Introduction
Capture cards have dropped in prices recently with capture components opening up the possiblity for other makers. But 4K capture cards haven’t seen much action and some cheaper options are obvious blatant knockoffs that can’t do consistent captures. That said, its not a unique market with the 4K30 limitation for USB usually just being an upsell for a standard 1080p60 capture card.
But with mainstream brands charging significantly higher than what Streamplify is asking for their CAPTURE 4K capture card, its hard to look away. If you’re looking for a capture that can record 4K30 content but also do 1080p60 then this card may be worth considering.
Features & Specification
- High resolution 4K/30Hz streaming capture.
- Up to 4K@60Hz passthrough resolution.
- High sampling rate: 48KHz/24bit for vivid audio capture quality.
- Ultra-low Latency: Sub 100ms for seamless audio/video syncing.
- VRR (Variable refresh rate) and HDR passthrough support.
| Model | CAPTURE 4K |
|---|---|
| Max. Pass-Through Resolution | 4K@60Hz, 2560×1440@60Hz, 1920×1080@120Hz, 1080P@60Hz, 720P@60Hz, 480P@60Hz |
| Max. Recording Resolution | 4K@30Hz, 2560×1440@60Hz, 1080p@120Hz, 1080P@60Hz, 720P@60Hz, 480P@60Hz |
| Record Format | NV12/YUY2/XRGB |
| Connection type | USB-C 3.2 |
| Audio Capture Format | PCM2.0, sampling rate 48K/24Bit |
| High Dynamic Range (HDR) | Yes (in passthrough mode) |
| Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) | Yes (in passthrough mode) |
| HDCP Support | Yes (HDCP2.2) |
| Line in Support | 4-pole 3.5 mm jack x 1 |
| Audio out | 4-pole 3.5 mm jack x 1 |
| Mic in | 4-pole 3.5 mm jack x 1 |
| Dimensions | 111 x 68.5 x 20.5 mm |
| Cable Length (USB & HDMI) | 100 cm |
Official product page – Streamplify CAPTURE 4K
Closer Look
Bright yellow box fitting into the Streamplify color coded box theme. Inside the package we have the capture card, HDMI cable, and a USB-C cable.
The Streamplify CAPTURE 4K is a palm-sized USB capture card with ports on both long, narrow sides with inputs highlighted by indicator lights. The CAPTURE 4K supports HDMI devices and has passthrough support for VRR and HDR. Power and data transfer is done through the single USB3.2 Gen2 port.
If you’re using the capture card as passthrough, the peformance is excellent and is highly recommended. I tried mixing wires and encountered no issue albeit the cables used were both the included ones with the Capturee 4K and the one from the PS5.
For special audio mixing or retro capture, you can input 3.5mm audio via the ports on the face of the capture card.
Indicator LEDs on the Streamplify CAPTURE 4K will light up blue when in use or active,
User Experience & Conclusion
I intended to do a lossless test capture comparison for this test but with a recording of the opening scene of Black Myth Wukong in 4K already reaching 70GB just for 1 recording, that revealed a lot for this device already: it can handle passing through VRR signals with zero lag to a 4K 120Hz screen while capturing 4K30 simultaneously. It also didn’t heat up much during process.
Being a USB device, it still has a noticeable lag in OBS preview versus realtime so I highly sugggest not using OBS as your main screen. I can confirm HDR passthrough is also possible alongside VRR. While its easiest to route audio capture directly through HDMI, those that may be capturing an analog device may send audio through the 3.5mm audio jacks .
I haven’t had much time to extensively test Streamplify Capture 4K. My workflow usually involves PC or PS5 capture to a 4K60 card so dropping my resolution isn’t a bother for non-gameplay footage or streams. I was trying to catch bugs in display when switching resolutions but I’m happy to report I haven’t encountered any. I never tried changing resolution during capture but that’s just bad practice but capture 1080p then alt-tabbing to 4K didn’t show weird color bands on the cpature output although the screen size will end up weird in some games.
Capturing camera would be my primary use for this as a back-up to my Atomos Ninja V. It managed to continuosly capture until my 99Whr V-mount battery died although if you’re capturing to the Streamplify Capture 4K or any other capture card, having wall power would be much more adviseable.
Ultimately, the Streamplify Capture 4K is a straightforward USB capture card for 4K recording. Depending on your preference, streaming in 4K30 is fine especially for slower games but fast-paced games are better off in 1080p60. Recorded 4K30 games can be played back fine if the final delivery frame rate is 4K24 or 4K30.
Streamplify products are available now in the Philippines. Check out what’s available at https://ecommerce.datablitz.com.ph/collections/streamplify.
If you don’t have any special needs and just need a capture card for general use, the Streamplify CAPTURE 4K is an affordable option that readily beats out options from Elgato in terms of pricing.
