A capture card takes an hdmi signal (from a camera, console, laptop, media player, etc.) and converts it into a usb video device that your computer recognizes (often like a webcam). many are plug-and-play (uvc/uac), meaning no drivers needed, and they work with software like obs, zoom, vlc, streamlabs, teams, etc. �
hdcabling +1
important:
most cheap capture dongles don’t support hdcp-protected content (e.g., netflix/bluray). �
hdcabling
usb 3.0 (usb-a or usb-c) capture cards give better quality and lower latency than usb 2.0. �
distrelec
typical capture card features
feature
what it means
input
hdmi — from camera/console/laptop
output
usb-a or usb-c to your pc/laptop
max capture
often 1080p (some support 4k input passthrough) �
amazon
passthrough
lets your hdmi source still display .