How to stream from PC with Razer/Elgato or any other Capture card? (HELP)

[EpicSurvivor]

So I just recently bought a Razer Ripsaw HD capture card which works awesome for Console streaming! but I am having problems streaming games straight from my PC to Twitch or any other server. The main problem I am having is that on Streamlabs OBS the only way to capture the game is to capture my main desktop background but that shows my desktop icons and anything on my screen and that makes my game lag as well and also makes OBS create this replicated mirror image of my desktop (Pic of example below) I can't seem to find a way to just capture the Game window on PC when streaming with the Capture card and OBS which is what I really want to do. I can capture just the game window if I Just stream using OBS instead of streaming with the Capture Card with OBS but if I want to use the capture card with OBS the only way I can capture the gameplay from my PC is if I record my main screen.

What do I need to do to stream only the game window using a capture card on PC?

 

[VirtualLarry]

You... don't do it that way.

Normally, if streaming PC Games from the SAME PC, you either use screen-capturing streaming software (OBS, possibly in conjunction with AMD or NVidia's GPU-assisted capture and compression features), OR you use a capture card, on a SECOND PC. (Gaming PC output feeds into streaming PC's capture-card input.)

Normally, you don't run the output of a PC, into a capture card on the SAME PC. It might be possible with a multi-monitor setup, but would be weird, and not offer much assistance on top of what existing GPUs can already do.

 

[Scarpozzi]

I know nothing about this, but they say:
With game capture, you must alt-tab, open Streamlabs OBS, select game capture properties, click the drop-down, and find the correct game in the list.



Looks like you need to identify the source so the software tags the game itself. There's an auto mode available.


I'm going to echo what Larry says. My video card has the capability to capture.

 

[EpicSurvivor]

Thank you both for your reply. I have a 1080ti and 9700k and honestly it is enough to stream at good quality but what's the point of owning the capture card if I can only use it on console and not PC. I am aware that having a second streaming PC is the the best alternative but I am surprised that there isn't a way to just capture game window with Capture Card on the same system.

Capturing my whole desktop when streaming from my PC just looks ugly and also people see all the mirroring from OBS on stream just makes it look bad. Oh well guess I'll stick to streaming with my PC and OBS for now instead of using Capture card/PC/OBS

Thanks for the helps!

 

[VirtualLarry]

but I am surprised that there isn't a way to just capture game window with Capture Card on the same system.

They would have to be designed more like a GPU, with a framebuffer, and would cost more like a GPU.

 

[EpicSurvivor]

So again just to confirm its not physically possible to do what i want with a capture card on the same Gaming/Streaming PC, I would have a separate streaming PC. That sucks.

They would have to be designed more like a GPU, with a framebuffer, and would cost more like a GPU.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Don't you have a competent GPU to use for capturing your PC games? Why this obsession with using the capture card for PC gaming?

 

[EpicSurvivor]

Don't you have a competent GPU to use for capturing your PC games? Why this obsession with using the capture card for PC gaming?

I do man (as mentioned on my above post) but I just bought this Capture card and would really like to test it on PC that's all.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Does it offer the ability in the drivers/toolbox, to capture frame-grabs out of the primary GPU's framebuffer, rather than only from an external source?

Most "hardware" capture cards that I am familiar, do not, or if they do, it's purely a driver-level software codec ability.

 

[EpicSurvivor]

Does it offer the ability in the drivers/toolbox, to capture frame-grabs out of the primary GPU's framebuffer, rather than only from an external source?

I don't think so I don't really know what that is lol