Video Capture With The PS Vita – Using The Ezcap 280H

Getting Started

Using the card is simplicity itself. Connect the source device to the HDMI input, and the pass through output to your TV or monitor. Plug in your USB stick or drive for recording, connect the power and you’re ready to go. As soon as you are ready to capture your footage just press the capture button and the Ezcap 280H starts recording. Press it again to stop. Because of the way USB devices work the card can only record files at a maximum of 2Gb in size at a time (which works out at roughly 15 minutes of 1080p footage). But if, like me, you’re using this for game reviews then you won’t need to record long clips anyway.

Ezcap 280H capture card side

Ezcap 280H capture card side

If you want to add voiceovers to your recording, rather than waiting for the post-production stage, you can do this while recording by plugging in any microphone straight into the card as well. While it’s not something I’d use personally, it’s a great bonus feature and not something I’d expect for a budget device. In terms of the files it produces, these are saved in MP4 format and in the same resolution and framerate as the source material. This makes it perfect for capturing absolutely anything from any HDMI source that you need for your own video projects.

The HDCP Dilemma

One of the biggest frustrations of using HDMI capture cards is dealing with HDCP. This is a type of protection used in a lot of systems that prevents their output from being recorded. Normally to bypass this involves the use of a HDMI splitter that can remove the protection before running the signal into the capture card. Not here. The Ezcap 280H even strips the protection so it’s perfect for users of any console who want to record game footage for review. For me this was one of the fundamental reasons for wanting this particular card.

For PS Vita owners, removing HDCP is an absolute must. My intention was to connect the Ezcap 280H to the PlayStation TV but it’s HDMI output uses HDCP. However, I didn’t have to worry in this respect as the box managed to capture footage without any issues at all.

But Is It Any Good?

That’s the million dollar question. It’s well built, a joy to use and can be used by anyone without any need for lengthy instructions. The resulting videos look absolutely incredibly and really don’t look as if they were done on a product this cheap. From our point of view it’s going to change Vita Player overnight. While we can write and talk about games continually, we can now show you games in action as well. Articles and features can be brought to life quickly and easily.

It’s already revolutionising what we are doing on YouTube. Using this card has allowed us to produce videos quickly and easily without compromising on quality for an instant. I’ve been able to capture footage in minutes, edit them and record voiceovers and have them ready to upload in a couple of hours. The only thing I’ve then had to contend with is my own internet speed!

But don’t take my word for it. This is one of the reviews we’ve produced:

And we’ll be posting more to our YouTube channel every week!

Overall

This is an incredible capture device and I don’t know why I didn’t buy one of these sooner. I’ve been wanting to creating Vita game reviews for the last few years and wanted to find the best way to do it. I’ve had the editing software for over a decade but I’m astonished that it’s taken me so long to find something like this. The fact that it’s so easy and quick to capture Vita games is worth it alone. But being able to record from absolutely any HDMI source makes this an essential purchase.

An absolute bargain at twice the price but at just over £50 you’d be a fool to pass this one up!

The card can be ordered directly from Gearbest at https://www.gearbest.com/game-accessories/pp_009896551064.html?wid=1433363&lkid=21108596

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About Simon Plumbe 1052 Articles
Husband, father and lifelong geek. Originally from the West Midlands, now spending my days in South Wales with my family and a house full of animals. Passionate about video games, especially retro gaming, the Commodore 64 and PlayStation Vita. Love pro wrestling, sci-fi and I'm an animal lover and vegetarian. Enjoyed this and my other articles? Why not buy me a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/simonplumbe