If you want to capture HD video on a computer, the most practical ways are using either an HD screen recorder or a capture card. And as the most representative products of the two methods, AGPtEK and another recording software are introduced in this passage to offer you HD videos. The first option, the AGPTEK capture card, is a portable video capture device that could record HDMI or YPBPR video sources. The latter one, iTop Screen Recorder, is computer-based recording software that could also capture video to 1080p, but with a much lower price. Keep reading this article and see which one suits you the most.
How to Capture Video in HD on PC for Free?
iTop Screen Recorder is an excellent solution to capture HD video on a PC at a low cost. Specially designed for Windows users, this versatile screen recorder has an accessible interface good for multiple groups such as office staff, educators, students, and gamers. It supports flexible screen capture, Facecam recording, video editing, and various output formats. With an average of 8% CPU utilization, iTop Screen Recorder also accelerates the computer’s performance and ensures a smooth HD recording without lagging.Â
How to record HD video on pc with iTop Screen Recorder?Â
To help you capture HD video on PC with iTop Screen Recorder, we illustrate the recording process step-by-step as below:Â
Step 1. Download and Installation.
First and foremost, visit the iTop Screen Recorder website and install the application on your computers. When you finish the installation, activate this recorder.
Step 2. Configuration.
The configuration before recording determines if you can produce HD videos or not. Please first turn the video quality to ‘Original’ and also turn the frame rate to 60 so that your videos will be lag-off. Don’t forget to select the video quality to ‘High’, that’s the core step to obtain crisp HD videos. Click to see the best 60FPS screen recorders.
Step 3. Capture HD Video.
Hit the Rec button to capture HD video (4k supported) and click the Done button to stop recording. You could continue to edit your footage once the recording is over. If you care to, you can also find the video files from ‘my creation.’
Besides using iTop Screen Recorder to capture HD video, we also analyze the hottest capture card in the following content. Let’s take a closer look at the difference between the iTop Screen Recorder and the AGPTEK capture card.
You can also try various best screen recorders without watermarks to record video in HD definition.Â
Professional HD Video Recorder – AGPtEK Review
Since a video recorder uses your computer to capture screen video, it takes up your CPU usage and hurts your recording performance more or less. However, those who need to record game-play often require a lossless recording quality. Therefore, a professional device to capture HD video is their best choice, and an AGPTEK capture card is one of them.
How to set up AGPtEK capture card so as to capture HD videos?
The installation is quite simple, and a comprehensive user manual is included with a purchase of an AGPtEK capture card. In this post, we will take HDMI connection as an example, and give instructions for capture card setup. For other input source connections, please refer to the user guide provided by the manufacture.Â
Step 1. HDMI cable Setup.
Connect the power with a DC adaptor and plug in a USB drive. There are two HDMI cables in your AGPtEK capture card package. Plugin one HDMI cable to connect the HDMI In port with your consoles such as switch, Xbox, and ps4. Use another HDMI cable to connect the HDMI Out port with your monitor.Â
Step 2. Microtone and Speakers Set-up.
Connect your microphone plug to Mic In port to record your voice while capturing HD video. The Line Out jack is for speakers or earphone connections. When you use an HDMI monitor, you could skip the step as your HDMI monitor is recognized as an audio device by default.Â
Step 3. Start Recording.
When you power your capture card, the recording mode is automatically on, and you could see the indicator light is in green. Just press the Record button, you could capture or stop the HD video recording.
Details of this HD capture card – AGPtEK
Broad Compatibility |
   PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Wii U, etc |
Input Port |
   HDMI, YPbPr |
Record Quality |
   Max 18Mbps@1080P 30fps |
Record Format |
   Video: AVI MPEG4/Audio: AAC Stereo |
Record File |
   Max 2GB/per file |
Record Place |
   Max 140MB/minute, 8.4GB/hour |
Mic-in |
   3.5mm TRS Mic-in for commentary |
Storage Device |
   USB Flash Disk, Portable Hard Disk, not work with USB3.0 devices |
Schedule Recording |
   Not Support |
Playback |
   Not Support |
Limitations of this tool
1.   Not Cost-Effective
One of the downsides of the AGPtEK capture card lies in its pricing. Even the cheapest capture card is much more expensive than a screen recorder.
2.  Inconvenient to Carry Around
Capture cards are physical devices, and it is inconvenient to carry around.
3.   Complicated installation
Compared with the setup process of recording software, capture card installation takes more time. It requires users to carefully read the instruction guide and complete the installation.Â
Capture Video in HD: Which is Better?Â
To find yourself the most suitable recording tool, we have made a comparison table so you could weigh the pros and cons of the two products. As you could see, iTop Screen Recorder supports live streaming and schedule recording, while the AGPtEK capture card does not. Besides, the AGPtEK capture card has been left far behind than iTop Screen Recorder in the number of media output formats. Therefore, it is generally considered better to use a well-optimized screen recording tool (iTop Screen Recorder) than purchasing a costly capture card.
AGPtEKÂ Â |
iTop Screen Recorder |
|
Price |
$62.99 |
$39.99 for lifetime |
Video Quality  |
1080PÂ Â |
1080PÂ Â |
Editing Tools  |
Support |
Support |
Portability |
Need to be carried around |
Rooted in your PC |
Live Streaming |
Not Support |
Support |
Scheduled Recording |
Not Support |
Support |
Audio Output |
AAC Stereo |
MP3, AAC, AC3, FLAC, WMAV2,etc |
Video Output |
AVI & MPEG4 |
MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, FLV, TS, GIF, etc |
Conclusion
To wrap up, this passage recommends the two most useful methods to capture HD videos. The first one - iTop Screen Recorder is PC-based software that allows you to capture HD video on your computer. While the second one - AGPtEK capture card is a physical device (hardware) that records on-screen content and encodes it in a high-quality video for playback. Please refer to the comparison sheet we concluded for you and choose the best recording tool according to your concrete demands!
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