The best way to improve your game is by recording your matches and going over each one to see what you did right or wrong. I know, I know, you guys are probably tired of hearing me post about this or talk about it on podcasts but its true!
Thing is, from what I've seen, most people don't have the equipment to be able to do this and don't even really know where to start. When you do a search online for "video capture device" nothing that helpful comes up. Pulling up similar searches on Amazon or Ebay will also most likely confuse you considering you will be assaulted with everything from cheap-o USB recorders to high end capture cards.
Camcorders are a little easier to find online, but with so many reviews out there it can still be difficult to determine which is the best for recording match videos. I've found that smaller camcorders that fit in your pocket or aren't too bulky are best for this type of project, but having a robust, fully featured HD camcorder can be very useful as well.
So which products are actually legit? Well, lucky for you I've had a chance to try all sorts of recording devices and now have a pretty good idea on which ones get the job done at this point.
Look, I would love to give you guys the break down on 10 different direct feed video capture devices but this is the only one worth looking into at this point. I bought this a little earlier in the year and it is so easy to use it's hard to even think about looking into anything else. I know there are cards you can pop into your PC, but if you want a portable stand alone device that will capture HD video straight to your laptop or PC, then this is your best bet.
It also works on Mac (I run a MacBook) even though it is not advertised to do so. There is currently some great independent software that allows the HD PVR to run on Mac just as well as it runs on PC.
It's fairly easy to set up. You just pop in the USB cord to your computer, connect component cables from your PS3 or 360 to the back of the unit, then run another set of component cables from the unit to the TV. Make some adjustments within the software to determine video and audio quality and you're set to go!
The only thing that this unit does not offer (yet?) that I wish it did is the ability to stream video directly over the internet while capturing. At this point I think this is only available through certain camcorders and direct capture cards. If any of you reading this own this unit and know a work around to stream video over the 'net, please post up in the comments!
Either way, this is the best product to buy if you simply want high definition videos of your own gameplay.
Official Hauppauge HD PVR site
So this is my newest purchase, and a very good one at that. I picked up this camera before going to Japan because I needed something that could not only take high quality still photos, but also have the ability to record footage if need be. The thing about this camera is not only does it record video, it records video in 720p which is awesome considering how small it is.
Transferring images and videos from the camera is real simple. You install some software, plug in the USB cable and the software will transfer everything over for you. I've loaded up the movies (.mov) into iMovie with out hitch as well.
The camera also includes an HDMI out which I thought was real impressive, again considering this camera is considerably smaller than an iPhone. I haven't found much use for the HDMI out just yet considering I transfer most videos directly to my computer anyway but this may be an attractive feature to some.
My only complaint about this camera is the sound quality. I didn't really expect much to begin with though, since this is first and foremost a point and shoot camera, but the audio quality leaves much to be desired. Still, not bad if you're just recording fighting game matches at the arcade.
I have tried streaming with camera as well, and unfortunately it does not work unless there is some sort of work around. Regardless, this camera is perfect if you end up going to a lot of gatherings and tournaments and are looking to record all the matches that go down without having to carry around a bulky camera case.
Official Canon PowerShot site
Now, I will say that I don't own this exact model, but over a year or so ago I purchased a similar HandyCam and got more use out of it than any other camcorder I had bought previously. This model, unlike the one I have, records in HD as well so this is perfect if you are looking for a light compact solution to capture HD video.
Although the camera is light and compact, it is obviously a little bulkier than say the Canon Powershot that I mentioned above, but the features, audio and video quality are going to be much higher. On the other hand, even though you can take photos using these camcorders, in my experiences they come out virtually worthless. So a lot of it comes down to what you think you will need the most: high quality video and audio with poor photos or high quality photos with average video and audio?
If you are on PC, you can also use it as a webcam and stream your own footage or footage from tournaments/gatherings over the web using Justin.tv and uStream. Unfortunately, the Sony site says this does not work on Mac, so us Mac users are out of luck unless there is some sort of work around.
Also, when purchasing a camcorder like this I recommend getting a tripod and also a small case. Setting it up on a tripod and constantly recording all the action is the best way to make sure you don't miss any solid matches, either of yourself or other players. On the other hand, if its not realistic to set up a tripod, in my experiences having it on your side with a camera case is pretty crucial.
Official Sony HDR-CX100 site
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As you can see I've had my fair share of experiences with recording equipment, but I know there are a lot of other solutions out there as well. Do you own a camcorder or capture device of your own? Post up in the comments and let us know how well it works!
FuriousRGD
Shoryuken has posted a series of tutorial videos made by Eternaldragon which explain the basic run down for dual modding a fight stick, so it can be used on either an XBox 360 or a PS3. It's made to help beginners understand how it is exactly done and why certain steps are taken.;)
;)
