CD-RKing Gaming Capture Box. It works.
If you live in the Philippines, just from seeing “CD-RKing” in the title is enough to dishearten you away from this post but fear not for I actually have a lot of good things to say about this particular product.
We here at TMG are trying to do live streams of our video game antics and aside from the consoles and video games, broadcasting equipment is quite an investment in itself. Some of us have gone the cheap method by using those USB TV capture ‘sticks’ an to be honest, though they work, these are not very good. With most quality capture devices ranging from 100-200+ US Dollars, it can be hard to save up.
I have had my eye on the Roxio Game Capture, the AVerMedia HD DVR, and the Hauppauge HD PVR but the Hauppauge is a tad too expensive so I ruled that out. As for the Roxio and AVerMedia, the Roxio is the cheaper of the two but lacks features that the AVerMedia HD DVR does. From what I’ve read, the AVerMedia HD DVR is pretty much the same as the Hauppauge HD PVR in terms of features and quality while sporting an overall sleeker design and even an HDMI out port (of which the Hauppauge HD PVR only has component out). The Roxio Game Capture goes for $100 on their site but you can find one for $70-$80 if you look in the right places while the AVerMedia goes for $140-$160. Now just the Roxio itself is quite a feat for me to work up the money for right now and I haven’t found any local shops that have it so the only option for me is an online purchase. Add to that the bogus-ness of our country’s postal system which could add more than half the price of the product itself so yeah, not easy at all.
Then during a trip to CD-RKing to stock up on DVDs and whatnot, while waiting in line I saw pegged on the wall a box that said “Gaming Capture Box” and from the picture on the box it looked pretty much the same as the Roxio. I asked to have a closer look and while they didn’t have a price for it at the time (the shop seemed to have an early shipment) it got me very curious as to what features it could have and how well it performs. If you didn’t know, CD-RKing is sort of like our version of BestBuy, they have their own branded electronics most of which are on the ridiculously cheap side so they are usually the alternative to getting a lot of gadget and computer accessories. The catch is, since the products are cheap they usually breakdown a whole lot sooner or don’t exhibit the same amount of quality as a big branded item of the same kind. There is always a certain amount of risk when buying a CD-RKing product. To sum it up, it’s quantity over quality.
Even with all that in mind, curiosity overwhelmed me when it came to the Gaming Capture Box. It’s a little pricey compared to the other CD-RKing products that I’m used to buying but it is a hell of a lot cheaper than the over capture devices that were on my list. It also seems that I am the only one who knows about this product and have found no other reviews of it at the time of writing this post. I just had to man-up, get the damn box and try it out for myself.
To my relief it actually works. The image I get on the TV is a crisp as what one would expect using component cables and it does feed a decent video image to your computer. The box claims that it can play up to 1080i on your TV which is the same as the other capture devices since they all have component out but only records in a maximum resolution of 720x480 which is similar to Roxio claiming that their box records in 480p.
The device has a set of Component In jacks and Component out jacks. It also has S-Video In and S-Video Out ports which I didn’t notice the first time. Audio jacks are limited to the Red and White RCA style so no optical audio for surround sound. It connects to your PC via USB 2.0 and comes with quite a lengthy USB cable which is good. It also comes with a set of Component cables that connect the box to your TV. For a CD-RKing product, it was packaged pretty neatly too. The device itself was encased in bubble wrap and the cables were in sealed in little plastic baggies. Also included were some pretty boring and mostly useless instruction manuals and the much needed driver disc which had the device driver and a program called VivaStation. The colors are a little weird by default when you try to us the device on programs directly like XSplit and Flash Media Live Encoder but you can probably find a sweet spot if you mess with the sliders long enough. It seems to work fine on VivaStation though but I haven’t fully explored that program yet.
Bottom line is if you are on the fence about getting this cheaper capture box then don’t fret because it works. Given our country’s caveman live internet, we can’t really stream in HD either so it fits the bill unless you want to record footage in HD but that’s another story.
The CD-RKing Gaming Capture Box goes for 1880php and I have (as of this post) only seen this product in the GreenHills VMall branch on the 3rd floor near Datablitz. No other branch seems to have it and every employee I’ve asked have all said “ha?” or “ano yun?” when I asked them about it. You have to point it out yourself otherwise they won’t even look for it.
Update: I made a second post showing off the various video formats you can record with the included software as well as some screenshots.
Check it out here: CD-RKing Gaming Capture Box (Addendum)
Weekend, what are you playing?
First weekend of 2012 and I hope you all had a great time during the holidays. What a year 2011 has been an amazing year for video games. I bet most of you still have 2011 games in the back burner, I know I do. So, what are you playing?
Migoy: Finally got my PSP-3000 analog stick replaced so now I can play PSP games on the feed again. Also got the much needed D-pad replaced on my DS Lite because the right button had been super hard to press for the longest time so the handhelds got a partial makeover in their internals. As for games, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 is still getting a lot of attention from me even though I suck at the game and suck even more online (lag or not-as-much lag). Got to borrow Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 from a friend along with DiRT3 and since I also got some much needed component cables for Ziggy, I can actually read text on screen now. So aside from Naruto on the PS3, I have also been spending a lot of time with Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Impact on the PSP, that game grew on me. Last but not least, popped in Monster Hunter Tri. Also got Wii component cables some time ago and with Monster Hunter being so text heavy with all the stats and the equipment and the item fusing etc, yeah, not so fun to have to squint all the time. I may still be stuck in the Standard Definition past but the component cables are a GREAT help, I shoulda got them cables long ago. I do have another problem though, I still see video noise when I boot up the Wii, even with the new cables and from what I’ve read on the interwebs, it might be a burned graphics card or a burned motherboard so I gotta get that fixed up soon too. Oh hum.
Quash: Been playing Dota 2 this weekend. Got the beta access from Steam and so far..... its the same game with better graphics. Slight changes with items but the initial gameplay is exactly the same. No ETA on the release of Dota 2 but at its current state, it still needs time. Matchmaking still needs work, hero balancing and I'm curious to how the leveling in this game works. The feature is not working yet so I'm very curious on what you earn as you progress through the levels. It can be fun at times but some games can be a pain in the ass thanks to dumb players.
Thank You Firaxis, XCOM: Enemy Unknown Announced
You have no idea how happy I am with this announcement. The classic strategy game is being recreated. This is the reboot XCOM fans want. Game Informer revealed the game's existence by making it as their front cover of their first issue of the year.
The XCOM shooter announced last year is its own game. While 2K has their own plans for their XCOM game, Firaxis Studio has a different plan - Bringing the classic back by recreating the famous strategy game. The studio knows their strategy games, they are the developers of the Civilization games so XCOM fans, the game is in good hands.
It’s been a dream of ours to recreate X-COM with our unique creative vision. We’re huge fans of the original game and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to re-envision a game that is as beloved as X-COM,” said Firaxis head Steve Martin.
“We were careful to keep XCOM: Enemy Unknown true to the elements that made X-COM such a revered game while delivering an entirely new story and gameplay experience for both die-hard X-COM fans and newcomers to the franchise.
Here's a video showing gameplay of the old XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
It's coming out this fall for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Thanks Gameinformer for revealing the news. You just made my day. Can't wait to play XCOM once again.
[Source: Gameinformer]
Yet Another franchise Turned into a First Person Shooter
This is actually old news but I just realized now where the upcoming sci-fi FPS Syndicate is coming from. Syndicate was once a tactical shooter were you command a squad of Syndicate agents through a series of missions. Now Starbreeze Studios is rebooting the franchise and making it an FPS title. What a surprise.
Reboots can be good but when you completely change a genre of the game, that's a different story. This is the second reboot that was converted into an FPS. The other one was a favorite of mine, XCOM, which is now an FPS title that tries hard to keep the core concept of the game intact. I used to play the old XCOM when I was a kid and when I found out they were doing a remake and is now a First Person Shooter I was furious. I'm sure fans of Syndicate are in the same position. Yes, we know that's what it means when they reboot a franchise but it doesn't mean its always a good move forward. Have a look at the old Syndicate.
Original Syndicate
I'd take the original Syndicate gameplay any day. We don't have that much of this genre nowadays so why change it into a genre that we have too much of? Because that's the demand now I guess. FPS is the genre of this generation. The old gameplay would be hard to sell while an FPS title that blows up stuff mission after mission is a lot easier to do.
Syndicate 2012
I won't lie, the game looks badass. Mind control, explosions, and gun fights placed in the Syndicate world. It looks like a good game but I bet it could have been just as good or even better as a Tactical Shooter. We have a lot of FPS titles to drown ourselves in anyways, we need more variety. The new Syndicate is out on February 21 for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. The new Syndicate will feature four player co-op with 9 original missions from the old game.
Some reboots come out as good ideas for some games(Mortal , Tomb raider) but I think the changes for games like XCOM and Syndicate is wrong. Big question, would you rather have the original Syndicate with updated graphics and improved gameplay or prefer the change into an FPS??
The Big Games of 2012
2011 is finally done and it was awesome. Now the question is, can 2012's list of big games be as good as 2011? you decide. Looks like a decent lineup to me. Check the big games that are said to be released in 2012.
Bioshock Infinite
Developers - Irrational Games Publishers - 2k Games Release Date - June 1, 2012 Platforms - Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
I loved Bioshock. The world of Rapture was such a treat to explore. Irrational Games is taking a break from the underwater world and provide a setting that's completely opposite. Bioshock Infinite is set on a city in the sky, a city called "Columbia" that has giant blimps and balloons to keep the city afloat. Just like Rapture, it looks gorgeous and the change in setting is perfect to bring the Bioshock franchise forward.
Max Payne 3
Developers - Rockstar vancouver, New England, London, and Toronto Publishers - Rockstar Games Release Date - March 2012 Platforms - Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Max Payne is back, and with how amazing Rockstar is as a studio now I can't wait to play the third installment of Max Payne. Everything you remember about Max Payne will be back especially the famous bullet-time feature known in past Max Payne games. For the first time, they will be introducing multiplayer(go figure)
Diablo 3
Developers - Blizzard Entertainment Publishers - Blizzard Entertainment Release Date - 2012(Hopefully) Platforms - PC
It will happen. This game will be released eventually. Diablo 3 has been on beta testing for months so its only a matter of time until we get a release date. just hold your breathe a little bit longer.
Dragon's Dogma
Developers - Capcom Publishers - Capcom Release Date - March 27, 2012 Platforms - Playstation 3, Xbox 360
Capcom's latest title. Dragon's Dogma is Monster Hunter meets Shadow of Collosus minus the multiplayer elements which kinda sucks. The game pits you against mythical monster like gryphons, hydra's, and of course dragons. Capcom aims to give you the complete experience of fighting these huge monsters instead of just hacking away in their feet in other games. Its going to be an open world game with around 30-100 hours of content.
Halo 4
Developers - 343 Industries Publishiers - Microsoft Studios Release Date - Holiday 2012 Platforms - Xbox 360
Not much of a surprise when they revealed Halo 4. What's more shocking is that Halo 4 will not be developed by Bungie, the team who pretty much started this franchise. Not only that, it is said to be another trilogy. So aftter four, expect five and six. Not much has been revealed since it's reveal in E3 2011 but expect its release at the end of the year.
Mass Effect 3
Developers - Bioware Publishiers - Electronic Arts Release Date - March 6, 2012 Platforms - Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC
The final chapter of Commander Shepard. The reapers have finally arrived and are invading earth. Can't wait to see the epic conclusion. I got my save file all set up to be imported into the game and ready to use that sweet tech blade added into the game. In terms of gameplay, nothing much has changed, just improved hopefully for the better.
Tomb Raider
Developers - Crystal Dynamics Publishiers - Square Enix Release Date - Q3 2012 Platforms - Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
This isn't a new game, its a reboot of the franchise. This new Tomb Raider will be an origins story of the famous Lara Croft, and how she came to be. First look of the game was revealed in E3 2011 and was pretty impressive. One of the best reveals during E3. They say it won't play like the old Tomb Raider and the main focus of gameplay is survival.
There are tons of other big games to look out for like Twisted Metal, Final Fantasy XIII-2, Prey 2, Borderlands 2, the yearly games for the Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed franchises. I haven't even touched the handheld games coming this year. With Vita coming out, that's another list of games to look out for, not to mention the 3DS games. If there are any more you think should be mentioned or can't wait to get this year, hit the comments. Looks like 2012 might be another good year.