Capturing Your TV/PC
This is a short guide on how to capture your TV’s or PC’s video. I know there are tons and tons on different sites that tell you how to get the best quality, but I am just going to show you the way I have found best.
How to Capture TV
Well, first of all, you need a capture program! If you want to capture your TV, it would be best to buy an external capture card. They are pretty cheap, but if you buy them with the software then they are a little bit more, but it’s worth it.
The capture card I use is a Dazzle DVC170 Plantinum edition. This connects to your PC and your console, your PC so you can record. However, this can be a little annoying at first.
Splitting Your TV Signal
Splitting is a term used by making it to where you can record and play at the same time. If you just put your AV Cables into the capture card, it shows up on the PC with a huge 3 second lag. If you split it, the lag will still show up ON THE COMPUTER, but NOT on your TV.
I will tell you the materials that I use to split my signal. I will also show a video THAT IS NOT MINE on how to set it up.
Capture Card Splitting Materials
There are actually 2 ways to do this. If your TV has a Video and Aduio OUT port, this way is not neccesary.
WAY ONE: (Without Audio or Video OUT)
2 Way Female Adapter
2 AV Cables with Left and Right Audio
3 AV Splitters
Capture Card
Your consoles AV cables.
Once you have all of them, watch this video on how to set it up:
WAY TWO:(With Aduio and Video OUT)
Capture Card
Consoles AV Cables
1 AV Cable with Left and Right Audio
This video now shows you how to set up way two.
Using the Pinnacle Studio Quickstart Software
Now you need to capture your TV. To do that, you need a capture program. The one I use (and it comes with the Dazzle, if you buy the plantium edition) is Pinnacle Studio Quickstart. It is pretty basic and easy to use, it’s not the best but it gets the job done.
This video explains a little on how to use it. It this one IS my video, and I am sure I will make another and better one eventually.
Recording PC Games
NOTE: THIS DOES ***NOT*** WORK ON DESKTOP GAMES. IT ONLY WORKS ON GAMES YOU NEED A DISK TO START OR ONE THAT IS INSTALLED, SUCH AS HALO.
To record your game, such as Halo as an example, is much easier and cheaper than the capture card. There are many capture programs out there, but my favorite is FRAPS. It’s $37 for the full version, it’s a lifetime account, and it has no restrictions. The only problem with FRAPS is that you can’t pause the video, you have to end the recording and record a new one I mean.
To download the demo, go to http://www.fraps.com/ and click on the download tab. If you want to register it, click on members area. FRAPS uses PayPal, if you don’t have an account I do believe you can send in money through mail, but I am not sure. I payed through PayPal.
How to Use FRAPS
Here are two short videos on how to use FRAPS. (THESE ARE MY VIDEOS)
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Capturing your Desktop
There is one program and one program only that I use. Camstudio.
http://www.camstudio.org/
It is 100% free, has no spyware, and updates come regularly. It is Open Source, and freeware. There is Hypercam but it actually sucks compared to Camstudio. It isn’t too hard to use.
Edit your Movies
There are multiple ways on how to edit your movies. Probably the most common is Windows Movie Maker. It is completely free if you do not have it. Go to http://www.download.com/ then search Windows Movie Maker and download it.
Because you can’t just upload your videos from AVI, which is what FRAPS and Camstudio record in, you have to compress it and convert it.
To compress and convert it, watch this XP version:
VISTA Version:
I also bet you are wondering “What about the capture card?” Well the video shows you how to render it as an uploadable file.
Other Great Programs
Here are some programs that I have heard are really really good.
Sony Vegas 7.0 – If you are rich, buy it. It’s around $60 for the basic version, for the premium it’s around $100 (Tell me if I am wrong). It can set the video quality to really high, and great to uploading to YouTube.
Adobe Premium – Too much money for me, I think somewhere around $150. It has tons of possiblities, and I heard it was the best out there.
Windows Movie Maker – Free, not too great but gets the job done.
Pinnacle Studio Quickstart – Pretty good if you get the hang of it, costs some moeny, but comes with the capture card.
What are you waiting for?
Come on! You have all the basics, what are you waiting for? Start recording and uploading!
