Gaming Capture Card Comparison - Hauppauge PVR 60 Pro VS EZCap 284

In this video, we compare the EZ Cap 284 we've used for years to a Hauppauge PVR 60 Pro.

Back in 2017, I invested in my first-ever video capture card, an EZ Cap 284. At the time I thought it had everything I needed. It recorded footage directly to an SD Card or USB drive, it appeared to accept component and composite inputs, and I could stream with it too! I quickly learned that 240P over component or composite actually wasn't accepted (480P minimum), the USB port had significant lag, audio would get out of sync, and it wasn't great for streaming. Because of these reasons I bought an ElGato 60S. It was terrific for streaming but required a PC or laptop for capture recordings. Because of this I was swapping cables between devices when going from streaming to capturing. Then I heard about a device that could do both well, AND provide 4K passthrough to my TV. This device was the Hauppauge PVR 60 Pro.

Similar in shape and style to the EZ Cap, the front of the PVR features an SD Card slot on the front, a capture button to grab stills, Headphone and microphone jacks if you want to capture game audio right to the unit. The side features 2 switches, one for selecting whether you're going to stream or record to a PC or if you're going to record to an SD Card, and an iOS switch. At first I had no idea what that was for, but in speaking with Hauppauge technical support it allows for HDCP content to pass for regular viewing, however it won't record. On the back are your HDMI ports and a USB-C power port. The top of the unit has 2 LED's and a large button to start and stop recording on the device.

I hooked everything up to my Samsung 4K TV and, wow, what a difference the 4K passthrough is! The images on my TV looked a lot sharper from my PS4, although it must be stated that it does not pass though HDR. Neither did the EZCap, and that also limited the video to 1080P and 30FPS. this was 4K at a full 60FPS. Color me impressed!

Next, I wanted to compare what I had been using to the PVR, so I connected both up for an initial comparison with Super Mario Bros on my HDMI-modded NES. I used a Y-cable out of the NES to go to each capture card, but passed the video through from the PVR. I was very impressed at how crisp the video looked from the PVR, but must admit the vibrancy of the colors from the EZCap couldn't be ignored. Both had their advantages.

I did more testing, from the NES, SNES, PS4, Xbox One, and even my Dreamcast. Well, I tried to test the Dreamcast but, while the video passed through to my TV, I only recorded a blue screen on the PVR. I'm not sure if this is a compatibility issue with the signal being sent, coming from my OSSC via a VGA Cable, or what the issue was, but I have yet to be able to record Dreamcast. If anyone has had this same problem and has a solution, please let me know!

Why it RoX:
- All-in-One streaming and capture device
- USB-C for faster data transfer
- Onboard SD Card Slot for PC-free capture
- Integrated Mic capture
- Compact size
- 4K and 60FPS passthrough
- Can pass HDCP content (but not record)

What could be improved?
- $150+ is an expensive barrier to entry
- Blacks on capture are a bit washed out (can be adjusted)
- No remote for starting/stopping capture
- Add a 2nd USB-C port so I don't have to connect/disconnect the power when going from capturing to streaming
- It is still hard for me to find time to stream!

Should you buy one?
The one thing this test showed me is that there are still things to really like about the EZCap 284. The color reproduction is terrific, I was shocked at how much richer it looked with box-stock settings. It is convenient and reliable, and honestly, if it did 60FPS, 4K passthrough, and was better at streaming, I wouldn't feel the need to replace it. The Hauppauge just looked better on my TV as I played, and I never ran into AV Sync issues with it. I'll be tweaking the color options in the control panel to make sure the colors look better in the future, because I am really digging what I am seeing. At full price, meh, not sure I would take the jump, but for about what I paid for my EZCap 3 years ago, this is a nice upgrade.

#Hauppauge #EzCap284 #GameCapture #OBS #BudgetCaptureCard

The footage used in this review are used under the Fair Use laws, referenced below:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/te...

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.

(Pub. L. 94–553, title I, § 101, Oct. 19, 1976, 90 Stat. 2546; Pub. L. 101–650, title VI, § 607, Dec. 1, 1990, 104 Stat. 5132; Pub. L. 102–492, Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3145.)