we had a Playstation 3 connected, although we need to change the output settings on the console before the input signal would work. This is the only tricky bit of the setup.

If like us, you use your Playstation 3 over HDMI, then you must also connect this Hauppauge component cable. We had the Playstation 3 connected simultaneously to a television via HDMI and the component output on the Playstation 3 to the PC via the Hauppauge HD PVR Gaming Edition. There is a time limit for confirmation when changing the video output system on the Playstation 3, so it is best loading the ArcSoft ShowBiz software beforehand.

If you fail to get a signal via the HD PVR, don’t panic. Without manual intervention the Playstation 3 will revert back to the HDMI signal shortly, reactivating the display on your television.

Be sure not to select 1080p, as the component cable won't handle it and the screen will go blank.

The video above is an .MT2S file, taken directly from the Windows 7 system from the Hauppauge HD PVR. We didn't even recode it to include our watermark as we were very impressed with the native quality from the HD PVR. This is significantly better than the video we managed to get from the Hauppauge Colossus in July.

Hauppauge have managed to remove the noticeable lag between signal and computer which is helpful when playing a game and recording it directly to the computer.

When we reviewed the Hauppauge Colossus in July, we were impressed, although it wasn't without fault. The company have clearly taken the concerns onboard and have updated the hardware to address some of the problems. The HD PVR Gaming Edition is a fantastic product which will be useful for many gamers who want to capture their gaming sessions for posterity.

We are pleased to see Hauppauge have included all the cables necessary to connect the HD PVR to both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The proprietary cable is an ingenious piece of engineering which delivers a very high quality signal at 1080i.

Configuration is very straightforward and the only problem is ensuring that you have the signal output set to component 720p or 1080i via the Playstation 3. The ArcSoft Showbiz software is very capable and offers both capture functionality and editing possibilities.

Hauppauge have also addressed the video lag problems we experienced with the Colossus and it would be possible to play a game while using the PC screen for direct to drive recording duties.

Aesthetically, the HD PVR Gaming Edition is an attractive product which doesn't demand a huge physical footprint on a desk. We like how it matches the appearance of the Playstation 3.

The only concern we have with the HD PVR Gaming Edition is the price, as it retails for around £200 inc vat in the UK. While it is a rather unique product on today's market, it is a sizeable investment, costing as much as either of the leading high definition consoles. We feel at this price that the audience able to afford the HD PVR will be limited. That is a shame, as it is a really useful product, especially for Youtube channel fanatics and clan gamers.

Pros:

• Looks really well.
• all the cables are in the box.
• 1080i video quality is fantastic.
• Arcsoft software is rock solid.

Cons:

• It costs as much as the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3.

Kitguru says: One of their best products, but it is expensive.

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