How does CO-OP capture/edit their game footage?

[lonelyspacepanda]

I'm not sure if this is some sort of anicent family CO-OPese secret amongst the CO-OP team, but for those of us aspiring to make similiar content (game reviews) how would one go about doing it? Capturing? Compression? Editing? I'm not asking for a 12 page FAQ from you guys, but just a brief explanation of the process would be really appreciated.

[metalcard]

I'd like to know how they capture the DS and PSP stuff myself. Normal consoles are easy enough.

[lonelyspacepanda]

I can manage consoles and PC myself, but I have no idea how they do it all in such stunning HD quality. That's why I'm curious on how they do it. If you think you can do it without loosing the quality in the process, please tell. I think I might have figured a method out myself, which is far from ideal, but I'll explain for those who care (in hopes that others who have a method will explain).

For PC games, I use Fraps to capture the footage. Then I use VirtualDub to compress it in Divx codec. Then I move my footage into iMovie HD (this is a confusing process--I'll spare you the details but ask and I'll tell), edit, and render it in a H.264 file.

UPDATE: Ugh, actually that doesn't work that well at all. I'm lost, again.

[az0madman]

I know a lot of the capture stuff is for media only, or at the very least, expensive. I read up on DS capture and it's not a consumer product they use. There's a new usb capture card that apparently captures in component, so potentially PSP and HD captures are made easy at $170, but there have been very little reviews regarding the product. I don't want to spend that much money and be wrong about it.

[metalcard]

I should have stated in my previous post how average consumers, like myself, can capture HD video game footage.

You can use one of three of the follow:

Hauppauge HD PVR - Uses component, 720p or 1080i - $200 - $250
Uses USB to computer to capture. Box processes the video, built in h.264 encoding.

Black Magic Intensity (Pro version available as well with pass through) - Uses HDMI - 720p or 1080p - $200 - $250
Requires powerful PC/Mac and available PCIe slot.

Black Magic Video Recorder - Uses Component, 720p or 1080i - $150
USB, thumb sized. Device processes video, built in h.264 encoding.

I use the Hauppauge HD PVR to capture my XBox from time to time. I've seen some of the 1080p stuff the Intensity does and it looks gorgeous, just needs a powerful computer to make it work well.



Im still hoping someone can tell me how they capture DS footage, I'm really quite interested in how its done.

[lonelyspacepanda]

Well, I'm not ready to make that type of investment right now. Thanks for the info though. I'm more interested in hearing how to capture, edit, and compress PC game footage properly (especially for adding to YouTube HD). The CO-OP guy's YouTube HD videos are the best I've seen.

Can anyone tell me, especially the CO-OP guys, the best codec/format to output your video to? I've tried using Divx, WMA 9, and H.264 but they all end up looking like crap. I've posted some HD videos of my Bully playthrough that you can find by searching my username on YouTube (lonelyspacepanda)--sorry, but admins have took down this same thread before because of a link to my YouTube account. Anyway, I've seen some fantastic Doom 3 and Crysis YouTube HD videos and I was wondering how I can make my lackluster footage look like that.

[m3wse]

It's not so much the codec, more the bitrate... H.264 is very good quality vs bitrate but you will lose a lot if you use the above mentioned divx to imovie to h.264 - keep it as raw (or whatever it captures in) until the final output stage - the files are huge, but it looks good.... this is what external hard drives are useful for!

[lonelyspacepanda]

Yes, I've changed my setup to editing the uncompressed files in Sony Vegas but I'm still confused on which codec to output it with. I've tried a couple things but none of them look all that great. I just heard that Xvid is the best, so I'm going to give that a go next time.

[metalcard]

If there is one thing I know a bit about its codecs, so I can be some help here.

You stated you used Vegas, which makes this SO much easier for me as its the same program I use.

Since you stated you record PC footage you need to keep in mind that computer, wide screen monitors, are in the 16:10 ratio, so you will either need crop out 80 pixels, assuming you reduce the size to be 1280px wide, to make it 16:9, OR fit it into the 1280x720 size by making it 720px high and about 1200px wide, this will leave black bars on the sides. - Long sentence, I know... now to the codec.

These settings are fully assuming you are rendering to 1280x720px in the end:

Have your start settings at 1280x720, progressive scan, gaussian blur for motion blur, 1.0 pixel ratio, 29.97 fps (you can use higher if you want, but if uploading to YouTube, there is no point really). Audio is up to you, but 44.1 at 256 is fine for YouTube.

Once you get done editing here are the setting I've testing may times, and researched as well.

Codec: Main Concept MP4 - This is H.264 in MP4 container.
Render Quality - Best
Custom Frame size - 1280x720
Profile - Main
Frame Rate - 29.97 (unless you want higher/lower)
Field Order - None (progressive)
Reference Frames - 2
Deblocking Filter - Checked
Select Variable Bit Rate - For YouTube - Maximum: 6,000,000 kbps Average: 3,500,000 kbps

Audio: 44.1 Sample Rate at 256kbps

If you want to play the files back locally higher bit rates are a really good idea, if the video wasn't for YouTube I'd set them higher as well, but since YouTube down converts to about 2-3mbps there is no real reason to go much higher than 6mbps.

If you want to see these setting in action you can search MetalCard on YouTube as these are the settings I use, apparently I can't post links to my YouTube channel which would make that easier, sorry. The "God Mode" video is a good example of the settings.

[lonelyspacepanda]

Oh thanks so much man. This is exactly what I'm looking for. I'll try these settings out when I make my next Bully video. You should make a video tutorial on YouTube, you'll get a lot of clicks. There are a couple out there but none of them go over these settings--they all choose Divx or Xvid.

[metalcard]

Glad to have helped.

I've always considered making a video on proper encoding practices in general, not just these simple h.264 setting I posted, but then I would helping competition, something I try not to do offten. I'd much rather those who would compete for views with me not have the same skills or knowledge as I do. As for clicks I'm not hurting for views, 2.6 million and growing. ;)

[shanmac]

Played the demo of Red Faction: guerilla. Wasn't the greatest experience but has some promise.

I hate the late spring/summer when there are no decent games out. Thanks for the episode guys.

[scoobydiesel]

whatever way t is done...its done in great and easy to see way. very smooth and i enjoy it :D

[boldfire]

Played the demo of Red Faction: guerilla. Wasn't the greatest experience but has some promise.

I hate the late spring/summer when there are no decent games out. Thanks for the episode guys.

Wrong thread? But agreed.