Gamer’s Ultimate Guide: Selecting the Best Video Card Brands

The Top 10 Capture Cards for YouTube

Richard Bennett

Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions

0

If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:

• Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
• Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
• Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
• Hauppage Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal 1080P HD-PVR
• Elgato Game Capture HD
• Imillet HDMI Video Capture with USB 3.0/2.0 Dongle
• HDML Cloner Box Pro
• Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
• HDML Cloner Box Evolve
• AVerMedia AVerCapture HD

Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .

1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro

Price: $204

Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4

Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps

Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.

This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.

2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S

Price: $160

Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4

Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps

Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.

The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.

3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing

Price: $80

Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.

This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.

4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card

Price: $135

Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.

This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.

5. Elgato Game Capture HD

Price: $159

Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac

Specs: 1080p at 60fps

Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.

Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.

6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle

Price: $148

Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS

Specs: 1080p 60 fps

Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.

The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.

7. HDML Cloner Box Pro

Price: $135

Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.

Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max

Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.

With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.

8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder

Price: $80

Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console

Specs: 480p

Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.

This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.

9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve

Price: $121

Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility

Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output

Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).

The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!

10. Avermedia Avercapture HD

Price: $99

Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac

Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.

Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.

This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.

Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions

0

If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:

• Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
• Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
• Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
• Hauppage Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal 1080P HD-PVR
• Elgato Game Capture HD
• Imillet HDMI Video Capture with USB 3.0/2.0 Dongle
• HDML Cloner Box Pro
• Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
• HDML Cloner Box Evolve
• AVerMedia AVerCapture HD

Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .

1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro

Price: $204

Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4

Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps

Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.

This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.

2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S

Price: $160

Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4

Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps

Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.

The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.

3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing

Price: $80

Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.

This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.

4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card

Price: $135

Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.

This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.

5. Elgato Game Capture HD

Price: $159

Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac

Specs: 1080p at 60fps

Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.

Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.

6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle

Price: $148

Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS

Specs: 1080p 60 fps

Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.

The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.

7. HDML Cloner Box Pro

Price: $135

Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.

Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max

Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.

With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.

8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder

Price: $80

Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console

Specs: 480p

Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.

This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.

9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve

Price: $121

Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility

Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output

Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).

The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!

10. Avermedia Avercapture HD

Price: $99

Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac

Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.

Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.

This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.

Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions

0

If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:

• Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
• Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
• Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
• Hauppage Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal 1080P HD-PVR
• Elgato Game Capture HD
• Imillet HDMI Video Capture with USB 3.0/2.0 Dongle
• HDML Cloner Box Pro
• Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
• HDML Cloner Box Evolve
• AVerMedia AVerCapture HD

Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .

1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro

Price: $204

Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4

Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps

Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.

This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.

2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S

Price: $160

Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4

Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps

Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.

The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.

3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing

Price: $80

Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.

This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.

4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card

Price: $135

Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.

This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.

5. Elgato Game Capture HD

Price: $159

Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac

Specs: 1080p at 60fps

Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.

Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.

6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle

Price: $148

Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS

Specs: 1080p 60 fps

Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.

The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.

7. HDML Cloner Box Pro

Price: $135

Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.

Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max

Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.

With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.

8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder

Price: $80

Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console

Specs: 480p

Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.

This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.

9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve

Price: $121

Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility

Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output

Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).

The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!

10. Avermedia Avercapture HD

Price: $99

Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac

Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.

Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.

This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.

Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Nov 04, 2022• Proven solutions

0

If you are like to share gameplay videos, it’s very important that you have a high-quality capture card. With the help of a capture card, you can easily get all of the in-game footage that you need to make amazing videos and grow a healthy YouTube channel . In this article we will break down the top 10 capture cards for gaming YouTubers in 2018:

• Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro
• Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S
• Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing
• Hauppage Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal 1080P HD-PVR
• Elgato Game Capture HD
• Imillet HDMI Video Capture with USB 3.0/2.0 Dongle
• HDML Cloner Box Pro
• Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder
• HDML Cloner Box Evolve
• AVerMedia AVerCapture HD

Click here for more tips on being a YouTube gamer .

1. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 Pro

Price: $204

Compatibility: Windows, Switch, 360, Xbox One, PS4

Specs: Internal PCI 4k 30fps

Highlights: Made for streaming. Improved benchmark speeds.

This capture card works with an HDMI interface as well as the ability to be plugged into any type of PC game device. The process for setting it up and recording is extremely simple and the casing has been designed for improving the performance of the system and making it easier to integrate with many different devices. With an up to 16 MB per second capture bitrate, this is a pro tool.

2. Elgato Game Capture HD 60 S

Price: $160

Compatibility: Xbox one, switch, ps4

Specs: This device does 1080p at 60 fps

Highlights: This is one of very few game capture devices that come with USB 3.0 compatibility for easy access to almost any type of gaming device.

The card itself is mind-blowingly easy to set up with its external USB. It’s made for live streaming to YouTube, Twitch, and other platforms. There’s very low latency available on this card and it is one of the highest quality tools for console players.

3. Star Tech 4 Port PCI Firewire Adaptor Card with Digital Video Editing

Price: $80

Compatibility: PC, Xbox, PS4

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This USB 3.0 capture card can be quite easily installed almost anywhere and captures up to 60 frames per second for live streams.

This card comes with a wide range of ports including DVI, Component, HDMI, VGA, and USB. It’s tough to find a capture card that has so many different ports available and this can ensure that it’s possible to capture on almost any type of gaming system or device. A helpful tutorial is also included with this capture card to ensure that you can get the best video format from every console.

4. Hauppauge Colossus 2 PCI Express Internal Card

Price: $135

Compatibility: TV, DVR, Satellite, Xbox, PC, PlayStation

Specs: 1080p, 60 fps

Highlights: This card is an internal PCI card allowing it to remain as a consistent capture device inside a PC.

This card is perfect for recording live programs from a TV to your computer, offloading programs off of your DVR, as well as recording live game footage from PlayStation, Xbox, or your PC. Included alongside this card is the chance to use Stream EEZ for live streaming directly to platforms like Upstream, Twitch, and YouTube.

5. Elgato Game Capture HD

Price: $159

Compatibility: Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, Mac

Specs: 1080p at 60fps

Highlights: The game capture HD offers a one-click sharing system to YouTube as well as flashback recording where you can turn back 10 or 15 minutes to record content that just happened.

Overall this is one of the easiest capture cards to set up because it comes with USB 3.0 and HDMI connections. For most modern gaming consoles, it offers the same type of features including the flashback recording solution to record retroactively. The device includes unlimited game capture at a fairly reasonable price and a creation suite so that you can do multitrack recording from your webcam. Editing footage from the card makes it very easy to quickly export clips for all of your content and publish them on social media. This game capture device is also known for its extremely compact design. It is only around the size of a mobile phone, meaning it can be quite easily carried in your pocket.

6. Imillet HDMI Capture Card with USB 3.0 Dongle

Price: $148

Compatibility: Plug and play with no drivers needed. PC, Mac, Linux, any iOS

Specs: 1080p 60 fps

Highlights: Doesn’t require any type of driver installation. This will work on any operating system or computer for quick recording.

The card itself is known for its USB 3.0 support as well as USB 2.0, and for not needing drivers. There is no more compatible card on the market right now. If you have had issues with other cards in the past or you regularly run Linux, you should consider this device to be prepared for all your recording needs. The device will detect the input and adjust output automatically to ensure a crystal-clear picture based on the type of device that you’re recording from. Imillet also offers a great warranty of six months free replacement as well as 12 months free repair on the card for anyone that is ordering it. The software that comes with the card is extremely simple but it does the job quite effectively, allowing for quick recording from multiple devices and simple detection for a video signal and output. Input formats can range from 480p to 1080p and frame rates can go as high as 60 frames per second. The device has great stats for its live capture but many people have experienced problems when trying to record from DVR specifically.

7. HDML Cloner Box Pro

Price: $135

Compatibility: Compatible with game consoles, windows, mac.

Specs: 1080p video at 60fps max

Highlights: The HDML Cloner Box comes with its own remote and the option to record using VGA, AV, YPbPr, and HDMI.

With so many different inputs available on this card it’s possible to record from almost any type of gaming device. With the hardware encoder which is on board, you can save videos as MP4 files and then instantly transfer them over to a flash drive on the device. You can get all of your saved files available without even having access to a PC. The box works as a standalone and it doesn’t have to be plugged into a computer to work. Free editing and converter software are included but with a storage memory card placed in the device and you can record a huge amount of footage and then edit it on your PC later on. With the quick connect feature, it is easy to set up recording and then perform all the functions you need for recording, stopping, and pausing on the remote as you use it. This remains one of the only cards available where it works as a standalone and allows for the chance to save videos to a flash drive or storage device without having to have a computer plugged in. The free converter software and video editing that comes with this device add extra value as well. An optional two-year warranty can make sure that you are ready for anything concerning this card.

8. Pyle PVRC43 Standalone Digital Video Recorder

Price: $80

Compatibility: TV, VCR, DVD, Digital camcorder, Laptop, PC, Mac, Game console

Specs: 480p

Highlights: This works as a standalone recorder with up to 32 GB of onboard memory. There’s no need to plug it into a computer for it to work and with the help of the memory card, you can record a wide range of output videos in AVI.

This card is designed as a standalone option and it’s extremely small with a USB 2.0 interface. Overall the quality of this card is not quite as technically advanced as some of the others on our list but it can record a video that is perfectly appropriate for the web or sharing over platforms like YouTube. The device can be set up quite easily with the help of an RCA connection cable, USB power cable, or other options. Generally, you may need access to an RCA to HDMI adapter if you want to record video off of a more modern laptop or camera. Where this device takes over on its competitors is the idea of just how simple it is to use. It weighs less than a pound and has a ‘one-button operation’ to start and pause recording. As of the completely standalone option, it doesn’t require any type of connection to a computer to record video. If you are looking for one of the simplest capture cards on the market that outputs to AVI in web quality, this is it.

9. HDML Cloner Box Evolve

Price: $121

Compatibility: HDMI input standalone mass compatibility

Specs: 4k video input, 1080p 60fps output

Highlights: This is a standalone USB capture device that comes with its remote. It also features dual HDMI slots allowing for up to two sources of video during recording (so you can also record from a facecam).

The card itself features a stream and capture function so that you can stream gameplay to any type of USB storage device. By plugging in a hard drive you can just press one button to record gaming videos and then handle the process of live streaming, editing, and more. Through two HDMI inputs supported and a very powerful remote control, you record on any device with fantastic image quality and without even having to plug it into any type of computer. While many of these standalone style capture boxes only support the use of minimal storage, this is a device that is capable of getting hooked up to any type of USB external hard drive for a chance to capture nearly unlimited video on your Cloner Box. As a bonus, the MP4 video editing software that is included will make the process of trimming, copying, and converting easier than ever. This has incredible value to the overall product. As an additional bonus, this Cloner Box also features a quick heat dissipation capability which can help to prevent lagging and other common problems that occur with many types of capture boxes when they overheat. A free microphone slot in addition to the HDMI slots makes recording professional voiceovers for any gameplay videos as easy as possible!

10. Avermedia Avercapture HD

Price: $99

Compatibility: Any console, PC, Mac

Specs: This device is capable of capture in full 1080p/60fps as well as the style encoding for quick streaming and easy video capture.

Highlights: The timeshift feature available on this device makes it simple to record retroactively as well as offer ultralow streaming and recording over time. The device makes it easy to capture and stream and it comes with a competitive two-year warranty.

This card works as a USB capture card from most any type of device, it captures through a component input or HDMI input and it has some of the lowest latency for any type of team capture. With one slot for video input as well as an audio input slot, it’s possible to record quick gameplay and voiceovers at any time with very minimal setup. Streaming and recording in full 1080p are done quite easily on this device and it’s designed to use less processing power than some of the competitors to ensure minimal game lag. RECental is included as part of this device so that you can set up live streaming to many of the top platforms available online. The timeshift function comes with a one-hour buffer ensuring if a great gameplay moment happens, you can shift back and begin recording from that time. Commentary and sharing are made easy with the software that’s included with this device. It makes sharing and recording an easy process for any avid video recorder.

Let us know what capture card you use and if you’re happy with it!

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Cultivating Confidence for Captivating Your YouTube Audience

8 Tips on How to Vlog Confidently Like Popular YouTubers

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

For most people, vlogging is not something that comes naturally. Like any skill, it takes practice to improve. When someone is good at vlogging, they make it look easy.

When we watch the most popular YouTubers, the traits that make them successful are often invisible, because we are so consumed by their vlog. In this article, I’ll highlight 8 tips from the most accomplished vloggers on the Internet, so that you can vlog confidently and make the best YouTube videos.

1. Be Authentic

People opt to watch vlogs because they want to see something real.

Vlogging is about honesty, telling a story that is truthful and showing your personality. The most popular vloggers are likable because they don’t deceive the audience, they befriend them. Vloggers treat their audience with respect and that comes from being honest.

There will be an urge for you to mimic other vloggers, talking and acting the way they do, but savvy YouTube viewers will be able to see your faux personality pretty quickly.

Don’t focus on your image, but instead focus on your voice. What makes you different? That is how you will build a proper reputation.

2. Tell A Story

A vlog is not an assortment of footage haphazardly put together. A successful vlog must have a story: a conflict told with a beginning, middle, and end.

When you are casually telling a story to a friend, you are not thinking about the structure or the plot. You are focused on what happened and you want to communicate it as accurately as you can. While vlogging, you should approach it much the same way. Ad-libbing is fine. Stumbling is fine. Going back and repeating a part of the story is fine. By simply getting your story on camera, you now have all the pieces.

Once all the pieces of the story are captured — including your storytelling, b-roll, and other supportive footage — you must now cut out all the irrelevant or repetitive parts and edit it so it can be enjoyed as one cohesive tale.

Take a look at this example from Tiffany Alvord and notice how there are jump cuts both to skip information that can be assumed by the audience and add the tension to the story she’s telling.

3. Surprise and Delight Your Audience

There is a saying that a great ending to a story is that it is surprising, yet inevitable .

The ending needs to be justified even if there is a twist. Everything before that had worked to build up the tension and when it concludes it needs to be logical. However, the ending cannot be something that the audience can guess. Remember those mystery movies where you know who the murderer is after the first few scenes? Yeah… those aren’t satisfying. A good story ends with a surprise, and with everything prior leading up to it.

The gold standard example of a surprising, yet inevitable end is Casey Neistat’s bike lane video. Everything in the video is leading up to the end, but when you watch it the first time it’s unexpected, and that’s why it’s so good.

4. Be Inviting

A common trait of successful vloggers is that they are welcoming. They share their passion and encourage others to join in. Vlogging is about being a guide. It doesn’t matter if you are leading a tour of your home or showing your viewer an interesting new skill, it is important for you to approach the whole process with open arms.

Unlike being invited to a party, there is no obligation when it comes to YouTube. Your viewers can continue to live vicariously through you or they may be inspired by your experience and dare to try it themselves.

The opposite of inviting is rejecting, and when you are a vlogger, you don’t want to reject anyone from enjoying your videos.

5. Compose the Shot

Vlogging is a visual medium, and while the story is important, what is captured in the frame will play an impactful role in the video as well.

In a way, every vlogger needs to have a director’s eye for cinematography. I’m not saying that you need to be Wes Anderson to be an awesome vlogger, but knowing what is in the frame with you, the angle of the shot, the movement of the camera, and the quality of light will help the product look better.

The great thing about vlogging is that you will get a lot of practice framing shots, so I encourage you to learn the basics of video editing .

Check out this example from Rosanna Pansino , where she gives a tour of her bedroom.

The camera follows her fluidly throughout the video, but it is her eyes that guide both the camera moves and what she wants our attention to be directed to. Don’t hesitate to let the viewer know what you want them to see.

6. Be Prepared

While you can pick up a camera and start vlogging on the fly, being prepared enables you to produce the best video possible. Take a few minutes before you hit record simply to outline the key points you want to talk about and how the video will end, ensuring that after filming you haven’t forgotten a crucial part.

Additionally, knowing what to say makes you a better host for your vlog. Watch your favorite vlogger, I bet when they are speaking on camera, their speech is not littered with umms and ahhs…

Good preparation includes having all your gear ready for filming when you need it. There is nothing worse than being set to shoot and running out of battery or memory.

Take a look at Ashley Nichole in this vlog and notice that although she sounds spontaneous, it is also evident that she knows what she is going to talk about next.

7. Be Expressive

Remember those teachers that drone on and on, without adding any expression or passion to what they are lecturing? While they might have been perfectly suitable as teachers, they wouldn’t make good vloggers.

If you speak on camera in a monotone voice, you are not being expressive. Your facial and body language will match your lackluster performance. Even if you are talking about something you are excited about, if your demeanor doesn’t match that, then the video is going to be lifeless. Vlogging is a presentation, a performance. There needs to be energy.

Consider your audience: they are coming home from school or work, where there were classes and meetings, and the last thing they want to watch is a video of your speaking without energy.

Want to see a vlogger that is awesome at being expressive on camera? Check out Emma Chamberlain , if you haven’t already. Every word she says in her video is layered with emotion. We know exactly how she feels.

8. Stay Organized

The same way you should prepare before filming, it’s also important to be organized comes the editing phase. Editing is arguably the most time-consuming part of the vlogging process, so have a system for categorizing and finding your footages.

This is especially important when you have multiple video and audio files and if you are capturing footage over a number of days or in different locations.

Additionally, while filming your vlog, you are going to mess up. It’s also helpful to add a cue after you messed up, this can be a sound cue that causes the levels to spike (clapping or snapping your fingers work) or a video cue such as a dramatic gesture to the camera. When skipping through your footage to find the part where you messed up, later on, it’s easier to have a mark to help you locate it.

Vlogging is hard, so don’t make more work for yourself. Learn little tricks to make life easier for yourself at every step.

The more organized you are the more attention you can put into the creative aspect of vlogging, and less time finding a video file or syncing audio to video.

There you have it, 8 tips to help you vlog like the pros. Anyone can vlog. But only until you point a camera at yourself in public for the first time, do you realize how uncomfortable vlogging can be.

Even filming yourself in your room with the door closed — and nobody is in the house with you — can be a challenge for beginning vloggers. If you find watching your first few videos to be cringy, don’t be discouraged. There are fears of vlogging, but you can overcome them .

Take a look at some of the first videos from popular YouTubers and you can see that everyone had a starting point.

Do you have any vlogging tricks of your own? Leave a comment below.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora, which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

For most people, vlogging is not something that comes naturally. Like any skill, it takes practice to improve. When someone is good at vlogging, they make it look easy.

When we watch the most popular YouTubers, the traits that make them successful are often invisible, because we are so consumed by their vlog. In this article, I’ll highlight 8 tips from the most accomplished vloggers on the Internet, so that you can vlog confidently and make the best YouTube videos.

1. Be Authentic

People opt to watch vlogs because they want to see something real.

Vlogging is about honesty, telling a story that is truthful and showing your personality. The most popular vloggers are likable because they don’t deceive the audience, they befriend them. Vloggers treat their audience with respect and that comes from being honest.

There will be an urge for you to mimic other vloggers, talking and acting the way they do, but savvy YouTube viewers will be able to see your faux personality pretty quickly.

Don’t focus on your image, but instead focus on your voice. What makes you different? That is how you will build a proper reputation.

2. Tell A Story

A vlog is not an assortment of footage haphazardly put together. A successful vlog must have a story: a conflict told with a beginning, middle, and end.

When you are casually telling a story to a friend, you are not thinking about the structure or the plot. You are focused on what happened and you want to communicate it as accurately as you can. While vlogging, you should approach it much the same way. Ad-libbing is fine. Stumbling is fine. Going back and repeating a part of the story is fine. By simply getting your story on camera, you now have all the pieces.

Once all the pieces of the story are captured — including your storytelling, b-roll, and other supportive footage — you must now cut out all the irrelevant or repetitive parts and edit it so it can be enjoyed as one cohesive tale.

Take a look at this example from Tiffany Alvord and notice how there are jump cuts both to skip information that can be assumed by the audience and add the tension to the story she’s telling.

3. Surprise and Delight Your Audience

There is a saying that a great ending to a story is that it is surprising, yet inevitable .

The ending needs to be justified even if there is a twist. Everything before that had worked to build up the tension and when it concludes it needs to be logical. However, the ending cannot be something that the audience can guess. Remember those mystery movies where you know who the murderer is after the first few scenes? Yeah… those aren’t satisfying. A good story ends with a surprise, and with everything prior leading up to it.

The gold standard example of a surprising, yet inevitable end is Casey Neistat’s bike lane video. Everything in the video is leading up to the end, but when you watch it the first time it’s unexpected, and that’s why it’s so good.

4. Be Inviting

A common trait of successful vloggers is that they are welcoming. They share their passion and encourage others to join in. Vlogging is about being a guide. It doesn’t matter if you are leading a tour of your home or showing your viewer an interesting new skill, it is important for you to approach the whole process with open arms.

Unlike being invited to a party, there is no obligation when it comes to YouTube. Your viewers can continue to live vicariously through you or they may be inspired by your experience and dare to try it themselves.

The opposite of inviting is rejecting, and when you are a vlogger, you don’t want to reject anyone from enjoying your videos.

5. Compose the Shot

Vlogging is a visual medium, and while the story is important, what is captured in the frame will play an impactful role in the video as well.

In a way, every vlogger needs to have a director’s eye for cinematography. I’m not saying that you need to be Wes Anderson to be an awesome vlogger, but knowing what is in the frame with you, the angle of the shot, the movement of the camera, and the quality of light will help the product look better.

The great thing about vlogging is that you will get a lot of practice framing shots, so I encourage you to learn the basics of video editing .

Check out this example from Rosanna Pansino , where she gives a tour of her bedroom.

The camera follows her fluidly throughout the video, but it is her eyes that guide both the camera moves and what she wants our attention to be directed to. Don’t hesitate to let the viewer know what you want them to see.

6. Be Prepared

While you can pick up a camera and start vlogging on the fly, being prepared enables you to produce the best video possible. Take a few minutes before you hit record simply to outline the key points you want to talk about and how the video will end, ensuring that after filming you haven’t forgotten a crucial part.

Additionally, knowing what to say makes you a better host for your vlog. Watch your favorite vlogger, I bet when they are speaking on camera, their speech is not littered with umms and ahhs…

Good preparation includes having all your gear ready for filming when you need it. There is nothing worse than being set to shoot and running out of battery or memory.

Take a look at Ashley Nichole in this vlog and notice that although she sounds spontaneous, it is also evident that she knows what she is going to talk about next.

7. Be Expressive

Remember those teachers that drone on and on, without adding any expression or passion to what they are lecturing? While they might have been perfectly suitable as teachers, they wouldn’t make good vloggers.

If you speak on camera in a monotone voice, you are not being expressive. Your facial and body language will match your lackluster performance. Even if you are talking about something you are excited about, if your demeanor doesn’t match that, then the video is going to be lifeless. Vlogging is a presentation, a performance. There needs to be energy.

Consider your audience: they are coming home from school or work, where there were classes and meetings, and the last thing they want to watch is a video of your speaking without energy.

Want to see a vlogger that is awesome at being expressive on camera? Check out Emma Chamberlain , if you haven’t already. Every word she says in her video is layered with emotion. We know exactly how she feels.

8. Stay Organized

The same way you should prepare before filming, it’s also important to be organized comes the editing phase. Editing is arguably the most time-consuming part of the vlogging process, so have a system for categorizing and finding your footages.

This is especially important when you have multiple video and audio files and if you are capturing footage over a number of days or in different locations.

Additionally, while filming your vlog, you are going to mess up. It’s also helpful to add a cue after you messed up, this can be a sound cue that causes the levels to spike (clapping or snapping your fingers work) or a video cue such as a dramatic gesture to the camera. When skipping through your footage to find the part where you messed up, later on, it’s easier to have a mark to help you locate it.

Vlogging is hard, so don’t make more work for yourself. Learn little tricks to make life easier for yourself at every step.

The more organized you are the more attention you can put into the creative aspect of vlogging, and less time finding a video file or syncing audio to video.

There you have it, 8 tips to help you vlog like the pros. Anyone can vlog. But only until you point a camera at yourself in public for the first time, do you realize how uncomfortable vlogging can be.

Even filming yourself in your room with the door closed — and nobody is in the house with you — can be a challenge for beginning vloggers. If you find watching your first few videos to be cringy, don’t be discouraged. There are fears of vlogging, but you can overcome them .

Take a look at some of the first videos from popular YouTubers and you can see that everyone had a starting point.

Do you have any vlogging tricks of your own? Leave a comment below.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora, which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

For most people, vlogging is not something that comes naturally. Like any skill, it takes practice to improve. When someone is good at vlogging, they make it look easy.

When we watch the most popular YouTubers, the traits that make them successful are often invisible, because we are so consumed by their vlog. In this article, I’ll highlight 8 tips from the most accomplished vloggers on the Internet, so that you can vlog confidently and make the best YouTube videos.

1. Be Authentic

People opt to watch vlogs because they want to see something real.

Vlogging is about honesty, telling a story that is truthful and showing your personality. The most popular vloggers are likable because they don’t deceive the audience, they befriend them. Vloggers treat their audience with respect and that comes from being honest.

There will be an urge for you to mimic other vloggers, talking and acting the way they do, but savvy YouTube viewers will be able to see your faux personality pretty quickly.

Don’t focus on your image, but instead focus on your voice. What makes you different? That is how you will build a proper reputation.

2. Tell A Story

A vlog is not an assortment of footage haphazardly put together. A successful vlog must have a story: a conflict told with a beginning, middle, and end.

When you are casually telling a story to a friend, you are not thinking about the structure or the plot. You are focused on what happened and you want to communicate it as accurately as you can. While vlogging, you should approach it much the same way. Ad-libbing is fine. Stumbling is fine. Going back and repeating a part of the story is fine. By simply getting your story on camera, you now have all the pieces.

Once all the pieces of the story are captured — including your storytelling, b-roll, and other supportive footage — you must now cut out all the irrelevant or repetitive parts and edit it so it can be enjoyed as one cohesive tale.

Take a look at this example from Tiffany Alvord and notice how there are jump cuts both to skip information that can be assumed by the audience and add the tension to the story she’s telling.

3. Surprise and Delight Your Audience

There is a saying that a great ending to a story is that it is surprising, yet inevitable .

The ending needs to be justified even if there is a twist. Everything before that had worked to build up the tension and when it concludes it needs to be logical. However, the ending cannot be something that the audience can guess. Remember those mystery movies where you know who the murderer is after the first few scenes? Yeah… those aren’t satisfying. A good story ends with a surprise, and with everything prior leading up to it.

The gold standard example of a surprising, yet inevitable end is Casey Neistat’s bike lane video. Everything in the video is leading up to the end, but when you watch it the first time it’s unexpected, and that’s why it’s so good.

4. Be Inviting

A common trait of successful vloggers is that they are welcoming. They share their passion and encourage others to join in. Vlogging is about being a guide. It doesn’t matter if you are leading a tour of your home or showing your viewer an interesting new skill, it is important for you to approach the whole process with open arms.

Unlike being invited to a party, there is no obligation when it comes to YouTube. Your viewers can continue to live vicariously through you or they may be inspired by your experience and dare to try it themselves.

The opposite of inviting is rejecting, and when you are a vlogger, you don’t want to reject anyone from enjoying your videos.

5. Compose the Shot

Vlogging is a visual medium, and while the story is important, what is captured in the frame will play an impactful role in the video as well.

In a way, every vlogger needs to have a director’s eye for cinematography. I’m not saying that you need to be Wes Anderson to be an awesome vlogger, but knowing what is in the frame with you, the angle of the shot, the movement of the camera, and the quality of light will help the product look better.

The great thing about vlogging is that you will get a lot of practice framing shots, so I encourage you to learn the basics of video editing .

Check out this example from Rosanna Pansino , where she gives a tour of her bedroom.

The camera follows her fluidly throughout the video, but it is her eyes that guide both the camera moves and what she wants our attention to be directed to. Don’t hesitate to let the viewer know what you want them to see.

6. Be Prepared

While you can pick up a camera and start vlogging on the fly, being prepared enables you to produce the best video possible. Take a few minutes before you hit record simply to outline the key points you want to talk about and how the video will end, ensuring that after filming you haven’t forgotten a crucial part.

Additionally, knowing what to say makes you a better host for your vlog. Watch your favorite vlogger, I bet when they are speaking on camera, their speech is not littered with umms and ahhs…

Good preparation includes having all your gear ready for filming when you need it. There is nothing worse than being set to shoot and running out of battery or memory.

Take a look at Ashley Nichole in this vlog and notice that although she sounds spontaneous, it is also evident that she knows what she is going to talk about next.

7. Be Expressive

Remember those teachers that drone on and on, without adding any expression or passion to what they are lecturing? While they might have been perfectly suitable as teachers, they wouldn’t make good vloggers.

If you speak on camera in a monotone voice, you are not being expressive. Your facial and body language will match your lackluster performance. Even if you are talking about something you are excited about, if your demeanor doesn’t match that, then the video is going to be lifeless. Vlogging is a presentation, a performance. There needs to be energy.

Consider your audience: they are coming home from school or work, where there were classes and meetings, and the last thing they want to watch is a video of your speaking without energy.

Want to see a vlogger that is awesome at being expressive on camera? Check out Emma Chamberlain , if you haven’t already. Every word she says in her video is layered with emotion. We know exactly how she feels.

8. Stay Organized

The same way you should prepare before filming, it’s also important to be organized comes the editing phase. Editing is arguably the most time-consuming part of the vlogging process, so have a system for categorizing and finding your footages.

This is especially important when you have multiple video and audio files and if you are capturing footage over a number of days or in different locations.

Additionally, while filming your vlog, you are going to mess up. It’s also helpful to add a cue after you messed up, this can be a sound cue that causes the levels to spike (clapping or snapping your fingers work) or a video cue such as a dramatic gesture to the camera. When skipping through your footage to find the part where you messed up, later on, it’s easier to have a mark to help you locate it.

Vlogging is hard, so don’t make more work for yourself. Learn little tricks to make life easier for yourself at every step.

The more organized you are the more attention you can put into the creative aspect of vlogging, and less time finding a video file or syncing audio to video.

There you have it, 8 tips to help you vlog like the pros. Anyone can vlog. But only until you point a camera at yourself in public for the first time, do you realize how uncomfortable vlogging can be.

Even filming yourself in your room with the door closed — and nobody is in the house with you — can be a challenge for beginning vloggers. If you find watching your first few videos to be cringy, don’t be discouraged. There are fears of vlogging, but you can overcome them .

Take a look at some of the first videos from popular YouTubers and you can see that everyone had a starting point.

Do you have any vlogging tricks of your own? Leave a comment below.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora, which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

For most people, vlogging is not something that comes naturally. Like any skill, it takes practice to improve. When someone is good at vlogging, they make it look easy.

When we watch the most popular YouTubers, the traits that make them successful are often invisible, because we are so consumed by their vlog. In this article, I’ll highlight 8 tips from the most accomplished vloggers on the Internet, so that you can vlog confidently and make the best YouTube videos.

1. Be Authentic

People opt to watch vlogs because they want to see something real.

Vlogging is about honesty, telling a story that is truthful and showing your personality. The most popular vloggers are likable because they don’t deceive the audience, they befriend them. Vloggers treat their audience with respect and that comes from being honest.

There will be an urge for you to mimic other vloggers, talking and acting the way they do, but savvy YouTube viewers will be able to see your faux personality pretty quickly.

Don’t focus on your image, but instead focus on your voice. What makes you different? That is how you will build a proper reputation.

2. Tell A Story

A vlog is not an assortment of footage haphazardly put together. A successful vlog must have a story: a conflict told with a beginning, middle, and end.

When you are casually telling a story to a friend, you are not thinking about the structure or the plot. You are focused on what happened and you want to communicate it as accurately as you can. While vlogging, you should approach it much the same way. Ad-libbing is fine. Stumbling is fine. Going back and repeating a part of the story is fine. By simply getting your story on camera, you now have all the pieces.

Once all the pieces of the story are captured — including your storytelling, b-roll, and other supportive footage — you must now cut out all the irrelevant or repetitive parts and edit it so it can be enjoyed as one cohesive tale.

Take a look at this example from Tiffany Alvord and notice how there are jump cuts both to skip information that can be assumed by the audience and add the tension to the story she’s telling.

3. Surprise and Delight Your Audience

There is a saying that a great ending to a story is that it is surprising, yet inevitable .

The ending needs to be justified even if there is a twist. Everything before that had worked to build up the tension and when it concludes it needs to be logical. However, the ending cannot be something that the audience can guess. Remember those mystery movies where you know who the murderer is after the first few scenes? Yeah… those aren’t satisfying. A good story ends with a surprise, and with everything prior leading up to it.

The gold standard example of a surprising, yet inevitable end is Casey Neistat’s bike lane video. Everything in the video is leading up to the end, but when you watch it the first time it’s unexpected, and that’s why it’s so good.

4. Be Inviting

A common trait of successful vloggers is that they are welcoming. They share their passion and encourage others to join in. Vlogging is about being a guide. It doesn’t matter if you are leading a tour of your home or showing your viewer an interesting new skill, it is important for you to approach the whole process with open arms.

Unlike being invited to a party, there is no obligation when it comes to YouTube. Your viewers can continue to live vicariously through you or they may be inspired by your experience and dare to try it themselves.

The opposite of inviting is rejecting, and when you are a vlogger, you don’t want to reject anyone from enjoying your videos.

5. Compose the Shot

Vlogging is a visual medium, and while the story is important, what is captured in the frame will play an impactful role in the video as well.

In a way, every vlogger needs to have a director’s eye for cinematography. I’m not saying that you need to be Wes Anderson to be an awesome vlogger, but knowing what is in the frame with you, the angle of the shot, the movement of the camera, and the quality of light will help the product look better.

The great thing about vlogging is that you will get a lot of practice framing shots, so I encourage you to learn the basics of video editing .

Check out this example from Rosanna Pansino , where she gives a tour of her bedroom.

The camera follows her fluidly throughout the video, but it is her eyes that guide both the camera moves and what she wants our attention to be directed to. Don’t hesitate to let the viewer know what you want them to see.

6. Be Prepared

While you can pick up a camera and start vlogging on the fly, being prepared enables you to produce the best video possible. Take a few minutes before you hit record simply to outline the key points you want to talk about and how the video will end, ensuring that after filming you haven’t forgotten a crucial part.

Additionally, knowing what to say makes you a better host for your vlog. Watch your favorite vlogger, I bet when they are speaking on camera, their speech is not littered with umms and ahhs…

Good preparation includes having all your gear ready for filming when you need it. There is nothing worse than being set to shoot and running out of battery or memory.

Take a look at Ashley Nichole in this vlog and notice that although she sounds spontaneous, it is also evident that she knows what she is going to talk about next.

7. Be Expressive

Remember those teachers that drone on and on, without adding any expression or passion to what they are lecturing? While they might have been perfectly suitable as teachers, they wouldn’t make good vloggers.

If you speak on camera in a monotone voice, you are not being expressive. Your facial and body language will match your lackluster performance. Even if you are talking about something you are excited about, if your demeanor doesn’t match that, then the video is going to be lifeless. Vlogging is a presentation, a performance. There needs to be energy.

Consider your audience: they are coming home from school or work, where there were classes and meetings, and the last thing they want to watch is a video of your speaking without energy.

Want to see a vlogger that is awesome at being expressive on camera? Check out Emma Chamberlain , if you haven’t already. Every word she says in her video is layered with emotion. We know exactly how she feels.

8. Stay Organized

The same way you should prepare before filming, it’s also important to be organized comes the editing phase. Editing is arguably the most time-consuming part of the vlogging process, so have a system for categorizing and finding your footages.

This is especially important when you have multiple video and audio files and if you are capturing footage over a number of days or in different locations.

Additionally, while filming your vlog, you are going to mess up. It’s also helpful to add a cue after you messed up, this can be a sound cue that causes the levels to spike (clapping or snapping your fingers work) or a video cue such as a dramatic gesture to the camera. When skipping through your footage to find the part where you messed up, later on, it’s easier to have a mark to help you locate it.

Vlogging is hard, so don’t make more work for yourself. Learn little tricks to make life easier for yourself at every step.

The more organized you are the more attention you can put into the creative aspect of vlogging, and less time finding a video file or syncing audio to video.

There you have it, 8 tips to help you vlog like the pros. Anyone can vlog. But only until you point a camera at yourself in public for the first time, do you realize how uncomfortable vlogging can be.

Even filming yourself in your room with the door closed — and nobody is in the house with you — can be a challenge for beginning vloggers. If you find watching your first few videos to be cringy, don’t be discouraged. There are fears of vlogging, but you can overcome them .

Take a look at some of the first videos from popular YouTubers and you can see that everyone had a starting point.

Do you have any vlogging tricks of your own? Leave a comment below.

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora, which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps you to make money by making videos much easier.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett