Best Live Gamer 2023 • 6 Live Gamers Reviews

What is a live gamer?

Live gamers are electronic devices that connect to a computer or console to capture the video signal in the highest possible quality using the HDMI connection. This makes it possible to modify or process the video before sharing it. They are also commonly used to perform live broadcasts in high quality.

Advantages and disadvantages of live gamer

Modern live gamers allow live broadcasts without any latency and with high-quality video, in many cases even in 4K resolutions with 60 FPS. They also allow you to process and edit the video before sharing it and are, in general, very easy to use.

On the other hand, they can be quite expensive and many of them require an HDMI splitter if you are looking to record and share protected content. It seems clear that its advantages far outweigh its disadvantages. You can learn more about live gamers in the following chart.

Advantage

Disadvantage

Shopping Criteria for the best live gamer

If you are considering purchasing a live gamer and you want to make sure you make the right choice, there are a series of key criteria to consider. To facilitate the task, we have selected those that we consider to be the most important. We hope they serve as a guide and allow you to separate the wheat from the chaff.

• What are you going to use the live gamer for?
• Image Resolution
• Does it need a separate PC?
• Connectivity
• Processing Power
• Weight and Measurements

What are you going to use the live gamer for?

The first thing you should consider when choosing a live gamer is what you are going to use it for and what equipment you are going to use it with. After that, it is important that you make sure it is compatible. You will not need the same live gamer for recording your games than for live streaming in high quality.

You should also think about if you want to connect it to a camcorder so you can see what you are recording directly on the PC or whether you want to broadcast live in high quality format from the camcorder itself. If you are going to use the live gamer for a closed surveillance circuit, you need one that has several ports of the same type in order to connect multiple cameras.

Image Resolution

These days, you should not accept a live gamer that is not capable of recording video in at least Full HD quality. Even better if it captures video in 4K resolution as this is starting to become standard in today’s market. Of course, there is going to be a significantly higher price for the latter.

It is also essential to record and broadcast with a good refresh rate. At a minimum, you should consider 30 FPS (frames per second) but ideally it will reach 60 FPS. In this way, you will have a much more fluid video. At present, there are already live gamers that even allow live broadcasting at 4K and 60 FPS.

Does it need a separate PC?

In the event that you are going to use the live gamer to record content or stream from your personal computer, it is important that you consider whether or not you would require a second PC for it. The advantage of using a second computer is that it means the first one will not lose performance during capture.

The disadvantage is that you would need two PCs and the space to locate them. In fact, you might consider whether it would be easier to record videos directly through the software. Just keep in mind that in the case of a game console or a video camera, you generally will need a computer in addition to the console or camcorder.

Connectivity

Since live gamers are intermediate devices, it is important that you look at the different connectivity options, both inbound and outbound. Although some live gamers only have a USB 2.0 connection, you would like to opt for a model that has a USB 3.0 connection or higher for faster data transfer.

Live gamers that support high definition are connected through a HDMI port but it is also possible to find some that incorporate RCA and VGA connections. It is therefore important to see which audio inputs you need. On top of that, it is especially convenient if they have a microSD card slot to record directly without the need to connect to a PC.

Processing Power

The processing power of the live gamer is essential, not only to capture and record the images in high quality, but also to broadcast the video live or process the images. To evaluate the processing capacity you should look at the type of processor that is integrated in the live gamer.

You can find devices that have very powerful processors such as the Intel i5 or i7. Besides that you should also look at the available RAM, both quantity and type. It should at least be DDR3, although, of course, DDR4 is much better in every way.

Weight and Measurements

If you are going to frequently want to take the live gamer with you it is important that you choose one with small dimensions and one that is light enough. This way, it will be easier to transport it and you can record your games wherever you are. You can even use it when you participate in a competition.

Related links and sources

• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/15/business/tech-video-game-streaming-twitch.html
• https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201215-how-online-gaming-has-become-a-social-lifeline
• https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/how-brands-should-approach-live-streamed-gaming/3782

FAQ

Who should buy a live gamer?

If you want to make high-quality video streams of your video games, live gamers are indispensable. This is especially true for consoles since many do not allow video capture through software like you would be able to do on a personal computer. You can also use them to convert your videos from analog to digital format, as well as being useful to sports analysts who need to analyze the game in real-time. They are equally interesting for surveillance systems, since they allow several cameras to be connected to the same computer.

What is the HDMI splitter required by some live gamers?

Certain digital contents are protected with HDCP. This is the case with some video games, on the PS3 or with the programs of channels such as Netflix. Some video capturers cannot bypass this security, so it is not possible to record the content directly. HDMI splitters can solve this issue. An HDMI splitter is nothing more than an electronic connection device that allows you to divide an HDMI signal into several identical signals. This way, you can divert the signal to a computer and record it using the recording software that comes with the live gamer itself. Some manufacturers include the HDMI splitter with the live gamer.