Recording

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Console Recording

At a really high level, recording a speedrun for SDA means that you will try and get the best possible quality video footage from your console to your TV and to a recording device of some kind at the same time. This can be a little bit complicated, but we'll try and walk you through it step by step. You're going to need your game console, a television, some kind of recording device, and if you're capturing your run to your computer some kind of capture software. Before you jump into the fray, it would help to understand a little bit about audio and video signals and cables. Go hereto get acquainted with some of the stuff that you'll be working with. Once you're a bit familiar with the basics read on below and we'll cover each of the things that you'll need to record a speedrun in more detail.

We should mention here, once you've gone through the instructions on this page and collected your equipment, don't start trying to record your speedrun attempts just yet. You will need to capture some footage as a test. You will then processthe footage and post a quality test of your finished product in the Tech Support forum. We want to make sure that there isn't anything wrong with your setup/settings before you attempt to record a full speedrun. We would hate to have to reject a speedrun over A/V quality issues.

Equipment

Game Console

Which console your game is on will determine the type of equipment you will be using

Sega Systems
Genesis / MegaDrive
Sega Master System / Game Gear
Sega Saturn
Dreamcast
Sony Systems
Playstation 1
Playstation 2
Playstation 3
PSP (Playstation Portable)
Playstation Vita
Microsoft Systems
Xbox
Xbox 360
Other Systems
Neo Geo
3DO
Jaguar
Atari 2600

Television

Yes, the TV you use can make a difference in your speedrun. We're going to lump TVs into two categories

CRT TVs These older televisions are ideal for speedrunning, but they have their limitations
LCD TVs Newer televisions are widely available and they support the latest video formats, but they pose some challenges

Recording Devices

Video Capture Devices Currently the most popular recording choice
DVD Recorder An acceptable alternative to capture devices

Splitter

No matter what your setup is, you need to find some way of getting your A/V footage to your recording device and to your television at the same time. Check out the full guide to the methods of doing this here.

Powered Splitters If you can afford it, this is the way to go.
Cable Methods Less expensive, but the quality of the capture may suffer. Also they only support composite video
Capture Card Method Some Capture cards support a passthrough feature



Recording Software

If you are using a video capture device you'll need to use some type of recording software.

VirtualDub A free, powerful, and commonly used capture program
Amarectv A free tool and simple tool, Amarectv is popular because it can let you record your runs and stream live simultaneously
Dscaler A slightly less popular, but powerful capture software

PC Recording

Start here.Capturing a PC game is both easier and harder than capturing a console game. You won't be worrying about splitters or messing with cables. You will be playing the game and attempting to record your screen at the same time which can pose some unique challenges.

We should mention here, once you've gone through the instructions on this page, don't start trying to record your speedrun attempts just yet. You will need to capture some footage as a test. You will then processthe footage and post a quality testof your finished product in the Tech Support forum. We want to make sure that there isn't anything wrong with your setup/settings before you attempt to record a full speedrun. We would hate to have to reject a speedrun over A/V quality issues.

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