How To Capture On An Xbox 360
I. Intro
I wrote this guide for the all the people who are clueless about how to capture on an Xbox 360. Capturing on an Xbox 360 is very easy and this guide will walk you through what you need.
II. Equipment
Note: All equipment listed is just an example of what you need, the products listed are not the exact model/company you need to capture or the cheapest price, you may find other resellers that are cheaper and better, however you need all of the products listed (except for the Xbox 360 AV Cable, you pick one of the three).
Capture Card
My recommendations are a Dazzle capture card. If you are on a budget and need above average quality, choose the
Dazzle DVC 90. They are widely used here so if you have problems it won't be hard to find support. If you need better quality and are willing to pay extra, get the
Dazzle DVC 150. If you get a Dazzle 150 make sure to get the model number 210100325. If your are planning to upgrade to Vista, or plan on using a Vista computer to capture, get the
Dazzle Video Creator Platinum. To find out more about a capture card that is right for you, visit
this thread by .Lithium. Whatever capture card you get, make sure it has composite video (yellow), S-Video (black), and composite audio (red and white)
Xbox 360 S-Video AV Cable
-Choose one of the following
Xbox 360 S-AV Cable - Intec $14.99
-or-
Xbox 360 S-AV Cable with Component - JOYTECH $19.99 - Same as the others, except it includes component inputs. When recording, set the switch to TV, when not recording, set the switch to HD.
Buying this cable will let you switch between a.) playing and recording in standard, and b.) playing in HD.
-or-
Xbox 360 S-AV Cable - Microsoft $29.99 (Buy Microsoft's brand if your are paranoid about your warranty)
Stereo Audio Cables Composite Stereo Cable $6.95 x 2 (You may have some lying around the house, they are Male Composite AV to Male Composite AV, you really only need the white and red audio, but it comes with video and is cheaper than Monster Audio Cables)
Adapters Audio Y Adapter $3.99 x 2
Coupler (2 pack) *Optional* Since the Xbox 360 AV Cables join together after 2 inches, your capture card and TV have to be literally 2 inches apart max. If your TV is too far away, you need to extend the composite video cable. If you split the audio, you only need this to extend your composite video video, in which case you will need a composite Yellow to Yellow which comes with the audio cables I have listed. (You only need one coupler but these were the only ones RadioShack carries.)
III. Set Up I. Connecting the Wires
-Plug your capture card into your computer
-Plug the Xbox 360 AV Cable with S-Video into your Xbox 360
-Plug the Composite Video Cable (yellow) from your Xbox 360, into your TV
-Plug the S-Video Cable (black) from your Xbox 360, into your capture card
-Plug the Left Audio Cable (white) from your Xbox 360, into the input side of the Y Adapter
~Plug the Left Audio Cable (white) into the output side of the Y Adapter and plug the other end into your capture card
~Plug another Left Audio Cable (white) into the other output side of the Y Adapter and plug the other end into your TV
-Plug the Right Audio Cable (red) from your Xbox 360, into the input side of the second Y Adapter
~Plug a Right Audio Cable (red) into the output side of the second Y Adapter and plug the other end into your capture card
~Plug another Right Audio Cable (red) into the other output side of the Y Adapter and plug the other end into your TV
II. The Picture
If you want to see my setup in real life pictures, you can click
here.
III. Open up your capture program and capture! Total Cost: $22.97-57.95 + Tax (Not including capture card) © Ryu Hitokiri