Hauppauge HD PVR

If you're reading this then you are wondering which capture card is going to get you the best quality when recording your video game gameplay or television programmes. Currently in this type of market there are two main contenders for "the best" capture card and both have their own advantages and disadvantages. In this review I am going to state, from experience, which I feel is the better capture card.

Starting with the Hauppauge HD PVR:
This capture card allows you to capture what ever it is you are recording in 720p or 1080i HD. Now if you are going to be recording gameplay from xbox 360, PS3 or nintendo Wii to upload on to sites like youtube, then HD is now a necessity. Some people won't watch certain videos or clips because they can't view in High Definition.
Following on, the Hauppauge records with a constant 60 FPS (frames per second) and comes with its own basic editing software so if you are interested in creating videos or media with your recorded footage then this will give you a headstart before buying specialist software like sony vegas.
However, all great things come with a price and this one... is kind of big. Being the top rated company for HD recording software Hauppauge can get away with putting a £160 - £210 price tag on this type of product. So if you are just starting out and want to see how you go then this may not be the thing for you. Although these a bound to sell second hand on site like Ebay relativly quickly and still at a high price with only a minimal loss.
Continuing on from this you may need to buy some HD AV cables for your consoles as it doesn't have HDMI sockets and this may be a problem if your TV doesn't have AV compatability, now these cables are fairly cheap about £15 each but so far thats a total of over £170.
Finally this leads me on to setup. The thing itself is fairly small and can be tucked away nicely. However, it comes with alot of cabling so can look untidy with a backless TV stand. Moreover, it needs to be fairly close to a PC due to the fact the cable supplied is fairly small. This means you may need to buy a USB extender or a longer cable which again adds to the total.
Most Importantly, only buy this IF you have a HD TV. There is no point forking out an extra £80 - £100 on something you can't use to the best of it's ability.

Dazzle:
Now, the Dazzle is much cheaper then the HD PVR counterpart ranging from £40 - £70. This is a huge difference because even with the cost of any extra cabling your going to keep the total price at under £100 and save £70 or so then if you bought a HD PVR.
However, the Dazzle only records in SD or standard Definition. Like I said previously if your trying to upload videos for viewing on youtube then be prepared for comments on quality. However, if your only using it for personal benifit to have a mess about and explore video editting then this won't be a problem.
Again, the Dazzle is fairly small and easy to setup with numerous video guides available if you have any problems and again cabling is kept to a minimum but you will need to be near a PC or have a USB extender.
Similar to the HD PVR the Dazzle comes with its own easy to use Video Rendering and editing software which is a step up from programmes like Windows movie maker but its nothing of the sort of Sony Vegas.
Again like the HD PVR you will need to use AV or Component cables due to no HDMI slot as this doesn't record in HD so if you don't have this (which you should) then this could be a problem.

What to choose:
This all depends on one thing. Purpose. If you want something that is going to record footage that will make people go wow then you should get the HD PVR. If you want something to mess about with and try out then you should take the Dazzle. If you are limited to Price then I would suggest the Dazzle, but if you want HD then its the PVR you need.

Ask yourself this: Do I want HD recording? Once you know the answer you know what to buy.

Thanks for reading, have any questions feel free to comment.
John_Doran.