Screen Capture Questions

[devilcoelhodog]

Hello, dear all.

When we can't download certain video material or certain site, we can always use screen capture "method", using programs like OBS Studio?


Yes, I know that such cases we lose significant quality in video and audio.


But does exist some sites that such thing is not possible? I mean: screen capture is useless or impossible to be done.


For those sites we must to use programs like PlayOn? For those cases, does not exist freeware programs or "methods" to deal with such issues?


Thanks.


Best regards.


devil (johner )

[poisondeathray]

If you can "see" it , you can capture it

This includes encrypted sites (if you have the decryption key) , because you are capturing the decrypted, decoded, RGB converted display version, not the "original" version.

For freeware, for example, ffmpeg -f gdigrab will capture everything that is shown on your display. (But it's slow, not optimized and risk of dropping frame unless you have faster system or use hardware encoding)
https://trac.ffmpeg.org/wiki/Capture/Desktop

[devilcoelhodog]

Hello, dear all.

@ poisondeathray

If you can "see" it , you can capture it

This includes encrypted sites (if you have the decryption key)

But if I do not have have such decryption key? Impossible to screen the videos in such cases? No programs can do it?

Does it possible that some sites create some kind of "tools" or "methods" ( not mentioning encrypted videos and content ) that make screening their content become useless / impossible? Something that "disable" screening possibility?

How does PlayOn ( or similar paid programs does ) works succesfully "screening" on so many sites? They have / could obtain such keys somehow?


Thanks.


Best regards.


devil (johner )

[jagabo]

If you see it on the screen it's already been decrypted.

Any time an online encrypted video is played in a browser the browser first obtains the decryption key from the server. It then uses that key to decrypt the video before putting in on-screen. PlayOn just emulates those steps as if it was a browser.

[devilcoelhodog]

Hello, dear all.

@ jagabo

Hi. I think I undestood. But why PlayOn ( or non-freeware similar ones ) updates their engine very frequently? Does it necessary to do it for "screening better" some specific sites?

Eg: I saw in it's changelog sometjing like Fixed Amazon. Fixed Hulu. Fixed Vudu. Fixed PBS. Fixed HBO GO, etc.

In your personal opinion, if you have to do some screening task, do you think PlayOn can do some things that other freewares ( eg: OBS Studio ) can't do it? Or all of them ( paid or not ) can do the same thing?

Concernig screening freeware programs, do you point one (s) that you like to use? I like to use OBS Studio.


Thanks.


Best regards.


devil (johner )

[poisondeathray]

But why PlayOn ( or non-freeware similar ones ) updates their engine very frequently? Does it necessary to do it for "screening better" some specific sites?

Eg: I saw in it's changelog sometjing like Fixed Amazon. Fixed Hulu. Fixed Vudu. Fixed PBS. Fixed HBO GO, etc.

Sometimes content provider changes things, youtube, many websites do too . Sometimes it's for security protocol reasons.

On the software side, they have to match the changes, otherwise it wouldn't work on that channel or site

In your personal opinion, if you have to do some screening task, do you think PlayOn can do some things that other freewares ( eg: OBS Studio ) can't do it? Or all of them ( paid or not ) can do the same thing?

You better hope PlayOn does something extra, otherwise why use it ? Maybe the interface and buttons look better

I haven't used either (I tried OBS briefly), but you still need a paid subscription from the content provider to record those channels such as Netflix, Hulu etc...

[devilcoelhodog]

Hello, dear all.

@ poisondeathray

Sometimes content provider changes things, youtube, many websites do too . Sometimes it's for security protocol reasons.

On the software side, they have to match the changes, otherwise it wouldn't work on that channel or site

Hi. I'm testing some programs now. Let's see if those work properly now.


Thanks.


Best regards.


devil (johner )

[devilcoelhodog]

Hello, dear all.

Hi. I'm testing some programs concerning screening / recording tasks.

I could use OBS Studio and get satisfied.

I could find other similar paid programs: WM Capture and Jaksta Media Recorder. PlayOn was already mentioned in previous threads.

Those paid programs mentioned, can do something "different" that freeware programs can't do? Or all of them can do the same thing?

And I want to know if does exist some recording / screening program that can record several things at the same time. eg: I open several window tabs and recording all of them at the same time. No need to stay in any particular page to keep the screening running. Does it possible? Or I will need to screen such page one by one?


Thanks.


Best regards.


devil (johner )