Recording video with sound from a computer screen: an overview of software. Record video with audio from your computer screen: software overview Windows native tools

Hello. It’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times :)

That's what the popular saying goes, and it's probably right. Have you ever tried to explain to someone how to perform certain actions on a PC, without using videos (or pictures)? If you simply explain in your fingers what and where to press, 1 out of 100 people will understand you!

It’s a completely different matter when you can record what’s happening on your screen and show it to others - this way you can explain what and how to press, as well as show off your work or game skills.

In this article, I want to focus on the best (in my opinion) programs for recording video from the screen with sound. So…

Website: ispring.ru/ispring-free-cam

Despite the fact that this program appeared not so long ago (relatively), it immediately surprised (on the good side :)) with its several features. The main thing, perhaps, is that it is one of the simplest tools among analogues for recording video of everything that happens on a computer screen. (or a separate part of it). What is most pleasing about this utility is that it is free and there are no inserts into the file (i.e., not a single label about what program this video was made in and other “garbage”. Sometimes such things take up half the screen when watching).

Main advantages:

1. to start recording, you need to: select an area and press one red button (screenshot below). To stop recording - 1 Esc button;
2. the ability to record sound from a microphone and speakers (headphones, in general, system sounds);
3. the ability to record cursor movements and clicks;
4. ability to select the recording area (from full-screen mode to a small window);
5. the ability to record from games (although the description of the software does not mention this, but I turned on full-screen mode and launched the game - everything was recorded perfectly);
6. there are no inserts in the image;
7. Russian language support;
8. The program works in all versions of Windows: 7, 8, 10 (32/64 bits).

The screenshot below shows what the recording window looks like.

Everything is concise and simple: to start recording, just click red round button, and when you decide that it’s time to finish recording, press the Esc button. The resulting video will be saved to the editor, from which you can immediately save the file in WMV format. Convenient and fast, I recommend you check it out!

FastStone Capture

A very, very interesting program for creating screenshots and videos from your computer screen. Despite its small size, the software has quite significant advantages:

• when recording, the result is a very small file size with high quality (by default it is pressed in WMV format);
• there are no extraneous inscriptions or other debris on the image, the image is not blurred, the cursor is highlighted;
• supports 1440p format;
• supports recording with sound from a microphone, from sound in Windows, or from both sources at the same time;
• starting the recording process is as easy as shelling pears, the program does not “torment” you with a mountain of messages about certain settings, warnings, etc.;
• takes up very little space on your hard drive, and there is a portable version;
• Supports all new versions of Windows: XP, 7, 8, 10.

In my humble opinion, this is one of the best software: compact, does not load the PC, high-quality image, sound too. What else is needed!?

Starting to start recording from the screen (everything is simple and clear)!

Ashampoo Snap

Website: ashampoo.com/ru/rub/pin/1224/multimedia-software/snap-8

Ashampoo is a company famous for its software, the main feature of which is its focus on the novice user. Those. understanding programs from Ashampoo is quite simple and easy. Ashampoo Snap is no exception to this rule.

Snap - main program window

Main features:

• the ability to create collages from several screenshots;
• capture video with and without sound;
• Instantly capture all visible windows on the desktop;
• support for Windows 7, 8, 10, capturing the new interface;
• the ability to use the color eyedropper to capture colors from various applications;
• Full support for 32-bit images with transparency (RGBA);
• possibility of capturing by timer;
• automatic addition of watermarks.

In general, this program (in addition to the main task for which I added it to this article) has dozens of very interesting features that will help you make not just a recording, but also turn it into a high-quality video that you are not ashamed to show to other users.

UVScreenCamera

Website: uvsoftium.ru

Excellent software for quickly and efficiently creating educational demonstration videos and presentations from your PC screen. Allows you to export video to many formats: SWF, AVI, UVF, EXE, FLV (including GIF animation with sound).

Can record everything that happens on the screen, including mouse cursor movements, mouse clicks, and keyboard presses. If you save the video in UVF format (“native” for the program) and EXE, the resulting size is very compact (for example, a 3-minute film with a resolution of 1024x768x32 takes 294 KB).

Among the disadvantages: sometimes the sound may not be recorded, especially in the free version of the program. Apparently, the tool does not recognize external sound cards well (this does not happen with internal ones).

Expert opinion

Andrey Ponomarev

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It is worth noting that many video files on the Internet in *.exe format may contain viruses. That is why you need to download and, especially, open such files with extreme caution.

This is very convenient: you can run such a media file even without installed software, since your own player is already “built in” to the resulting file.

Fraps

Website: fraps.com/download.php

The best program for recording videos and creating screenshots from games (I emphasize, from games, you won’t be able to simply take pictures of your desktop using it)!

Its main advantages:

• its own codec is built-in, which allows you to record video from the game even on a weak PC (although the file size is large, but nothing slows down or freezes);
• the ability to record sound (see screenshot below “Sound Capture Settings”);
• ability to select the number of frames;
• recording videos and screenshots by pressing hot keys;
• ability to hide the cursor when recording;
• free.

In general, for a gamer the program is simply irreplaceable. The only drawback: to record a large video, you need a lot of free space on your hard drive. Also, in the future, this video will need to be compressed or edited to “distill” it into a more compact size.

CamStudio

Website: camstudio.org

A simple and free (but at the same time effective) tool for recording what is happening on the PC screen into files: AVI, MP4 or SWF (flash). Most often, it is used when creating courses and presentations.

Main advantages:

• Codec support: Radius Cinepak, Intel IYUV, Microsoft Video 1, Lagarith, H.264, Xvid, MPEG-4, FFDshow;
• Capture not only the entire screen, but also a separate part of it;
• Possibility of annotations;
• Ability to record sound from PC microphone and speakers.

Flaws:

• Some antivirus programs find the file suspicious if you write it in this program;
• There is no support for the Russian language (at least official).

Camtasia Studio

Website: techsmith.com/camtasia.html

One of the most famous programs for this task. It implements dozens of various options and capabilities:

• support for many video formats, the resulting file can be exported to: AVI, SWF, FLV, MOV, WMV, RM, GIF, CAMV;
• the ability to prepare high-quality presentations (1440p);
• based on any video, you can get an EXE file in which the player will be built in (useful for opening such a file on a PC that does not have such a utility);
• can apply a number of effects and can edit individual frames.

Camtasia Studio.

Among the shortcomings, I would highlight the following:

• the software is paid (some versions insert captions over the image until you buy the software);
• sometimes it is difficult to adjust so as to avoid the appearance of smeared letters (especially with a high-quality format);
• you have to “suffer” with the video compression settings in order to achieve the optimal output file size.

If we take it as a whole, the program is not bad at all and it is not for nothing that it is a leader in its market segment. Despite the fact that I criticized it and do not really support it (due to my rare work with video), I definitely recommend it for familiarization, especially for those who want to professionally create a video (presentations, podcasts, training, etc.).

Free Screen Video Recorder

Website: dvdvideosoft.com/products/dvd/Free-Screen-Video-Recorder.htm

A tool made in the style of minimalism. At the same time, it is a fairly powerful program for capturing the screen (everything that happens on it) in AVI format, and images in the following formats: BMP, JPEG, GIF, TGA or PNG.

One of the main advantages is that the program is free (while other similar tools are shareware and will require a purchase after a certain time).

Free Screen Video Recorder - program window (nothing superfluous here!).

Among the shortcomings, I would highlight one thing: when recording video in a game, most likely you will not see it - there will just be a black screen (though with sound). To capture games, it is better to choose Fraps (see about it just above in the article).

Total Screen Recorder

A very good utility for recording an image from the screen (or a separate part of it). Allows you to save a file in the following formats: AVI, WMV, SWF, FLV, supports audio recording (microphone + speakers), mouse cursor movements.

It can also be used to capture video from a webcam while communicating through programs: MSN Messenger, AIM, ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, TV tuners or streaming video, as well as to create screenshots, educational presentations, etc.

Among the disadvantages: there is often a problem with recording sound on external sound cards.

Expert opinion

Andrey Ponomarev

Professional in setting up, administering, reinstalling any programs and operating systems of the Windows family.

Ask a question to an expert

The official website of the developer is unavailable, the Total Screen Recorder project is frozen. The program is available for download on other sites, but the contents of the files must be carefully checked so as not to catch a virus.

HyperCam

Website: solveigmm.com/ru/products/hypercam

HyperCam - program window.

A good utility for recording video and audio from a PC to files: AVI, WMV/ASF. You can also capture actions from the entire screen or a specific selected area.

The resulting files can be easily edited with the built-in editor. After editing, the videos can be uploaded to Youtube (or other popular video sharing resources).

By the way, the program can be installed on a USB flash drive and used on different PCs. For example, we came to visit a friend, inserted a flash drive into his PC and recorded his actions from his screen. Mega-convenient!

HyperCam options (there are quite a few of them, by the way).

Bandicam

Website: bandicam.com/ru

This software has long been popular with users, which is not affected even by the extremely truncated free version.

Bandicam's interface cannot be called simple, but it is designed in such a way that the control panel is very informative, and all key settings are at hand.

The main advantages of Bandicam should be noted:

• complete localization of the entire interface;
• the layout of menu sections and settings is correct, which even a novice user can understand;
• an abundance of customizable parameters, which allows you to maximally customize the interface to suit your own needs, including adding your own logo;
• support for most modern and most popular formats;
• simultaneous recording from two sources (for example, capturing the working screen + recording a webcam);
• availability of preview functionality;
• recording in FullHD format;
• the ability to create notes and notes directly in real time and much more.

The free version has some limitations:

• the ability to record only up to 10 minutes;
• advertising of the developer on the created video.

Of course, the program is designed for a certain category of users who need to record their work or game process not only for entertainment, but also as income.

Therefore, for a full license for one computer you will have to pay 2,400 rubles.

Bonus: oCam Screen Recorder

Website: ohsoft.net/en/product_ocam.php

I also discovered this interesting utility. I must say that it is quite convenient (and also free) to record video of the user’s actions on the computer screen. With just one click of the mouse, you can start recording from the screen (or any part of it).

It should also be noted that the utility has a set of ready-made frames from very small to full-screen size. If desired, the frame can be “stretched” to any size convenient for you.

In addition to video screen capture, the program implements the function of creating screenshots.

Table: comparison of programs

Functional	Programs
	Bandicam		FastStone Capture	Ashampoo Snap	UVScreenCamera	Fraps	CamStudio	Camtasia Studio	Free Screen Video Recorder	HyperCam	oCam Screen Recorder
Cost/License	2400r/trial	For free	For free	1155r/trial	990r/trial	For free	For free	$249/trial	For free	For free	$39/trial
Localization	Full	Full	No	Full	Full	Optional	No	Optional	No	No	Optional
Recording functionality
Screen capture	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Game Mode	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Recording from an online source	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Recording cursor movement	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Webcam capture	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Scheduled recording	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Audio Capture	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

This concludes the article, I hope that in the proposed list of programs you will find one that can solve the tasks assigned to it :). I would be very grateful for additions on the topic of the article.

All the best!

Good day everyone!

- Yesterday I completed the level in 1 minute. 30 sec!

- It can’t be, Mikola, you’re confusing something...

- I’m telling you exactly, I even recorded a video and can show you!

It would seem a simple dialogue between two comrades, but how accurately it reflects the simple truth: " It’s better to see once than to hear a hundred times! ". To record video from the monitor screen, you don’t have to stand in front of it with a camera (as in the preview picture on the left), now there are hundreds of programs that will not only record the entire video (what is displayed on the screen), but also record the sound output to the speakers and headphones.

Actually, I wanted to touch on the best of them in this article (especially since judging by the questions, the topic is really popular)...

A very powerful program that can not only record high-quality video from the screen, but also take screenshots, edit and view them. Supported formats: BMP, GIF, JPEG, PCX, PNG, TGA, TIFF and PDF.

You can record videos and create screenshots of both the entire screen and a separate part of it. The program is designed in a minimalist style, and its menu is quite compact and conveniently presented (example in the screenshot below).

Main advantages:

• Video recording is very compact, the video is small in size (compression is in Wmv format);
• support for high quality video - 1440p;
• there is a mini-editor that will help you rotate the picture, add arrows, descriptions, etc.;
• if you take a screenshot, you can scroll the entire web page, even if it does not fit on the entire screen;
• the captured video can be automatically sent to your own website, presentation, email, or simply saved to a file;
• support for recording sound from a microphone or Windows system sound - or from both sources at once (convenient, for example, to comment on everything that happens on the screen);
• there will be no logos, blurs or other “stuff” on the video that other similar programs insert;
• idle time and quick start shooting function (you can also configure hot keys);
• during recording does not put a heavy load on the processor or hard drive of the PC;
• support for all versions of Windows: XP, 7, 8, 10 (32/64 bits).

Of the minuses: in some cases the program is "capricious" and the video is not saved (instead there is a black screen). Most often this is due to the fact that you are trying to record video from a game. (for this it is better to use Fraps, more about this utility later in the article) , or you don’t have codecs in your system (I gave a link to codecs above, at the beginning of the article) .

Screen Camera

This program amazes with its simplicity and unpretentiousness. Even if you have never written anything down in your life - with her (i.e. with a "screen camera") you'll definitely figure it out!

Firstly, it is entirely in Russian. Secondly, all actions are done step by step (which is good news). Thirdly, after recording a video, an editor opens in which you can view your recording, cut out all unnecessary things from it, select the compression quality for the video and save the final result!

An ideal simple and convenient tool for everyone who wants to record their screen video!

Pros:

• step by step actions (a big plus for all beginners, those who are not well versed with all these codecs, renderers, etc., but want to record a video...) ;
• Record an entire screen, a single window, or a manually specified area;
• the ability to record all system sounds (for example, mouse clicks), sound from a microphone, etc.;
• you can capture video from programs, games and online broadcasts (but in general, especially for games, it’s probably better to use Fraps, because it doesn’t load the processor so much) ;
• After recording, it is possible to edit the video: cut out unnecessary parts, add music, make a screensaver, etc. (the editor is very simple for beginners);
• After the editing step (you can skip it), you can save the video. Here you will find a whole range of options: you can immediately burn the video to DVD, or save it to your hard drive. The video format and quality are customizable in detail: you can select the codec (MP4, Divx, Xvid, etc.), resolution, sound quality, and specify the desired final video size (i.e. manually specify that the video should be 100 MB - and the program itself will set the required bitrate. Convenient!) .

Minuses:

Note: in order for the video to be recorded normally, stop it with the F10 button, as the program itself recommends (if you stop recording in another way, the video may not be saved!).

UVScreenCamera

An excellent program for recording training videos, presentations, and just videos in various formats: SWF, AVI, UVF (its own format for the super-minimum size of the resulting video), EXE, FLV, GIF animation (you can record with sound!).

You can record almost everything that happens on your screen (including all movements and clicks of the mouse cursor).

Main advantages:

• the ability to select the recording area (for example, you can record the entire screen or a separate area);
• ability to select recording source: microphone, speakers;
• you can record keystrokes (including system keys, for example Ctrl+Alt+Del );
• the ability to record 3D games (however, the program consumes more resources than Fraps );
• while recording the screen, you can draw with the cursor: for example, highlight the desired areas or show some area (focus attention for those who will watch the video);
• the ability to edit the video: cut out unnecessary frames, add arrows, captions, etc.;
• the ability to save video in different formats (formats indicated above): both the quality of the video and its final size depend on this;
• It is possible to create screenshots (like the previous program).

Flaws:

• when recording large videos, sometimes the sound disappears;
• Video recording in the most compact size is carried out in “its own” video format (there may be some problems with converting to another format).

Fraps

One of the best programs to record your screen in games! The program has its own codec built in, which has minimum system requirements, so you can record full-screen video from games even on weak computers.

Main advantages:

• low processor load allows recording on weak machines;
• ability to hide the mouse cursor when recording;
• ability to select FPS for video recording (60, 50, 30);
• resolution selection: full, half (when recording, try first complete, if the PC slows down - select half);
• ability to select a sound source;
• In addition to videos, you can save screenshots;
• games will show real FPS (see yellow numbers in the corner of the screen);
• Full support for the Russian language, work in Windows: XP, 7, 8, 10.

Minuses:

• the program can only be used for games;
• The resulting video is quite large (requires a lot of free disk space). Subsequently, the video must be edited and compressed with a different codec.

CamStudio

A free computer program designed to record everything that happens on your PC screen. Allows you to record in several formats: AVI, MP4 and SWF. In principle, not a bad choice for those who prepare educational video courses, presentations, game videos (recording is not available for all games) .

Advantages:

• the ability to apply effects when moving and clicking the cursor;
• ability to select a sound source: microphone, speakers, Windows system sounds;
• You can record the entire screen or a separate part of it;
• open source program;
• codec support: MPEG-4, FFDshow, Intel IYUV, Microsoft Video 1, Radius Cinepak, Lagarith, H.264, Xvid;
• Supports all new Windows operating systems, including Windows 10.

Flaws:

• there are problems when recording sound from a microphone (apparently, not all equipment is supported);
• there is no official support for the Russian language (although there are Russifiers on the Internet);
• Some antivirus programs consider the native codec for this program to be a suspicious file.

Bandicam

A very high-quality program for capturing video and creating screenshots of both the entire screen and a separate part of it. Allows you to record video in almost any game: Minecraft, WOW, Tanks, etc. Can record in a wide variety of applications: Skype, Web cameras, Video chats, just from the desktop (both a separate area and the whole screen), etc. .

Main advantages:

• ability to show FPS while recording;
• support for high-quality video recording (resolution up to 3840x2160);
• support for 720p/1080p video format (popular on many video hosting sites);
• you can record applications (games) using DirectX, OpenGL (AVI, MP4);
• the ability to create screenshots (formats: BMP, PNG, JPG);
• unlimited maximum file size (you can record for a whole day!).

Flaws:

• the program is paid;
• Lags are possible when recording “heavy” games and applications.

HyperCam

Not a bad program for recording all actions on the computer screen. In addition to video, it allows you to capture cursor movements and record audio (sound in speakers, microphone).

By the way, another advantage: the program can be installed on a USB flash drive and used on almost any computer (where there is a free USB port).

Pros:

• selection of capture area;
• the ability to compress both video and audio on the fly (videos are quite small in size);
• hotkey support;
• you can record video and audio in a variety of formats: AVI, WMV, ASF;
• there is a pause: i.e. you can stop recording and then continue from where you stopped;
• ability to make text notes.

Minuses:

• shareware program;
• problem with some types of microphones;
• inserts a caption into the video when using the demo version of the program.

iSpring Free Cam

A free program for recording everything that happens on the screen into a video file. Allows you to easily and quickly create educational video lessons, presentations, manuals, etc.

The program is distinguished by its minimalism and rather modest system requirements (at least in comparison with analogues).

iSpring Free Cam main window

Pros:

• it is possible to select the capture area;
• you can record both system sounds and voice from the microphone (you can record all this at the same time!);
• Mouse cursor movements can be highlighted (for clarity);
• The program has its own built-in editor that will help you make simple adjustments: remove unnecessary fragments, eliminate background noise, edit audio data;
• the program allows you to save videos in high quality: .wmv without loss of quality (HD 720p).

Minuses:

• To download the program you need to specify an e-mail (though there was no spam...);
• not suitable for recording game video;
• There are few formats for saving the finished video.

oCam Screen Recorder

A free program for recording all actions on the screen into a video file. In addition to video capture, the program allows you to create regular screenshots, both the full screen and a separate part of it.

I would also like to note the availability of ready-made frames (video sizes) for quickly starting shooting, which you can start, by the way, with 1-2 mouse clicks!

Pros:

• a wide variety of formats for saving the final video: avi, mp4, flv, mov, ts, vob;
• screenshots can also be saved in several formats: jpg, png, bmp, gif;
• you can apply a graphic watermark to videos and screenshots;
• simple and quick setup of the program: everything is done in a few clicks of the mouse;
• hotkey support;
• the ability to enable/disable the mouse cursor;
• support for all popular versions of Windows OS: Xp, 7, 8, 10.

Minuses:

• limit on writable files of 4 GB (in principle, enough for most tasks, but suddenly...);
• in the installer (at one time) there were additional. programs that the user did not request (browser, toolbars). When installing, just uncheck everything unnecessary.

Movavi Screen Capture

A universal program for recording video from the screen with sound. Using it, you can record webinars on Skype, record audio and video from various sites, and create your own video lessons.

The program has a built-in video editor, thanks to which, before saving the video, you can process it: apply the necessary filters, cut out unnecessary things, make inscriptions, etc. In general, it’s very convenient, a kind of combine...

Movavi Screen Capture main window

Pros:

• You can record the screen both in full screen mode and in a selected area;
• has its own built-in video editor: it will help you process the resulting video;
• Video can be recorded at up to 60 frames per second!;
• setting up sound recording (can be recorded from almost any device): speakers, headphones. speakers, microphones, Skype calls, etc.;
• you can record and show all keyboard and mouse actions;
• setting up hot keys;
• you can take screenshots, including while recording video;
• you can set the start and stop time of recording, and then go about your business;
• a bunch of supported video formats: 3gp, avi, mp4, mkv, mov, wmv, etc.;
• a wide variety of supported audio formats: aac, flac, mp3, wma, ogg, wav, etc.

Minuses:

• The program is paid, the free one will have a watermark on the video;
• when recording large videos (more than an hour), the program begins to behave unstable: freezes, lags;
• does not respond correctly to the "pause" button;
• small trial period.

Come, choose, and go relax! Good Luck!

iSpring Free Cam software is designed to capture video from the computer screen and is aimed at a specific type of user. It will not be useful for gamers who want to record the process of passing game locations, but for those who need to create video lessons on various topics, the program will serve as an excellent assistant.

About the functionality

The utility is capable of video capturing what is happening on the screen in several modes - you can select the entire screen or a specific fragment of it. Flexible program settings provide the ability to use not only pre-selected parameters, but also change them directly during recording - for example, you can change the capture angle or temporarily pause recording, resuming it at the right time. In addition to the video itself, Free Cam can also “catch” system sounds, to which you can add your own comments.

After recording, the finished screencast can be uploaded to YouTube immediately, directly from the program window, or edited first. iSpring Free Cam has basic editing features such as video trimming and volume control. If necessary, it is possible to use the noise removal option. The program saves video files only in WMV format and supports HD resolution.

Interface and convenience

iSpring Free Cam is available for free download on Windows computers, and also has a Russian interface. Mastering the program will not take much time, even if you are doing your first video tutorial, because the interface, like the functionality of the utility, is quite simple and understandable. Free Cam is an excellent solution if you need to create a screencast, but other programs offer to buy a license or have confusing tools.

Key Features

• the program supports recording in HD resolution;
• convenient synchronization with video hosting sites;
• There are several screen capture modes to choose from;
• saves screencasts exclusively in one format;
• ability to remove noise from captured video.

Recording what is happening on the screen of a computer or mobile device, scientifically called screencasting, is done in different ways - using both paid and free applications and Internet services. To hold a webinar or boast about successfully completing a game, paid (and very expensive) programs are most often not needed. Let's talk about how to record video from the screen using accessible, free means.

YouTube

Screencasting is one of the functions YouTube creative studio. If you are planning to make a video to post on the channel of this service, then you will not need anything else.

To access the creative studio, you must have a Google account (the YouTube service belongs to this corporation). If you use Android devices, chances are you already have it. Then you only need to authorize on the site: open any YouTube page, click the “Login” button (located in the upper right corner) and enter your gmail address and password into the specified fields.

• Once you've signed in to your Google account, return to the YouTube website and click the "Add Video" button.
• On the next page, in the “Live Broadcasts” section, click “Start”.

• Confirm your account login using an SMS or voice message that will be sent to the phone number you specified. After this you will find yourself in the creative studio.

• From the Live Broadcasts menu, select All Broadcasts. Enter the name of the screencast in the specified field, set the access option to “Limited” (so that only you have it), the broadcast type to fast (Hangouts live) and click “Start live broadcast”.

When you select the “Custom” broadcast type, the service will ask you to specify a video encoder. A video encoder is a separate program that requires installation on your hard drive and special, sometimes quite complex settings. Screencasting with video encoders gives you more options, but before using them for the first time, you will have to spend time setting up and mastering them.

• After clicking the “Start Live” button, the Google Hangouts window will open. Click “Show screen” in the pop-up menu of the left panel (the icon is highlighted in the screenshot). After the picture from your monitor appears in the window, click “Start broadcast” - this will start the recording process. Since the settings are set to restricted access, only you will see it. By default, recording is carried out with sound (from a computer). If you wish, you can accompany her with comments into the microphone.

• After you stop recording, the video will automatically be saved in the YouTube Creative Studio broadcast list. Then you can start editing it or immediately publish it on the channel.

You no longer need the Google Hangouts window - just close it.

is another service designed for screencasting and recording images from webcams without programs (more precisely, almost without them). In the free version (Free), the duration of the recorded video is limited to 15 minutes.

The site's functions will become available after registration, which will take no more than 1-3 minutes. In addition to this, you will have to download and install a small recorder application to capture video.

Screencast-O-Matic is an English-language resource, but it is not difficult to use. To start recording, simply click the "Start recorder" button.

A dotted frame and the “Record” panel will then appear on the screen. Select with a frame the area you are going to shoot, select the recording type in the panel - Screen (screen only) or Both (screen + webcam), set the video duration (up to 15 minutes), frame size, and turn on the microphone if necessary. Shooting will begin after pressing the “Rec” button.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to record sound from your computer—this feature is disabled in a free account.

After stopping recording, you can trim the screencast by moving the sliders on the timeline to remove the first and last frames.

Windows native tools

In addition to online, there are also offline screencasting methods, and the latter are much more numerous than the former. Some of them do not even require installation of programs, as they are implemented using the operating system.

Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10

Windows 10's built-in apps include Xbox and Game Bar with screen capture. Although it is intended for games, it is capable of recording not only them. The results are saved in the folder C:\Users\current_user\Videos\Captures in mp4 format.

To launch the Game Bar, open any windowed application and press the Windows + G key combination. In the “Open Game Bar?” window Check the "Yes, this is a game" checkbox.

The panel will change to look like this:

Clicking on the red circle icon (Record) will start the screencasting.

In the Game Panel settings (to open, click the gear icon) you can define the recording duration - from 30 minutes to 2 hours, and other parameters that are shown in the screenshot.

Unfortunately, screencasting using Xbox Game Bar is not available on all computers. Minimum system requirements: a video card/discrete video chip of at least AMD Radeon HD 7000 or nVidia GeForce 600 (800M). Or integrated graphics, starting with Intel HD Graphics 4000.

Action Recorder

The next Windiws tool is the Action Recorder, a utility called PSR.exe. It is present in all versions of the system, starting with Windows 7, and is designed to fix computer problems. The utility saves the shooting result as a sequence of slides, rather than a video, as in the previous case.

PSR, of course, is not suitable for recording gameplay, but for asking for technical assistance (for example, in case of incorrect operation of an application), creating step-by-step instructions and mini-presentations, it is quite suitable.

You can launch PSR.exe from the Start menu - Applications - Accessories or through Windows search.

To start recording, click the button of the same name on the panel.

If you want to focus attention on a certain area of ​​the slide, click “Add a comment”, highlight with the mouse (i.e., draw a frame around) the desired fragment and enter explanations in the text entry field.

After you stop recording, the slides with comments will appear in the program window. To save them, click the corresponding button. Saving is done in zip archive format.

Free third party apps

Perhaps one of the most famous free screencasting applications is a classic of the genre. It is designed for creating demo videos and commercial information products, fixing technical problems and much more. For example, you can use it to record a game walkthrough or a video tutorial on how to use some application.

Here is a partial list of CamStudio features:

• 4 recording regions (to choose from): the entire screen, a separate window, a random area (will move following the cursor) and a fixed area.
• Including audio recording in the video - from a microphone or from computer speakers.
• Auto-synchronization of audio and video.
• Control using hot keys. Reassign hotkeys of your choice.
• Enable or disable cursor visibility on the screencast. Illuminates the cursor when you press mouse buttons.
• Virtual pencil for marking and drawing (Autopan).
• Automatic recording stop (after so many seconds from the start).
• Saving finished results in various formats (depending on the availability of codecs).

CamStudio does not impose any special requirements on computer hardware - it successfully launches and works even on weak machines with integrated graphics. The only noticeable drawback of the program is the lack of Russian language, however, the minimalistic design of the main window and simplicity (I think everyone knows what the “record”, “pause”, “stop” icons look like) easily compensate for it.

To start recording, highlight a region of the screen and press the Record button. Settings for sound, cursor visibility, “pencil” and other things are set through the “Options” menu.

iSpring Free Cam

iSpring Free Cam is a relatively new free program for screencasting with sound (sound is captured from your computer speakers, microphone, or both). Unlike many, it is in Russian and extremely easy to use.

Main functions of Free Cam:

• Record the entire screen, individual windows or a selected area. The latter - with an aspect ratio of 1280×720, 960×720 or arbitrary.
• Cursor capture, highlighting mouse button presses.
• Built-in editor with which you can trim the edges of the video, clear the audio track of noise and change the volume level.
• 2 ways to save videos - on your hard drive in wmv format or on YouTube.
• Russian-language help (online).

iSpring Free Cam is good for recording games, video instructions and other non-commercial tasks. To start recording, define the capture area on the screen, turn on the microphone if necessary and press the red circle (“Record” button). After stopping, you can load the video into the editor or save it immediately.

The only difficulty that sometimes arises when working with iSpring Free Cam is registration. In order to download the program, you will have to leave your email on the developer’s website. After installation, Free Cam will require you to obtain and enter a free registration code. To do this, you will have to go to the site again and indicate the remaining data - what is usually requested when creating accounts on Internet services: name, password, etc. After this, the code will be sent to you to the specified mailbox. Perhaps not right away.

If the Internet speed is good, registering with iSpring Free Cam does not take much time, but if the network is slow or there is no access to it at all, you will have to be nervous.

In addition to screencasts, the program allows you to record video from a webcam and take screenshots. And not only video, but also sound.

The free (Basic) version of this application has a time limit: the maximum recording duration is 5 minutes. The screen capture area is determined only arbitrarily.

Other TinyTake Basic features:

• 2 GB of free storage for footage. Download directly from the program interface.
• Online web gallery.
• Built-in editor for processing static images (screenshots).
• Saving the video on your PC hard drive (locally) or on the TinyTake server.

Subscription versions (from $9.95) provide the user with additional features:

• Increased recording time - from 15 to 120 minutes.
• Larger storage capacity - 20 GB - 2 TB.
• Ability to supplement screencasts with annotations.
• Integration with YouTube.
• Technical support.

The program is quite “gluttonous”: on machines with less than 4 GB of RAM, it mercilessly slows down. Like iSpring, it requires mandatory registration when you first start it (although this happens faster).

To make a screencast, open the camera tab in the main TinyTake window, click “Capture video” and select an area of ​​the screen. Next, if necessary, check “Include audio” and click “Start Recording”. After 5 minutes, recording will stop automatically. After this, you can save the video on your PC or upload it to your online gallery.