AverMedia Game Capture HD C281

Review

For years now there has been a monopoly when it comes to recording HD gameplay footage from your gaming console. Hauppauge has been the number one source for capturing gameplay footage from your PS3, Xbox360, and Wii, until now. AVerMedia has been around for years now making capture devices, and it seems they’ve improved upon what makes the Hauppauge HD PVR such a coveted piece of equipment.

AVerMedia’s Game Capture HD doesn’t rely on a PC to capture its gameplay footage; instead it uses either a 2.5 inch internal HDD or an external USB HDD. I appreciate AVerMedia implementing this within the device’s operation, unlike the HD PVR which requires a PC to use it. Convenience and portability is one of the things that set this device apart from other capture devices like the HD PVR.

The device is sleek, stylish, and practical. Essentially all the things someone would need when recording their gameplay footage without the hassle of investing in a HD PVR. However, once I had gotten pass the “I have a new toy” phase. I begin to question whether AVerMedia ironed out all the details with the device. My first test session with the AVerMedia Game Capture HD C281 is one riddled with mixed results and frustration.

Below you can find a video breakdown of the device provided by AVermedia along with the products Features and Specifications.

Features & Specifications

Best Solution to record Xbox 360/PS3 without PC – AVerMedia Game Capture HD

Features

Capture HD Gameplay in 1080i
Work without a PC
One-click Capture
H.264 Hardware Compression
Recording Playback
Take Snapshots while Gaming or Playback
Record Game Footage in Real-time
Pass-thru Mode Support
Record to the Internal 2.5” or External USB Hard Drive
Built-in 2.5” HDD Slot
Remote Control Included

Technical Specifications

Input Signal:

Component Video
Stereo Audio
Output Signal:

Component Video
Stereo Audio
Storage:

Internal: 2.5” SATA Hard Drive
External: USB 2.0 Hard Drive
* NTFS and FAT32 file systems are supported.
* Hard drive is not included. Please install or connect a hard drive before using Game Capture HD.
Recording Formats:

AVI (Codec: H.264 & MP3)
Supported Resolutions:

480i / 480p / 576i/ 576p/ 720p / 1080i (50/60 Hz)

Packaging

Packaging Description

The device came tightly packed within a cardboard that was contained within another box which provides excellent protection while being shipped from one place to another. There are zero chances of any package being damaged in transit by shipping it via the box in box method. I see an increasing amount of companies shipping products like this and I hope it’s a trend that never stops, unless we can find some form of teleportation or something.

Contents Description

Inside of the box I found one remote control, the supplied component cables and power adapter. The power adapter was different from any other I’ve seen before. Usually power adapters are directly connected to the device and don’t have the ability to be slid on and off at will. I don’t know how I feel about this. I think it’s a really cool feature and definitely guarantee’s if I were to place it in a backpack, I wouldn’t have to worry about the prongs being bent, but on the other hand, should I lose them, I won’t be able to power the device whatsoever. And if the clip breaks on the prong attachment, plugging it into the wall could be an issue. It’s one of those double edge sword situations.

Up Closer (Game Capture HD)

Testing

Check out the video footage below captured by the Game Capture HD!

Second Half of Review

The device is extremely easy to assemble and setting it up is a breeze. However, here’s where some issues arose. During my intial testing of the device there were instances when the device was completely unresponsive. The recordings would stop randomly; causing the device to lock up forcing me to reset it. These are the issues that I found frustrating.

Furthermore, when recording long gameplay sessions with the Game Capture HD I’ve noticed that the device will randomly stop recording, lock itself, and then just hang in the ‘on mode’ completely unresponsive until you power it off. I tried all three of the available recording formats and the issue remained. It only seems to happen when you’re recording gameplay footage that exceeds the 20 minute mark if I’m able to reach it by some grace of the gaming gods. The device will record for 1-3 minutes before randomly stopping again. This has to be either a firmware issue, or an incompatibility between my external USB HDD and the device, which I highly doubt. Either way, the device shouldn’t stop recording unless I run out of HDD space or I stop the recording.

When it came to the recorded game footage, the capture quality of the Game Capture HD is somewhat lack luster. The captured gameplay footage suffers from jagged edges and a slight blurriness until you download the software which has recently become available from AVerMedia. The software will get rid of those issues by converting the saved AVI file into an uncompressed MPEG4 video, which will allow you to edit the video with any software you choose to use. Before this software was available you had to convert the video into a new format to edit it which is an unnecessary step when compared to other solutions available. Namely the HD PVR. Converting videos without AVerMedia‘s software will NOT remove the jagged edges or blurriness. So my advice to everyone who purchases this device is to DOWNLOAD THAT SOFTWARE!

Conclusion

Overall the Game Capture HD C281 being offered by AVerMedia is hands down the second best option for capturing gameplay footage. I know the HD PVR from Hauppauge is more expensive than the Game Capture HD but at the end of the day it’s about convenience, reliability, and quality. The Game Capture HD wins in the convenience category, but when it comes down to reliability and quality, it takes a huge hit. The quality of the videos before placing them in the software is just unacceptable when you compare it to that of a raw video from an HD PVR, plus you can’t edit these raw video files until their converted.

Next is reliability. I recorded gameplay footage at different resolutions and different settings to try and pinpoint why the Game Capture HD would just stop recording. I still don’t know why it will stop recording randomly. I even took the batteries out the remote and manually pressed the record button on the Game Capture HD , only to have it behave the same way. I don’t know what the problem is. The firmware I used during the testing is 1.5. And I’m almost positive another update will be available by the time you read this review.

I know it may seem like this is a bad device from reading my review but it’s not. It’s a device that is moving in the right direction. I’m almost certain that when the Game Capture HD 2 is released it will not have these issues. If I had an option to recommend this to someone I would. It’s not bad, it’s just temperamental…

About the Author

Baron W.

Residing in Port Saint Lucie, FL., Baron (known to mortals as Breezy) is an avid gamer and an even bigger Tech-nerd. Breezy is our resident Technophile and keeps the site updated with cool tech news and interviews. He is currently seeking degrees in both Game Development and Game Design, and one day hopes to make his crazy ideas a reality. Breezy is known for going off topic and saying random things, if you ever speak with him expect the conversation to go south rather quickly. Breezy is also obsessed with technology and loves to drool (not literally) over them. Breezy has Intel inside.