Choosing the video capture device is important for those who are dedicated to streaming content over the Internet, however, it is not an easy choice to make with the large number of options that exist in the market. And more, if we add to this the appearance of televisions with variable refresh rate or VRR support. A feature found in new generation consoles and all PC graphics cards with HDMI 2.1 support. What is the best video capture device for PC today?
A video capture device is a device that takes a digital or analog video signal and encodes it in such a way that it is stored in a specific video format that will allow us to play it later on any device or even transfer it. For years they were important in the period of digitization of audiovisual content. Especially in the late 90’s and early 2000’s where the jump was made from VHS to DVD and then to streaming through Blu Ray. Today the broadcast of content over the internet in real time has become a phenomenon. Advances in recent years in both computing and telecommunications have made it possible for something that was previously reserved for television channels to now be available to everyone.
The VRR problem
One of the problems with video capture devices is that they are outdated, since they usually take the video signal from the HDMI port and this has had different versions over time in order to support the different screen resolutions, as well as the protection of digital content. All this has a dire consequence in most of these devices and that is the fact that they quickly become outdated. Therefore, most users have preferred to use the PC’s processor or graphics card to capture content.
Well, one of the novelties of HDMI in its version 2.1 and that is supported by both PCs and video game consoles is the VRR, variable refresh rate . This means that the number of frames on the screen fluctuates and is controlled by the graphics card. The problem with most capture devices is that they do not support VRR and they can capture the content badly if the refresh rate is not fixed, causing unwanted information mix-ups.
What is the best capture card for our PC?
Well, the best capture card at the moment and that works for both new generation consoles and PCs is ElGato HD60 X , which among its features includes:
- Support for capturing content in VRR, being able to capture video up to 240 Hz or 4K at 60 Hz . In addition to supporting 120 Hz at 1440p if we play on PC . Let’s not forget that this third resolution is not a television standard. On the other hand, the television or monitor to which you connect the capture must have support for said resolutions and refresh rates.
- Support for both NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync at the frame rates that we have mentioned in the previous point.
- It has the ability to capture content in HDR10.
We will only need our PC or console to have a free USB 3.0 port to connect it and that’s it, since it doesn’t require drivers to work. Its price? Normally, it is usually for a little less than 200 euros, which is its recommended sale price, but you may find it a little cheaper at certain times.
