How can I screenshoot a console game (Is the "to screenshoot" right verb to describe my problem)? I can easily emulate copies of my DS and PSP games on computer but I presume it' s harder with Wii, PS3 and X360. I' m especially interested in recording movies of Wii games.

Another (off - topic) question. How do big sites like Eurogamer get the chance to try out NTSC games like No More Heroes 2 before they come to Europe? Do they get PAL preview code or they' re playing it on NTSC console version?

Sorry for those beginner' s questions, hope you' ll help me with this!

A TV card'll do it, but you'll have to stick to using composite/scart. Split the composite (yellow) signal between the scart going in to the back of your TV and the other in to the yellow socket on the TV card. If you want to capture in HD though, then that's an entirely different ballpark. DVI/HDMI signal is a data signal rather than an analogue signal, and requires different processing especially when HDCP comes in to play (for Blu-ray movies, definitely. PS3 games I'm unsure). Viewcast (viewcast.com) have HD streaming and capture solutions if you're up for the costs involved. They ain't cheap. You can grab a TV card off ebay rather cheap. There are USB ones, but I tend to stick to Pinnacle/Dazzle devices myself. They're the best for low budgets. If you want the audio too, then you'll have to use a twin female phono-to-3.5mm jack connector to take the photo in from the console, to the line-in on your sound card, if that makes any sense.

As for getting games before release, coming from someone who has no real experience, but someone who has watched the industry evolve and how the PR side of things is done (a spectator of sorts), it's only something available to serious game news sites who have contacts with all the major and minor publishers, trusted to keep code safe, may have to travel a lot, some sites may have to pay for the privilege of getting it early so they can review or report on a particular game. I'm unsure if some publishers may also request the copy they sent to you back (Definite if they trusted unfinished code to you, but you can't use it without a devkit of that platform anyway). It's not easy, it takes a long time to build up that level of trust, it's not a routine thing, you've just got to have the right contact, and have an excellent reputation with dealing with that publisher. If this is something you really see yourself doing as a career, then don't let it put you off, but it's not something that can happen overnight. A lot of real industry journalists (not me) probably watched the professionals do it for years before they decided to begin their journey in to the industry. I've been studying it for a long time now, and even now I learn new things each time I visit the various journalist communities I'm a part of.

Of course, some smaller sites may send you newly released games to get your detailed journal of your experiences in playing the game. In return, some may allow you to keep the game, but I think you want to be the owner of a publication rather than a reviewer of sorts judging by your post. Best of luck.

Thank you a lot!

So, if I got this right, I should buy something like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pinnacle-PCTV-310i-PCI-Card/dp/B0009YCMQM

(I don' t currently have HD console. that is X360 and PS3 so I' m not so interested in reproducing HD signal.)

... and something from this list:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/searchtemplate.asp?criteria=3.5MM%20FEMALE%20TO%20TWIN%20PHONO

We've lots of 310i cards at work I believe. They're old, so you could probably grab one off ebay pretty cheap. I bought a similar Pinnacle card for £3 off ebay and using the drivers off Pinnacle's site and DScaler, provided me with a composite signal. DScaler itself provides you with a screen capture tool, printscreen key won't work and will give you a large black box where your composite input is supposed to be as it, and excuse the technical term, resides on what's known as the back-buffer, like a layer of the screen behind your desktop where video and 3D rendering occurs. Flash content (Youtube, Veoh and the like) use the front-buffer, and require additional resources to play properly, but you can use the printscreen key to capture those.

By the way, if you're uncomfortable with opening up your PC, you may want to stick to a USB based Dazzle device. Otherwise, if you're looking at a PCI card, inside your PC you should have a narrow white slot toward the bottom of your PC's motherboard. Most modern PCs may have this type of slot, but the really new machines may be leaving it off in favour of PCI-E. I should mention PCI-E isn't the same as PCI, so be sure of exactly what you have, and what you're about to buy.

Actually, the DScaler site has a lot of information on which cards work with it the best. This list is located here: http://deinterlace.sourceforge.net/card-support/index.htm

Edit: Whoops, forgot to add this'll do the job of taking your phono audio signal from your console (red and white) and giving you a plug that'll work with the line-in of your audio card:
"2 Phono to 3.5mm Stereo Adaptor":
http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1218&C=SO&U=strat15

Once again, you' re a sweethart! If there' s anything I could do to help you with, just ask!

You could use a TV card, but if you are serious about this you may want to consider the Dazzle Video Creator Plus - a USB 2.0 based device that allows you to connect your console to your computer and includes a very useful and robust piece of software - Pinnacle Studio 12 - that makes making videos and creating screenshots very very easy.

I reviewed that in my last column - though not for video games, rather for preserving video tapes, but you may find the column of use:

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100216/BIZ/2160302

I found the combination of the device and software highly preferable to a TV tuner card.

Cheers!

Chris