What's a good free desktop screen recorder?

With no limitations and can handle live videos on screens to record in
web browsers. Also, it has to work well on a decade old updated 64-bit
W7 HPE SP1 PC with 6 GB of RAM and ATI Radeon 4870 video card (512 MB of
RAM).
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On Sun, 11 Nov 2018 09:48:45 -0800, Ant wrote:

With no limitations and can handle live videos on screens to record in
web browsers. Also, it has to work well on a decade old updated 64-bit
W7 HPE SP1 PC with 6 GB of RAM and ATI Radeon 4870 video card (512 MB of
RAM).

I favor FastStone's FSCapture, but it's not free.

Try this:

http://www.gilisoft.com/free-screen-recorder.htm

I've used Gilisoft products in the past, and they are
reasonably good (their RAMDisk crashes a lot). But their video
products are OK.
Not sure what the limitations are vs the PRO version. If you
do try it, some feedback would be nice.
[]'s

--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

On Sun, 11 Nov 2018 17:07:31 -0200, Shadow wrote:

Not sure what the limitations are vs the PRO version. If you
do try it, some feedback would be nice.

It's a good question of which free screen recorder is best on Windows.

Of course, the limitations matter greatly, where
o It should be truly free (open source is good, no trialware accepted)
o It should have zero ads
o It should record any length of time
o It should have no watermark
o It should work offline
o It should handle common formats
o It should not require registration
o etc.

I don't use them, where I would ask folks who use them to comment
since we learn most from users of the software whose opinions we trust.

I wonder if one of the freeware classics (like vlc, irfanview?, ffmpeg?
shotcut?) can be used in a script to capture the screen in enough screens
per second to count as video?

What would a minimum number of screens per second would we need anyway?

Googling, I see these (I searched for "freeware screen recorder windows"):
The best free screen recorder 2018 | TechRadar
https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-free-screen-recorder
1. OBS Studio https://obsproject.com/download
2. Flashback Express https://www.flashbackrecorder.com/express/
3. Debut Video Capture https://www.nchsoftware.com/capture/index.html
4. ShareX https://getsharex.com/

Generally, I look at a few "best" lists to see which overlap.
To that end, let's look at this next Windows freeware listing...

8 Free Screen Recording Software For Windows 10 | 2018 Edition
https://fossbytes.com/best-screen-recorder-windows-free/
1. VLC https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.php
2. Game DVR https://github.com/FunkyFr3sh/GameDVR_Config
3. OBS Studio https://obsproject.com/download
4. Flashback Express https://www.flashbackrecorder.com/express/
5. ApowerREC https://www.apowersoft.com/record-all-screen
3. TinyTake (5m) https://tinytake.com/tinytake-download
7. XSplit Broadcaster https://www.xsplit.com/broadcaster

Well, that's scary in that there isn't a whole lot of overlap.
That's generally bad news, when it comes to functional freeware.

Moving to a third listing, we need a better venn overlap...
5 Best Free Screen Recorder For Windows of 2018
https://www.viralhax.com/best-free-screen-recorder/
1. ApowerREC https://www.apowersoft.com/record-all-screen
3. TinyTake (5m) https://tinytake.com/tinytake-download
3. Icecream (10m webm) https://icecreamapps.com/Screen-Recorder/
4. XSplit Broadcaster https://www.xsplit.com/broadcaster
5. CamStudio https://camstudio.org/

Let's try more, because we need more overlap to save test efforts:
Top 10 Screen Recording Software for Windows

https://elearningbrothers.com/blog/top-10-screen-recording-software-for-windows/
1. DVDVideoSoft
https://www.dvdvideosoft.com/products/dvd/Free-Screen-Video-Recorder.htm
2. CamStudio https://camstudio.org/
3. Ezvid https://www.ezvid.com
4. TinyTake (5m) https://tinytake.com/tinytake-download
5. SmartPixel (watermark) http://www.smartpixel.com/
6. Icecream (10m webm) https://icecreamapps.com/Screen-Recorder/
7. Screencast-o-matic (15m, watermark) https://screencast-o-matic.com/
8. iSpring Free Cam (wmv)
https://www.ispringsolutions.com/ispring-free-cam

Let's try one more, because the overlap can save time & effort:
Best Free Screen Recorders, Lifewire
https://www.lifewire.com/best-free-screen-recorders-4151715
1. OBS Studio https://obsproject.com/download
2. Flashback Express https://www.flashbackrecorder.com/express/
3. TinyTake (5m) https://tinytake.com/tinytake-download
4. Icecream (10m webm) https://icecreamapps.com/Screen-Recorder/


Finally we begin to have some overlap (assuming independent reviews).
Which do you trust?
Dunno.
Everyone loves VLC, so that would be the first I'd test.

But I'd defer, as always, to someone I trust who uses this stuff daily.
That lessens the immense cost of freeware (which is the cost of picking the
best one).

In message , Arlen_Holder
writes:
[]
It's a good question of which free screen recorder is best on Windows.

Of course, the limitations matter greatly, where
o It should be truly free (open source is good, no trialware accepted)
o It should have zero ads
o It should record any length of time
o It should have no watermark
(Or let _you_ specify your own, as the one mentioned in another post in
this thread does)
o It should work offline
o It should handle common formats
o It should not require registration
o etc.

A good wishlist (-:!
[]
I wonder if one of the freeware classics (like vlc, irfanview?, ffmpeg?
shotcut?) can be used in a script to capture the screen in enough screens
per second to count as video?

What would a minimum number of screens per second would we need anyway?
[]
An interesting seed for discussion.

It depends what you're going to use the capture software _for_. If it's
actually capturing streaming video, then see Paul's post - but, in
general, "if I was going there, I wouldn't start from here" - screen
capture software is not the right _tool_ for that. So what _are_ you
going to use it for? I'd say mainly for making "how to do" videos. [Note
that I've avoided a contentious term there (-:.]

Since we've separated the light source from the frame rate, we can
realise that a lot lower frame rate can be used. In the days of CRTs, we
needed a _refresh_ rate greater than - it varies between people, but I'd
say at _least_ about 45 Hz - frame rate to avoid _flicker_. But (and
even with CRTs, provided you had a _refresh_ rate different from a
_frame_ rate), you can have a frame rate of quite low - I'd say below 10
a second - even if you wanted to give the impression of movement, except
for very complex or detailed scenes. If you're only wanting to show how
to do something in software, one a second is probably sufficient -
though if you want to at least give the impression of mouse pointer
movement, I'd go for three or four a second (and with pointer trails
turned on).

The one time I wanted to do such a capture (to show an energy company
how their website worked, or rather didn't!), I used something called
Debut Video Capture software (works under 7, but I'm not recommending it
- or not, for that matter), and the hardware I had at the time _did_
produce only one or two frames per second. (Which sufficed for the
purpose.)

So, apart from capturing streams (see above) and making "how-to" clips,
is there anything _else_ people might _want_ to do with capture software
(including the above suggestion of using IrfanView or other to just take
pictures fast)?
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

So, Heresy be damned (well, it would be, wouldn't it?).
Radio Times 24-30 July 2010 (page 24)

On Mon, 12 Nov 2018 12:46:48 +0000, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:

A good wishlist (-:!

Hi J. P. Gilliver,

I agree it's only a 'freeware wishlist', where, it seems the tricks,
subterfuge, & shenanigans "free to download" software plays on the hapless
user is more prevalent in the "video" category than almost any other
category.

I don't know why, but, for example, you get far fewer of those shenanigans
like crippleware posing as freeware in, oh, say, Android Emulation
Freeware, or in Vector Graphics CAD freeware, etc.

Given the propensity of "screen recording" freeware to play crippleware
games, I suspect half (or more) of the finds I listed have them.

That's why freeware is expensive - because you need to know someone who
already knows the answer if you're going to find the best ones.


What would a minimum number of screens per second would we need anyway?
screen capture software is not the right _tool_ for that.

The advantage of "frequent screen capture" freeware would be the
simplicity. The disadvantage is that you have to dub the audio (but most of
the time, that wouldn't be a disadvantage in a tutorial).

Since we've separated the light source from the frame rate, we can
realise that a lot lower frame rate can be used.

Interesting point about the frame rate separated from the light source!

I'd go for three or four a second (and with pointer trails
turned on).

Sounds like a good starting number of 0.25 second intervals, for testing.

So, apart from capturing streams (see above) and making "how-to" clips,
is there anything _else_ people might _want_ to do with capture software
(including the above suggestion of using IrfanView or other to just take
pictures fast)?

I don't capture my screen in audio, but I do a tremendous amount of screen
capturing, where, it might be nice, to have something running all the time
which rolls over like a dash cam rolls over.

That way it wouldn't fill the disk space but it would have a pre-set time
of, oh, I don't know, the last five minutes. That way, any "mistake" I made
in the past five minutes would be captured as long as I realized that
mistake within that five minute period.

Other than that, I have no need for screen-recording software, but, I can
see, if you're doing facetime or some kind of real-time video display, that
having a screen recording of a conference call (with audio) would be
useful.

"Shadow" wrote

| Try this:
|
| http://www.gilisoft.com/free-screen-recorder.htm
|

I just downloaded it. Clean. I just unpacked the Inno
installer and it seems to work OK. But then it immediately
tried to call:

184.173.250.45
SoftLayer Technologies

Then the window came up and asked me to buy
or "evaluate". That's sleazy. Even the download
name calls it the free version. But the program is
not free. It's just a trial version. I never tried it to
see whether it works.

Years ago I had a nice little program that came
with WordPro 96, which I got free from a magazine
CD. (Back when computer magazines actually had
CDs with good, free software, fonts, etc. I still
use buttonizer plug-ins in Paint Shop Pro that I
got from one of those CDs.
The WordPro movie maker easily made little movies
of desktop activity and packed in the player for
sending to others. But I think it was 9x-only.

On Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:04:58 -0500, "Mayayana"
wrote:

"Shadow" wrote

| Try this:
|
| http://www.gilisoft.com/free-screen-recorder.htm
|

I just downloaded it. Clean. I just unpacked the Inno
installer and it seems to work OK.

Yes, I do that too. And eliminate anything that looks like a
downloader.

But then it immediately tried to call:

184.173.250.45
SoftLayer Technologies

Then the window came up and asked me to buy
or "evaluate". That's sleazy. Even the download
name calls it the free version. But the program is
not free. It's just a trial version. I never tried it to
see whether it works.

Yes, well, I automatically block anything like that with my
firewall.
And trace it, so I can undo anything "extra" it might have
done (with Gilisoft, usually only a few benign registry keys and some
entries in App data or whatever).
Do you mean I'm going to have to do it myself ?

OK. I will.
[]'s

Years ago I had a nice little program that came
with WordPro 96, which I got free from a magazine
CD. (Back when computer magazines actually had
CDs with good, free software, fonts, etc. I still
use buttonizer plug-ins in Paint Shop Pro that I
got from one of those CDs.
The WordPro movie maker easily made little movies
of desktop activity and packed in the player for
sending to others. But I think it was 9x-only.

--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

On Mon, 12 Nov 2018 13:41:10 -0200, Shadow wrote:

On Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:04:58 -0500, "Mayayana"
wrote:

"Shadow" wrote

| Try this:
|
| http://www.gilisoft.com/free-screen-recorder.htm
|

I just downloaded it. Clean. I just unpacked the Inno
installer and it seems to work OK.

Yes, I do that too. And eliminate anything that looks like a
downloader.

But then it immediately tried to call:

184.173.250.45
SoftLayer Technologies

Then the window came up and asked me to buy
or "evaluate". That's sleazy. Even the download
name calls it the free version. But the program is
not free. It's just a trial version. I never tried it to
see whether it works.

Yes, well, I automatically block anything like that with my
firewall.
And trace it, so I can undo anything "extra" it might have
done (with Gilisoft, usually only a few benign registry keys and some
entries in App data or whatever).
Do you mean I'm going to have to do it myself ?

OK. I will.
[]'s

It's crippleware. Sticks a watermark in the middle of the
videos. A small watermark that will not mess up the video, but looks
cheap. They could have put it in a corner.
Tried a simple tutorial while playing music with Winamp, and
it captured the sound OK. Put VLC in the capture zone and played a
video, but VLC had a black screen in the playback, so it can't capture
that.
Doesn't write anything to registry, just a couple of files to
the install folder. But then I didn't install, I just unpacked.
And yes, it phones home on startup.

Conclusion: If you are doing a quick and easy tutorial in MP4
format for a friend who doesn't mind a watermark, it works. The video
files are quite small and of adequate quality.
Otherwise, look elsewhere.
[]'s
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

On Mon, 12 Nov 2018 09:04:58 -0500, Mayayana wrote:

Then the window came up and asked me to buy
or "evaluate". That's sleazy. Even the download
name calls it the free version. But the program is
not free. It's just a trial version. I never tried it to
see whether it works.

While I don't know if the half dozen "reviews" I found for "free windows
screen recorders" are shills or not, that app didn't show up even once.
http://www.gilisoft.com/free-screen-recorder.htm

Sometimes that's a good thing (e.g., lots of editing reviews skip over
Irfanview) but usually that's a bad thing.

I think you found out that it's not viable software, given it's not
freeware, so it's not of general use to everyone (which is always the
entire point).

In message , Mayayana
writes:
"Shadow" wrote

| Try this:
|
| http://www.gilisoft.com/free-screen-recorder.htm
|

I just downloaded it. Clean. I just unpacked the Inno
installer and it seems to work OK. But then it immediately
tried to call:

184.173.250.45
SoftLayer Technologies

Then the window came up and asked me to buy
or "evaluate". That's sleazy. Even the download
name calls it the free version. But the program is
not free. It's just a trial version. I never tried it to
see whether it works.

Agreed. If something has "free" anywhere about it, but certainly in the
filename, it should be free. Not trial, and certainly not buy.

I've nothing against trialware, as long as it is made clear that that's
what it is.
[]
I downloaded the above when shadow recommended it - and there were/are a
lot of things about it that look good (user-settable watermarks, zoom,
varying-during-capture capture area [though how that plays should be
interesting!], and others), but if it's going to not be free, I might
well delete it without even trying.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

If you help someone when they're in trouble, they will remember you when
they're in trouble again.

On Sun, 11 Nov 2018 17:07:31 -0200, Shadow wrote:

On Sun, 11 Nov 2018 09:48:45 -0800, Ant wrote:

With no limitations and can handle live videos on screens to record in
web browsers. Also, it has to work well on a decade old updated 64-bit
W7 HPE SP1 PC with 6 GB of RAM and ATI Radeon 4870 video card (512 MB of
RAM).

I favor FastStone's FSCapture, but it's not free.

There is a free version of FSCapture v5.3 available from

https://whatsonmypc.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/faststone/

"Monty" wrote

| There is a free version of FSCapture v5.3 available from
|
| https://whatsonmypc.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/faststone/
|

That seems to be only screen capture, not
video capture.

In message , Mayayana
writes:
"Monty" wrote

| There is a free version of FSCapture v5.3 available from
|
| https://whatsonmypc.wordpress.com/2009/05/14/faststone/
|

That seems to be only screen capture, not
video capture.


Any comments?

(It came well-recommended in another thread - I forget what about - not
too long ago, but I see I have no files with fsca in the name [thanks
Everything!], so there must have been a reason I didn't download it
then.)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

If you help someone when they're in trouble, they will remember you when
they're in trouble again.

"J. P. Gilliver (John)" wrote

| That seems to be only screen capture, not
| video capture.
|
|
| Any comments?
|

Comments? I downloaded it and tried it. There's no
video. And the webpage Monty linked doesn't
mention video. No one needs special software
for screen capture. I just use Ctrl + Prt Scr and
paste it to Paint Shop Pro. I guess there was
a misunderstanding about the difference between
video and images.

CamStudio looks like the best to me so far,
except for the glitch of VLC converting it to
diagonal when it converts to mp4.

"Charlie+" wrote

| Try BB Flashback Express - free version for personal use, register to
| get key. C+

I just tried it. Mixed results. First, it's too big.
A 21 MB installer. 109 MB installed (!) Then it
worked but couldn't save to mp4 without getting
QuickTime. (I'm definitely not installing Apple
software. They're among the worst for spyware,
while Timmy Cook squeals that he's the only moral,
privacy-respecting CEO in tech. Spyware is bad
enough. Baldfaced lying about it is worse.)

So I resaved the proprietary file format as AVI.
That played OK, but it put a sizable black rectangle
in the middle of the screen saying it was an
evaluation. Though I was able to minimize the
black box the next time I recorded.

After recording I had to open the player to
re-open the proprietary file and resave as AVI.
(Later to use Avidemux, I suppose, if I wanted
an mp4. So two complex operations just to get
a compact file format.)

Spyware functionality called 3 different IPs:

Recorder:
130.159.196.117
University of Strathclyde, UK

LogSysServer.exe:
104.27.150.13
CloudFlare

Player:
176.34.137.58
Cloudfront on Amazon web services, Ireland

This one tried to send every few seconds
while playing back. The destination is an
Amazon storage service, especially for caching
videos. It appears the program was trying to
upload the video.

So.... It works. But it takes up a very bloated 109 MB
and that's without even being able to save to mp4.
And it's rather extreme spyware.

This kind of software is handy to have for giving
help to others, but it seems like it should be so hard
to find a simple, non-spyware, compact program that
just stitches together screenshots and makes an mp4.