After some Frickelei the device does also demanded and even pretty simple really - in the truest sense of easy touch of a button. However, I had to make something for it. Who rumsurft something immediately see similarities (not always in a plastic bag - but the connection side and internal) with HDMI Game Capture devices from "auvisio", the "Terratec grave Most Extreme HD" and possibly the game recorder of Kaiser Baas. The driver, which seems to come from the Win95-Stone Age, is the IT9910HD chip. This chip is also at least in the Terratec. The driver is required to start a tool under Win the Typhoon via USB connection (micro USB port on the Typhoon) to miss a system time, the encoder bit rates set (default = 16000 for 1080 and 720 HD and 4000 for Analog auszusteuern -SD) and the microphone input level and to update the firmware via image file if necessary.. The tool is grottig bad and in the shipping version of the Typhoon also has direct forget the times again. The pre-installed with me firmware version appears to have several quirks; the most important being that no matter what Filsystem (NTFS, FAT32) or medium (HDD, Stick) at 2GB file size is final. It translucent nor an attempt to application of additional file segments to give, but as a 0 byte file is created iA - which also happened so often in the recording attempt (at first I thought that this could be due to the USB data transfer rate but also has an external SSD not helpful). The audio signal is significantly asynchronously (no matter what the bit rate) and the (HDMI-in) audio level is also extremely overdriven in the recording.
The box was nourished again the packaging to return, but I had my risk-taking day and me the official driver updates from + Terratec concerned (seems from Typhoon is not to give). This is a firmware image for a newer version 1.1.35.64 been and driver + Control tool are exactly the same as the Typhoon. All the devices appear their actual origin in a company nahmens Dexatek (China) to have that creates probably the electronics + software. The * .64 Terratec firmware read with me easily flash (this is not a manual but a subjective experience report! Who nevertheless so does what against my herewith expressed explicit advice, all this loss of warranty does on own risk! Included!), Eliminating the shortcomings of the File size limited at NTFS Filesystemem and missed-initializing the files (0-byte problem) and the audio offset and -Aussteuerung. The times are also preserved - but I had the device since then no longer energized. Has so far also quite Files> 37GB generated easily and without demolition. The only noticeable difference for me (except the defect of course), which has resulted from the "foreign" firmware, is that no longer the LED flashes when a PC but is from. My review therefore refers to this firmware (otherwise would probably a maximum of 2-3 star in it).
The records are excellent (OK, the frame rate is halved but that's not a problem). I have 720 set as the default with 9000KB / s, which at halfway manageable file sizes still provides very good quality (at 12GB for 3hours). You can also down on 3000 for example - but then gets blocky graphics ... 1080 at 16MB / s, of course, are even more impressive, but somewhere the data must indeed go. I have a 64GB stick stuck to it. which has ultimately proved to be easiest option. An HDD with its own power supply for example, has over the USB port to Typhoon "awakened" although the mechanical switch from Typhoon Off was ... so it licks supply voltage via the USB port in the device. So rather have stayed in a USB flash drive and copy the files as needed / edited / discarded. The 576 SD recordings from analog sources are also really good. However, unfortunately, the device is quite susceptible to signal loss; already relatively slight disturbances in the input end recording. Unfortunately, this is not limited to the analog inputs. If you should actually use an upstream HDMI splitter as Splitter example, is the Typhoon with eg switching on / off of the other display device (Monitor) - or even just hanging thereon other HDMI devices - immediately re-synced the HDMI input and the recording has finished. I use reason to only the HDMI pass-through path from the HDMI OUT of the Typhoons to monitor and so the Typhoon is also always. There were no problems or quality / signal loss.
To sum it up bluntly: in addition to the (few) buttons on the device, there are no further settings and especially no remote control. The HDMI-out signal is looped through, there is no on-screen display from the Typhoon on display - only the (very small) LEDs on the front. A playback control of the recorded videos directly from the device as missing. One reviewer wrote that of USB3.0 - my knowledge and tests to be USB3.0 not supported (or plates are just as normal as backward compatible USB2.0 addressed). Of course you can hang any HDMI source, not only consoles, but the direct input is HDCP compliant and protected recordings are of course not possible.
Overall, I am quite satisfied so, but I can not really recommend any device. But who is somewhat happily tinker, gets at a price of approximately 100 euros an interesting product with my impression after the same inner values as much more expensive devices.