This 2020 blog post is a basic Windows 10 ‘how to’ guide for the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition capture device and covers my experience.
Who is this blog post for?
This blog post is primarily aimed at people using the device as I do, but also should provide some useful information for others. I’m not using this device with a games console. So if you’re wanting to record or stream gameplay from a console, this blog post isn’t intended for you, but might provide some useful information that can help you.
I’m using the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition with one PC to both record footage from and to run the capture software on. My preferred method is to use my PC with two monitors, but I’ve also provided instructions for a one monitor setup.
I record tutorials and gameplay footage and I’ve used a webcam and microphone. This blog post covers the specific settings I’ve used in Windows 10, Hauppauge Capture, OBS Studio and I provide solutions to three problems.
Warning: Please note I purchased this device at a car boot sale. The lady I purchased from said she had two of the Hauppauge devices. She gave me the HD PVR 2 in the gaming edition box. Please presume I could’ve made an error about which model I own and therefore please don’t base any purchase on this blog post! This blog post is for people already with the devices and I hope the instructions are indeed for the Gaming Edition as I believe they are.
2nd Warning: You download and then use any drivers and software at your own risk. Also any other actions you take, such as disconnecting and connecting cables, you take at your own risk!
Introduction
I purchased this device at a car boot sale in 2019 and other than test it worked, for a long time I didn’t use it. Instead I was using Ashampoo Snap to record tutorials and gameplay footage.
I have a low performance computer and I decided it was time to start using the HD PVR 2. I use the Hauppauge Capture software and OBS Studio with the device.
The PC with one monitor
When i originally got the device I wanted to quickly test it solely on a Windows PC with one monitor. I quickly ran into trouble and couldn’t even get the monitor display to work, ending up with a blank black screen.
Eventually I got it working and with the capture software minimised, I recorded my actions on the same PC I connected the Hauppauge device to via USB, but didn’t test sound or a webcam. I didn’t like the setup, but was satisfied my second-hand purchase worked and many months later connected the device to my PC that uses two monitors, a webcam and microphone.
I’m not saying the steps I took to test the device with a PC using one monitor are the right way to setup the device! I’ve left the six steps in this blog post, should I want to test the device again in the future with one PC and I run into the same issue (and forget what I did)! I don’t recommend you repeat the six steps below:
- Install OBS Studio.
- Connect the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition via USB, but not the HDMI.
- Install the Hauppauge drivers and software.
- Run OBS Studio.
- In OBS Studio add the ‘Hauppauge Siena Video Capture Device’ in the source section.
- Leave the OBS Studio software open and then connect the HDMI cables.
The one monitor for everything setup isn’t good for streaming and I don’t like it for creating a video file. I prefer to use two monitors, with either Hauppauge Capture or OBS Studio running on one screen, with my actions being captured on the other monitor.
My computer with two monitors*:
- Two monitors **
- Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 2GB DDR3 graphics card
- Q9400 Core 2 Quad 2.66GHz CPU
- 8GB DDR2 RAM
- Software installed on a SSD
- Video recorded to either SSD or old SATA mechanical hard drive
* These are the details about the computer I’ve used the device with. The above list isn’t a recommendation or minimum specification for the HD PVR 2 hardware and software.
** One monitor which i used to show the capture software uses a VGA connection. The second monitor is connected to the Hauppauge device via a HDMI to DVI cable.
So as you can see, I’m using a very old low performance PC. However I’ve been successful in using the device with my computer to meet my requirements.
Software to use with the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition
I used the Hauppauge Capture and OBS Studio software. I like the ‘Capture’ software, but I got better results using OBS Studio when recording a video file with a webcam and microphone.
The Hauppauge software clearly details the specifications for webcam use, which my PC doesn’t meet and I ended up with some gameplay voices sounding a bit high pitched. However I didn’t experience this problem in OBS Studio.
I’m not saying OBS Studio can produce better results as it could’ve just been me and settings! So if possible, I think it’s best to test and see what is right for you.
I didn’t use the old version of the software on the disc that came with my HD PVR 2. Instead I visited the Hauppauge website and downloaded the 2nd June 2020 release.
For the OBS Studio details, please scroll further down the blog post.
How I’ve setup a computer for audio & video recording with Hauppauge Capture
I decided to record some gameplay footage with USB microphone audio on the same PC that I’ve connected the HD PVR 2 as well as installed the software. The PC has two monitors connected.
My favourite feature of the software is that when I press the button on the device it will either start or stop recording.
The HD PVR 2 hardware & connections
I’ve plugged a HDMI cable from the graphics card directly into the HD PVR 2. Then a HDMI to DVI cable from the HD PVR 2 to a monitor. Each time I boot the PC, my second monitor connected to the device doesn’t show a display.
How to enable a second monitor using the HD PVR 2 display output on a Windows PC:
- Right-click on the desktop and select ‘Display settings’.
- Select the monitor and set the resolution. *
* At this stage my monitor display starts working.
How I setup the PC to record game play audio and my USB microphone at the same time
In the Windows 10 sound settings I’ve got the output and input both set to my Headset Earphone (2-Jabra EVOLVE 20MS).
Then in the Hauppauge Capture software I have video in and audio in both set to HDMI. On the ‘Mixer’ I have my headphone selected and the mic enabled as shown in the screenshot below.
When recording, I am able to hear the audio via my headset, as well as Hauppauge software record the gameplay audio and my microphone.
Later I recorded some gameplay footage with a webcam, but as mentioned earlier my computer specifications are not good enough for Hauppauge.
How to enable a webcam in Hauppauge Capture.
- Click on ‘Settings’.
- Under ‘Webcam Settings’ select your webcam from the drop-down list.
Note: The video files you create with the software can be very large. You could look at decreasing the video quality and/or decreasing the screen resolution to create smaller files.
Hauppage HD PVR 2 Echo Problem (solved)
If you’re experiencing an echo when playing back your videos in the capture software, it could be because you’re capturing audio from the same PC that you’ve installed the Hauppauge Capture software on and have an audio option enabled.
Try clicking on the sound icon in the bottom right of the Capture software to disable the option and record a test video with audio to see if the echo has disappeared.
OBS Studio
If you’ve not installed the HD PVR 2 software yet and don’t intend to use the Hauppauge software, you could choose to just download and use the drivers only from here.
I’m not streaming to Twitch or a similar service, but only recording to a file with OBS Studio. It’s very easy to setup the HD PVR 2 to work with the software.
As with the ‘Capture’ software, I used the HDMI input and output and left my sound settings are mentioned in the previous section.
How to setup the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition in OBS Studio:
- From the ‘Source’ area, select the ‘+’ symbol.
- Choose ‘Video Capture Device’ from the list.
- Make sure ‘Create new’ is selected and click on ‘OK’.
- If not already selected, choose ‘Hauppauge Siena Video Capture’ from the ‘Device’ selection.
- If necessary make changes to the options and then click ‘OK’.
Then via the same method as above, I did the same for my webcam and also under ‘Sources’ I added my USB microphone as an ‘Audio Input Capture’.
Dual monitor use with OBS Studio
Using a dual monitor setup enables me to easily monitor OBS Studio. The screenshot below was taken when I pressed the print screen button to capture both monitors in one image. I’ve resized the image and ‘pixelated’ my webcam feed, which was the top left area.
The screen on the right shows the game that I’m about to record and on the left I can monitor the output with the webcam and audio levels. The left hand screen is smaller because I’m using a lower resolution on an older monitor.
Conclusion
Whether you require a device like the HD PVR 2 gaming edition depends on what you’re recording from and to. Some people might not need this device at all and have their requirements met in other ways.