What do you think of when you think of streamers’ equipment? Do you think of how expensive everything is? Do you question the quality of the products they use or do you go based on a brand name? For any streamer, their equipment helps make them who they are. The mic they use, the lights they have in the background, their chair, and even their mouse and keyboard can change the atmosphere they create – what many don’t consider are other accessories used to optimize the stream.
If a streamer wants to play older console games and broadcast them through their computer, they will need a capture card. Some of the boutique PCs have the ability to have a capture card pre-installed, however this is an expense that some cannot afford. Instead, most gamers will likely look to purchase an external capture card that plugs into their PC in order to stream their consoles. As you can imagine, a capture card is complimentary for streamers or those who want to use their custom overlays.
When you look at the capture card market, there are very few that are renowned or well-known. Before the release of the Xbox Series X, Hauppauge was considered a top-tier capture card but has fallen from grace. Now, Elgato, Asus, and AVerMedia are considered three of the best companies that produce capture cards at this moment. Now another company looks to enter the market and provide gamers with a new option.
Today, we take a look at the EZCast Catch U Capture Card – find out how it stands up to the competition in our review!
EZCast Catch U Capture Card
Manufacturer: EZCast
Platforms: PC, Mobile, & Consoles
Release Date: May 25, 2022?
Price: $149.99
The EZCast Catch U is a capture card that allows players to record footage from their phone or console. The device does not need to be plugged into a PC in order to record. All the device needs is a flash drive, external hard drive, or a phone in order to record.
Impressions
Starting off, using the EZcast Catch U was no easy task. When first trying to use it, we had difficulty getting it to connect to the devices. Physically the devices would connect but getting a video signal to register did not work at first.
When plugging in the Nintendo Switch we were able to get footage easily, but for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, we just got a black screen. This is due to PlayStation and Xbox having an HDCP feature that needed to be turned off.
On PlayStation, it is easy to do by going into the settings menu; meanwhile, Xbox users have a harder time. On the Xbox Series X, users are required to switch the console to Energy Saver mode in order to use the device. For streaming purposes, this is rather inconvenient but is not the fault of EZcast. A bypass ignoring the HDCP or instructions directly in the manual could have helped with this issue.
Negatives
When the device is unable to record or stream to PC it will just blink red; the red light is indicated in the manual but requires users to problem-solve on their own. When a memory device is plugged in, there is no clear indication that the device is recording. If you are capturing footage on your PC, this can be redundant. However, if you are unable to connect to your PC, the storage device record system is rather convenient.
Outside of the HDCP issue, our biggest issues were audio not coming through and when the USB cable was bumped it would cause the EZCast Catch to completely fail. Additionally, my PC was unable to recognize the device until all devices connected were power cycled. Even then, we were forced to change the port that the device was connected to on the PC.
Verdict
While the EZcast CatchU may have some issues that need to be worked out, the device itself can be rather useful. Rather than jumping immediately into giving it a negative review, we took the time to understand the product and try it out utilizing different devices. Our PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch were a lot easier to capture/stream with compared to the Xbox Series X. Again this is Xbox’s fault and not Ezcasts.
The device allows gamers to record games and experience almost seamless footage. The easy-to-use record button allows you to capture footage without needing to be connected to a computer making for easy on-the-go capture. The device’s size makes it easily portable helping streamers capture footage when not home. The utilization of USB and type-c allows you to be able to connect in a variety of ways.
If you are looking for a sleek, efficient, and effective capture card then the EZcast Catch U is worth considering. The $149.99 price point falls in the mid to upper range for capture card price points but offers a better variety than most available in the market. Currently, the device is available on Amazon for $119.99. As a whole, it is a solid device that can be useful but if not you do not plan on streaming or recording frequently, there are other options; we recommend checking out the device because it might help you.
The EZcast Catch U was reviewed using a PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and a Samsung Galaxy 21 Ultra using a copy provided by EZCast. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here. The EZcatch Catch U is available now.
If you want a discount on the EZcast Catch U, use the promotional code NicheGamer10 to get a 10% discount.
