Digital Capture - Revision history

LotBlind: /* To Think About Before Recording */

2018-01-02T16:15:19Z

To Think About Before Recording

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:15, 2 January 2018
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	'''Check your hard drive''': Make sure that the hard drive you're recording to has plenty of free space and is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defragmentation defragmented]. Avoid defragmentation if you have a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive Solid-State Drive] as defragmenting an SSD can lower the performance of the drive and will also shorten its lifetime.		'''Check your hard drive''': Make sure that the hard drive you're recording to has plenty of free space and is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defragmentation defragmented]. Avoid defragmentation if you have a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive Solid-State Drive] as defragmenting an SSD can lower the performance of the drive and will also shorten its lifetime.

	'''If you want to record multiple separate audio tracks (to enable something like a live commentary to be stored separately from the game audio), this can be done. [https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/obs-studio-high-quality-recording-and-multiple-audio-tracks.221/ Instructions for OBS].		'''If you want to record multiple separate audio tracks''' (to enable something like a live commentary to be stored separately from the game audio), this can be done. [https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/obs-studio-high-quality-recording-and-multiple-audio-tracks.221/ Instructions for OBS].
	Return to the [[Main Page\|front page]].		Return to the [[Main Page\|front page]].

LotBlind: /* To Think About Before Recording */

2018-01-02T16:14:53Z

To Think About Before Recording

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:14, 2 January 2018
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	'''Check your hard drive''': Make sure that the hard drive you're recording to has plenty of free space and is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defragmentation defragmented]. Avoid defragmentation if you have a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive Solid-State Drive] as defragmenting an SSD can lower the performance of the drive and will also shorten its lifetime.		'''Check your hard drive''': Make sure that the hard drive you're recording to has plenty of free space and is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defragmentation defragmented]. Avoid defragmentation if you have a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive Solid-State Drive] as defragmenting an SSD can lower the performance of the drive and will also shorten its lifetime.

			'''If you want to record multiple separate audio tracks (to enable something like a live commentary to be stored separately from the game audio), this can be done. [https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/obs-studio-high-quality-recording-and-multiple-audio-tracks.221/ Instructions for OBS].
	Return to the [[Main Page\|front page]].		Return to the [[Main Page\|front page]].

HDL: Added OS X link.

2014-10-12T19:00:50Z

Added OS X link.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:00, 12 October 2014
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	Capturing a PC game is both easier and harder than capturing a console game. Unlike consoles, a PC game is already transmitting its video information in digital format; the only thing that is needed is for this signal to end up in a file as well. However, doing so will require running a recording program alongside your game, which may or may not cause problems.		Capturing a PC game is both easier and harder than capturing a console game. Unlike consoles, a PC game is already transmitting its video information in digital format; the only thing that is needed is for this signal to end up in a file as well. However, doing so will require running a recording program alongside your game, which may or may not cause problems.


			<u>Note</u>: OS X users can refer to the [[Mac_Recording_and_Streaming\|Mac Recording and Streaming]] page.


	=FRAPS=		=FRAPS=

Kibbo: /* Introduction */ Changed "massive input lag" to "severe input delay" to make it look more professional.

2014-03-28T18:55:40Z

Introduction: Changed "massive input lag" to "severe input delay" to make it look more professional.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:55, 28 March 2014
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	=FRAPS=		=FRAPS=
	==Introduction==		==Introduction==
	[http://www.fraps.com FRAPS] is by far the most commonly used method to record speedrun videos on the PC. For a long period of time FRAPS wasn't a very good program to use for this since it made games behave in weird ways and caused ~~massive~~ input ~~lag~~, among other things. It has slowly been improved bit by bit and now it's actually a program you can recommend without being the slightest sarcastic. The program is running in the background and records the game you're playing, a process that's quite heavy on the hardware in most cases. Spite the hardware requirements FRAPS does have a few advantages over other recording methods such as DVD recorders.		[http://www.fraps.com FRAPS] is by far the most commonly used method to record speedrun videos on the PC. For a long period of time FRAPS wasn't a very good program to use for this since it made games behave in weird ways and caused severe input delay, among other things. It has slowly been improved bit by bit and now it's actually a program you can recommend without being the slightest sarcastic. The program is running in the background and records the game you're playing, a process that's quite heavy on the hardware in most cases. Spite the hardware requirements FRAPS does have a few advantages over other recording methods such as DVD recorders.

	1. Record in any resolution you want.		1. Record in any resolution you want.
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	The trial version of the program is not sufficient for recording runs for SpeedDemosArchive since it has a limit of 30 seconds per video and it also puts a watermark in them, and we do not like watermarks. The software can be bought for $37 which is much cheaper than buying a good DVD recorder, for example. Any updates after the initial purchase are free of charge. Other methods of acquiring the full version are not supported nor encouraged by SpeedDemosArchive.		The trial version of the program is not sufficient for recording runs for SpeedDemosArchive since it has a limit of 30 seconds per video and it also puts a watermark in them, and we do not like watermarks. The software can be bought for $37 which is much cheaper than buying a good DVD recorder, for example. Any updates after the initial purchase are free of charge. Other methods of acquiring the full version are not supported nor encouraged by SpeedDemosArchive.


	==Recommended Hardware==		==Recommended Hardware==

Kibbo: /* Game Settings */ Changed "frame rate" to "framerate" to make it consistent throughout the article.

2014-03-28T18:54:29Z

Game Settings: Changed "frame rate" to "framerate" to make it consistent throughout the article.

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:54, 28 March 2014
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	'''Nvidia PhysX''': Turn this off.		'''Nvidia PhysX''': Turn this off.

	Not only do these settings raise the bitrate requirement for the video, they also put a lot more stress on your graphics card(s) which in turn might prevent you from running the game at a solid recording ~~frame rate~~. Solid recording ~~frame rate~~ is more important than in-game graphics.		Not only do these settings raise the bitrate requirement for the video, they also put a lot more stress on your graphics card(s) which in turn might prevent you from running the game at a solid recording framerate. Solid recording framerate is more important than in-game graphics.

	'''Vsync/vertical retrace''': If you're experiencing input delay in your game turn this off. Do not be alarmed if you see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_tearing tearing], it will not show up in your video since the video frames are captured before they're sent off to the monitor.		'''Vsync/vertical retrace''': If you're experiencing input delay in your game turn this off. Do not be alarmed if you see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screen_tearing tearing], it will not show up in your video since the video frames are captured before they're sent off to the monitor.

Kibbo: /* To Think About Before Recording */ Changed "MSN" for "Skype" as MSN was replaced by Skype a while ago. Developed the "Check your hard drive" section to make it easier to comprehend.

2014-03-26T21:13:56Z

To Think About Before Recording: Changed "MSN" for "Skype" as MSN was replaced by Skype a while ago. Developed the "Check your hard drive" section to make it easier to comprehend.

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:13, 26 March 2014
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	==To Think About Before Recording==		==To Think About Before Recording==
	'''Programs to shut down before recording''': Anti-virus, p2p programs such as BitTorrent, instant-messaging services and VoIP/voice chat. These types of programs can interfere with FRAPS or the game you're running. For example, it's not acceptable to have AIM/~~MSN~~/Yahoo event sounds in your videos.		'''Programs to shut down before recording''': Anti-virus, p2p programs such as BitTorrent, instant-messaging services and VoIP/voice chat. These types of programs can interfere with FRAPS or the game you're running. For example, it's not acceptable to have AIM/Skype/Yahoo event sounds in your videos.

	'''Check your hard drive''': Make sure that the hard drive you're recording to has plenty of free space and is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defragmentation defragmented]. If you have a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive ~~solid~~-~~state drive~~] ~~defragmentation is unnecessary and actually hampers~~ performance~~, so avoid it if you have one~~ of ~~these~~.		'''Check your hard drive''': Make sure that the hard drive you're recording to has plenty of free space and is [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defragmentation defragmented]. Avoid defragmentation if you have a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-state_drive Solid-State Drive] as defragmenting an SSD can lower the performance of the drive and will also shorten its lifetime.

	Return to the [[Main Page\|front page]].		Return to the [[Main Page\|front page]].

Kibbo: /* The FPS Tab */ Fixed the formatting for "Overlay Hotkey" positions.

2014-03-26T17:45:02Z

The FPS Tab: Fixed the formatting for "Overlay Hotkey" positions.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:45, 26 March 2014
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	'''Overlay Hotkey''': Pushing this button will make the frame counter change position on the screen.		'''Overlay Hotkey''': Pushing this button will make the frame counter change position on the screen.
	Position 1: ~~Upper~~ left corner		*Position 1: upper left corner
	Position 2: ~~Upper~~ right corner		*Position 2: upper right corner
	Position 3: ~~Lower~~ left corner		*Position 3: lower left corner
	Position 4: ~~Lower~~ right corner		*Position 4: lower right corner
	Position 5: ~~Overlay~~ is turned off		*Position 5: overlay is turned off

	===The Movies Tab===		===The Movies Tab===

Kibbo: /* The FPS Tab */ Added a more verbose description of that "Overlay Hotkey" actually does.

2014-03-26T17:35:39Z

The FPS Tab: Added a more verbose description of that "Overlay Hotkey" actually does.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:35, 26 March 2014
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	'''Benchmarking Hotkey''': FRAPS uses hotkeys for its functions, but they might be the same as the hotkeys used by the game to be recorded. You will not be using the Benchmarking hotkey so you may disable it to prevent future problems.		'''Benchmarking Hotkey''': FRAPS uses hotkeys for its functions, but they might be the same as the hotkeys used by the game to be recorded. You will not be using the Benchmarking hotkey so you may disable it to prevent future problems.

	'''Overlay Hotkey''': Pushing this button will make the frame counter change position to the ~~next~~ corner~~, moving clockwise.~~		'''Overlay Hotkey''': Pushing this button will make the frame counter change position on the screen.
			Position 1: Upper left corner
			Position 2: Upper right corner
			Position 3: Lower left corner
			Position 4: Lower right corner
			Position 5: Overlay is turned off

	===The Movies Tab===		===The Movies Tab===

Kibbo: /* The FPS Tab */ Added information about being able to spot frame drops in videos using the frame counter. Changed "fps counter" to "frame counter". Additional cleanup and rewording.

2014-03-26T17:30:58Z

The FPS Tab: Added information about being able to spot frame drops in videos using the frame counter. Changed "fps counter" to "frame counter". Additional cleanup and rewording.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:30, 26 March 2014
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	===The FPS Tab===		===The FPS Tab===
	'''Overlay Corner''': Depending on if there are important HUD elements in your game you might want to change the position of the Overlay Corner (highlighted with red in the picture) so it doesn't obscure important information. Just click the corner where you want FRAPS to display the ~~fps~~ counter.		'''Overlay Corner''': Depending on if there are important HUD elements in your game you might want to change the position of the Overlay Corner (highlighted with red in the picture) so it doesn't obscure important information. Just click the corner where you want FRAPS to display the frame counter.

	FRAPS 3.x on the left, FRAPS 2.x on the right.		FRAPS 3.x on the left, FRAPS 2.x on the right.
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	[[File:Fraps_fps_tab.png]] [[File:Old_fraps_fps.gif]]		[[File:Fraps_fps_tab.png]] [[File:Old_fraps_fps.gif]]

	'''Hide overlay''': Enabling this option is not recommended since the ~~fps~~ counter also indicates if FRAPS is recording or not. In some games the ~~fps~~ counter will show up in the video (this is not supposed to happen) and in such cases it's best to disable the ~~fps~~ counter.		'''Hide overlay''': Enabling this option is not recommended since the frame counter also indicates if FRAPS is recording or not and it will also tell you (depending on recording settings) if you are dropping an excessive amount of frames while recording. In some games the frame counter will show up in the video (this is not supposed to happen) and in such cases it's best to disable the frame counter.

	In the left picture the counter is yellow. That means FRAPS is running in the background but isn't recording. In the right picture the counter is red. That means FRAPS is running and recording.		In the left picture the counter is yellow. That means FRAPS is running in the background but isn't recording. In the right picture the counter is red. That means FRAPS is running and recording.
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	'''Benchmarking Hotkey''': FRAPS uses hotkeys for its functions, but they might be the same as the hotkeys used by the game to be recorded. You will not be using the Benchmarking hotkey so you may disable it to prevent future problems.		'''Benchmarking Hotkey''': FRAPS uses hotkeys for its functions, but they might be the same as the hotkeys used by the game to be recorded. You will not be using the Benchmarking hotkey so you may disable it to prevent future problems.

	'''Overlay Hotkey''': ~~When you use it~~ the ~~overlay~~ position ~~will change. You may disable this hotkey once you decide~~ to ~~keep it hidden~~.		'''Overlay Hotkey''': Pushing this button will make the frame counter change position to the next corner, moving clockwise.

	===The Movies Tab===		===The Movies Tab===

Kibbo: /* The Movies Tab */ Rewrote the section about the framerate lock to better highlight the strengths and weaknesses of it.

2014-03-26T17:18:41Z

The Movies Tab: Rewrote the section about the framerate lock to better highlight the strengths and weaknesses of it.

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:18, 26 March 2014
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	'''Video Capture Settings (image size)''': This should in almost all cases be set to full-size. If you are recording a game where the graphics scale very badly, i.e getting really ugly as you lower the resolution, it can be better to run the game at a higher resolution and have FRAPS lower the video resolution through half-size recording. Full-size requires more of the hard drive while half-size requires more CPU power due to the extra processing of resizing the image.		'''Video Capture Settings (image size)''': This should in almost all cases be set to full-size. If you are recording a game where the graphics scale very badly, i.e getting really ugly as you lower the resolution, it can be better to run the game at a higher resolution and have FRAPS lower the video resolution through half-size recording. Full-size requires more of the hard drive while half-size requires more CPU power due to the extra processing of resizing the image.

	'''Lock framerate while recording''': ~~Very~~ useful ~~feature~~ that ~~in most cases should~~ be ~~left turned off~~. ~~This will allow~~ you to record your ~~runs without having FRAPS locking~~ the framerate ~~for~~ you~~, which is useful~~ if you ~~have a slow hard drive or~~ the ~~game~~ you're recording ~~has extremely detailed graphics. The effect is that even though you set FRAPS to record~~ at, ~~for example, 30 fps you can still play~~ the game at ~~60 fps. This feature was added in version 3.1.0 and will~~ not ~~be available in earlier versions~~.		'''Lock framerate while recording''': A very useful option that needs to be used with caution. Before this option was added FRAPS would always lock your framerate to whatever the program was set to record at but now you have the option to not have FRAPS limit your framerate. Being forced to play a game at 30 fps because your computer is not quite fast enough to record at 60 fps can be quite annoying and in such cases you want to leave the option unchecked. If your computer is fast enough to record at 60 fps you actually want to leave this option checked. The reason for this is that the frame counter (when framerate is locked) will let you know if you are dropping frames by fluctuating to values below the framerate you're recording at, when the lock is disabled this fluctuation is not present because it displays the framerate the game is actually being rendered at which is not necessarily the same framerate FRAPS is currently capable of recording at.

	'''Split movie every 4 Gigabytes''': As long as the drive you're recording to is formatted with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS NTFS] (which is almost always the case today) there is no reason to have this turned on. When enabled FRAPS will split your recording up in 3.9 GiB segments. This is a remnant from back when the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_allocation_table#FAT32 FAT32 file system] was still commonly used in Windows installations. FAT32 is incapable of handling files larger than 4 GiB and therefore older versions of FRAPS forced a split when a recording reached 3.9 GiB. The option to turn this off/on became available in version 3.5.0.		'''Split movie every 4 Gigabytes''': As long as the drive you're recording to is formatted with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NTFS NTFS] (which is almost always the case today) there is no reason to have this turned on. When enabled FRAPS will split your recording up in 3.9 GiB segments. This is a remnant from back when the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_allocation_table#FAT32 FAT32 file system] was still commonly used in Windows installations. FAT32 is incapable of handling files larger than 4 GiB and therefore older versions of FRAPS forced a split when a recording reached 3.9 GiB. The option to turn this off/on became available in version 3.5.0.