http://www.engadget.com/2009/03/24/digital-foundrys-hdscope-is-the-capture-device-for-gamers-who-s/ Yakumo should appreciate this :lol:
I love this! ... if it has 576i and it has both 480i and 480p, I see no reason why it shouldn't have 576p... and I live in an NTSC zone! Oh, and what's up with the lack of 1080p? Is Digital Foundry afraid of getting hassled from Hollywood over the analog-hole or perhaps the processing for 1080p is too taxing on the hardware? REGARDLESS, this device is good stuff.
The idea behind this hardware is very good but what does it have over a PC with a HD Capture card? Then again if the price is very cheap that could be a very good reason to buy one. Yakumo
If you're not familiar with Digital Foundry, this is the company started by Richard Leadbetter, who's probably best known for his then-costly attention to detail as the editor of short-lived and self-proclaimed "hardcore" mid-90s multiplatform gaming magazine, Maximum. He also took over the running of Sega's official Saturn magazine in the UK for a while, and currently provides HD quality media (and the occasional article) for EuroGamer. Considering his love of all things technical, I'm surprised the HDScope isn't 1080p compatible, but then again he probably just doesn't want to give competitors the same edge that he possesses - there's absolutely no reason the hardware couldn't support 1080p as he regularly captures in this resolution using similar technology. Anyway, I'll stick with my current method of obtaining screenshots and video footage... unless someone could donate enough so that I can pay for such a high-end piece of kit, that is!
For XBOX and PS3 stuff it's nice. For Saturn, Dreamcast etc (i.e; the stuff I capture) my pc with card will do just fine.
I use an external HDD with recording option, some videos on my youtube channel are in this way (Saturn and Dreamcast ones) and for PC ones I use FRAPS, don't have XBOX360 or PS3 but this is a good idea for these systems.
For standard def, I use a dvd recorder to capture to dvd-ram, then just rip & re-encode it. So for HD, wouldn't it be a better option to wait for standalone blu-ray recorders to come down in price, or would the capture/rip/re-encode process be a bitch?
Agreed. Although there should be some type of HD game worth recording released in the next 2 years. Until then, a $50 480i capture card will suffice. What would make it worth it is outputting the signal pre-process. Ever tried playing something through the video out of a DVD recorder? Forget frames, you're talking a lag in the 300-400 millisecond zone. Fine for some RPG - but it will kill any action/puzzle/fighting game. This would also be good for recording in arcades.
My capture card has a through-port so to speak, to view the video without lag or anything. And it is in HD
The last one I've checked on is some older card a few years ago, and my current DVD recorder. They could (should) be getting better. I mean, isn't it more work to actually output a processed signal just relay the input?
