Some thoughts on the Razer Ripsaw (i.e. the AVerMedia Live Gamer Extreme)


So this is the capture device I've ended up with at the end of my insane saga (see this: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sp20cm). It is literally an AVerMedia Live Gamer Extreme with a different casing, a rename of its driver service and lacking the hit-and-miss RECentral software. I used to use the AVerMedia ExtremeCap U3 and this is its successor.

1. This comes with no capture software. I don't know why they couldn't have bundled a rebranded RECentral but my guess is when Razer licensed this, they didn't want to pay the extra for the software too. I tried installing RECentral but it won't recognise the Ripsaw. RECentral was never great anyway (though apparently the in-beta v3 is promising) but this has full DirectShow support so it works with OBS, XSplit (Razer recommends using one of these) as well as Bandicam, amarectv and basically anything that supports DirectShow. amarectv is obtuse and a pain to setup but also free and works a jig when configured right. I'm using it with Bandicam. At least in Canada, the Ripsaw is cheaper than the Live Gamer Extreme so at least you pay less for getting less.

2. The drivers are lagging behind AVerMedia but the current ones are also fine so whatever. Also, Razer is using their "Synapse Framework" to deliver them. You can't download any standalone drivers for Razer products now, you have to install this stupid utility that runs at startup with no option to turn it off (I had to through MSCONFIG) and it always automatically installs the latest drivers, with no option to go back. A new version come out that's buggy (which happens ALL THE TIME with AVerMedia drivers?) Sucks to be you. That's ridiculous. YouTubers are notorious for sticking to driver versions that work. These should have a standalone download option or at least a rollback function.

3. I still get preview stuttering (see the original saga) and also, you cannot play twitch games through your software's preview. Despite offering "near real-time monitoring", it is definitely not real-time. There is a 2-5 frame delay, which I was able to confirm by splitting my PS4 feed with one leg going into the Ripsaw and another going straight to a monitor, then playing the Titanfall 2 tech test and watching them side-by-side. I started playing notably better when I used the direct feed instead of the preview. This is not an issue in a lot of games but in shooters or racing games, forget it. The nice thing is that unlike the ExtremeCap U3, the Ripsaw does have a passthrough jack that bypasses the encoder, allowing you to do what I'm doing with the splitter, without a splitter. I'm keeping the splitter setup because I already had it and also because it strips out HDCP, which the Ripsaw does not.

4. The Ripsaw has jacks on the front that allow you to mix in your own external audio (usually for commentary or music), with a driver-based slider to adjust priority. I have no intention of using this so I can't comment on how well it works. It's a nice feature to have if you're on a laptop with a 3.5mm mic though.

5. Not that you're going to be staring at your capture box regularly but the Live Gamer Extreme is one ugly bastard. The Ripsaw is black, thin and simple. The green LED on the front it super bright though and I really wish they'd just give you an option in the driver to turn it off. I can see the footage guys, I know it's plugged in properly.

6. Some people complained the included USB 3.0 cable was too short. Maybe this was on the original batch because I got a 6 foot one with mine. To be fair, mine's right beside my PC so maybe if you're on a laptop, you need longer. It uses the weird USB 3.0 Micro-B connector type, which I assume was for bandwidth reasons. You can buy a longer cable if you need it, though these aren't the most common ones out there.

So far, I'm liking this. I would have just kept my Micomsoft PCI-E card had I known it wasn't causing my stutter issues but this is $150 cheaper and works just as well. It's a good step up from the ExtremeCap U3 but without bundled software, you have to know more of what you're doing to use it. The biggest fault is the garbage Razer Synapse framework. I REALLY hate not being in control of my software environment. I don't care if it's easier Razer, it should be optional.

Otherwise, recommended so far.

Reply · Report Post