Horhay's Full Review: Adaptec GameBridge AVC-1400 Video Capture
Adaptec’s GameBridge is a small device that allows players to hook up various video game consoles to their computer in order to record gaming sessions and take screenshots. The device is made up of three parts that must be connected together for it to work. It comes with a 4-in-1 video adapter (S-Video, RCA composite connectors) the GameBridge unit itself, and a 6 foot USB cable.
The hardware setup is straightforward, but you might encounter some problems with the software installation. When you insert the CD, you’ll be prompted to install drivers and a program used to record your games. Right from the bat, I had problems with the included program. Gamebridge uses a media center application called InterVideo Home Theater (IHT). Once I restarted my computer, the program would not load. It would show up in the taskbar, but the screen would not appear. To make matters worse the Home Theater application would not uninstall from my computer.
I did manage to get the program running on another computer. IHT’s user interface is simple and recording videos is a breeze. Once the console is connected to the Gamebridge, a small screen in IHT displays whatever you are playing. You also have the option of playing games in full screen. Next to the screen are the record and setting buttons. Adaptec states that a game’s visuals are improved because games are displayed using your monitors higher resolutions. But in my setup, the games looked worse when playing on my LCD and CRT monitors.
I was expecting some lag when playing games but everything was smooth. The only time the screen stopped was when the record button was pressed. Videos are saved as MPEG files and the quality settings include: Best (720x480), Better (480x320), and Good (320x240). I recorded using all formats and found problems with the Good setting. The picture was very blocky and grainy. So yeah, the video was decent for the other settings, but I was expecting better quality considering the file sizes. Files with higher settings can take up to 50 MB per minute. What I noticed too was that using S-Video makes a huge difference. Videos are much cleaner and snapshots are sharper. Pictures are saved as bitmap files and take up about 1 MB.
Once I got it working, the GameBridge allowed me to quickly record videos. But if you’re not using a laptop, then the GameBridge can be a real pain. Lugging around computers, cables, and consoles around to record some gameplay action doesn’t seem worth it. Even if you do look past that, you have to deal with average video quality and huge MPEG files.
If you're looking to save space and play your Xbox, PS2, and GameCube games by connecting your consoel to a regular computer, this GameBridge adapter ...More at eBay
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