By A capture card is a device which inherently captures or records live gameplay or other sessions on the PC or console and streams them on a different screen for uploading. It is widely used by professional gamers because it is much preferable over the free software that offer the same function. This is because it is much more superior in terms of audio/video quality and performance.
When it comes to the best capture cards, they have the capability to record high quality input, as well as show low latency and good connectivity. Here are a few of the best capture cards that we found.
1 – Elgato External Game Capture HD60S
One of the front runners in the capture card fraternity, the Elgato can record and stream videos of 1080p resolution and 60fps frame rate, which has become pretty much the standard for professionals. It also bears very low latency so it offers little or no discernible lag. It allows direct access to Twitch and YouTube, which is an added bonus, as well as the 5-minute automatic recording.
2 – AVerMedia Live Gamer Extreme External Game Recorder
The AVerMedia is a strong adversary to the Elgato with its similar 1080p recording at 60fps. It also protects you from lag and offers very low latency. It drops the ball in the software department, with a software that just isn’t what the standard requirement these days are. However, it does offer a free 3-month subscription to the highly rated XSplit Premium, which cushions the blow a bit.
3 – StarTech High-definition PCIe Capture Card
The StarTech is a card for the experts, because of its complicated insertion and setup process. It has to be inserted inside the computer and has to be setup according to your specifications. However, the quality that it offers does rival the Elgato and the AVerMedia, so its price is a bit on the steep side.
4 – Hauppauge HD 1540 PVR Rocket
The most portable of the lot, this Hauppauge has the distinction of not requiring an external power source. It also bears the features that a portable device should possess, internal power supply, pocket dimensions, as well the ability to record data directly onto a USB. I hope you will find your pick out of these brands of the capture card available on online and offline stores.
