Test DS Capture page
From SDA Knowledge Base
Unlike previous handheld systems, Nintendo hasn't released an add-on that allows you to play Nintendo DS or 3DS games on your television like they did for the Game Boy And Game Boy Advance. An SDA forum member, Loopy, developed a method of capturing video footage from the Nintendo DS and 3DS. The method involves installing a small capture board into your handheld console that allows you to play the DS or 3DS normally, but it will simultaneously send a video signal over USB.
The Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS do not have a video out option which makes recording video footage quite difficult. To get a good recording of video footage you will need to install a modification that allows for video out.
Contents
Capturing Video
You will need to get your handheld system modified to include the capture board. Modifications are available for both the Nintendo DS and 3DS. You have the option of either sending in your system to be modified or purchasing a pre-modified system.
Website for the Nintendo DS modification
Website for the Nintendo 3DS modification
The prices are very reasonable. The modification for the 3DS is more complex and costs more than the DS modification. If you plan on speedrunning games on the DS and 3DS it may be worth the investment as the 3DS is backwards compatible with DS games. What the modification does is that it will send a video signal over a USB cable. Plug the cable into the computer and open up the DS or 3DS capture software and you can record footage. You will need to use the capture software provided on the website. Other capture software will not work.
Capturing sound
To record audio you'll need to plug in a stereo cable that has 3.5 mm male plug on both sides. You'll be plugging one end of the cable into the head phone jack and the other end of the cable to the line in jack.
Using the capture software
Get the capture driver software installed
After you've got your handheld modified you'll need to get the driver installed.
DS Driver installation instructions
3DS driver installation instructions
Download the capture software
After the driver is installed, you can download the capture software by clicking on the Software link on the page below:
DS Download page
3DS Download page
Using the capture software
Note: Please be sure that you are using the latest version of the DS/3DS Capture software from Loopy's website. The latest version adds support for capture at 60 FPS and capture to a single AVI file.
Open the capture software
Click Video settings
In the drop down menu, a list of all of the codecs that are installed on your computer will appear.
You need to select a lossless codec from the list.
Under FPS, select 30 or 60 depending on the game. Select the screens to be recorded. If there is gameplay on both screens (example: Contra 4) then both screens must be recorded. Click OK.
Click Audio settings.
Select the audio input that your line in jack uses (example: Realtek Audio input). Click OK.
NOTE: The recording will be an AVI file that is created in the same folder as the capture software. Make sure that the location on your computer that you are running your capture software from has enough hard drive space for very large file size recordings. A recording will be well over a gigabyte within a few minutes.
When you are ready start recording.
We prefer that you start recording your game play at the DS/3DS power on screen before the game is loaded.
Advantages of using DS capture over 3DS Capture
Ability to play GBA games
The DS original can not only play DS retail games but also GBA retail games as well. This is also the most reliable way of recording games that uses the gyro sensor.
Most notable games: Yoshi's Universal Gravitation and Wario Ware: Twisted.
The screen is pretty big while recording it in Native Resolution.
When you set the 3DS to DS Native resolution, the screen size is pretty small. It's the only way to get a native resolution recording on the 3DS. However playing it on a DS original not only records in native resolution but the screen size you are playing it from is much bigger.
Can play any imports including the DSi-enhanced games.
Although uncommon, some DS retail games unlocked extra features when playing it on a DSi/3DS system. However there is one catch, they are all region locked.
So any modded DS phat can play the Japanese versions of Pokémon Black/White (2) while only a Japanese DSi/3DS systems can play the Japanese version of Pokémon Black/White (2)
The only games that you CAN'T play on a modded DS are DSi only retail games and DSiWare
The link below shows the incomplete list of DSi enhanced games.
http://www.rfgeneration.com/blogs/pdrydia/DSi-enhanced-titles-an-incomplete-list-1969.php
Advantages of using 3DS capture over DS Capture
Huge library of games to play.
While the DS original can only play DS retail and GBA retail games, the 3DS can play a huge range of games including:
DS retail, DSi Enhanced (region locked), DSi only retail (region locked), DSiWare (region locked), 3DS retail and eShop content.
Reliable way to obtain hard to find/buy games.
This is strictly referring to some of the Game Boy games on the 3DS Virtual Console as the prices you see on the internet is ridiculously high.
Notable games include
Trip World* (£2.70 on eShop vs £120+ on Ebay) and
Shantae (Roughly $5+ on eShop vs $220+ on Amazon.com)
*As of 25th June 2013, Trip World is only on both JP and EU 3DS systems.
Ability to record online games that uses WPA internet security.
As many users are using the more secure WPA connection, only the DSi/3DS system can use both WEP and WPA. All of the non-DSi enhanced games only uses WEP (like Mario Kart DS, Metroid Prime Hunters and 4th Generation Pkmn games) which is out of date. So with both a modded 3DS and WPA connection, you can record online matches of Pokémon Black/White (2) and 3DS games as well.
