Look for suggestions for screen capture software?

[Tearren]

Hello,

I am looking to capture a seminar on my computer using software. I am looking for a program that runs under windows 7, and captures to a windows codec (correct terminology?) not quicktime. I need to be able to specify for it to record a single monitor or window, as I have several monitors. The program would need to record for several hours continuously. Also, the program would need to record sound. I would prefer to be able to edit in the same program. I would prefer something simple to setup and use.

I did a google search and found some open source ones as well as others, but I am hesitant to just download and install a program I know nothing about. I am hoping the community can make some safe suggestions from trusted sources.

This maybe a one off thing, so I would prefer free, but it may continue and if so I would be willing to purchase.

(Not sure I posted under correct topic, I saw a capturing topic but what I want to do didn't really fit the description... so sorry if posted wrong).

Thanks!
Tearren

[budwzr]

You can't get all that unless you spend big bucks on pro equipment.

[theewizard]

i will suggest "video replay" for capture and "video redo" for editing
neither are free

some player programs like VLC will capture a streaming video
editors are not capture programs, and capture programs are not editors
and Professional Programs often come is "Suites". having different programs for each function, just all installed at the same time

[ezcapper]

I always suggest obs multiplatform. There are youtube tutorials on how to use it. It can record using most of the major codecs, you don't have to install anything else. It seems like it supports multiple displays, because my display always comes up as display 0. It can capture sound. Then I would recommend avidemux for editing. There is a remuxing option in obs multipl but doesn't seem to work for anything other than flv files at the moment.

[budwzr]

The problem is "recording for hours" reliably. Any hiccup during the record will ruin it.

[vhelp]

I would first ask, what website are you trying to download from because most videos can be downloaded via youtube-dl tool. And if the videos are hosted on youtube, hulu or other familiar video streaming site, you can get it through youtube-dl tool, no need to screen capture, no need for multi monitor support, etc.

https://www.videohelp.com/software/youtube-dl
http://www.python.org/
https://www.videohelp.com/download/youtube-dl-2015.07.21.exe

youtube-dl is a command line tool and requires the python be installed. You can get it on the youtube-dl page hosted here on this forum.

youtube-dl is a small command-line program to download videos from YouTube.com and a few more sites. It requires the Python interpreter (2.6, 2.7, or 3.3+), and it is not platform specific. Full description.

It is so easy to setup and test for various videos that you would like to download:

1. download and install python interpreter http://www.python.org/ 
2. at a dos console window, enter the following to first test if the video is downloadable and it will give you the video's available resolutions.
3. youtube-dl -F https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW5jfjN-5RI
4. then enter for the following in the same dos window.
5. youtube-dl --no-mtime --write-description --write-thumbnail -l -t --no-part -c -f 22 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW5jfjN-5RI
6. finished

results from initial video search from step 3

[youtube] DW5jfjN-5RI: Downloading webpage
[youtube] DW5jfjN-5RI: Extracting video information
[youtube] DW5jfjN-5RI: Downloading DASH manifest
[info] Available formats for DW5jfjN-5RI:
format code  extension  resolution note
171          webm       audio only DASH audio  112k , audio@128k (44100Hz), 4.49MiB
140          m4a        audio only DASH audio  128k , m4a_dash container, aac  @128k (44100Hz), 5.57MiB
141          m4a        audio only DASH audio  255k , m4a_dash container, aac  @256k (44100Hz), 11.18MiB
278          webm       256x144    DASH video   47k , webm container, VP9, 1fps, video only, 1.15MiB
242          webm       426x240    DASH video  110k , 1fps, video only, 2.46MiB
160          mp4        256x144    DASH video  125k , 9fps, video only, 4.20MiB
243          webm       640x360    DASH video  204k , 1fps, video only, 4.33MiB
134          mp4        640x360    DASH video  286k , 9fps, video only, 6.48MiB
133          mp4        426x240    DASH video  291k , 9fps, video only, 9.08MiB
244          webm       854x480    DASH video  345k , 1fps, video only, 7.00MiB
135          mp4        854x480    DASH video  529k , 9fps, video only, 12.36MiB
247          webm       1280x720   DASH video  790k , 1fps, video only, 14.70MiB
136          mp4        1280x720   DASH video 1140k , 9fps, video only, 21.51MiB
17           3gp        176x144    
36           3gp        320x240    
5            flv        400x240    
43           webm       640x360    
18           mp4        640x360    
22           mp4        1280x720   (best)

files downloaded to your computer (current folder you are in with youtube-dl) from step 5

youtube-dl for Windows-DW5jfjN-5RI.description
youtube-dl for Windows-DW5jfjN-5RI.jpg
youtube-dl for Windows-DW5jfjN-5RI.mp4

results from downloaded video

[youtube] DW5jfjN-5RI: Downloading webpage
[youtube] DW5jfjN-5RI: Extracting video information
[youtube] DW5jfjN-5RI: Downloading DASH manifest
[info] Writing video description to: youtube-dl for Windows-DW5jfjN-5RI.description
[youtube] DW5jfjN-5RI: Downloading thumbnail ...
[youtube] DW5jfjN-5RI: Writing thumbnail to: youtube-dl for Windows-DW5jfjN-5RI.jpg
[download] Destination: youtube-dl for Windows-DW5jfjN-5RI.mp4

[download]   0.0% of 38.12MiB at 20.41KiB/s ETA 31:52
[download]   0.0% of 38.12MiB at 24.79KiB/s ETA 26:14
[download]   0.0% of 38.12MiB at 57.85KiB/s ETA 11:14
[download]   0.0% of 38.12MiB at 102.74KiB/s ETA 06:19
[download]   0.1% of 38.12MiB at 97.48KiB/s ETA 06:40 
[download]   0.2% of 38.12MiB at 106.60KiB/s ETA 06:05
[download]   0.3% of 38.12MiB at 109.11KiB/s ETA 05:56
[download]   0.6% of 38.12MiB at 111.80KiB/s ETA 05:47
[download]   0.9% of 38.12MiB at 113.96KiB/s ETA 05:39
[download]   1.2% of 38.12MiB at 112.16KiB/s ETA 05:43
.
.
.
[download]  95.4% of 38.12MiB at 115.19KiB/s ETA 00:15
[download]  95.7% of 38.12MiB at 115.20KiB/s ETA 00:14
[download]  96.0% of 38.12MiB at 115.17KiB/s ETA 00:13
[download]  96.2% of 38.12MiB at 115.20KiB/s ETA 00:12
[download]  96.6% of 38.12MiB at 115.19KiB/s ETA 00:11
[download]  96.9% of 38.12MiB at 115.20KiB/s ETA 00:10
[download]  97.2% of 38.12MiB at 115.17KiB/s ETA 00:09
[download]  97.4% of 38.12MiB at 115.20KiB/s ETA 00:08
[download]  97.7% of 38.12MiB at 115.19KiB/s ETA 00:07
[download]  98.0% of 38.12MiB at 115.20KiB/s ETA 00:06
[download]  98.3% of 38.12MiB at 115.16KiB/s ETA 00:05
[download]  98.6% of 38.12MiB at 115.19KiB/s ETA 00:04
[download]  98.9% of 38.12MiB at 115.17KiB/s ETA 00:03
[download]  99.2% of 38.12MiB at 115.17KiB/s ETA 00:02
[download]  99.5% of 38.12MiB at 115.18KiB/s ETA 00:01
[download]  99.8% of 38.12MiB at 115.19KiB/s ETA 00:00
[download] 100.0% of 38.12MiB at 115.20KiB/s ETA 00:00

[ezcapper]

youtube-dl also has a GUI where you just paste the url and hit start, if you do not want to use the command line: https://github.com/MrS0m30n3/youtube-dl-gui/releases/download/0.3.8/youtube-dl-gui-0.3...-win-setup.zip

you can also set it to download many links by copying and pasting them all before hitting the download button

[theewizard]

which python DL for win8.1 on core I-7 processor

[vhelp]

i am under windows 7 64bit home premium on my laptop.

i don't know about any specific versions for windows 8 but i'm sure it should still work, 32bit / 64bit versions.

these are the two files i downloaded and installed on both my laptops.

python-2.7.9rc1.amd64.msi <-- i installed this version for my dell inspiron win7 64bit laptop
python-2.7.9rc1.msi <-- 32bit version, i installed on my Asus T100 windows 8.1 32bit notebook, just verified, it works successfully.

[theewizard]

thanks i may try this for hulu