Introduction

The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Video Recorder Gaming Edition is a high-quality video capture device designed for gamers. This device allows you to record your gameplay in full HD quality, making it perfect for creating walkthroughs, tutorials, and other gaming content. The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 is easy to use and features a variety of connectivity options, making it a versatile choice for any gamer. The estimated price of this product is around $160, and it was launched in 2012.

Included with HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition

• HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition recorder: H.264 high definition video recorder, USB
• HDMI cable to connect HD PVR 2 to your TV monitor
• PS3 Component Video gaming cable
• Hauppauge A/V cable set for Component video
• USB 2.0 cable
• 6V 1.66A Power Supply
• HD PVR 2 Installation CD, with HD PVR 2 drivers for Windows and Hauppauge Capture

Detailed Specifications

The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition supports high-definition video recording at up to 1080p resolution. It features an HDMI input and output, as well as component video inputs. The device also includes a pass-through feature, allowing you to play your games on your TV or monitor while recording. The HD PVR 2 supports audio input via HDMI, optical, or RCA connectors. It includes a built-in H.264 encoder, which ensures high-quality video recording with minimal lag. The device also features a USB 2.0 interface for easy connection to your computer.

Overview

The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition records video in HD from a video game console. The software which comes with HD PVR 2 only runs on Windows PCs, but there are third party applications which run on the Mac. Please see our website for more information.
HD PVR 2 recordings are made onto a computer’s hard drive in a compressed H.264 format. It records from HDMI or Component Video (also called YP or Pb). You can also record S-Video or compose video using and optional A/V cable (you can purchase this on the Hauppauge Webstore). It will record at 1080p30, 720p or 480p at datarates from 1Mbit/sec up to 13.5Mbits/sec. 

Note: if you are recording from a PS3, you must use the Component Video port on the Audio can be supplied to the HD PVR 2 from stereo audio connectors on the Hauppauge AV cable or via the HDMI port. HD PVR 2 comes bundled with the Hauppauge Capture application to record videos, stream videos using Twitch and YouTube, trim your videos or upload your video recordings to YouTube. There are two types of HD PVR 2 record formats:

TS: this is a native H.264 format which can be recorded as a Blu-ray disc. The TS files record-ed with the HD PVR 2 can be edited with Sony Vegas (all versions).
MP4: this is similar to the TS file but has an index at the beginning of the file. In the Edit tab of Hauppauge Capture, click ‘Export to MP4’ to create an MP4 file without losing video quality.

Installing the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Video Recorder Gaming Edition

Boot into Windows on your PC
HD PVR 2 works with laptops or desktop PCs with Windows 8, 7, Vista and Windows XP. 
Plug the power supply into HD PVR 2
After your PC has booted to Windows, plug the supplied Power Supply into the HD PVR 2   . 
USB connection
Plug one end (the square end) of the supplied USB cable into the HD PVR 2’s USB cable connec-tor. HD PVR  2 is compatible with USB 2.0 (high speed) only. Plug the other end into your PC. 

Connect the HD PVR 2 audio and video cables

Connection to your TV set or monitor to HDMI out
Use an HDMI cable to connect the HDMI out from HD PVR 2 to the HDMI input on your TV set.

Note: Your HD PVR 2 needs to be powered on and Video Input and Audio Input set cor please see the Troubleshooting section.

Connect your Xbox One/360, PS4, Wii U or PC game system to HDMI In
If you are using a PC game system or game console using HDMI, plug the HDMI cable (supplied) into the HDMI out of your game system and into the HDMI in on the HD PVR 2.

Note: your PC or game console must be set to 1080p, 720p or 480p at 50 or 60Hz. 

Connect your PS3 to HD PVR 2

• If you are using a PS3, you will use Component video to record your game play.  The PS3 Component Video gaming cable (supplied) has Green/Blue/Red video connectors and White/Red audio connectors at the end. 
• Plug these colored cables into the corresponding Green/Blue/Red and White/Red RCA connectors of the Hauppauge A/V cable set for Component video.
• Plug the PS3 Component Video cable into the AV Multi Out of your PS3. Plug the Hauppauge A/V cable set for Component video into the A/V in connector on the HD PVR 2. 

Note: there are two different Hauppauge AV cables which might be with your HD PVR 2. If you have the flat AV cable, the A/V connector should be plugged in with the word PUSH facing DOWN. If you have the round AV cable, it has a notch to align the connector.
Note: If you are using a PS3, make sure your HDMI cable is notviously had an HDMI cable plugged in to your PS3, you will need to reset the PS3 videoplugged in. If you had pre-output. To do this, push the power button the front of the PS3 until the light goes Red. Then, PUSH and HOLD the Power button until you hear the second BEEP. The second beep means the video mode has been reset and you should now have video coming from the PS3.

Install the HD PVR 2 Windows driver and applications 

For more information, please see the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 support page: http://www.hauppauge.com/site/support/support_hdpvr2.html

Note: the HD PVR 2 needs to be powered up in this step and plugged into your PC while the Windows drivers are installed. If a 'Found New Hardware' wizard appears, please cancel it. Insert the HD PVR 2 Installation CD-ROM in your PC’s CD-ROM drive.

Note: if the CD does not autorun, 'Setup.exe' file. The Hauppauge Installation CD window will appear on the screen. Choose a language.

• Check your cables
  • Check cable connections
• Install the HD PVR 2 driver
  • Install Drivers. 
  • A blue screen will open and begin installing drivers for your HD PVR 
  • Once the drivers have installed, click on the Click to exit bar.
• Install the HD PVR 2 applications
  • Install HD PVR 2 software
  • Click Next.The HD PVR 2 applications will be installed. 
  • The Hauppauge Capture application to record, edit, upload and stream your gameplay will be installed and an icon will be on your Windows desktop. 
  • Once complete, you will be asked to restart your PC. Please do so.

Using Hauppauge Capture

After restarting your PC, you will see the Hauppauge Capture icon on your Windows desktop. Click this icon to start Hauppauge Capture.

Capture tab

• Start/Stop recording: You can also use the record button on top of the HD PVR 2 to start or stop recordings)
• Name of your recording: default name is the date and time
• Timed recording: If you would like to have your recording made for a certain time (example: 10 minutes), set this to the time.
  • If you leave this at 00:00:00, then you will need to manually start/stop your recording
• Video and Audio sources: For a PC game, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4 or WiiU, set for HDMI. For PS3 or a cable TV box, change Video input to Component and Audio input to Line in
• Microphone input: If you want to record your game commentary, select your micro-phone here.
• Audio volume: Set the audio volume of your game, your microphone and your PC audio here. To disable PC audio, turn this all the way to the LEFT (this is 0 volume).
• Video format: When the HD PVR 2 can ‘see’ your video source, it reports the for-mat of your video here.
• Snapshot button: Click this button to take a snapshot of your video. You can also hit the spacebar on your keyboard to take a snapshot.
• Advanced menu: This is where you can set the video scaler, color con-trols, audio settings
• Quality: This is where you set the bit rate of your recordings. The higher the bitrate, the better your video quality will be but the more disk storage your recordings will consume. 
  • For recording, always set to Variable

Edit tab

• Export to MP4: Some video editors need an MP4 file. When you are finished trimming your videos, click this button and your video will be converted to MP4 without any loss in video quality.
• Start and pause your video: You can start or pause your videos with this button
• Cut from the LEFT: When you click this button, you will delete all of the video to the LEFT of the video mark.
• Video mark: This shows youthe current position in your recording of the video you see in the preview window
• Cut from the RIGHT: When you click this button, you will delete all of the video to the RIGHT of the video mark.

YouTube tab

• Upload to YouTube: After you have trimmed your videos, click here to upload them to YouTube.
• Enter your YouTube credentials: Enter your user name and password.

Note: if you have multiple YouTube accounts linked to one user name and password, you cannot use this function to upload to YouTube. You will need to manually upload using a web browswer. Your videos can be found in the MyVideos folder on your PC.

• Enter the Title, Keywords and Description: This is the minimum information required by YouTube to upload your videos. Then click OK.

StreamEez tab

• First, set your streaming quality: We recommend starting at 1.5Mbps and checking to see if your stream looks good.  If it is, then your Internet connection is good and you can increase the Quality to 2.0Mbps or more.
• Next, select your streaming service: You can stream with Twitch, YouTube and Ustream. You can also add your commen-tary by selecting your microphone in the ‘Mic input’ box above.
• Enter your login information: Once you have selected your service, click here and the Login box will open. If you are using Twitch, you can also choose your Ingest server in the Location box.
• Login box: This is where you enter your user name and password. Once you have entered this information, you will see ‘Gathering credentials’ as we try to log onto your account.   

Description

The Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition is a powerful and easy-to-use video capture device. It features a sleek and compact design, making it easy to transport and set up. The device supports a wide range of video and audio formats, ensuring compatibility with a variety of gaming systems and devices. The HD PVR 2 also includes recording software, which allows you to edit and customize your recordings. This device is an ideal choice for gamers who want to create high-quality gaming content, or for anyone who needs to record video from a variety of sources.

Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Video Recorder Gaming Edition Troubleshooting

If you experience issues with the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition, here are some common problems and solutions to help you troubleshoot:

• If you are experiencing lag during recording, try lowering the recording resolution or frame rate.
• If you are having issues with audio sync, try adjusting the audio delay settings in the recording software.
• If you are experiencing issues with video quality, try adjusting the recording settings or checking your cables for damage.
• Always ensure that your device is properly connected and that all cables are securely fastened.

What do the lights on front of HD PVR 2 mean?

• Blue light
  When HD PVR 2 is powered on and the Windows driver is running, the blue light is on. If the blue light is blinking, the HD PVR 2 is not ‘seen’ by your PC. Check the USB cable!
• Yellow light is on after you start Hauppauge Capture
  This is good and means HD PVR 2 detects video and you are ready to record. If you do not have a yellow light, then your video source is not being ‘seen’ by the HD PVR 2. If you are recording from a PC gaming system, make sure your graphics card is set to 1080p60 or 720p and the refresh rate is 60Hz. Otherwise, make sure you have set the correct Video and Audio Input.
• Green ring
  Indicates that HD PVR 2 is recording or streaming video.
• Red light
  This means the video encoder inside HD PVR 2 cannot send data to your PC. There are a number of reasons this could happen. If your PC is running slowly and cannot get data from HD PVR 2 quickly enough, the red light might go on for a few seconds until the PC can accept data. Change to another USB port on your PC, then power down HD PVR 2, wait a few seconds and power up again. If you continue to see the Red light while recording and have checked your cabling, contact Hauppauge technical support.

No video in the Hauppauge Capture preview window 

1. Make sure HD PVR 2 is listed in the Capture tab. If not, then please check your USB cables and make sure the blue light is on on the front of HD PVR 2. If you cannot see HD PVR 2 listed, reinstall the Windows driver by running Step 1: Install HD PVR 2 Drivers from the Installation CD. Power cycle the HD PVR 2 and reboot your PC after reinstalling the drivers.
2. Check the video mode of your console. It must be set at either 1080p60 or 720p. If you are using a PC game system, check our website at: www.hauppauge.com/pcsetup
3. Check your cables. Remove each cable and make sure it’s firmly reseated into each device you are using. If using HDMI cables, try swapping the HDMI cables (in cable with the out).
4. Check the Video input setting. If the Video input setting is wrong, you will get a black preview window. Set Video input to Component video for a PS3 and HDMI for all other devices. Is the yellow light on on the front of HD PVR 2? If the yellow light is not on, then either you have the wrong Video input source set or your game console is not turned on.
5. If you are using a PS3, make sure you have disconnected the HDMI cable between the PS3 and your TV set. Having HDMI connected at the same time as Component video will shut off Component Video and you will not see video in the preview window. Once you have disconnect-ed the HDMI cable, you will need to reset the PS3 by PUSHING and HOLDING the power button on the front of the PS3 until you hear the SECOND beep. This means the video mode has been reset.
6. If using HDMI, verify your source device does not use HDCP copy protection (the PS3 uses HDCP on HDMI). If this is the case, use the component video input.
7. If the yellow light is on the front of HD PVR 2 and you still see a black preview window, try recording some video. If you can successfully playback a recording but you cannot see live video in the Preview window, there might be a video rendering problem (video card drivers, hardware acceleration…) Check device settings for video decoder details. To enable hardware acceleration, select “hardware acceleration” in the Settings menu in Hauppauge Capture.

If capture fails, it is likely something is wrong with the video input to HD PVR 2. This could be a bro-ken or loose video cable or you plugged the cables into the wrong connector on HD PVR 2.

Pass through video problems 

No video on my TV set
Open Hauppauge Capture and verify the correct Video input is selected. Video and audio input must be set initially for passthrough to work (if you power cycle the HD PVR 2, it may revert to its default setting and will need to be set again). Also, check the video mode on your PS3 or Xbox 360. The video mode should be 1080p or 720p.
No video on my TV set but I can see video in the Capture tab
Check that the HDMI cable from the HD PVR 2 (HDMI out) is connected to your TV monitor and the TV is set to the correct HDMI port if multiple are available on your TV. Try changing the output resolution from your game console. Some TV monitors may not support all HDMI output resolutions.
Wrong colors with Component Video
Check the Component video cable: unplug and replug the Red, Green and Blue video cables. Make sure the Red audio cable is not plugged into the Red video cable.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• High-quality video recording at up to 1080p resolution
• Supports a wide range of video and audio formats
• Includes recording software for easy editing and customization
• Pass-through feature allows for gaming while recording
• Sleek and compact design

Cons

• May experience lag during recording at high resolutions or frame rates
• Audio sync issues may occur if not properly configured
• The device can get hot during prolonged use
• No HDMI cable included in the package

Customer Reviews

Customers have praised the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition for its high-quality video recording and ease of use. Many reviewers have commented on the device's compact size and sleek design, as well as its wide range of connectivity options. However, some customers have reported issues with lag and audio sync, and have noted that the device can get hot during prolonged use. Overall, the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition is a highly-regarded video capture device that is well-suited to the needs of gamers and content creators.

Most Common Complaints of Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Video Recorder Gaming Edition

The most common complaints about the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition include lag during recording, audio sync issues, and the device getting hot during prolonged use. Some customers have also reported issues with compatibility, particularly with older gaming systems and devices. However, these issues are relatively rare, and most customers have reported that the Hauppauge HD PVR 2 Gaming Edition is a reliable and high-quality video capture device.