Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition: High Quality for a Killer Price

If you're looking to purchase a screen capture device, you've come to the right place. Whether you're a gamer, on Microsoft's Xbox 360, or Sony's PS3, or a video professional who uses Final Cut Pro on OSX, the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition is a high quality capture card that is budget friendly, but includes powerful features for professional grade video production. This, and many other reasons is why the HD PVR 2 by Hauppauge is the best recording software for video games and other multimedia productions alike.

In The Box

When opening the Hauppauge HD PVR 2, you can immediately tell that the product was created with quality in mind. This high quality product is why the HD PVR 2 continues to be the best game recording software for gamers around the globe. The surface of the device is brushed, with a glossy finish around the outside that hugs the lighted ring, which shows the status of the unit.

Aside from the HD PVR 2 unit, the box also includes:

• 6 ft. USB Cord
• HDMI Cord
• Power Cord
• Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Capture Software and Drivers [CD-ROM]
• Instruction Manual
• Warranty Manual

This is everything that you need to begin recording high definition gaming footage with the Hauppauge HD PVR 2. This is of course assuming that you already have an HDMI or Component cable for either your Xbox One/360, PS3/PS4, or PC.

Set Up

Wondering how to set up the Hauppauge HD PVR 2? Setting up the HD PVR 2 can be a bit tricky at first. Fear not, between the instructions present below, and the video I posted up top , you should be up and running in no time. 

***Note: Make sure to use twist ties or some other form of cable management as there are quite a few cables involved when it comes to recording high quality gaming footage. ***

You also need to install the Hauppauge Capture Application in order to capture recorded game play on to your PC or Mac. 

Recording with the HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition

Once you have your Hauppauge HD PVR 2 out of the box, set up with software installed, capturing from the Hauppauge Capture application is extremely easy and hassle free. Either by utilizing the mapped hardware key on top of the Hauppauge unit, or by pressing record on the capture application, recording with the HD PVR 2 turns your on screen actions into and easy to edit .mpeg file. This file will fall into the directory that you've selected in the capture application settings window. It's as simple as that. There are of course many options and settings you can tweak, such as the output resolution, FPS, aspect ratio, and many more. 

There are even features that allow you to edit your capture videos, upload your video directly to YouTube, or stream live using the StreamEez tab. Both of these features offer a wealth of options to make media production and editing a breeze. Personally, I prefer to save my footage in a raw HD format (1080p) on my external hard drive, and edit the footage in Final Cut Pro or Sony Vegas 12. If you're planning on creating a lot of content down the road, or any of that content in HD, this will leave with you tons of footage to use that can be edited into future or existing videos, without having to reshoot which can be time consuming on larger projects.

The Verdict: Two Thumbs Up For the Hauppage HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition

Overall Rating: 9/10

When it's all said and done, using the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition to record, edit, and produce gaming related media is very easy to use that creates professional work at a budget friendly price. At roughly $140 USD, the HD PVR 2 is within reach for anyone who is serious about producing gaming media and publishing it on the web.

Video Quality: 10/10

There were zero problems with video quality, capturing exactly what the user was seeing on the screen with precise detail. The videos looked just a rich and vibrant on an external monitor when editing, and viewing videos later.

*Note: This depends on your monitor quality. It should match the input resolution of the video you've recorded.

Set Up: 8/10

Set up was straight forward after referring to the Hauppauge diagram listed above. One downfall is that I was unable to get it to work on my Sharp Aquos 32'' LCD-TV. This may or may not have been due to past problems with drivers, and specific to my TV. It worked wonderfully on a 22'' Vizio LCD-TV that I use next to my laptop and other external monitor to capture, edit, and publish gaming related media.

Product Quality: 9/10

The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 is a well crafted unit that is durable, yet portable and convenient to set up and use in multiple locations. All outlets and plugs are well made with no loose ends. I was a bit skeptical about the button on top. If you're 'rushed' to press it, I feel like it may wear down after repeated long-term use. This is yet to be determined however, and if anything of the like happens you will see it here.

Other Notes:

The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 is great for someone who is looking to get in to gaming related media production. However, if you're looking for a more advanced unit, complete with a harddrive that records gameplay footage directly on to the unit [you must record on to an external PC or Mac with the HD PVR 2], then something along the lines of the Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Shuttle 2 SSD Video Recorder, 2.5" SATA SSD Drives, HD-SDI Input & Output where you can record right to a SSD (Solid State Drive) instead of having to hook up your PC or Mac. 

With fast shipping, great prices, and unbeatable customer support, I purchased my first Hauppauge HD PVR 2 off of Amazon.