New recording equipment, Wii 480p and 720p Xbox 360.

I've been playing Shadow Complex a lot lately thanks to the new glitches that I actually bought some new recording equipment to enhance the playback experience. For starters, I got my Xbox to record in 720p with the AverMedia Game Capture while before it was blurry 480i.

This capture device biggest niche is that you can record console games that support component cables without having to use the computer to record it. Meaning recording 480p Wii (and non-PAL Gamecube) and 720p Xbox360/PS3 is possible, 2 notable weaknesses includes:

* A separate External/Internal hard drive is required - unlike some DVD recorders that may include a HDD, this one requires buying a  NTFS or FAT32 hard drive. It has a hard time trying to record properly on 2GB Memory sticks. So it's a wise idea to simply buy a USB 2.0 320gb+ Harddrive. You'll get a good amount of hours of 720p recording. Roughly 2 hours of 10GB footage.

* No Livestream support. Unfortunately there isn't a way for the actual capture device to connect to a PC, there is a way to work around it which is what I am going to put down below this page.


----- Warning highly technical stuff here-------

Since my room doesn't have any component source TVs, I had to buy a converter, a Component to VGA converter.

http://www.joyfay.com/us/component-video-ypbpr-to-vga-video-audio-converter.html


Thankfully, it worked like a charm enabling me to record 480p/720p runs while playing it on a ~23 inch monitor. The best thing about this is that playing Wii games through this converter gave virtually no notable input lag unlike connecting it to a Component TV, which is a huge bonus. Luckily there are 2 VGA ports from the Component to VGA converter.  It has the VGA in and VGA out. I'll be using the VGA out and connect that to the monitor via VGA port and hey presto it works! I also bought a reverse variant of the converter which is VGA to Component. I bought that first after watching a lagless 720p recording setup with the popular Hauppauge PVR. Unfortunately it didn't work too well when I tried a similar way but using AverMedia Game Capture HD, as the signal kept on disappearing. But I kept it because I still noticed it has a use for a possible 720p Avermedia recording and livestream with a new internal capture card I just ordered.

http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-Express-Video-Capture-1080p/dp/tech-data/B007U5MGBE

AnubisGI has been a very useful video technician lately on the SDA forums, even having a sticky topic on how to use EZcap (the easiest, cheapest way of recording any console with basic composite cables). He posted a page of a discovery by Tranquilite who has found a cheaper clone that functions exactly the same as Micomsoft's SC-500N1 card.  It can capture component, HDMI, DVI and VGA. which is pretty cool actually.

Through a series of converters. I can do this


Xbox 360/Wii ->Component cable into > Avermedia Game Capture -> Component Cable into  - > Component to VGA converter box  -> VGA cable into a > VGA to Component converter box

From VGA to Component converter box, it splits into 2 paths
The VGA output to the Monitor
The Component output to the StarTech com Express Video Capture card.

So now I should be able to record a run (via AverMedia Game Capture HD) while live streaming (via Startech Com Express Video Capture card) at the same time without worrying too much on my computer hiccups.


I am hoping something good to happen sometime before or after the release of New Super Mario Brothers 2 in mid August, so stay tuned.

I also started buying some downloadable games on the 3DS thanks to the Anniversary Sale, yep Nintendo are doing something right. Encouraging buyers to pay download only games at a cheaper price. One of the games I've got is Mighty Switch Force, the soundtrack is amazing with headphones and listen to "Track 8 - Woah I'm In Space Cuba" it heavily reminds me of Michael Jackson's Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'.