Difference between revisions of "Recording"

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m (Mchehraz moved page Recorder to Recording)
 
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Use recording controls to record captured video and audio into video/audio files.
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Output file format depends on the selected [[Capture_mode|capture mode]] at the start of recording. If current mode is a video mode such as screen recording, an '''mpeg4''' video output file (.mp4) is generated, otherwise, the output is an '''mpeg4 audio''' file (.mp4a). Output files are compatible with almost any multimedia player and editor software.
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== Record, stop and play ==
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#From the application window, click '''Start Recording''' button to start recording.
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#Click '''Stop''' button when you want to stop recording.
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#Click '''Play''' button to view the recorded video using default player on your system.
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You can also use [[Hotkeys|hotkeys]] or [[Notification_area|notification area]] to start, pause and stop recording or use [[Schedule]] feature to start and stop recording automatically.
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== Pause and resume ==
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Recording can be paused and resumed later whenever you want.
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#From the application window, during recording, click '''Pause''' button.
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#Click '''Resume''' button whenever you want to continue recording.
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== Location ==
 
== Location ==
 
=== Output Folder ===
 
=== Output Folder ===
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By default, recorded videos are saved in ''Videos'' folder inside a folder named ''Screenbits''. You can change the output folder to any location on your storage.
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By default, recorded files are saved in ''Videos'' folder inside a folder named ''Screenbits''. You can view output files from [[Files|files]] section.
  
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To change the output folder:
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Output folder can change to any location on your storage. To change the output folder:
 
#Select '''Settings''' from '''Menu''' to open ''Settings''.  
 
#Select '''Settings''' from '''Menu''' to open ''Settings''.  
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#Click '''Recorder''' from the side bar to open ''Recorder'' settings.
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#Click '''Output''' from the side bar to open ''Output'' settings.
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#Click '''Browse...''' button under ''Output'' section to open ''Browse for folder'' dialog.  
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#Click '''Browse...''' button under ''Output folder'' section to open ''Browse for folder'' dialog.  
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#Select the folder you want to save videos into.  
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#Select the folder you want to save videos into.
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Note: Make sure your user account has write access to the selected folder and also the folder is in a storage device/drive with enough free space. Your security software might also prevent the application to access the output folder.
 
Note: Make sure your user account has write access to the selected folder and also the folder is in a storage device/drive with enough free space. Your security software might also prevent the application to access the output folder.
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To use a different name for output files:
 
To use a different name for output files:
 
#Select '''Settings''' from '''Menu''' to open ''Settings''.  
 
#Select '''Settings''' from '''Menu''' to open ''Settings''.  
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#Click '''Recorder''' from the side bar to open ''Recorder'' settings.
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#Click '''Output''' from the side bar to open ''Output'' settings.
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#Enter the desired template under ''Enter a template for file name''. Optionally you can use one or more placeholders in the file name.
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#Enter the desired template under ''File name template''. Optionally you can use one or more placeholders in the file name.
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=== Output Format ===
 
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Output file as saved as mpeg4 (.mp4) files to make them compatible with almost any video player and editor software. Video stream is encoded in H.264 and audio stream is encoded in AAC codec.
 
  
 
== Video ==  
 
== Video ==  
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Screenbits provides multiple options to configure the output which you can either change quickly from output options or open video settings to access to all available options.
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To open video recording options, click '''Video recording options''' button from [[Getting_started#Application_window|application window]].
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To open output options, click '''Output options''' button from [[Getting_started#Application_window|application window]].
 
  
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[[File:Output-options-1.png|frame|left|Figure 1: Output options (1)]]
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[[File:recording-options-video.png|frame|left|Figure 1: Video recording options (1)]]
 
<br clear=all>
 
<br clear=all>
  
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[[File:Output-options-2.png|frame|left|Figure 2: Output options (2)]]
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[[File:recording-options-video-2.png|frame|left|Figure 2: Video recording options (2)]]
 
<br clear=all>
 
<br clear=all>
  
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To open video settings:
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===Resolution===
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#Select '''Settings''' from '''Menu''' to open ''Settings''.  
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Resolution is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension on the output video. You can choose how source of recording (the area on the screen which gets recorded) should transform into the output video by choosing the appropriate resolution and scaling options.  
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#Click '''Video''' from the side bar to open ''Video'' settings.
 
  
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[[File:Output-settings.png|frame|left|Figure 3: Output settings]]
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The default value for output resolution is ''Source'' which means output resolution is equal to dimensions of the source of recording. For example, if you record in [[Capture_mode#Screen|full screen mode]] and screen dimensions is ''1920 × 1080'', output dimension will be ''1920 × 1080'' which means 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically. (also referred as ''1080p'')
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<br clear=all>
 
  
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===Resolution and Scaling===
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Depending on the purpose of recording, you might want to choose a different resolution than source. To choose a different resolution, select one of the available resolutions under '''Resolution''' in video options or choose '''Custom''' to enter a custom resolution.
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Resolution is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension on the output video. You can choose how source of recording (the area on the screen which is being recorded) should get transformed into the output video by choosing the appropriate resolution and scaling options.  
 
  
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The default value for output resolution is ''100% (source)'' which means output resolution is equal to dimensions of the source of recording. For example, if you record in [[Capture_mode#Screen|full screen mode]] and the screen dimensions is ''1920 × 1080'', the output dimension will be ''1920 × 1080'' which means 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically. (also referred as ''1080p'')
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===Frame rate===
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Frame rate is the number of video frames which get captured from the screen and added to the output in each second. (also referred as ''Frames per second'' or ''FPS'') Videos with higher frame rate look smoother and more realistic. To change the frame rate, click the selector under '''Frame rate''' and choose one of the available frame rates or choose '''Custom''' to enter a custom frame rate.
  
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Depending the purpose of recording, you might want to choose a different resolution than source. To choose a different resolution, either select one from the list of available resolutions under '''Resolution''' in video options. If you need to use a resolution other than the available items in the selector, choose '''Custom''' to enter a custom resolution.
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Recording in higher frame rates requires more system resources and also produces larger files so choosing correct frame rate based on your system performance and the use case is a key factor of using a screen recorder. Screenbits uses 30 as the default value for frame rate which is a good choice for many use cases such as making video tutorials and product demos.
  
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====Resolution Limit====
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===Frame rate mode===
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Screenbits supports resolutions up to ''3840 × 3840'' (also referred as ''4K'') unless you are running a x86 version of the app. However since recording in very high resolutions might cause performance issues which affect quality of the output video, Screenbits by default limits the output resolution to ''1920 × 1920''. To remove this limit, you need to turn off '''Limit resolution to Full HD''' switch from video settings.
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There are two frame rate modes for recording, ''Variable frame rate'' and ''Constant frame rate''. To change the frame rate mode, click the selector under '''Frame rate mode''' and choose one of the available modes.  
  
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====Scaling====
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In variable mode, a frame is captured and added to the output video only if it is different from the previous frame, otherwise, it gets skipped. In contrast, when recording in constant frame rate mode, frames are added based on the frame rate only, regardless of the difference between them. So in a constant frame rate (''N'') video, there are exactly ''N'' frames per second while there are usually less frames in a variable frame rate video.
  
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When using an absolute resolution, the aspect ratio of the output might be different from the aspect ratio of the source of recording. By default, scaling mode is set to '''Aspect Ratio''' which means Screenbits maintains original aspect ratio of the recording source and adds black bars to the output if needed. Use the '''Scaling''' selector to change the scaling mode.
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Using variable frame rate is recommended for screen recording as it improves recording performance and reduces size of the output file without affecting quality of the output video, however, some video editing software might not be compatible with this mode and have video/audio synchronizing issues with variable frame rate video.
  
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==Frame rate==
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Recording in constant frame rate mode is not always possible depending on the frame rate and system performance. If the system does not perform good enough, Screenbits automatically switches to the variable frame rate mode to be able to continue recording. You can check [[Statistics]] section to see the actual frame rate mode current recording session.
  
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To change frame-rate:
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===Scaling===
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#Select '''Settings''' from '''Menu''' to open ''Settings''.
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When using a resolution different than source, the aspect ratio of the output resolution might be different from the aspect ratio of the source of recording. By default, scaling mode is set to '''Aspect Ratio''' which means Screenbits maintains original aspect ratio of the recording source and adds black bars to the output if needed. Use the '''Scaling''' selector to change the scaling mode.
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#Click '''Video''' from the side bar to open ''Video'' settings.
 
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#From ''Output'' section, select desired frame-rate from '''Frame rate''' selector.
 
  
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Note: Select '''Custom''' from the selector to choose a custom frame-rate up to 120.  
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===Performance===
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Even though using high resolutions (or ''Source'') increases quality of output video as the output becomes more similar to the source, it might cause [[Output#Frame_rate|fps]] drops. Size of the output also become larger in higher resolutions. You can choose lower resolutions to increase frame rate, reduce size of the output file and prevent performance issues.
  
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To change quality:
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==Audio==
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#Select '''Settings''' from '''Menu''' to open ''Settings''.
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Screenbits allows you to configure bit-rate, sample-rate and number of channels for the output audio.
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#Click '''Video''' from the side bar to open ''Video'' settings.
 
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#From ''Output'' section, move '''Quality''' slider to increase or decrease quality.
 
  
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To force recording in variable frame-rate:
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[[File:recording-options-audio.png|frame|left|Figure 3: Audio recording options (1)]]
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#Select '''Settings''' from '''Menu''' to open ''Settings''.
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<br clear=all>
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#Click '''Video''' from the side bar to open ''Video'' settings.
 
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#From ''Output'' section, check '''Prefer variable frame-rate''' check box.
 
  
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Note: Not preferring variable frame-rate does not mean that the video will be recorded in constant frame-rate. Depending on your system performance, recorder may fall back to variable frame-rate to be able to work properly.
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[[File:recording-options-audio-2.png|frame|left|Figure 4: Audio recording options (2)]]
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<br clear=all>
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==Audio==
 
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Screenbits allows you to configure bit-rate, sample-rate and number of channels for it.
 
  
 
To change format of the output audio:
 
To change format of the output audio:
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#Select '''Settings''' from '''Record''' menu to open ''Settings'' dialog.
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#Click '''Audio recording options''' button from [[Getting_started#Application_window|application window]].
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#Click '''Audio''' from the side bar to open ''Audio'' settings.
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#Select the desired bit-rate, sample-rate and number of channels for the output audio.
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#From ''Format'' section, select the desired bit-rate, sample-rate and number of channels for the output audio.
 
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Note: If multiple audio sources are selected, Screenbits mixes both audio streams into a single audio track.
 
Note: If multiple audio sources are selected, Screenbits mixes both audio streams into a single audio track.
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=== Supported input formats ===
 
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Screenbits supports recording the following audio formats for as input:
 
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* 8kHz, 11.025kHz, 16kHz, 22.05kHz, 24kHz, 32kHz, 44.1kHz, 48kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz sample rates
 
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* 1 (mono), 2 (stereo), 4, 6 and 8 channels
 
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* 16, 24 and 32 bits per sample
 
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If you attempt to record an audio device with an unsupported format, an error message pops up asking you to select a different format for the device.
 
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To change the default format of an audio device:
 
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#Select '''Settings''' from '''Menu''' to open ''Settings''.
 
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#From ''Input'' section under the ''Audio'' tab, click '''Configure''' to open ''Sound'' control panel.
 
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#Right click on name of the device in list under the ''Playback'' or ''Recording'' tab and click '''Properties'''.
 
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#From ''Default Format'' section under the ''Advanced Tab'' select one of the supported formats above.
 
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#Click '''OK''' to apply changes to the device properties
 
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[[File:Audio-format.png|frame|left|Figure 3: Audio Format - Sound settings]]
 
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<br clear=all>
 

Latest revision as of 16:32, 21 December 2022

Use recording controls to record captured video and audio into video/audio files.

Output file format depends on the selected capture mode at the start of recording. If current mode is a video mode such as screen recording, an mpeg4 video output file (.mp4) is generated, otherwise, the output is an mpeg4 audio file (.mp4a). Output files are compatible with almost any multimedia player and editor software.

Record, stop and play

  1. From the application window, click Start Recording button to start recording.
  2. Click Stop button when you want to stop recording.
  3. Click Play button to view the recorded video using default player on your system.

You can also use hotkeys or notification area to start, pause and stop recording or use Schedule feature to start and stop recording automatically.

Pause and resume

Recording can be paused and resumed later whenever you want.

  1. From the application window, during recording, click Pause button.
  2. Click Resume button whenever you want to continue recording.

Location

Output Folder

By default, recorded files are saved in Videos folder inside a folder named Screenbits. You can view output files from files section.

Output folder can change to any location on your storage. To change the output folder:

  1. Select Settings from Menu to open Settings.
  2. Click Output from the side bar to open Output settings.
  3. Click Browse... button under Output folder section to open Browse for folder dialog.
  4. Select the folder you want to save videos into.

Note: Make sure your user account has write access to the selected folder and also the folder is in a storage device/drive with enough free space. Your security software might also prevent the application to access the output folder.

Output File

You can enter a template for the output file name that is created by Screenbits. File name may include one or more of the following placeholders:

Symbol Meaning Example
$Y Year 2017
$M Month 05
$D Day 10
$H Hour 03
$N Minute 55
$S Second 20

Default file name is $Y-$M-$D_$H$N$S. When a recording process starts, Screenbits will replace the placeholders in the file name with their actual values so using the default file name, output file name for a recording process that started at 14/05/2017 00:48:49 will be 2017-05-14_004849.mp4. If a file with the same name already exist, an underscore followed by a number will be added to the end of the name to make it unique. (e.g. 2017-05-14_004849_0001.mp4)

To use a different name for output files:

  1. Select Settings from Menu to open Settings.
  2. Click Output from the side bar to open Output settings.
  3. Enter the desired template under File name template. Optionally you can use one or more placeholders in the file name.

Video

To open video recording options, click Video recording options button from application window.

Figure 1: Video recording options (1)


Figure 2: Video recording options (2)


Resolution

Resolution is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension on the output video. You can choose how source of recording (the area on the screen which gets recorded) should transform into the output video by choosing the appropriate resolution and scaling options.

The default value for output resolution is Source which means output resolution is equal to dimensions of the source of recording. For example, if you record in full screen mode and screen dimensions is 1920 × 1080, output dimension will be 1920 × 1080 which means 1920 pixels horizontally and 1080 pixels vertically. (also referred as 1080p)

Depending on the purpose of recording, you might want to choose a different resolution than source. To choose a different resolution, select one of the available resolutions under Resolution in video options or choose Custom to enter a custom resolution.

Frame rate

Frame rate is the number of video frames which get captured from the screen and added to the output in each second. (also referred as Frames per second or FPS) Videos with higher frame rate look smoother and more realistic. To change the frame rate, click the selector under Frame rate and choose one of the available frame rates or choose Custom to enter a custom frame rate.

Recording in higher frame rates requires more system resources and also produces larger files so choosing correct frame rate based on your system performance and the use case is a key factor of using a screen recorder. Screenbits uses 30 as the default value for frame rate which is a good choice for many use cases such as making video tutorials and product demos.

Frame rate mode

There are two frame rate modes for recording, Variable frame rate and Constant frame rate. To change the frame rate mode, click the selector under Frame rate mode and choose one of the available modes.

In variable mode, a frame is captured and added to the output video only if it is different from the previous frame, otherwise, it gets skipped. In contrast, when recording in constant frame rate mode, frames are added based on the frame rate only, regardless of the difference between them. So in a constant frame rate (N) video, there are exactly N frames per second while there are usually less frames in a variable frame rate video.

Using variable frame rate is recommended for screen recording as it improves recording performance and reduces size of the output file without affecting quality of the output video, however, some video editing software might not be compatible with this mode and have video/audio synchronizing issues with variable frame rate video.

Recording in constant frame rate mode is not always possible depending on the frame rate and system performance. If the system does not perform good enough, Screenbits automatically switches to the variable frame rate mode to be able to continue recording. You can check Statistics section to see the actual frame rate mode current recording session.

Scaling

When using a resolution different than source, the aspect ratio of the output resolution might be different from the aspect ratio of the source of recording. By default, scaling mode is set to Aspect Ratio which means Screenbits maintains original aspect ratio of the recording source and adds black bars to the output if needed. Use the Scaling selector to change the scaling mode.

Performance

Even though using high resolutions (or Source) increases quality of output video as the output becomes more similar to the source, it might cause fps drops. Size of the output also become larger in higher resolutions. You can choose lower resolutions to increase frame rate, reduce size of the output file and prevent performance issues.

Audio

Screenbits allows you to configure bit-rate, sample-rate and number of channels for the output audio.

Figure 3: Audio recording options (1)


Figure 4: Audio recording options (2)


To change format of the output audio:

  1. Click Audio recording options button from application window.
  2. Select the desired bit-rate, sample-rate and number of channels for the output audio.

Note: If multiple audio sources are selected, Screenbits mixes both audio streams into a single audio track.

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