Pengo 4K HDMI Grabber Review

So I was given chance to take a look at a capture device of sorts, this one is interesting it’s a 4K capable one and it’s the Pengo 4K HDMI Grabber with its sleek aluminium casing and small footprint it’s certainly making itself stand out in a market of devices capable of video capture. So let take a look and see if this is worth your time in this review!

Specification

I’ve taken the specifications from Pengo’s website product page this covers the two different colours they have but same specifications across both.

A Closer Look

So after getting the spec’s out of the way let’s get down to unboxing and seeing what we get with the Pengo 4K Grabber, and for the size of the packaging it looks like we maybe get some bits and pieces other than the Grabber itself peeking through the window. Opening the box up you get a pamphlet style fold-out instruction sheet the Pengo 4K Grabber and the USB cable to connect to a PC with. I thought that a HDMI cable came in the box with the Grabber but sadly there isn’t one, but this isn’t a major negative although it could potentially delay things if you don’t happen to have a spare one. It’s not the end of the world though… moving on! The device itself is really minimalistic, its grey metal body is really nice and would fit in anywhere which is a bonus too. I like the fact the Pengo 4K Grabber has what looks like a rubber base to it which works well I couldn’t slide it around on my desk.

Comparing to other capture devices I’ve seen the Pengo 4K Grabber is the smallest out there and this makes for an interesting prospect for those who have minimal space for external devices on or around their gaming areas. It also shows on the back of the box that it can be used with gaming consoles and even phones which could be pretty useful for folks who want to record or stream from those particular devices. It’ll even take a camera input if you have the right hardware.

Performance

This is an interesting subheading, there’s not really a performance benchmark for Pengo 4K Grabber as it is a video capture device, I will say that for its size the quality of the video is absolutely top notch. I did find that audio is a bit of a trickier subject though as I had connected my headset up to the corresponding ports on the front and the people I was online with all noticed that I was somewhat quieter than usual but with some real finagling of audio settings in settings on the PC this can be sorted, Windows updates are forever breaking this!

The step by step set up guide is great but my one major issue with that was the software that Pengo recommend. You are told to use the free PotPlayer for recording however it doesn’t seem to pick up the Pengo 4K Grabber as detailed. I ended up trying the popular (and also free) OBS which to my surprise worked straight away and had no issues recognising the Pengo nor did it have trouble recording when I hit the magic button within OBS. I have linked below the footage I captured using the Pengo 4K Grabber during a few rounds of CS:GO and it performed brilliantly even if I do sound a little quieter than everyone else!

Pengo 4K HDMI Grabber Review: Our Verdict

What’s hot:

• The small form factor is great for any environment
• Compatible with multiple platforms, PC, console, mobile and camera feed
• Affordable compared to other similar solutions

What’s not:

• Audio settings can be a little fiddly
• The POT player software didn’t work for my use case

So after all that, overall the Pengo 4K Grabber is a really neat bit of kit and once I had got the past the whole issue with the software its a really easy to use and the fact it takes up next to no space on my desk is a bonus. I’ve actually taken a look online to see where I can point folks to that are interested in getting a Pengo 4K Grabber you can get one from Amazon in the UK and also Amazon in the USA as well. I would happily recommend this capture device for anyone who isn’t looking to spend an arm and a leg on a video recorder. The Pengo 4K HDMI Grabber comes in at a pretty decent price of $149.99 on Amazon.com which when you look for similar devices you would be looking at potentially double the price. Unfortunately the UK the price inflates to an uncomfortable £249! If you are still here then I’m grateful that’s for sure so after getting to play around with the Pengo 4K Grabber I can say it’s easy to use with no software needed for the device itself other than a video software, in my case OBS did the trick but PotPlayer might work for you, that will detect it as an input device. Once set up it sort of sits wherever you place it not making any sounds or any distracting lights flickering at you which is always a plus. I’m going award the Pengo 4K grabber the Play3r value award because it’s a very competitive price in a market that has a lot of choices for capture devices out there, the Pengo stands out in its own way with the small footprint and high definition video quality.

If you are still here then I’m grateful that’s for sure. Now for the closing though, if you are interested in the Pengo 4K Grabber or have any questions please feel free to drop them below and I’ll answer what I can!
Lastly, I just need to add my thanks to Pengo for sending the 4K Grabber out for review.
So until my next review, I shall catch everyone next time.

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Editor’s note: An earlier version of this review incorrectly showed the current UK price as £149. All prices are now correct at the time of publication.