Elgato Game Capture HD60 - Next Generation Gameplay Sharing for PlayStation 4, Xbox One & Xbox 360, 1080p Quality with 60 fps

The Elgato Game Capture HD60 is a fantastic piece of equipment and a must-have for anyone looking to capture video console gameplay videos. The hardware itself is small and sleek. Most should find it completely unobtrusive even when left attached to your console (though there may be some minor issues with video if you do this – see below).Installation and set-up are both a breeze. The HD60 only has HDMI input, but any console from the “current” generation (WiiU, XB1, PS4) has HDMI out. Just hook your console’s HDMI output to the HD60’s input, use the supplied HDMI cable (or any other you own) to connect the HD60 to your TV, and then the supplied 80-inch USB cable to connect the HD60 to your computer. You’ll need to download the software from the Elgato website, but once that’s done you’re set.Once the HD60 starts sending video to your computer, the Elgato software acts like a DVR. You need not worry about missing any critical moment you want to capture. Just play your game and then you may rewind the live preview back to the point you want to save. Press the record button and it will automatically save the previous video and record from that point on.Once you have your video recorded, the software has a basic video editor and exporter. You can make some simple cuts to your video before exporting it to your hard drive in MP4 format, YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter. While the video recorded is not “raw” uncompressed video the quality (especially at 1080p) is excellent and no real degradation is noticeable. My computer is actually below their minimum specs (my CPU is an i7-930; minimum is a second-gen Intel core i5) but it can still record 1080p at 60fps.One small issue noted above is that if you use this with a Wii U and leave it connected to your Wii U and television you will notice that unless you have the HD60 connected to your TV and the Elgato software is running, the image is a little washed out and the blacks are not as dark. This is because the Wii U always outputs in “limited” RGB, but the Elgato, by default, outputs in “full” RGB. This means that, for example, what the Wii U has as its darkest black is actually a lighter shade in full RGB. If the Elgato software is running, you can tell the HD60 to also output in limited RGB, but this setting will only be active when the software is running. Unfortunately at this time there is no way to set the Wii U to output full RGB. Thus if you leave your HD60 always connected to your Wii U and TV, to get the true color range you will either need to adjust your TV or hook up the HD60 and start the software. My computer is close enough to my TV and the included cord is long enough that it isn’t an issue, but it’s something to keep in mind.Other than that, this little device has been nothing short of a game-changer for me. It was my first introduction into the world of video creation and editing and I’m really enjoying this new aspect of my gaming hobby!

Concatenated version:It's awesome, records 1080p over HDMI at flawless framerates as well as high bitrate, manages source resolution changes in the middle of recording surprisingly well, good audio that's properly synchronized, and doesn't need any excessive cables to operate (low-profile). This is a very good product that is perfect for people who want to record gameplay or any HDMI device that doesn't have HDCP encryption (until Elgato decides to include an HDMI splitter in the recording device or the user has their own). It earns 5-stars as a recording/livestreaming device, not video editing software.A lot more details:The image quality is like the source (check included pic) and he recording bitrate is quite high relative to YouTube's recommendations. YouTube's recommended bitrates for 60 FPS are on the left and my recording results are on the right, also at 60 FPS.360p: YT~1.5 Mbps | HD60~N/A480p: YT~4 Mbps | HD60~11 Mbps720p: YT~7.5 Mbps | HD60~20 Mbps1080p: YT~12 Mbps | HD60~40 Mbps1440p: YT~24 Mbps | HD60~N/A2160p: YT~53-68 Mbps | HD60~N/AYou may need some more hard disk space if you decide to record in a higher bitrates/resolutions. Cool thing is that the bitrate is high enough that it would be worthwhile to upsample the video to a higher resolution if you're using YouTube to allow the video player to output the higher bitrate to improve video quality.It should be mentioned that you can record interlaced (I tried 1080i), but only at 30 FPS. It is strongly apparent that the HD60 automatically deinterlaces the video (based off of the output video properties which was set to export at MP4). Major pluses for that.Audio is recorded at around 224 Kbps, with 2 channels (stereo), and with a sampling rate of 48 KHz through HDMI (I was unable to test the 3.5mm jack). Nothing fancy, simple, and sweet. It also allows you to record commentary and audio from HDMI/3.5mm source independently so you can control/modify it in post-production if need be (as long as you don't edit with the built-in software).Livestreaming is extremely computer intensive and your system should be up to par with the mandated specs if you want to, but if your computer can handle it, it's impeccable. Audio control for both game and commentary is astonishing with simple "knobs" with db levels next to them as well as audio monitors. The software is well set up for uploading directly to YouTube and streaming by allowing information for the game you're playing, what level you're on, the title of the video/stream, and the description as well as doing simple tasks like cutting the video and placing it where it needs to be. It's sufficient for say a new YouTube user, but someone more professional or one that yearns for higher quality and options for editing may want better software that can import images and control audio levels post-recording.Lights on the top of the HD60 indicate what is being transmitted to the device and what's happening if you're familiar. I did not have to use it and it tends to be out of sight, but it's helpful if you need to troubleshoot the product for whatever reason or for alerts for if something happens in the software that was unexpected and you can't view it while recording.