Right now (today and tomorrow), Gamestop is offering Destiny: The Collection for free with the purchase of any new PS4, including the PS4 Pro.

While I'd recommend the original PS4 over the Slim (more bang for your buck), the PS4 Pro is one of my can't-go-back things. Sammy got me one when they launched, and the ability to record clips up to 60 minutes long at 1080p and the ability to take 4k screenshots is a gamechanger for me (and we don't even have a 4k TV). Well worth the $400 price tag, more so with a free game.

Here's an example of the 1080p video clip quality (and a good idea of what a full team can do against a less-coordinated team in Titanfall):

While I'd recommend the original PS4 over the Slim (more bang for your buck), the PS4 Pro is one of my can't-go-back things. Sammy got me one when they launched, and the ability to record clips up to 60 minutes long at 1080p and the ability to take 4k screenshots is a gamechanger for me (and we don't even have a 4k TV). Well worth the $400 price tag, more so with a free game.

You can record clips in 1080p60 up to infinity minutes with a $150 blackmagic card.

I've been considering getting one, so if you could answer a couple questions that would be great.

How is the noise level compared to PS4? Did you run into any of the reported performance dips on old games even in 1080p mode? How easy was it to move your account and game installs over?

You can record clips in 1080p60 up to infinity minutes with a $150 blackmagic card.

I have a Hauppauge that I used to use, but no computer anymore. That said, even when I did have it, I wasn't running it all the time, so I'd miss important stuff all the time, which is why I loved the Share button on PS4.

I've been considering getting one, so if you could answer a couple questions that would be great.

How is the noise level compared to PS4?

It's quieter for sure, but I've not really paid much attention to it. I mean, the console sits two feet in front of me, and I haven't had any issues with noise.

Did you run into any of the reported performance dips on old games even in 1080p mode?

Nope. Though I've only played Titanfall 2, Gravity Rush, and Rainbow Six Siege, and they all loaded up and ran smoothly (I'd argue that Titanfall 2 loaded too quickly, since I'd accidentally start loading campaign missions while trying to skip the splash screens). The only issue that I've had is that Titanfall 2 saved clips will randomly (once every five minutes or so) skip forward by about two seconds, but that's an issue that has existed on all consoles when playing Titanfall, Call of Duty, and Battlefield, for whatever reason.

Also, we're playing on a 1080p screen, so if we pick up a 4k TV on Black Friday, I'll test out the performance then (sounds to me like the people experiencing things like performance dips must be playing things like Rise of the Tomb Raider at 60FPS/1080p, but who knows.

How easy was it to move your account and game installs over?

You connect the two consoles via Ethernet cord, connect to Wi-Fi on both, and everything can be transferred easily (even saved clips and screenshots).
Since I'm going to swap out the hard drive with a 7200rpm when I get around to it, I didn't really transfer much, but it didn't take long at all.

You can record clips in 1080p60 up to infinity minutes with a $150 blackmagic card.

Which Blackmagic card is that?

You can record clips in 1080p60 up to infinity minutes with a $150 blackmagic card.

Which Blackmagic card is that?

Intensity 4K or a used decklink.

You can record clips in 1080p60 up to infinity minutes with a $150 blackmagic card.

Which Blackmagic card is that?

Intensity 4K or a used decklink.

Are either of those less buggy and unreliable as the Intensity Pro or Intensity Shuttle?

I love 'em when they work, but DAMN. Getting them to do the same thing twice in a row is like doing voodoo.

You can record clips in 1080p60 up to infinity minutes with a $150 blackmagic card.

Which Blackmagic card is that?

Intensity 4K or a used decklink.

The Intensity 4K sells for $199. Read the reviews on it, you'll see complaint after complaint.

As for my own experience with the card: it has been abysmal for game capture on both consoles and with every OS option in several systems. The drivers are constantly being changed and previous versions are 'more' reliable than the latest ones. I had to revert to the 10.4 driver version for Windows 10 to even get video at all.

Which unfortunately, it will only record in a 10bit RGB color space not YUV; so to get accurate colors you have to change the settings on the console, plus it limits your record options, and must be configured in your editor and exporter correctly. PITA for workflow.

Not sure where you get your supply of used decklink cards, but I wouldn't want/trust one. Neither of those you mentioned in my opinion are a real workable solution.

The only real reliable solution I've personally found for high quality 1080p 60fps game capture has been AJA's U-TAP HDMI; which is a lot more 'pricey' than $150. A lot more: AJA U-TAP HDMI

Costs a much as a console itself, but it's been flawless.

So, considering the new PS4's internal solution (all be it a compressed one) still to me seems far more convenient than any of the external ones and for the vast majority, will more than likely be sufficient for their needs.

Intensity 4K or a used decklink.

Are either of those less buggy and unreliable as the Intensity Pro or Intensity Shuttle?

Nope.

(That's the one I did the extensive tests on, that was horrible.)

You can record clips in 1080p60 up to infinity minutes with a $150 blackmagic card.

Which Blackmagic card is that?

Intensity 4K or a used decklink.

Are either of those less buggy and unreliable as the Intensity Pro or Intensity Shuttle?

I love 'em when they work, but DAMN. Getting them to do the same thing twice in a row is like doing voodoo.

Zero problems with my Decklink.

I got a decklink extreme 3D+ off of Craigslist a while ago. It's been flawless. Just use the most recent supported drivers. You can download any version from black magic.

Zero problems with my Decklink.

The original or the 4K? Cause the original can only do 1080i, not 1080p. And the 4k is also retailing at $195.

I got a decklink extreme 3D+ off of Craigslist a while ago. It's been flawless. Just use the most recent supported drivers. You can download any version from black magic.

If you got that for $150 I'd call that once in a lifetime deal and not something many people would be able to take advantage of. Not to mention if the card fails it would be rare to fine another at that price point.

Listings for that card from reputable online retailers are far beyond $150 from what I've seen:

Decklink Extreme 3D+ New/Used

Decklink Extreme 3D New

Zero problems with my Decklink.

The original or the 4K? Cause the original can only do 1080i, not 1080p. And the 4k is also retailing at $195.

There are decklink cards that can do 1080p60. I used the Extreme 3D+ for all the cutscene library stuff. Any current PCIe card from them can do 1080p60. I guess the 4K Intensity is a little more expensive than the old one.

I got a decklink extreme 3D+ off of Craigslist a while ago. It's been flawless. Just use the most recent supported drivers. You can download any version from black magic.

If you got that for $150 I'd call that once in a lifetime deal and not something many people would be able to take advantage of. Not to mention if the card fails it would be rare to fine another at that price point.

Listings for that card from reputable online retailers are far beyond $150 from what I've seen:

Decklink Extreme 3D+ New/Used

Decklink Extreme 3D New

I wonder why it's so expensive? It's really old tech, outclassed by their current offerings, and not even compatible with the newest desktop video drivers. Maybe I did get lucky.

I got a decklink extreme 3D+ off of Craigslist a while ago. It's been flawless. Just use the most recent supported drivers. You can download any version from black magic.

If you got that for $150 I'd call that once in a lifetime deal and not something many people would be able to take advantage of. Not to mention if the card fails it would be rare to fine another at that price point.

Listings for that card from reputable online retailers are far beyond $150 from what I've seen:

Decklink Extreme 3D+ New/Used

Decklink Extreme 3D New

I wonder why it's so expensive? It's really old tech, outclassed by their current offerings, and not even compatible with the newest desktop video drivers. Maybe I did get lucky.

Perhaps because like a 2010 Mac Pro, it actually works?

At a $500 to $900+ price, I would think it had better work.

There are decklink cards that can do 1080p60.

Sure, just not for $150. Not brand new anyway from a retailer.

> Any current PCIe card from them can do 1080p60.

Really, which ones? I'd be curious to know the price point cut off for 1080p60 capture from Blackmagic's offerings.

> I guess the 4K Intensity is a little more expensive than the old one.

Apparently.

There are decklink cards that can do 1080p60.

Sure, just not for $150. Not brand new anyway from a retailer.

Any current PCIe card from them can do 1080p60.

Really, which ones? I'd be curious to know the price point cut off for 1080p60 capture from Blackmagic's offerings.

Well the Intensity 4K is $199 and does 1080p60. So that seems like the cutoff point. It can also do LPCM surround sound over HDMI capture.

Oh, that one I know. But no one should use it for the reasons I already mentioned above. (It's a bad card IMHO.)
I was curious about the other potential options.

Oh, that one I know. But no one should use it for the reasons I already mentioned above. (It's a bad card IMHO.)
I was curious about the other potential options.

I think you are having trouble because you run a hackintosh? I know it's not helpful, but I've had very few problems with it or any Blackmagix card or thunderbolt device.

I think you are having trouble because you run a hackintosh?

Nope.

I have a Apple Mac Pro "Twelve Core" 3.06 x 2 (2012/Westmere) with a GTX 780 6GB vid card, 48GB of RAM and XP941 SSD for the main OS.

I used several different Blackmagic cards including three different 4K's on my personal Mac Pro using both Mac OS, Windows 7 Pro and Windows 10. I also used them all in the Dell Workstations at work using Windows 7 Pro and Windows 10 with several versions of the drivers from 10.4 on up on all of them.

All were horrible and/or unreliable experiences. Plus the RGB only colorspace was a real non starter for recording options. Suffice to say the $199 4K card is not a viable option really for 1080p60 console video game capture.

All were horrible and/or unreliable experiences. Plus the RGB only colorspace was a real non starter for recording options. Suffice to say the $199 4K card is not a viable option really for 1080p60 console video game capture.

It'd not RBG only dude. From their own page:

With Intensity Pro 4K you can capture full 10-bit quality YUV video and deep color from the latest game consoles!

You wouldn't even get an image if it didn't understand YUV. If you are capturing a video source, and your captures are RGB, it's because your capture codec is converting to RGB.

After reading, it appears the 4K works a bit differently in that it doesn't auto detect the video format. So if you know your source is YUV, then make sure your capture app is configured properly and it will stay in the correct format. 4444 is RBG the rest are YUV. All the choices are right there in media express:

That being said, anything from the new consoles (that's not bluray playback) is RGB anyway.

It'd not RBG only dude. From their own page:

With Intensity Pro 4K you can capture full 10-bit quality YUV video and deep color from the latest game consoles!

Then that's something they have fixed/added because 6 months ago when the cards were tested by me; it was not even an option.
In the capture app Blackmagic provides (which was the only one that worked) the only recording option that game any video with the xbox one was their own RGB setting.

You wouldn't even get an image if it didn't understand YUV.

Yup, that was the problem at the time.

After reading, it appears the 4K works a bit differently in that it doesn't auto detect the video format. So if you know your source is YUV, then make sure your capture app is configured properly and it will stay in the correct format. 4444 is RBG the rest are YUV. All the choices are right there in media express:

Yeah, every option was tried when testing. If you look online for "Intensity Pro 4K problems" you'll see a lot of threads about the issues people have had.