Video Recording Questions

Tech Talk
1

So I really want to start recording my matches so I can go back and review my mistakes. My main goal is to get the cheapest set up possible without any lag and while still playing in HD.

The problem is that I use a VGA cable and play on my computer monitor, so there is no easy solution to record. I’m either going to get a webcam or use a combination of splitters, converters, and my video card to capture my gameplay. Trying to stay under 100 bucks so keep that in mind.

My questions are:

  1. Do cheap(ish) webcams work well to record matches or do they lag too much?
  2. Does a VGA splitter cable cause lag/image quality loss?
  3. Does a powered splitter fix this if there is a problem?
  4. Same question but for VGA to component converters.
  5. If I found a VGA input or even composite (the red, green, blue) input capture card and simply played through the computer, would this cause lag?

I could always play on my SD TV when I wanted to record, but I don’t like playing in SD anymore. Anyways, thanks in advance.

2

Bumpidy.

3

Are you playing on PC or console?

If PC, use FRAPS, job done, else:

1 - No, it can’t cause lag but the quality will be terrible
2 - No lag, usually degrades quality but not by much
3 - Higher quality splitters solve the problem
4 - Same response
5 - Immense lag

4

Thanks for the response, no I don’t play on PC otherwise I’d just use fraps as you say. I use fraps for pc games but don’t know how to do it for my xbox because I use a vga cable.

As for webcam lag I didn’t mean the webcam causing the game to lag which is obviously impossible. I meant will the webcam itself lag and have a bad framerate during playback.

I found out that my card has VIVO and tried that, as you said, it lags so terribly bad.

Anyways, looks like my options are to:

  1. Get an HD tv with component and use the component cable to play and the composite to record using vivo.
  2. Get a good high resolution webcam.
  3. Get a VGA splitter and VGA to s-video/composite converter and use my vivo card.

Cost for 2 is cheapest, then 3, then waaaaay higher is 1.

5

I use a digital camera for recording my videos, and it works really well. Most people have a digital camera and if not they’re pretty cheap and can record great quality video very simply…

6

Or if you don’t want to pay for a brand new HDTV, you could buy a component to VGA converter and still play on your Monitor using this option.

The HD Box in this thread is the kind of thing you’d want for this:

http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=207196

7

I think I might go with a digital camera that can also record video. I need one for work so I might as well kill 2 birds. Any suggestions? Price is a big factor but so is being able to record at least an hour of video.

Found a lot of info in other threads about digital cameras, any additional suggestions are appreciated, especially considering the video quality/length portion would be a big selling point for me.