Specifications

When it cam to hardware configuration, I wanted to use good components (for longevity)

but keep the overall costs low. That is, I wanted the HD Recorder to last for many years, but I did

not want to 'overbuild' it either. Keeping operating costs relatively low was also a priority. Since

many high-performance components have equally high energy consumption needs, I decided to go

with those that have modest energy requirements. Again, this necessitated keeping specifications

relatively modest.

What Level of High Definition is Required? Recording in 720p, 1080i,

or 1080p

When it comes to high definition on the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360, there are various

resolutions available:720p (1280 x 720 pixels, progressive scan), 1080i (1920 x 1080 pixels,

interlaced), and 1080p. Typically, most games support 720p and some support 1080i. Games

supporting 1080p, the highest resolution, are somewhat rare since early HD TVs were not capable

of handling it and it is simply very resource intensive.

With high definition video, files sizes can become extremely large. As indicated in the

illustration below (Figure 2), 720p is roughly two and a half times the area of standard definition

video and 1080i/p is six times as large. For my purposes, I wanted to archive the footage and so I

decided to to keep the size of files (and, therefore, storage costs) of the recored video relatively

modest. Consequently, I decided that I would record footage in a maximum resolution of 720p.

Others will undoubtedly have different needs.

FIGURE 2: Comparison of Standard and High Definition Resolutions.

Note: Video resolution, like many other aspects of working with video, is confusing and complex. Analogue television

resolutions are measured in scan lines while digital video is expressed in pixels. In the above illustration the Standard

Definition is given as 720 x 480 which is actually the standard DVD resolution while 640 x 480 lines is the technical

standard for NTSC signals originating from many game consoles (such as the Playstation, Dreamcast, GameCube and the

low resolutions for later consoles such as the Playstation 2 and the Xbox 360). The 720 number was used since the

easiest method for capturing gamplay footage in SD is by using a standard DVD recorder.