Specifications

The particular hardware configuration I eventually went with (and which is described in Table 2
below) is capable of recording in 1080i but due to rather large file sizes (50 GB and up
(uncompressed) for about ten minutes of gameplay recording), it is not really practical. The ability
to record at 1080i or 1080p would, I suspect, require a multiple hard-drive configuration in a
striped RAID array. Such a configuration can handle recording large amounts of data at high
speeds but is more costly and technically complex.
Again, for my particular purposes, I felt the HD Recorder should be able to record footage in
a maximum of 720p while using component RCA cables (YPbPr video and stereo audio, analogue;
see Figure 3). The configuration described below also has the capability to record digitally in HDMI
(from non-copy-protected sources). However, I am not using it in that way and have not fully
tested it.
3
Figure 3: Component video and HDMI cables.
cables with RCA connections (the red and white audio cables are not shown) are shown on the left and an
HDMI cable is shown on the right.
Computer Hardware Requirements for the HD Recorder
In reality, recording gameplay footage in high resolution (even in 720p) really necessitates low end
workstation-level hardware at the very least, simply because high definition video is very
bandwidth- and resource-intensive when it comes to data transfer and storage. Consequently,
when it comes to actually acquiring the hardware for such a set-up, the choices are constrained in
some ways.
Purchasing from a big box computer/electronics retailer is usually not a possibility, only
because they tend to not carry PCs of the specifications needed. Hiring a local computer shop or
independent technician to build the computer is a very good choice as the PC can usually be
customized (choice might be constrained to a few manufacturers if the shop or technician
specializes in certain makes of components). Ordering a workstation-level PC from one of the
many major online retailers is another good route (see Table 1 below for sample models and
specifications from two major online retailers).
The most inexpensive and, I think, the best solution is to build the computer yourself as it
can be fully customized and can be easily maintained and upgraded. For example, I wanted a
horizontal case (so the main TV monitor could sit on top) and these are fairly rare from pre-built
3 The reason for this is that I wanted to avoid some of the connectivity problems that I have witnessed when
using HDMI connections. It can be complex and I suspect some of these problems are due to the 'digital
handshake' required (for anti-piracy purposes) by the high-bandwidth digital copy protection (HDCP). Anti-
duplication signals also exist in analogue connections but in my experience are much more stable and
rarely get in the way of legitimate recording.
4