Capturing screencasts with SimpleScreenRecorder

Next Steps

The next wizard dialog asks for the codec details for the screencast (Figure 2). You can also select from various predefined profiles. The better the predefined quality, the better the results.

Figure 2: You can set the video format choosing from a variety of video and audio parameters. The higher the quality, the larger the files.

Naturally, there's a hitch: The better the video quality, the larger the corresponding file, which can be a pain when trying to upload the final film. Try experimenting with the profiles to get the best balance of quality and file size.

Clicking Continue at this point will bring you to the program's main window. SSR opens the dialog with the three question windows with every startup, which is why using profiles can save you a lot of mouse clicks.

Applying Recordings

The main SSR window (Figure 3) is rather unpretentious, but it includes all the functions you need for a successful screencast. At the top is the Record button that applies all your configuration parameters to the recording. At the bottom edge of the window are the buttons for stopping and saving the recording. Clicking Cancel recording removes the recording, and Save recording saves it on your hard drive.

Figure 3: The main SimpleScreenRecorder window before a recording. When you're finished with the video, the program simply saves the file in the specified location.

During the recording, you'll see a preview of the captured video in the middle of the screen. You also get a frames-per-second (FPS) status, which is a good video quality indicator. Don't be surprised if the FPS occasionally drops during the recording; it usually means that a graphics-intensive tool is weighing down the graphics chip.

Using the checkboxes under the Start recording button, you can set the recording hotkeys for key combinations to start and stop the recording without having to bring the SSR main window onto the screen and possibly the video. You can thereby conceal that you're even using a screencast program.