What is your recording setup?

[Mietepiet]

How are you guys recording your gameplay?

Here's my setup:

hardware:
- AverTV Capture HD http://avertv.avermedia.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?Id=530
- HDMI splitter (powered)
- 3 HDMI cables

software:
- Windows 8 64-bit
- Avermedia center (with OLD win7 64-bit drivers)
- VH Capture
- x264vfw H.264 & AC3 codecs

the trick:
- startup VH Capture first (to get the input signal)
- startup avermedia center (to autenticate HDCP protection)
- now PS3 output will be shown in VH Capture and you can start recording in 720p max

avermedia can show HDCP content, but you can't record it. When using OLD drivers, VHcapture gets the signal, then you run avermedia software to authenticate the HDCP protection. They fixed this problem in the newer drivers. The downside is that I sometimes get driver issues and I have to reinstall Windows completely.

settings: (comments welcome, since I don't know what I'm doing)

VIDEO x264vfw configuration
preset: superfast
tuning: none
profile: auto
level: auto
fast decode: unchecked convert to YUV 4:2:0
zero latency: checked
rate control: single pass (ABR) @ 10,000 kbit/s
output mode: VFW - H264
VirtualDub hack: unchecked
disable all CPU optimizations: unchecked
disable decoder: unchecked

AUDIO
AC3 ACM codec @ 2ch 192 kbit/s 48000Hz

[Ace3000]

Ok, sure, why not, here's mine. BEWARE-My setup is super confusing:

HARDWARE:
- Elgato Game Capture HD (http://www.elgato.com/en/gaming/game-capture-hd)

- Component Cable
- USB Mini-B to USB 2.0
- 2x RCA Splitters (Unpowered, they are literally just cables)
- RCA Male to Male Cable
- RCA Audio to 3.5mm Audio jack
- 2x HDMI Cable
- Sound System

SOFTWARE:
- Windows 7 64-bit
- Elgato Game Capture HD Software

[SETTINGS:]
- mp4 Original Preset (No idea what the technical stuff is, and I can't be stuffed testing it.)

SETUP:
- HDMI Direct to TV's HDMI 1 Input, for normal play, the capture device needs to be connected to the Computer in order to pass signal through
- RCA Splitters bypass capture card, running L+R Audio to Capture card input and Male to Male RCA Cable direct to TV, then RCA Out from TV to 3.5mm AUX input of Sound System, all because my TV's speakers suck ass
- 2nd HDMI Cable from Capture card output to TV's HDMI 2 Input.
- Capture Card USB Mini-B to USB 2.0 input of computer running Capture software.

[PS3 OUTPUT]
- Normal Play: HDMI Video output to 1080p, RCA sound output, TV does not like outputting HDMI sound [TV Input Used: HDMI 1]
- Capture: Component Video output to 720p, RCA sound output. [TV Input Used: HDMI 2]

[Cipher]

Lol that trick, lucky that works for you :p

My setup;

Hardware;
- Matrox MXO2 Mini with Express-card adapter http://www.matrox.com/video/en/products/mxo2_mini/
- Expresscard 34 to PCIe Adapter http://www.synchrotech.com/products-expc/pcie-expresscard-slot-drive_02.html
- 1x PS3 component cable
- 1x Male-Male Component cable

Software
- Mac OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion
- Final Cut Pro 7 (capturing)
- Final Cut Pro X (editing)
- Matrox Software version 2.6.1.0001
- Compressor 4.0

How it's hooked up;
- Component cables from the PS3 go into the matrox's input, the other set of component cables go from the matrox's output into the TV (with a 40ms delay)
- The matrox is hooked up to my desktop using the expresscard 34 via the Expresscard 34 to PCIe adapter

Problems with the setup;
- Latency, the matrox usually has 40 ms latency, which is noticeable, but still manageable, however, since recently this has gotten worse, so i'll take mietepiet's advise on giving RCA splitters a go ;)
- The matrox will not provide video throughput unless you are either capturing, or monitoring the video stream on the desktop (annoying)

Plus points with the matrox;
- I can video edit in real time and send the video feed to my tv in real time (with the 40ms (or more) delay of course)
- I can stream
- I can skype my video feed
- I can input RCA and output component, or the other way around
- I can digitize any kind of media
- I can capture 1080p (but sadly not @59.94fps (which is what the PS3 outputs as) 30FPS max =/)
- It is supreme video quality

Matrox Configuration;
Allow Super White/black; enabled
Analog NTSC Pedestal; 7.5 IRE

Video Input Source; Component (Y, Pb, Pr)
Audio Input Source; Analog Unbalanced RCA

Video Output; Component
Main channel format; 720p
Pulldown method; 2:3:2:3

Video format; 720p 59.94 YUV 8-bit

Compressor Export settings;
Keeping in mind it's for youtube, i usually go with the following settings
Codec; H.264
Framerate; 59.94
Bitrate; 50K kb/s
Quality; Best
Audio; Single pass AAC Stereo (L R) @48KHz
Resolution; 720p upscaled to 1080p to make use of the bigger bandwidth for 1080p videos on youtube

That's pretty much it, but as mentioned, i will be trying out RCA splitters before the matrox, since it's beein giving me troubles with latency ;)

Cipher

[Xpand]

Windows 7
fraps
Lots of praying
Sony Vegas

[TheConzio]

My recording setup...

Hardware:
Aiptek camcorder video camera

Software:
None

Setup:
- Ps3 set to AV mode, using a PlayStation RCA cable (PlayStation 2 cable)
- RCA mini jack cable from AV out on my television to AV in on my camera.

I then press the record button on my camera and hey presto!

I then edit my recordings on either iMovie or Adobe Premier Pro.

The most simplest recording setup :P

[Ragsus Maxima]

HARDWARE
• AverMedia DarkCrystal HD
• Two sets of component cables (PS3 and male/male)
• USB Mini to USB 2.0 cable

SOFTWARE
• Windows 7 Ultimate (64-bit)
• TotalMedia Extreme 2

HOW IT WORKS
• The component cables are mandatory due to all the PS3 digital content is encrypted by the HDCP protocol.
• The first component cables are connected to the PS3 and the PVR; the latter pass-throughs the video signal to the TV with very little latency with the second set of component cables.
• TotalMedia Extreme 2 is the software used to record the videos with my hardware.
• The USB cable provided must be plugged to the PC so the video can be recorded, encoded and saved.

And that's all. If anyone is interested in knowing my recording settings, ask me anytime. :)

[yeldar2097]

iPhone 4s on some stacked Diet Coke cans xD

[mannjon]

Non SD card hand videocorder and a 42" HD TV and an off balance tripod.

No computers. I don't want the Matrix watching my Wipeout skillz. I don't want an agent showing up at my door.

[Cipher]

No sd card? are you actually still using Tapes?! o_O FOR REAL?!?!
I mean they're cool being retro and all, but in this age??? *mind blown*

And lol Yeldar, that's what i had to do with my vita now that my matrox is temp. out of order lol surprised it didn't fall for a full hour :P

Found the splitters and cables i need to fix my setup btw, which will make it even more complex, but still have to order them ^^

Cipher

[TheConzio]

I recorded most of the Omnium tournament on videotape :g

[Mietepiet]

@mannjon: follow the white rabit ;)
I truly believe Yeldar did, and while playing Wipeout he only sees a black screen with green letters!

[terra-wrists]

wipEout VHS? :D come on, am I the only one who thinks this is cool? :D

[mannjon]

Yeah, the point is that I don't really record much!

[AGSys]

VHS huh? So retro! Takes me back to the good ol' days of recording anything you wanted and not having the FBI breaking down your neck :D

[Cipher]

As an update to my recording setup fix, passive RCA splitters do not work sadly

the PS3's signal output is not strong enough to carry the signal to 2 seperate devices, i will have to go with an amplified video splitter, but i fear the dreaded latency again with those things =/

Cipher

[Mietepiet]

hmmmz, that's sad not good. Have you tried putting the ps3 on 720P output?

I know a friend used them back in the days, but he had a bad a$$ videocard

[Cipher]

it's not my matrox or video card lol, the distance the signal has to travel til the splitting point, then from the splitting point 2 ways to the TV and matrox just reduces the signal strength soo much it can't be picked up by either the matrox nor the TV anymore, it'll sometimes flicker on for a short moment but then die again, it might work if the cables were much shorter (like seriously only 10cm long or so), but that would be bring me nowhere, i'm searching around for a video distribution amplifier and have found a couple, but they don't ship to belgium, or it's i the UK with a weird power plug and stuff :P

my PS3 always outputs @ 720p btw, mxo2 mini does not support 1080p60, only 1080p30, shame, but oh well :p

Cipher

[MrBlakemore]

My setup was horrible lol (BTW the resolution capable was 480i *meh* but it got the job done)

PS3/PSP (PSP AV cables)
Sandisk V-Mate MCR
SD 4gb or more
A tube television with at least two AV Input and an AV output.

I would take my AV In cables from the V-Mate and connect them to the television's AV Out jacks.
The AV Out cables from the V-Mate would plug into AV In 2 on the TV. The console would connect to the remaining jack on the TV. The V-Mate basically creates a loop, so anything displayed on the TV will be recorded to the SD card in the V-Mate. Since a 300 pound TV isn't practical I swore off recording for awhile. Actually the VCR method doesn't seem that bad by comparison, but I haven't used it since my SNES/TG16 days :)

[Mietepiet]

Compressor Export settings;
Keeping in mind it's for youtube, i usually go with the following settings
Codec; H.264
Framerate; 59.94
Bitrate; 50K kb/s
Resolution; 720p upscaled to 1080p to make use of the bigger bandwidth for 1080p videos on youtube

What's your filesize for a single race?

I record @ 10K kb/s 30fps 720p
maybe should try 60fps, but then I run out of diskspace very quickly. And it only adds for slow motion editing imo.

[Cipher]

a raw recording is usually around 3gb for a single race, after sending it through compressor it's only 600 megs anymore, the reason i record @59.94fps is because i tend to video edit most of my races and it's always nice to have the extra frames, thatand youtube quaity is supposedly better is you upload @59.94 (eventhough it ets compressed to 30fps)

Cipher