The Use of Capture Cards in Video Recording and Streaming

As you can probably imagine, we deal with a ton of video around here. A lot of it comes from cameras or screen recording software, but we also make frequent use of capture cards, which are typically standalone USB or PCI Express devices that can be used to record from external devices, like a game console or a camera, as seen on The WAN Show. Which raises the question, why haven't we made a video about capture cards over five years? Well, the truth is that I wasn't ever really satisfied with any of them, but in recent years, they have improved immensely. And when CORSAIR and AMD reached out about doing a sponsored video about their new VENGEANCE a4100 gaming PC with included capture cards, it seemed like a no-brain to take a look at how far they've come and demystify this category of products.

Before we get into whether you might need a capture card, it's important to understand exactly what they actually do. A capture card is a device designed to take an unencrypted video signal and convert it into a format that can be understood and recorded by the computer it's plugged into. If your intention is to record TV or movies off Netflix, be warned that those signals are encrypted using HDCP and no legal device is going to decrypt it for you. For consumer devices, it's typical to see an HDMI input, like what you'd get out of your game console, but in the professional world, SDI or HDVideo output is more common.

In terms of the technology behind capture cards, they use a variety of methods to decode and re-encode video signals from different sources. Some capture cards have built-in software that can handle multiple inputs and outputs, while others require external software or apps to manage their functionality. It's also worth noting that not all capture cards are created equal, with some offering higher quality, lower latency, or more advanced features than others.

Now let's take a look at the different types of capture cards available on the market. There are several options, including USB-based capture cards, PCI Express-based capture cards, and standalone hardware solutions like the Elgato HD60. Each type has its own strengths and weaknesses, and it's worth considering what your specific needs and requirements are before making a decision.

For example, if you're just starting out with video recording or streaming, a USB-based capture card may be a good option. These cards are relatively affordable and easy to set up, making them a great choice for beginners. However, they may not offer the same level of quality or flexibility as higher-end PCI Express-based capture cards. On the other hand, if you're looking for advanced features like 4K resolution or high frame rates, a standalone hardware solution like the Elgato HD60 S+ may be worth considering.

In our testing, we found that all three types of recorder from Elgato - USB with the HD60 S+, PCI Express with the 4K60 Pro, and standalone with the 4K60S+ on our latency tester. We actually didn't find any appreciable increase in latency when using any of them. So then, it's up to you which form factor of capture card is best for you. Though, if you have the space and don't need the extra flexibility, we definitely encourage going with something PCI Express-based.

As for the resolution, that just depends on your use case. If you're browsing Elgato cards, the price differences between their two PCIE models are pretty minimal. So it's $80 to go from the HD60 Pro to the 4K60 Pro and you get the extra flexibility of high frame rate 4K recording. Just make sure that your source content actually pushes that resolution.

In terms of configuration, we have a setup here that is pretty dang smack on for streaming. The Ryzen 3700X CPU has enough cores for gaming with some extras for video encoding, and if you want less of a CPU hit, the equipped RTX 2070 SUPER comes with NVIDIA's latest NVENC encoding chip, which allows for an ear-zero performance hit while encoding directly on the GPU. Our specific config also comes with both a 480 gig NVMe drive for excellent OS responsiveness and two terabytes of mass storage for games, video clips, duh or what have you.

Now we know what all the capture cards sort of look like and what they do, but the final question is, do you actually need one? Can't you just capture your screen with Fraps or OBS? Well, in a lot of cases, yes. If you're strictly a PC gamer and you don't have any external capture requirements, like no DSLR camera, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, or the like, then there really isn't any major benefit to running a capture card in your system.

Fortunately, for you though, the VENGEANCE a4100 along with CORSAIR's other gaming systems is available without a capture card to save you the unnecessary purchase if you don't need it. Thanks for watching! If you're interested in more technical streamer recording stuff, maybe check out our video on building a streaming setup on the cheap. And get subscribed so you don't miss future videos like this crazy AC-tech-PCI-Express-slot-radiator-water-cooler thing that we've got coming very soon.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- As you can probably imagine,we deal with a ton of video around here.A lot of it comes from camerasor screen recording software,but we also make frequentuse of capture cards,which are typically standaloneUSB or PCI Express devicesthat can be used to recordfrom external devices,like a game console or acamera, like on The WAN Show.Which raises the question,why haven't we made avideo about a capture cardin over five years?Well, the truth is that Iwasn't ever really satisfiedwith any of them,but in recent years, theyhave improved immensely.And when CORSAIR and AMD reached outabout doing a sponsored videoabout their new VENGEANCE a4100 gaming PCswith included capture cards,it seemed like a no-brainerto take a look at how far they've comeand demystify this category of products.So today, we talk capturecards, what they do,and why you should or should not buy onefor your game streamingor recording setup.(upbeat music)Before we get into whetheryou might need a capture card,it's important to understandexactly what they actually do.A capture card is a device designedto take an unencrypted video signaland convert it into a formatthat can be understoodand recorded by thecomputer it's plugged into.If your intention is to recordTV or movies off Netflix,be warned that those signalsare encrypted using HDCPand no legal device isgonna decrypt it for you.For consumer devices, it'stypical to see an HDMI input,like what you'd get outof your game console,but in the professional world,SDI is preferred for itslonger maximum cable lengths,support for time code,and locking connector.Now, typical capture cardlooks either like this,a box that, (grunts) there we go,plugs into the USB port on your PC,or like this, a, well,box that plugs directlyinto the PCI Expressslot on your motherboard.These two styles make up the majorityof consumer capture devices,and both of them aredependent on a nearby computerto handle the actualprocessing of the data.Elgato offers both form factorsfor both tiers of their capture devices,their HD tier and their 4K tier.And while there are some minor benefitsand drawbacks to either approach,generally, they sharethe same functionality.And when you plug them into your PC,they're gonna get pickedup by your capture softwarein a similar way.There are exceptions to this rule,like the Cam Link seriesthat registers as a webcam,making it a little bit easierto use in video chat software.In our experience, PCIExpress-based capture cards tendto be significantly more reliable,just like water bottles from lttstore.com.Now, whether this is due to not havingto deal with USB driver issuesbecause internal cards arecloser to cooling fans,or just because PCI Expressis generally a lower latency,more stable interconnectthan USB, we are not sure.USB cards though, offera lot more flexibility.Basically any computer witha USB port, that is USB 3,can run them, laptops included.If you wanna switch whichsystem you're recording on,you just got to move whichUSB port you're plugged intorather than having to shut down a system,pull a PCI Express card,shut down the other system, put it in,and then fire them both back up.This flexibility cancome with its own issues,as we mentioned before, though.And we have found these cards tendto be a little less stable.For instance, if yourock a budget motherboardwith only a single, or best case scenario,two USB controllers on it,it's actually quite likelythat you're gonna end upoverloading your USB controllerby having too many high throughputdevices plugged into it.Like if you were running, say for example,a 4K webcam and a 4K capture cardfor your game console at the same time.Some people might not have a PC aroundto plug their capture card into though,like say, at a LAN party or a tournament.Fortunately, as I mentioned before,there are also capture cardsthat feature standaloneencoding and recording,like the 4K60 S+.In this case, a hardwareencoding chip is installedin the capture device, which does the workthat normally theattached computer would doby encoding the incoming video streaminto a playable video file.That allows those to recordentirely on their own,just pop an SD card in, andyou're off to the races.They do tend to be a bitmore expensive though.Regardless of what it plugs into though,basically, all gaming-orientedcapture devicesshare one trait, and that is,not the real, pass through.Pass through is an essential featureif you wanna be able to game on the devicethat you're recording at the same time,because otherwise you would have to dealwith the crazy latency of trying to gainthrough your OBS previewwindow or something like that.With pass through, the mainsignal that you're capturingis passed through back to your displaywhile it's being captured.So this is usually throughan HDMI output porton the capture cardwith manufacturers generally claimingthat there is zero added latency.That was something we wantedto investigate in this video.So we tested all three stylesof recorder from Elgato.USB with the HD60 S+, PCIExpress with the 4K60 Pro,and standalone with the 4K60S+ on our latency tester,and, hey, good news, CORSAIR,we actually didn't findany appreciable increasein latency when using any of them.So then, it's up to you which form factorof capture card is best for you.Though, if you have the spaceand you don't need the extra flexibility,we definitely encourage goingwith something PCI Express-based.As for the resolution,that just depends on your use case.If you're browsing Elgato cards,the price differences betweentheir two PCIE models,it's pretty minimal.So it's $80 to go to the4K60 Pro from the HD60 Pro,and you gave me the extra flexibilityof high frame rate 4K recording.Just make sure that your source contentactually pushes that resolution.Although even then, for the minimal cost,it might be worth future proofing.And it seems like CORSAIR agreessince this happens to be the cardthat's pre-installed in theVENGEANCE a4100 streaming PCthat they sent over.The configuration we have hereis pretty dang smack-on for streaming.The Ryzen 3700X CPU hasenough cores for gamingwith some extras for video encoding,and if you want less of a CPU hit,the equipped RTX 2070 SUPER comeswith NVIDIA's latest NVENC encoding chip,which allows for anear-zero performance hitwhile encoding coding directly on the GPU.Our specific config also comeswith both a 480 gig NVMe drivefor excellent OS responsivenessand two terabytes of mass storagefor games, video clips,duh, or what have you.So now we know what all the capture cardssort of look like and what they do,but the final question is,do you actually need one?Can't you just capture yourscreen with Fraps or OBS?Well, in a lot of cases, yes.If you're strictly a PC gamerand you don't have anyexternal capture requirements,like no DSLR camera, Xbox,Nintendo Switch, or the like,then there really isn't any major benefitto running a capture card in your system.Fortunately, for youthough, the VENGEANCE a4100along with CORSAIR's othergaming systems is availablewithout a capture card to saveyou the unnecessary purchaseif you don't need it.So, thanks for watching.If you're interestedin more technicalstreamer recording stuff,maybe check out our videoon building a streamingsetup on the cheap.And get subscribed so you don'tmiss future videos like thiscrazyAC-tech-PCI-Express-slot-radiator-water-coolerthingthat we've got coming very soon.\n"