The Game Capture HD device from Elgato is the perfect accessory for hardcore gamers who wish to inform the world of their gaming prowess. At its heart, the Game Capture HD allows you to record any gaming moment on your console and then easily share it with the world via YouTube or another social networking site, provided you have access to a laptop or a PC.

In order to use this product, you need a laptop which in turn records the video from either your PS3 or XBox 360. This basically allows you to record your footage as you play your game on the console of your choice via your FULL HD TV. The Game Capture HD then passes the footage back to your TV while the video is split to your PC in order for the included software to record your gaming.

Best of all, the installation of the Game Capture HD is child's play. You simply connect your console to the device via the HDMI cable which in turn connects to your TV and the USB connection goes to your laptop. That's it! Another impressive feature of the device is that the video quality is true HD quality thanks to the H.264 encoding, so all your videos will be crystal clear. This also means that the Game Capture HD does all the encoding itself which compresses the file in real-time.

STEP 1 - Connect your Game Console

STEP 3 - Connect your FULL HD TV and Laptop/PC

The device supports a variety of resolutions that include 480ip, 576p, 720p and 1080i, ensuring that almost all resolutions are catered for. The software included with the Game Capture HD contains all the editing features you need to get your videos online ASAP. If you want to give them that extra professional touch, other editing software is required. For our purposes, the included software was all we needed.

STEP 4 - Run the software on your PC or Mac

The software is also extremely easy to use and supports both PC and Mac. Once your video has been saved and is ready to be uploaded, the software easily allows you to share your gameplay on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Another interesting feature of the unit is that it automatically records even if you forget to tell the software. It's similar to the function of TiVO which allows you to rewind live television. On the Game Capture HD, it's called Flashback but is great if you accidentally forget to record or something record worthy happens in your game.

STEP 5 - Play the Game!

The specifications of the Game Capture HD requires a PC with Windows 7, a dual CPU of 2.0Ghz or higher plus 4GB of RAM with a USB 2.0 port. The Mac requires the same configuration but needs Max OS X 10.7 or higher. The contents of the Game Capture HD include the Elgato Game Capture HD, quick start guide, USB cable, HDMI cable and a PlayStation 3 cable. Everything you need for recordings is included in this package.

Final Level

If you're looking for a straight forward device to record your gaming sessions, than I suggest you check out the Elgato Game Capture HD which does the job perfectly and offers some very impressive video recording capabilities. The only downside to the device is that you need a laptop or desktop to setup which does create a little bit of extra work in the installation process. Hopefully Elgato will make a device that directly records onto a USB stick or hard drive. Even so, this product does a remarkable job at saving your gaming videos forever and the quality is outstanding!

Highly Recommended!