Video Capture - live screen recorders...

[Graham]

First of all, I am REALLY sorry if this is in the wrong forum - but I honestly do have no idea in which it should go. I think it's a relevant question that some of you may be able to help with, but there wasn't really a related area... so I've put it here in the hope it's the right place.

I'm producing a television programme involving a live studio audience - in the studio, the 'programme' will be projected live onto a big screen. What's being projected is the software application we've developed for the programme, including movies and live camera feeds etc.

What I'm looking at doing is using a Screen Recorder program to record everything that happens in the software program's window - including the movies, live camera feeds, and anything else that occurs. The only problem is, I don't really know what Screen Recording application would be best to use - one that can keep up with the high refresh rates required of the movies and live camera feeds... but can output to a high quality file suitable for burning to a retail DVD.

Many thanks to anyone who can help...
Graham

 

[Graham]

Codecs

Forgot to mention... what sort of codec should I use for dvd-quality sound and video results?

 

[LTR12101B]

Noteable Applications:
1. Camtasia Studio - $299
2. CamStudio - FREE
3. Bulent's Screen Recorder - FREE
- More info on Bulent's - http://www.techtv.com/callforhelp/freefile/story/0,24330,3430809,00.html
- Not sure if this one can record audio - the other two definitely can (Though if your soundcard provides more than one loopback, manual input setting will be required - they are normally in the same order as the record options on the souncard, and you need the MIXED one to combine computer audio and line/mic feeds (but the other inputs would play through, so unsuitable for open mic/open speaker setup)


You will need the fastest CPU you can get, and 64k colour mode works faster than 16 Million - You also need a VERY low CPU /fast codec - a lossless one such as HuffYUV, the Camtasia codec (believe also usable with camstudio), The Camstudio Codec (if not lost in the move of Camstudio from Rendersoft to Ehelp - I think I archived it)

Or possibly best, the Alparysoft codec - http://www.alparysoft.com/prod/compression/lossless-video-codec.php
You will NEVER encode to MPEG2 on the fly, not without hardware!

My own results, with an Athlon 1200, are not promising - while trying to capture a 12FPS Flash animation at VCD size (352x288) I cannot hold 12 FPS input rate (using Camstudio), now scale that to an Athlon XP3200+ and it might just about make a usable frame rate, but you'll also be working at higher resolution which increases the strain - one problem is the system is already worked pretty hard by the animation, so that may be unfair. The Screen capture may also have trouble with video played in some ways, or with anything else not using the primary surface.

Another approach may be to use a system with TV-Out, and feed the output to a capture system with MPEG2 hardware capable of recording DVD-ready MPEG2 in realtime. The more I think of it, the more I think this is the only way you'll get acceptable frame rate, and be certain that you are going to catch everything on the screen.

I wouldn't mind seeing some Camstudio reports from a better system than mine (it is a pretty weak machine overall)