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CamStudio V3 Documentation

Introduction

CamStudio is a simple and efficient screen recording utility for Windows that lets you capture your screen activity with minimal impact on your computer's performance. This guide will help you understand all the features and settings available in CamStudio V3.

Getting Started

After launching CamStudio, you'll see a small blue video camera icon in your system tray. Either double-click it or right-click > Settings will bring up a single settings panel where you can configure your recording preferences. CamStudio uses less than 30MB of system memory when running, so you can keep it running in the background all the time, until you need it.

Quick Start Guide:

  1. Configure your desired settings in the main panel
  2. Use keyboard shortcuts to start recording:
    • Ctrl + F9 to record your current monitor
    • Ctrl + Win + F9 to record the active window
    • Ctrl + Shift + F9 to select and record a specific region
  3. Use the same keyboard shortcut to stop recording
  4. Your recording will be saved to the specified output folder

Main Settings Panel Explained

Capture Settings

  • Mouse Cursor: When checked, your mouse cursor will be visible in the recording. Uncheck this if you don't want the cursor to appear.
  • Only Client Area: When checked, only the content area of windows will be recorded (excludes title bars and borders). When unchecked, the entire window including title bar and borders will be captured.
  • Show Recording Border: When checked, a colored border will appear around the area being recorded as a visual indicator. Uncheck to hide this border.
  • Keep Rounded Window Corners: On Windows 11, this option preserves the rounded corners of windows in your recording. Uncheck for standard corners.
  • GPU Encoder: Uses your graphics card to handle the recording processing, which is more efficient. The dropdown lets you select "Prefer dGPU" if you have both integrated and dedicated graphics cards.

Output Settings

  • Output Location: The folder where your recordings will be saved. Click the "..." button to browse and select a different folder.
  • Open When Finished: When checked, your recording will automatically open in your default video player after it's complete.
  • Fragmented MP4 (H264 only): Creates a file format that can still be played even if the recording is interrupted unexpectedly (like from a crash). This is slightly larger in file size but safer if you're concerned about losing recordings.
  • Limit Length (seconds): Sets a maximum duration for your recordings. The recording will automatically stop after this many seconds. Enter 0 or leave it unchecked for unlimited recording time.
  • Limit Size (MB): Sets a maximum file size for your recordings. The recording will automatically stop when the file reaches this size. Enter 0 or leave it unchecked for unlimited file size.

Video Settings

  • Gamma Correct Resize: When checked, this improves the quality of the video if it needs to be resized (for example, when using Max Width/Height settings).
  • Improved Color Conversion: When checked, this adjusts the output colors to better match the original screen colors.
  • Codec: The video compression format to use. H264/AVC is the most compatible option, while H265/HEVC and AV1 offer better quality at smaller file sizes but might not play on all devices.
  • Profile: Determines the quality and compression level. Higher profiles give better quality but larger file sizes.
  • Max Width: The maximum width of the recorded video in pixels. If the captured area is wider, it will be scaled down. Set to 0 for no limit.
  • Max Height: The maximum height of the recorded video in pixels. If the captured area is taller, it will be scaled down. Set to 0 for no limit.
  • Max Framerate: The maximum frames per second for the recording. Lower values create smaller files but less smooth motion. Set to 0 to use your monitor's refresh rate.
  • Bitrate (kbit/s): Controls the video quality and file size. Higher values give better quality but larger files. The default of 8000 (8 Mbps) is good for most purposes.

Audio Settings

  • Capture System Audio: Records all sounds playing on your computer.
  • Application Local Audio: Records only the audio from the application you're recording (when using window capture).
  • Capture Microphone Audio: Records from your microphone along with the screen capture.
  • Codec: The audio compression format. AAC is standard for most uses, while FLAC offers lossless quality but larger file sizes.
  • Channels: Choose between mono (1) or stereo (2) audio recording.
  • Samplerate: The audio quality in Hz. 48000 (48 kHz) is standard for video production.
  • Bitrate (kbit/s): Controls the audio quality and file size. 160 kbps is good for most purposes.

Shortcuts

  • Capture Monitor: Ctrl + F9 - Records the entire monitor where your mouse cursor is currently positioned.
  • Capture Window: Ctrl + Win + F9 - Records only the currently active window.
  • Capture Region: Ctrl + Shift + F9 - Lets you select a specific area of the screen to record.

Control Buttons

  • OK: Saves your settings and closes the panel. CamStudio remains running in the system tray.
  • Cancel: Closes the panel without saving changes to settings.
  • Defaults: Resets all settings to their default values.

Tips for Best Results

  1. For smoother recordings: If your recordings appear choppy, try lowering the Max Width, Max Height, and/or Max Framerate.
  2. For smaller file sizes: Use H265/HEVC codec with a Medium profile, and reduce the video bitrate.
  3. For highest quality: Use H264/AVC codec with a High profile, and increase the video bitrate to 12000 or higher.
  4. For longer recordings: Make sure your output drive has enough free space, and consider setting a Max Width and Height to reduce file size.
  5. For tutorials: Keep the Mouse Cursor option enabled, and consider using Capture Window mode to focus on just the application you're demonstrating.

Troubleshooting

  1. Antivirus warnings: Some antivirus programs may flag CamStudio due to its screen capture capabilities. This is typically a false positive.
  2. Black screen when recording: Try disabling GPU Encoder, or update your graphics drivers.
  3. No audio in recording: Make sure you've selected the correct audio capture option for your needs.
  4. Poor performance: Lower your resolution settings and framerate, or try changing to a different video codec.
  5. HEVC encoding issues: If you want to use HEVC (H265) encoding, you may need to install the HEVC Video Extensions from the Windows Store.

System Requirements

CamStudio works on Windows 10 (version 1903/May 2019 Update or newer) and Windows 11. For best performance, make sure your graphics drivers are up to date.

About Recordings

CamStudio saves recordings as MP4 files. These can be played in most video players and are ready for sharing online or editing in video editing software. No additional conversion is needed for standard use.