Literally copy-pasting from your pastebin because it'll look better here and I don't have to worry about looking like I'm hijacking because I didn't write it, aha! Having more resources in one thread can only be a good thing. Aim your upvotes at /u/senichi

~~

What game should I speedrun?

You should speedrun a game that you love to play. If you're serious about speedrunning a game, that could mean practicing for possibly upwards of hundreds of hours to beat your time. You might be playing the same segment of a game over and over again before you're finally happy with your performance in that section, and you could be playing for many hours before that happens. For this reason, you want to pick a game that you won't get bored of quickly. A game that you're happy playing for possibly hundreds of hours so you can get a time that you're happy with before you get bored of it.

How do I start speedrunning?

Once you pick a game, there are different ways you can start speedrunning. Here's the method I like to use after picking a game.

1. Figure out if other people have run the game. If they have, figure out what categories exist. Some games have multiple categories that you might like or not like. For example, if you would prefer a short run, you probably don't want to do a 100% category.
   
   
2. Pick a category. In the rare case that nobody has run the game you want to run before, you get to pick your own ategory. This can be something like "any% - beat the game as fast as possible" or maybe you want your run to focus on collectibles or completion. If other people have run the game you want to run, then you might want to pick a pre-defined category so you're not completely in the dark.
   
   
3. Look into runs that people have submitted in various places. You can check Speedrun.com or YouTube, or just Google your game and the category to see runs of it. Watch the world record run, then look for a runs with worse times that might use a different route. The world record run often uses strategies that are risky and hard to do, so you might not want to jump into a game using that route.
   
   
4. Find guides. When you think you've seen enough routes, you want to either start looking for tutorials (this is usually only an option for the popular games to run), or if you picked a game that isn't a popular speedrun game, you might need to just use any submission videos as your "tutorial".
   
   
5. Play the game. Run the the game slowly using the strategies outlined in any tutorial you found, or by copying what you saw in a video. If possible, try doing any tricks or strategies that are new to you multiple times before moving on. Stay on this step until you feel fairly comfortable with your game. If needed replay the game slowly a few times and use the speedrun tricks.
   
   
6. Do a run. Make it official. Find a timer, for this run any timer should do fine, and time your run from start to finish. Don't worry about your final time. A lot of people have terrible times in their first run, but that's totally okay, it just means it'll be easier for you to beat it later on.
   
   
7. Practice. When you finish your timed run, you should have a pretty good idea on what you need practice with. Some things you thought you were confident on might be more difficult in an actual run. Practice anything you had trouble with in your first run.
   
   
8. Repeat. From here on, you pretty much just repeat steps 6 and 7.
   
   

   I'm getting bored of my game! What do I do?
   

   
   Don't worry, that's not abnormal. Since speedrunning requires so much dedication towards a single game to get a good time, it's common for people to get burnt out or bored before they're happy with their personal best. If you're getting burnt out, I recommend simply taking a break. There's no harm in leaving your game alone for a month or longer and playing other games. Maybe even learn a new game for fun if you still have the speedrunning itch you want to scratch. If you continue to play a game that you're starting to get bored of, you risk getting bored of it on a much longer term, and possibly resenting the game or even outright start to hate it. Who knows, maybe when you come back to the game feeling refreshed, it might be even easier to get a new personal best.
   
   

   What capture device should I use, and how do I set it up?
   

   
   First ask yourself this question: Do you want a cheaper capture device, or would you rather have a good quality device?
   
   If you want a cheaper device, many people recommend the GV-USB2. It's considered the best SD capture device on the market, so if you're recording the older consoles that don't need HD video, then this should work perfectly.
   
   If you want a higher definition device, I recommend the Elgato GameCapture HD. It's very easy to use and the output is excellent. Keep in mind that, at the moment, if you use the GameCapture HD, you might have to use XSplit instead of OBS to stream. OBS currently has an issue with the GameCapture HD that causes it to desync, and in my experience XSplit doesn't have this issue
   
   In addition to the capture device, you will need TWO Composite Video Cables, and you will need THREE splitters.
   
   Here's a picture of how to set up your capture device using the GameCapture HD and a Nintendo 64 as an example. The setup would be the exact same using the GV-USB2 and any other console that uses composite cables. If using the GameCapture HD and HDMI cables, the GameCapture HD has an HDMI in and HDMI out port, so you would just use two HDMI cables, one going from your console to HDMI in, and another going from HDMI out to the TV.
   
   

   Who currently holds the world record for <game>? How can I find more information about <game>?
   

   
   There are multiple ways to figure this out.
   
   

9. Google it. Just Google "<game> speedrun world record" and see if anything pops up. Look for the fastest time and there's a decent change that's the world record.
   
   
10. Check Speedrun.com. A lot of smaller communities and even some larger ones use Speedrun.com because it's easier than making a whole new page. Check this site for the game you're curious about and see if you find anything.
    
    
11. Look for Wikis. This subreddit has a wiki that lists a lot of different sites that might host leaderboards. Check to see if the game you're looking for has a wiki on that list, and if not, try Google again to see if there are any wikis not listed in there.
    
    
12. Ask around. Go to Twitch and look to see if anyone is streaming the game you're curious about. You might find someone speedrunning the game right now, and then you could ask them or see if their Twitch bio has any information about it. If that doesn't work, you could check out the weekly noob question thread and ask about the game. Someone else might know where you can find the information you're looking for. You could also send a message to someone that runs the game on Twitch if you know anyone that does, even if they're offline. Speedrunners are generally happy to spread information about their game and would be happy to answer any of your questions.
    
    

    Can I use an emulator?
    

    
    This varies a lot from game to game. Different communities deal with emulators in their own ways. The usual answer to this question is yes, but it's considered a different category. The reason for this is because emulators are often not perfect in their emulation, so there might be differences in framerate, which affects your time, or sometimes even entire tricks are possible only on emulator.
    
    Some games don't accept emulation at all, but that only means that any runs that you do on emulator won't be able to go on the leaderboard. You still might want to use an emulator for exclusively practice because emulators let you use save states that make it easier to repeat the same part over and over again. Just keep in mind that while using an emulator you might be practicing at a different framerate than on console, or you might be dealing with slight input lag.
    
    The FAQ on SpeedRunsLive has a list of emulators that are commonly used and banned.
    
    In the end, the answer to whether or not you can use an emulator is specific to whatever game you're playing. These are only general guidelines and may vary on your game.
    
    

    What's that timer program I see on peoples' streams, and how can I get it?
    

    
    There are multiple timer programs that are listed on the Tools sections of SpeedRunsLive. The most popular timer program at the moment is LiveSplit, but in the end it's personal preference.

FAVOLCANO Easycap ($11). See capture quality here.

i-o Data GV-USB2 ($35). See capture quality here.

Diamond VC500 ($36). See capture quality here.

Dazzle Video Capture ($44). See capture quality here.

Hauppauge 610 ($49). See capture quality here.

To capture from these you would need a computer, an AV splitter, and some software to capture video (like OBS).

I run on SNES and use this little beauty, works like a charm. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00428BF1Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

GameCube and Game Boy Player is the standard setup. The startup disc for the Game Boy Player can be a bit pricey these days, but you can softmod the GameCube and use the free Game Boy Interface software as an alternative.

From there, you can get an HDMI adapter and HDMI capture card (lots of those to choose from). Or if you need to save some money, a good S-Video capture device like the IO Data GV-USB2, an S-Video splitter, and a GameCube S-Video cable will still get you a pretty decent-looking capture. Either way, set it up in OBS and you're good to go.

I'd suggest also getting an SNES controller adapter. I find it way nicer than using the GBA as a controller. There's also one for Wii Classic Controllers if you prefer.

Get a GV-USB2 capture card! It's basically the go-to for standard definition console gaming.

He'll also need a video/audio splitter. I use this one and it works wonderfully. You'll need an extra set of composite cables as well. (That's just an example. Get whatever will ship on time for you)

If he wants to stream on twitch, consider getting him a webcam and mic. Let me know what your budget is and I can recommend some options for you.

For anything with the traditional red, yellow and white plugs, this thing here is king. I-o DATA USB connection video capture GV-USB2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00428BF1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_1bNMzb9C8YEM9

You will need this, a splitter, and two extra sets of cables (look in the "frequently purchased together" section below). Plug the console into the splitter, then run the extra cables from the splitter to your tv/monitor and to the capture card. The capture card is USB, just plug it in to your computer.

All the software instructions will be in Japanese, but just Google the name of the product and you will find some very easy to use installation guides.

From there, just use your choice of recording or streaming software! I'm an xsplit guy, but OBS is popular because it's totally free.

EDIT: Also, if you're going to run Mario 64 specifically, make sure you have the proper version of the game! I'm fairly sure it's primarily played in Japanese, and I'm not sure if there are glitches missing from the US release.

gv-usb2 is generally known the give the best quality s-video capture

Fellow broke college TO here. My weeklies average around 15 too so i feel like we're in a similar situation. My venue doesn't have good enough internet in the basement to stream to Twitch, so we only record and upload to youtube.

For my laptop, I use a pretty ok, free laptop my college gave me. You don't need anything fancy if you're not streaming.

I use this as a capture card, I got it on sale for like $15. It's far from the best but it really gets the job done and serves its purpose.

http://www.microcenter.com/product/315700/USB_20_Video_and_Audio_Capture_Device

I've also had one of my players recommend me this capture card. I've never used it but I hear it's cheap and it's good.

https://www.amazon.com/I-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y

For the player cam, I use a used camera on got on sale for $11. Once again, it's not great. But it gets the job done on a budget.

For the actual stream layout I found free overlays online, and my homie who's good with photoshop hooked us up with a logo for free.

If you wanna see what we're working with, how it looks, and what the quality looks like here's our Youtube channel.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1bW6_nKMnvljeFXHpogkhw/playlists

If you have any questions just hit me up. I'd love to help another little local scene like mine grow!

I can't recommend the ioData GV-USB2 enough. It plays really nicely with OBS and a lot of other software. The driver installer is in Japanese, but there are guides and installation is really quick and easy. You'll need some sort of splitter cables or Y-splitters to connect your N64 to both a television and the capture card, but that should only run you around $15 extra at the most.

> For starting out, cheaper options include the dazzle or elgato.

Oh geez please don't recommend these two to people

Dazzle is just trash quality and has audio issues, and Elgato (I'm assuming you're talking about the Elgato HD?) has that audio delay issue which is just something that absolutely should not be present in a supposed "high-quality" and fairly expensive device.

The GV-USB2 should be the go to starting/budget capture device. It's cheap, it's decent quality, and most importantly, it just works without any glaring issues.

There's also a million copies of it which can be had for cheaper but many of them have issues, so it's not worth it.

> Bit rate I use is 2500

This is fine for streaming but if you're local recording I hope you record at a higher quality.

You need the dazzle and a couple splitters (if you want to play on the tv). With that you can use obs (open broadcast software) to stream.

edit: I doesn't have to be a dazzle. Cosmo uses this one for n64:

http://www.amazon.com/DATA-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1415515983&sr=1-1&keywords=i-o+data+gv-usb2

the splitters can be found at:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H4L6UO8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

with the splitters you will need a male to male av cables:

http://www.amazon.com/Premium-Audio-Video-Composite-Cable/dp/B001VJ465O/ref=pd_sim_e_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1KV4BF0YP4E0PYEC1A0T

To get the capture card to work on obs, you create your scene and source a video capture device. You need to make sure all the drivers are installed for the capture card.

Other than the capture card linked, elgato makes good ones, dazzle, and there are probably others. DO NOT BUY CHEAP CAPTURE CARDS. They are shit, trust me.

GVUSB2 is generally considered the best price to quality ratio.

I do not recommend Easycap's solely off the fact it is impossible to find a "real" one. Almost every one of them on amazon now are fake Easycap's. With them being fake half the time you could get one that does not work or that just does a horrible job and then randomly stops working.
While it may be a little bit more I highly recommend the GV-USB2 It is $40 which is about the pricerange for any legit capture card. Usually if they are under $40 you tend to get fake ones.
Here is some sample gameplay from my PS2 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve-VOWIny8U
It is in a dark section of the game so you can see how darks handle. Do not judge me for my bad gameplay :)

Get the GV-USB2. Its the go-to for speedrunners and I've heard great things. Probably the best bang for your buck.

For sub-$50 I like the GV-USB2. However, you'll need to purchase three RCA female-to-2-male splitters if you want audio and video to go to both the capture card and the TV (they're cheap though), and your computer will need a CD drive to install the capture card's drivers (unless you find them online, which is also a possibility).

You can go the SD route and get a GV USB2, which is the best quality you'll get out of a SD capture card. This is the best choice.

The GV-USB2 is probably one of the best cheap cards out there. If you want an example of the quality, here's a recording from back when I was using it. I'm pretty sure it can look even better, as I was only using the RCA cables, and not the S-Video input. Just make sure you get a powered splitter like this or this (for S-video) so you can send the signal to both the TV and the recording device without lag.

Just make sure you set the device up properly and use some kind of deinterlacing. For ease of use I'd just recommend using the built in de-interlacing options in OBS.

Edit: If you're short on money and don't want to spend extra on a splitter for live capture, then you can just save your match replays using Legacy TE, and then record them through the recording device using your computer screen to navigate the menus. This requires extra work though, and it can be easy to forget to save your replays. I'd just recommend getting the capture device and the splitter so you can record it all in one go.

The GV-USB2 is a relatively cheap but is considered to be better than the Dazzle DVC100. Downside is that the manual and software is in Japanese, but using the device is relatively straightforward and is supported by free capture tools such as Virtualdub and OBS.

If you do get this, to install the driver software, put the CD in your computer (you can also download the drivers from the manufacturer's website). Select the box to the right, then select the box with a 1 next to it.

TOTAL noob question but would this work with the GV-USB2 for SD consoles to OBS?

Or would I still need to go the route of grabbing two male/male cables and three splitters?

I wrote about this on an FAQ I made some time ago. The GameCapture HD seems to be a bit cheaper than the Avermedia Extreme, and I have one and enjoy it and I see other people recommend it as well. Here's the section that mentions capture cards so you don't have to click the link:

tl;dr: I recommend Elgato GameCapture HD, and you shouldn't need a special graphics card at all.

How do I record my gameplay? What capture device should I use, and how do I set it up?

If you're playing a game on a console ask yourself this question: Do you want a cheaper standard definition capture device, or would you rather have a more expensive high definition device?

If you want a cheaper device, many people recommend the GV-USB2. It's considered the best SD capture device on the market, so if you're recording the older consoles that don't need HD video, then this should work perfectly.

If you want a higher definition device, I recommend the Elgato GameCapture HD. It's very easy to use and the output is excellent. Keep in mind that, at the moment, if you use the GameCapture HD, you might have to use XSplit instead of OBS to stream. OBS currently has an issue with the GameCapture HD that causes it to desync, and in my experience XSplit doesn't have this issue. However, this could change at any time. Some people are able to use OBS with their GameCapture HD without any problems, but I was getting a lot of delay and couldn't find any fix for it within OBS.

In addition to the capture device, you will need TWO double sided composite video cables, and you will need THREE splitters.

Here's a picture of how to set up your capture device using the GameCapture HD and a Nintendo 64 as an example. The setup would be the exact same using the GV-USB2 and any other console that uses composite cables. If using the GameCapture HD and HDMI cables, the GameCapture HD has an HDMI in and HDMI out port, so you would just use two HDMI cables, one going from your console to HDMI in, and another going from HDMI out to the TV.

Note that recording handheld games can be pretty difficult and sometimes expensive. For recording GameBoy games, you can use any capture device and the GameBoy Player for the GameCube. If you're recording on one of the newer systems like Vita or 3DS there are ways to add a capture card to the systems, but that can be risky, expensive, or both. I believe Vita players can opt into PlayStation Now to record Vita games as well.

Once you have the capture device setup, you can continue to the PC section below. Since the point of the capture device is to put the output on your computer for easy recording, most any livestreaming program or recording program should be able to grab your console output and record it for you. Some capture devices might come with their own programs to record with as well, and you're free to use that.

If you're playing a game on PC then recording is much cheaper and simpler, mostly because all you need is just one program. For local recording you can use something like FRAPS or you could use OBS, and if you want to livestream then the popular choices are OBS and XSplit. I don't recommend XSplit if you want to focus on local recordings only because it saves files as .flv and I find those more difficult to work with than what FRAPS or OBS can output. I won't go into depth with the setup for those as there are many tutorials elsewhere for that kind of thing.

I'm not familiar with any SD Elgato devices, however the gv-usb2 (runs around $35~) is a highly recommended USB Capture card and a good value for SD signals (composite/s-video) which has good quality and drivers that don't bluescreen constantly like the dazzle.

The driver install/packaging etc is in japanese but I made an english guide if you decide to get it.

Since you say you're not tech savvy, I'm gonna assume you'd rather not hard-mod your N64 to output a component (480p) signal. Also, N64's output resolution is remarkably low so it doesn't take much to capture good looking N64 gameplay.

What you probably want is an S-video cable (this is the kind I use). I know it says for gamecube, but video cables for gamecube, n64 and snes are universally interchangeable, so you're good.

For capture, the best bang for your buck is gv-usb2. For streaming a composite or s-video signal it's pretty much the universal standard.

Hope this helped.

This adapter is a good one for the price.

Edit: Linked the wrong one

From what I've been told and read on, most everyone recommends getting a GV-USB2. Dazzle DC100 is also an option but it needs some workarounds to get proper sound working in OBS. I used to use a Sabrent VR-GRBR for a few years. It was 20 bucks at the time with pass through (read: no splitters) and the cables so the deal was worth the money. However, the quality was kind of ass. It would have random artifact problems and slowly degraded over time now it just plain doesn't work anymore. I know some people stream with EZCap which is basically the budgety version of a GV-USB2.


If you really want to go all out though, you'd be looking at running RGB out into an upscaler for a HD capture device, but that gets pricy depending on which systems you own and everything.

I think the Wii U should output an HDMI signal, but for older consoles like the N64, I've heard great things about the GV-USB2. Most N64 speedruners I know use it. It's (relatively) cheap too! $35 USD on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/DATA-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y. I believe it's imported from japan.

Order a GV-USB2 if you need a capture card for your console. It's $50 and works great.

https://www.amazon.com/I-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y

As for recording Faster Melee, use nVidia ShadowPlay if you can (as it will take frames directly from the GPU and have little-no impact on your CPU) or some sort of software that can screen capture (OBS, Fraps, XSplit, Gameshow, etc)

It's a small investment to be able to help each other. Reviewing sets is huge.

When you're just getting into it, you don't need to record. You could also just use the ol' webcam-at-the-screen. If you're serious about posting your times to leaderboards, get a capture card. This one is good and cheap https://www.amazon.com/DATA-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y

No clue. Probably because it's a workaround. If you have 35 bucks to drop, I'd highly recommend this card:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00428BF1Y/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=19PXRWYDINS8Q&coliid=I2SHEBGBZQJW43

It's amazing quality, easy with drivers, etc. Works perfectly with OBS once you install the drivers, which there's a tutorial on how to do it in the amazon reviews (it's click a couple boxes, but it's all in Japanese lol).

I use that, with this splitter, and S-video. Here's an example of what it looks like with my setup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN9E1OSVgHo

Just grab an io-data GV-USB2, it's decent and has S-Video in. Good cheap option for streaming, and the quality is good enough if you're doing 720p and below. Since you said you're not taking streaming seriously yet, I don't see why you would spend more than $35: http://amzn.to/2jmInxC - combine that with a component splitter/amplifier and a component-to-SVideo converter, and you're golden.

Since your gameplay will be on a CRT, you won't have to worry about input lag for the stream.

There's also this for $50 that does component video, but I can't personally vouch for it because I'm just an SVideo pleb. https://express.google.com/product/9513734564785364365_6855387360727611182_6136318?mall=Rockies2&directCheckout=1&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=product_ads&utm_campaign=gsx&dclid=CMr968SWu9cCFdINgQodJ0oAaQ

This is what you want

Guide

As a recent owner of an easycap I couldn't recommend against it enough. Mine was a pain to setup and the quality went from bad to really glitchy and awful in the span of a day. I think the dazzle is supposed to be okay, and I know that Cosmowright uses this for his sd capture.
[edit]
I think that the dazzle and that both do 60fps capture while the easycap does not

Buy a gv-usb2 , #1 recommended capture device for N64 speedrunners( also great for converting VCR, great for SNES, havnt tried GC yet with it, but others say its good for it too), only problem, all in Japanese. But there are plenty of English tutorials and installation is simple. You can capture directly in OBS or use the included software capture window. Hope that helps.

I can't believe no one gave you a real response. Buy this and this. Plug the S-video part in to the capture card and the yellow cable in to your TV. Use these to split the audio. Easy cheap recording setup for melee.

A great way to do it would to be to use an old capture device like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00428BF1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_IpABCb992NSQJ

It has essentially no lag so you could play it in your streaming software, but if you really wanna get down and dirty with some old games, you could get a video splitter along with that and plug it into an old monitor, haha, but I imagine you won't be going pro neccicarily with a cheap sponegbob plug and play game - that being said, that's a rad niche you've got there, sounds like it'd be a really fun time!

To add to the other two suggestions, I'll add what I believe are two far better solutions: The GV-USB2 and USB3HDCAP

The GV-USB2 is a USB dongle-style capture card that only captures composite/RCA video and S-video, which is the best you'll get from the Gamecube without expensive cables. It's about $35 USD.

The Startech USB3HDCAP is more expensive, but it will capture HDMI for newer consoles and PCs, as well as composite, S-Video, Component (the best video signal out of a Wii and easy to get cables for), and even RGB. It's probably the best quality card there is at its price and it's offered me a far better user experience than Elgato's devices have for me. I also know PJ DiCesare uses it for his runs and he has excellent capture quality. It's currently on sale for $182.

Importantly, both will capture video at 60fps which I'm not convinced the standard def EZcap will do, and without the added noise and delay I find Elgato devices tend to add.

Hopefully this helps.

This is the one I use, but any av to usb would work.

You do need one splitter at least for the video to go to both the crt and the capture card. You can just have the sound from the TV (that's what I have on my stream) or you can do another splitter like in the drawing above.

I recorded it straight from the N64 with an I-O Data GV USB2 capture device. I'm glad you liked the video. :D

GV-USB2 is a really solid little device for how cheap it is. Just pair it with the Monoprice Wii S-Video Cable and you'll be good to go. You can plug the S-video end into the capture card and the composite video into the TV. solid capture setup for only ~$40

EDIT - you should also get some RCA piggy back cables so you can run the audio to both the capture card and the tv

I'm going through some old family tapes myself and though I would share what I'm doing.
I'm totally not sure this is the best way to do it, because there seems to always be a better way to squeeze more quality out of it the more I look, but what I did is use a capture card like this:

https://www.amazon.com/DATA-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539027006&sr=8-1&keywords=i-o+data+usb+connection+video+capture+gv-usb2

Some people buy really good old VCRs with time based correction, but that is just out of my league at the moment, in both money and effort, and I'm happy with the quality I have so far.

I personally capture it using virtualdub with the lagorith lossless codec, though I think there are better ones out there that require more processing power. The files still tend to be quite huge though as raw files tend to be I think. I then use Staxrip to finish it up by trimming it up and applying QTGMC, which is supposedly a very high quality deinterlacer that bumps it up to 59.98 fps, and it denoises the video fairly well too. At the end of this process I have a decent MP4 that I can watch and relive some memories.

At the end of the day though, there is only so much you can do with VHS, and this is just the culmination of me spending way too much time scouring the internet for ways to preserve VHS footage. Its probably not the best way to do it, as I'm continuously finding posts that say one way is better, some its evidence based, some of its subjective. Its a huge headache, depending on how far you want to jump down the rabbit hole, but I hope this helps you if you just want to see how some else has done it. If anybody has any questions, or has found a better and simpler way of doing it let me know though! Still learning. This video got me started

It'd probably be cheaper to just buy a capture card and play it off Amarec on your computer, if you don't have a TV. Then you'll have a larger screen to play on!

GameCubes are like $25, cables should be $5 each, controllers are $20. A good first party memory card is like $10.

This is the capture card I use. If you do this I'd suggest an s-video cable because the picture quality is worth it.

My recommendation would be to throw down a bit of money and get a good usb capture card, some RCA Splitters, extra cables and a TV or Monitor that has inputs. Total cost should be around $50 on Amazon before the TV/Monitor. The analog signal only degrades slightly (can barely tell on a CRT or stream) and is super easy to set up. There are cheaper options out there but I wouldn't recommend using them - a few of the USB capture cards I have seen that are cheaper than the GV-USB2 don't have drives that work passed windows 7, and even on Win7 they are super janky to get working. The GV-USB2 has a bit of lag when going into OBS so I wouldn't recommend playing straight off of it, hence the splitters. An alternative capture card would be a Dazzle, but I have heard multiple people having issues with audio on those, your mileage may vary regardless of which option you go for.

There are also more expensive options such as getting an internal card but you will probably be stuck with having to get one for digital or one for analog at an increased price.

I tried that exact setup with the same equipment. I only tested it with Melee but the results were not good. Older 3D games do not upscale well. I honestly regret not going with the elgato HD for PM streaming, it can't do 1080p60fps but it can do composite/svideo/component connections. Save your money or buy a gv-usb2 for svideo capturing.

I use one of these.

Setup is Japanese though, so here's a translation.

Edit: I should mention there's a noticeable delay, maybe 1/3 of a second on the capture. So I wouldn't recommend playing off the capture alone. You'd need to split it to a display.

I'd be using https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00428BF1Y/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza connected to my PC, and streaming from there. I'd be using a singular S-Video cable that connects to both my Gamecube and my N64, one at a time.

This capture device is far superior for composite/s-video than the Elgato in my experience, and much less fuss. I understand you may not want to purchase a whole new device for streaming but if you plan on streaming more retro consoles (especially if any have S-video) this thing is worth a look.

When I record from an N64 (or anything that's composite-only), I use a GV-USB2. When I record anything component or higher, I use a Roxio Gamecap HD Pro.

I'm probably going to be buying this capture card: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00428BF1Y/ref=crt_ewc_img_dp_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A165P864A8QJ3J

But im really confused about what kind of splitters I should buy. Most guides say that I should get s-video splitter, and a auidio + svideo cable that comes from the wii. Is there another option? Because If I wanna take it to a tournament then I would need to bring s-video cables for gamecube and wii and would only be able to use it on tvs that have svideo

I was already looking at the GV usb2 (this one) that they mention about 12 minutes in. However I'm concerned about it using some copyright protection and not recording tapes over 20 years old. I don't know if this is a thing or not, but my mom, who wants me to do this for her and is paying for this, read somewhere that that's a thing. Also because that's a Japan import it can't really be returned since we'd only get back like $10 because of shipping.

That model doesn't support VHS to DVD. I personally use a GV-USB to do VHS captures. There are better options but this one has a good value.

Ok, the absolute cheapest way to record gameplay is probably buying a used DVD recorder from a thrift shop. You can get them nowadays for $5-$10 (especially look for DVD recorders that also have a VCR built in, they often get priced even lower for some reason). Then you'll need some blank DVD-Rs, which are like 10 cents a piece in a spindle. Basically, what you do is take your output from your AV switch into the DVD recorder, then the recorder outputs to TV. Record to discs then rip the discs on a computer when you have the footage you want. This ripped DVD video can then be used in most video editing programs, or just straight put online, etc. That's actually how the large majority of AVGN episodes got gameplay footage, incidentally.

The downside is having to deal with discs and the extra time involved in ripping, you also can't livestream with this setup. It can be nice to have the burned DVD as a backup though.

Second cheapish option, use a USB capture card to your PC and composite splitters. Basically, you buy a good USB capture card for about $30: I-o DATA USB connection video capture GV-USB2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00428BF1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_WycSzb8SNAZ9C

There is a cheaper device, like $10 to $15, called EZ Cap, but the more expensive one has much better quality.

Then you buy AV splitters for under $10 like these: Cable Matters 5-Pack, Gold Plated RCA Split Adapter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0141KPHR0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ECcSzbXKPBG3B

Though annoyingly you'll need 6 of those little things, not 5. You'll also need two extra sets of those red/yellow RCA cables, possibly one very long one depending on where your computer is located.

Essentially, you plug the output from your switch into those little splitters, then run one RCA cord out of them to the TV, and the other to the capture device plugged into your computer. Then while you play on the TV, you can record on your computer.

Downside of this method, splitting the cable can result in a bit dimmer video signal, depending on how your TV handles it. Also, extra cable has to be dealt with, and if you don't have a computer nearby may be impossible.

Hope that makes sense. It's a bit of a pain, but not crazy expensive at least.

I can't vouch for the quality of that particular capture card, but I do know that the one many speedrunners currently recommend is the GV-USB2:

http://www.amazon.com/DATA-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y

Very easy to set up, and the recording quality is good.

Here is some S-Video footage I've captured from my own setup, resized to the correct aspect ratio:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRRJ3HTr7kM

Keep in mind the quality is likely slightly less than the originals, because I've had to re-encode once to gain the correct aspect ratio, and because youtube may implement additional compression.

I could upload a video that's only been encoded once(For resize purposes) from a lossless file, but only if there's interest. Quality would be slightly higher.

Sort of depends what you mean by "stream well", what content you're streaming, and how serious you are about the whole endeavor. Some top streamers that play modern competitive PC games use two computers, both with very high specs, because it gives them the best FPS to eke out a competitive edge. On the other hand, there are people who just buy a $30 capture card and use whatever old PC to stream themselves playing analog console games. They don't get famous, or a ton of money (usually), but they have a good time.

If you just want to stream for fun, it's very easy to get started. If you want to build an audience, a name for yourself, cashflow, etc., then it's much harder. Being a professional streamer is essentially running a business - you're an independent celebrity and video producer. But if you're not worried about all that, all you really need is a capture card (if you're playing games) or camera (if you're vlogging), and any reasonably modern computer.

Many streamers who speedrun SNES and N64 games use this: https://www.amazon.com/I-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y

I have one and it's pretty good. The only downside is that the driver is in Japanese, but it's still pretty easy to install.

Or you can use a Dazzle, which won't be as good but would be cheaper. Whatever you do, I would definitely not recommend getting some $10 AV capture device. I had one and they are pretty bad.

https://www.amazon.com/I-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y This one?

I actually know a good RCA to USB adapter on Amazon. It's Japanese, but as long as your computer has a CD drive, installation is self explanatory (though you can google it too). I'll include the link to help.

https://www.amazon.com/DATA-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y

I use a GV-USB2. It's a Japanese capture card, setup is a tad tricky but I paid $40. Has worked flawlessly for two years

If you just want something cheap, about any USB capture dongle will do.

I have heard good things about the I-o DATA capture device and the reviews says it works natively with OBS. You won't get any HD video from it but it will work fine with your WiiU if you have the composite video cables (yellow, red and white cables)

If you want to go even cheaper you're on your own. There are USB capture cards on amazon that's less than 10 dollars but I cannot guarantee it will work with your Windows version or OBS.

The standard elgato may not be a great choice for twitch, since there is a ~2 second delay that can be a bit of an annoyance.

You basically need:
A capture card
GV-USB2 is pretty great quality for SD, but installing the drivers is entirely in japanese. They're pretty easy to figure out by just hitting random buttons and guessing, but people have made guides for "hit these buttons in this order". Once you set it up, it'll work perfectly from then on. The Dazzle DVC 100 used to be a pretty common choice, but I think the GV-USB2 is honestly better (I have a Dazzle, and even I'll admit the GV-USB2 is better).

As far as a splitter/switch, unpowered splitter cables would be fine, such as these plugged into the side of your NES, just make sure you get RCA cables that match up to go to your TV and to your capture card. If you want to get the best picture quality, a powered splitter/switch like this one will give a slightly better picture and will give you room to hook up more consoles as well (since it is a switch as well).

As for software, the standard entry-level streaming software is OBS, and for free software, it honestly is pretty great. If you want to spend money, there's some other good stuff out there, but OBS does everything you'd probably want to do. If you want something a bit better for a timer than your iPhone, try LiveSplit. You can setup splits to keep track of your pace (though considering how short the WR is, just a basic timer is probably fine, this will just allow you to let people watching on youtube or twitch see your timer too).

If you need any help otherwise, let me know.

I use Elgato HD60 (not the new S variant) for PS2, PS3, PS4 and Wii. Whenever pound decides to makes a new version of the hdmi cable for OG Xbox then I'll be using it on there as well. For the consoles without an HDMI output I use a converter/upscaler (component to HDMI). If you want to capture from from a PS3/PS4 you need a HDCP stripper: https://www.amazon.com/ViewHD-Powered-Splitter-1080P-Model/dp/B004F9LVXC
The viewHD splitter I've had for over 4 years with no issue.

Just so you know if you plan on using the PS2 with a converter or upscaler while playing 240p games (Megaman X Collection) you need FMCB with GSM to "upscale" the game to a resolution supported by Elgato HD60 (and perhaps your TV).

Alternatively, I see a lot of speedrunners on twitch use https://www.amazon.com/DATA-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y for capturing from Genesis, SNES, Dreamcast etc.

would I get that as well as the hdmi cable or instead of?

edit: heres what I found on amazon https://www.amazon.com/I-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y
this is what you meant, yes?

I-o DATA USB connection video capture GV-USB2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00428BF1Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_bWaECbY4GMA30

Looks like the price has gone up a little bit, but still not bad for under $40. Just keep in mind that you'll want a powered composite splitter with any composite capture device so you don't get screen dimming/muddy picture. There's a radio shack branded one on Amazon for $20 that splits 1 to 4, which is excellent for me because I play a lot of light gun games on stream and the Guncons require composite video to work.

Dazzle is more expensive than GV-USB2.

http://www.amazon.com/Dazzle-DVD-Recorder-VHS-Converter/dp/B00EAS14KI

http://www.amazon.com/DATA-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y

According to SpeedRunsLive, the go-to capture card for non-HD consoles is available on Amazon, if you are capable of ordering anything online.

https://www.amazon.com/DATA-connection-video-capture-GV-USB2/dp/B00428BF1Y

This is what I use to capture the composite output for NES, SNES, and GameCube.

https://www.amazon.com/RadioShack-4-Output-Component-Distribution-Amplifier/dp/B010EIK6K6/ref=pd_aw_sim_147_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=K1A3NZAMXQP3GN77DATJ

This is what I use to split the output of the console (1 to the TV and 1 to the gv usb2).

Edit: changed component to composite because I had a lapse of thinking when I wrote it initially

You have a couple of options. These are the things you will absolutely need:

1. A capture card - For PS2, I highly recommend this one. It is the best SD USB card for the price.
   
   
2. The right AV cables. For a sharper image, use S-Video instead of the yellow composite video. For S-Video, you'll need a cable such as this one You don't have to use S-Video, but if you're going to stream, I recommend it.
   
   
3. A powered splitter - This is to take the video from the console and pipe it to two different sources, your capture card and your TV. I have two of these splitters and they work wonderfully. You will only need one. It is a one-in, four-out splitter, so two of your outputs will remain unused unless you have another source you need the video to go to.
   
   
4. AV cables to go from the outputs on your splitter to the TV and capture card. For the connection from the first output to your capture card, you can use a standard male-male S-Video cable. For the second output that goes to your TV, it just depends on what kind of TV you have. If you're playing PS2, I recommend using a higher-end CRT, in which case you can just use male-male composite cables. If you TV has a native S-Video port, then just get a second male-male S-Video cable.
   
   
5. A PC that can handle streaming - I know this sounds vague, but you wouldn't believe how many people attempt to stream even SD consoles with a GV-USB2 on laptops pre-2010. When OBS or XSplit is open and streaming, your processor will be in use. If you do not have a decent processor, streaming will bog your PC down.
   
   That's about all I can think of. It's daunting at first when you're trying to imagine how everything would be set up, but I promise it's not as difficult as it sounds. If you have any other questions, just reply here and I'll do my best to answer.

If you want a pretty cheap and surprisingly good one, the GV-USB2 works exceedingly well. I've tested NES, SNES, PS1 and PS2 on it using S-Video and it has looked great in all of them. It's not as great as a Framemeister, but then it's 10% of the cost of a Framemeister.

Hello!

These setups are using what's called a capture card. The way it works (in most simple cases) is a signal comes from a console, goes into a splitter, then one of the outputs goes to the TV, another to the capture card.

There are many many MANY video standards and when it comes to capture you're most likely either going to be working with composite, S-video, and HDMI. There's YPbPr and RGB too but you're most likely not going to use those.

For composite / svideo (pretty much all home consoles up from the 1990's (where most used RF) until the mid 2000's): I'd recommend the GV-USB2.

Sadly I don't do much HD capture so I don't have any resources for that.

So you get your console, split the signal into two using some of these (and something like this for s-video) have one output going to the TV for the yellow/s-video (video) and audio (red and white).

Here's a visual I made for a friend a few years ago, very similar.

Then there's the capture software, sadly I really can't go to in depth in this small reddit post. Some people like doing all the image processing necessary right in OBS, some people (like me) use amarec because it allows better control over the image.

Sorry this is rushed, can't really write too much right now. I found this video which seems to have good information.

My capture set up is huge now (multiple consoles modded for better video, matrix switches, component (not RGB because SCART is mad expensive) setups) but I'm just gave the bare essentials for how I started streaming on my consoles.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions

Sounds like to me you are having a issue with " ghost USB devices "

Windows as you know should update drivers and install them on their own. If you go to " Device Manager " on your pc ( which either is found in the control panel or typing devmgmt.msc in run ) and under the view tab you should see something labeled " Show hidden devices ". Click that option to see all the hidden devices on your pc. One of the last options on the manager should be " Universal serial bus controllers " If you have any " Ghost Usb drivers " they should be grayed out there. Uninstall all the ones that are labeled " unknown device" What happens when you get " Ghost Usbs " for example when you connect a mouse and Windows doesn’t properly install the drivers for you it keeps the failed install of the driver on your pc. Sometimes this can cause conflicts when trying to install the proper drivers and prevent windows from installing the proper driver.

The only other thing i can think of is the firmware version is messed up of your capture card. Try to uninstall the version you have on your pc and install a older version of firmware if you can find it.

If either of those doesn't work at all then its the device. i recommend The GV-USB2 as a capture device. I have used it for over 2-3 years without any issues at all. Hopefully your issue gets fixed. Best of luck

I'm in Canada, so it's ~$42 shipping included. I think it might be my best bet for something that actually works. It's this one, yes?