recordingwii-u
I'd like to record gaming videos via HDMI on the Wii U, so I wonder if its HDMI output is protected by HDCP, which would mean I'd need to use another output method to record. I've googled a bit and found extremely conflicting reports of whether the Wii U has HDCP or not, and none of the people stating yes/no seem to have actually tried to record with it.
Is there any confirmation either way? Better yet, a video showing it is possible (if it is)?
So, this tutorial has a review of recording devices, including ones that support HD recording. It does note the following
I WILL BE LISTING SOME HD COMPATIBLE RECORDING DEVICES that enable you to record in standard and play in High Def simultaneously later in this article. However the prices can vary dramatically on these devices. There is only one somewhat affordable external device that allows true HD capture and that is the Hauppauge HD PVR and it is listed below.
It also says
As far as I know there are no affordable external devices that record 1080p or from an HDMI cable. The Hauppauge will do HD but it will only record in 720p or 1080i.
Mind you, this guide was posted 3 years ago so there is no guarantee that the devices haven't improved since then, but this seems to be a very complete guide.
Honestly, I think you're going to find better support on the GameDev side of things. A lot of players record their videos (especially those in MLG) but a lot of the times they won't care about audio syncing, or perfect framerates. You can take a look at this guide over at the MLG forums, but a lot of their focus is on cheap rather than quality.
It uses IR. The top of the GamePad has an IR transceiver to control the TV (I assume it also reads where you're pointing at using the sensor bar, the same way the Wii Remotes work).
In this picture, you can see the black transparent cover of the IR port on the top of the GamePad
Also, from the video on this page:
"[...] [the IR transceiver] can be used to control your TV and communicate with other devices [...]
Best Answer
The Wii U is completely HDCP-free when playing games, accessing the menu and even when playing Wii/ Wii Virtual Console software. I confirmed this using my Elgato Game Capture HD, which doesn't have an HDCP stripper.
This means any HDMI capture card can capture Wii U video even if it can't strip/crack HDCP protection (no promises about Netflix/non game content, those are often intended to use HDCP). Note that you can't record the Wii U gamepad's video using just a capture card on the Wii U's HDMI cable though, but you can record the TV screen's portion just fine.