Hauppauge HD PVR Guide
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The Hauppauge HD PVR is a great capture device to use for recording video. It’s one of the most popular audio/video recording devices out there! It offers top of the line video quality for a great price ranging from 150-200$. It is ideal for people who don’t have a desktop computer to install a capture device inside. The Hauppauge HD PVR is a standalone, external capture device that supplies it’s own power.
Here comes the tricky part… Although it’s a great device for recording, it’s not that easy to stream or broadcast video with. In order to display the video or audio on your computer’s desktop, you HAVE to use the software that came with it, Total Media Extreme. This means that you can’t select the HD PVR directly from streaming software like xSplit, Adobe Flash Media Encoder or WireCast. You have to use other alternatives in order to capture the video/audio.
This is a guide on how to stream successfully and easily with the Hauppauge HD PVR. I’ve had many trial and error moments with this device but I’ve finally managed to get it right! I’m writing this guide to help those who are searching for the light. I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I did in order to get my stream up and running properly. So please read through this guide thoroughly.
Step 1: Choosing your equipment…
Choosing the right equipment to use with the HD PVR has a huge effect on how your stream is going to turn out. Since the HD PVR only inputs and outputs in component, you would think you could only use a monitor or TV that supports component. WRONG. You can use a monitor or TV that supports component and HDMI, so you can record/stream while playing your game. You won’t be able to do this right out of the box though.
Here’s a list of items you will need in order to stream/record while playing on your monitor or TV using HDMI. I’ve linked the items that I use for my stream for your convenience. These are all fairly cheap items but work wonders.
Note!!! These items are what I use to stream. This is an exact replica of my setup. You don’t HAVE to use these items, but I would recommend using most of them.
-Hauppauge HD PVR
-HDMI Splitter (you will need at least a 1X2. Meaning, 1 input that outputs to 2 other sources)
-HDMI to Component Converter
-HDMI Cables (I currently use 3)
-Asus VH236H 23’’ Monitor
-Xbox 360
-Audio Mixer (for additional microphone sources)
-Laptop Computer or Desktop
Playstation 3 must be captured by component cables. Unfortunately, you can’t output your PS3 via HDMI using this setup, or at all. You’ll need a ‘‘component to HDMI converter’’ to stream with a PS3. I haven’t personally tested any converters for this setup yet, so you may need to dig around. I believe the same company that makes the ‘‘HDMI to component converters’’ I linked above makes them the other way around. You are probably smart enough to know that you hook the converted signal into your HDMI splitter!
Step 2: Setting Everything Up…
All of this is pretty simple to set up but it takes a bit of time. This is how everything needs to be hooked up…
Xbox 360>HDMI Splitter Input
HDMI Splitter Output 1>Monitor
HDMI Splitter Output 2>HDMI to Component Converter
HDMI to Component Converter>Hauppuage HD PVR
Hauppauge HD PVR >Laptop/Desktop Computer
Audio Mixer>Laptop/Desktop Computer
Once you have your audio mixer plugged up, you can go ahead and plug in you microphones that you plan on using. The mixer acts as a single audio source, but you can plug multiple sources up to it. You can also control all of the audio levels straight from the mixer, instead of doing it manually through your computer.
If you want to get even fancier with this setup, you can use 2 Asus monitors for a head to head setup. All you need to do it purchase a 1x3 HDMI Splitter. The 3rd output on the splitter will just output to the 2nd monitor. This makes for a really nice arcadeish environment!
I would like to say that you don’t NEED to use the HDMI splitter or the HDMI converter, but it’s HIGHLY recommended. Your Xbox can output using your component cables, which can be plugged directly into your HD PVR. You can’t use the Asus monitor, which is the Evo monitor, but you can use any TV that supports component in. The downside to doing this is that your video/audio quality that outputs to your monitor that you will be playing on is decreased. Also, you will notice a bit of lag while playing. The HD PVR is horrible at outputting the audio/video to another monitor because the video is being processed through the PVR. I do not recommend doing this if you are looking for a high quality streaming experience.
Step 3: Using Your Software…
Once you have everything hooked up you are ready to dig into your computer. Choosing the right software can make a huge difference. And it can also save you a lot of time and trouble. There are many programs out there you can use for streaming and I’ll get into some of them a little later, but for now I’m going to guide you through the program I use.
- xSplit
I use a program called xSplit to stream. It’s very easy to use and it’s currently in beta, so it’s free. I’ve had the least amount of problems using this software to stream while using my HD PVR. Other programs like WireCast will require you to use third party programs to capture the audio and video from the HD PVR.
xSplit has a built-in screen capture device that you can use to screen cap the video coming from Total Media Extreme. Also, xSplit automatically chooses to capture audio from your computer speakers. So anything that you hear coming from your speakers, xSplit captures automatically.
When you start up xSplit, you have to set up your streaming account information. You can choose from many broadcasting sites like JTV, uStream and more. It allows you to change your streams video quality and output ratio.
You can add overlays to your stream, so you can add player names on screen. If you have WireCast, you can even import WireCast’s overlays into your xSplit streams by ‘‘adding another media file’’ from the WireCast program folder. This gives your stream that professional WireCast look.
So, a short run through on getting your stream set up using xSplit. This is AFTER you’ve configured your settings and added your streaming profile.
- Start Total Media Extreme
- Start xSplit
- Add a screen region to your shot and outline the video coming from the HD PVR.
- Add titles/webcams/overlays/logos
- Making sure you don’t have any audio running through your speakers besides what you want streamed.
- Hit broadcast and experiment with your stream!
It’s as simple as that!
Here’s some tips sent in from FunkyP that some of you may find usefull…
**’’**Don’t use a y-splitter for 3.5mm microphones, you are essentially shorting out each mic and not only will this bring about audio problems, but could potentially damage the mics in the long run. Either use two USB mics, or some kind of mixer before the mics go into the computer.
As far as broadcast settings, you don’t need to lower the quality to 7 if your computer can handle it, 10 with a 1500k upload rate on 360p looks really good. Also for audio output 44100hz sample stereo and 96k-128kbps is pretty standard.
This is purely optional too, but I’m a big fan of 768x432p. It is sharper than 360p, does not require much more power and at 1500kbps still looks really good. Anything less than 1500k tho stick to 360p.’’
I would definitely recommend at least starting out with xSplit before moving on to other programs. I plan on sticking with xSplit for awhile, as I haven’t found anything that’s as easy or professional to use. Like I said, I can get the WireCast look easily with xSplit, minus all of the extra running programs in the background.
If you guys have any other questions pertaining to this guide, please let me know. I’ve definitely gone through just about every scenario involving this setup and can most definitely give you an answer.
If you would like to check out my stream to get an idea of how everything will look, visit my Justin.tv page. Please follow me to stay up to date on all of my broadcast. I need all of the followers I can get. I mostly stream SSF4: AE and MVC3.
www.twitch.tv/pandaxgaming
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Thanks for reading guys!
