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Tips for
recording streaming movies Tips
for recording streaming movies Streaming movies typically broadcast at 720p (HD
Basic resolution) or 1080p (FHD Standard resolution), with dimensions of
1280x720 or 1920x1080 pixels. Premium subscriptions may offer 4K (UHD)
broadcasts, but these are usually encrypted and cannot be captured via screen
recording. The native frame rate is generally between 23.976
and 24 frames per second (fps), giving a cinematic feel. Some content streams
at 25 or 30 fps, while specialized high-frame-rate videos can reach 50 or 60
fps, though 24 fps remains the standard for most of the catalog. For 1080p Full HD (Standard/Premium), typical
bitrates range from 3 Mbps to 7 Mbps, depending on the complexity of the
content. For 720p HD (Basic), bitrates usually fall between 1.5 Mbps and 3
Mbps. Audio bitrates for 5.1 surround sound often run at 640 kbps, while
Dolby Atmos can reach up to 764 kbps. You can check the stream’s native frame rate and
resolution by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Shift+D while watching it in a web browser. (Data sourced from AI search) IMPORTANT NOTE: when recording the Chrome browser
using D3D at 2K/4K Fullscreen, 30 fps, QSV (as reported by users on
PC/laptops with no NVIDIA) No such trouble on PC/laptops with NVIDIA drivers. For displays set to 1080, 2K, or 4K, there is no
need to record 1080p or 720p videos played in Fullscreen if the computer does
not support your required frame rate. Additionally, when recording streaming
movies there may be no need for using frame rates in excess of 24 fps. Below
are some recommendations: (1) Use the ‘Get video’ option
from the WM Capture main screen to automatically detect the frame of a moving
video playing on your screen. The video screen coordinates are then applied
to recording, whether using CAP or D3D modes. Note that this automatic video
frame detection relies on motion detection and only works on moving parts of
the video. You can manually adjust the markers if detection is inaccurate. (2) Resize the movie video to 720p or 1080p. 720p videos can be
recorded at 60 fps using CAP mode formats such as MP4/H264 or MPEG-2 on most
modern laptops and desktops. D3D mode can also be used at 60 fps or higher. (3) Movies played on Fullscreen 2K/4K display
– refer to the note above regarding the Chrome browser. D3D mode is
recommended for recording videos played on 2K/4K Fullscreen displays. WM Capture 10v12 recording modes WM Capture is a versatile video capture and recording
software designed to easily record streaming movies and videos from popular
websites. Unlike many other recording applications, WM Capture offers
detailed explanations of every feature you might be using. Although it is not
primarily intended for game recording, it can still record many computer
games, delivering high-quality video and frame rates reaching up to 100 fps.
Various tips are provided to assist with game recording on systems that have
NVIDIA hardware as well as those that do not. D3D mode is the recommended recording mode particularly
on Windows 11. It supports recording high-motion videos, 2K or 4K movies,
also video games at frame rates up to 60 fps while keeping CPU usage low. Use the D3D mode: when your computer screen resolution
exceeds 1920x1080 (HD), when recording the Chrome browser (or Edge) on
Windows 11, when capturing video games, or whenever you want to record motion
videos at higher frame rates (30, 60, or more) CAP (Screen Capture) mode is a screen capture option
which works on all Windows versions, newer or older computers. It can record
high-quality HD videos when Quick Sync is enabled, which is available on all
Windows 10 and 11 machines. It can also be used with 2K or 4K resolution
screens but slower computers may experience reduced frame rates. Use the CAP mode: for HD display resolutions 1920x1080
(HD) or lower, any Windows version (including XP, 7, 8), any Windows
computers (Intel or AMD), whenever an ultra-high motion video recording is
not a main requirement. BCK (Background) mode is an advanced option of the CAP
mode; it is the recommended recording mode for Windows 10 but can also be
used on Windows 7 and 8. It is no longer compatible with the Chrome, Edge and
other Chromium browsers on Windows 11. This mode can deliver performance
similar to D3D when recording browser videos with lower CPU loading. It
performs best when Intel Quick Sync is enabled, available on all Windows 10
and 11 systems. BCK mode is the only recording option that allows: Use BCK mode: (Windows 10 or lower Windows versions) - capturing
windows that are obscured by other windows, rendering the recording window
invisible (Shame on Microsoft and Google for disabling the
Windows features necessary to support the BCK recording mode on Windows 11
after over 10 years of use.) For computers with both Intel and NVIDIA GPU’s read the
instructions for settings up the D3D and Capture modes (under Options, NVIDIA
Control Panel setup. ). WM
Capture_10v12 – main screen buttons 1. Get video
– automatic detection and marking the coordinates of the video window to be
captured (see below). This method works only for videos with motion. 2. Settings –
configure settings for the selected mode, D3D settings fro D3D mode or CAP
settings for Screen Capture mode. 3. Video
modes – select a recording mode (D3D or Screen Capture) 4. Record –
start/stop recording 5. Play –
play the last recorded video 6. View –
open the list of recorded files; here you can select the video player used to
play the recordings 7. Still –
take a snapshot of the marked area of your screen 8. Hide –
used only when the Background mode is enabled to hide the recorded video
while using the desktop for other open windows; works only with the CAP mode 9. Mark
video – manually mark the screen area you want to record; must be used any
time you change monitors 10. Mute –
used to mute the microphone when Dual Audio mode is used with the CAP mode 11. Audio –
shows the audio sources used to play or record audio Simple
recording – Direct 3D (D3D) mode NOTE: on
NVIDIA systems, use our recommendations as a guide for setting up the NVIDIA
Control Panel (open Options, NVIDIA Control Panel setup hints) NOTE: on
multiple monitor systems, WM Capture supports two monitors placed side by
side, aligned at the top as shown in Windows Display settings image. 1. Open WM
Capture – on a dual monitor system click Options, click Monitor select and scaling and choose
the monitor you like to use for recording 2. Open D3D
settings – if the dialog Recording modes is visible click D3D; otherwise
click Mode select then click D3D 2. Click
Mark – on D3D settings dialog click Mark, check/adjust recording window
coordinates or click Get Video on WM Capture main screen to get the
coordinates of videos with motion 3. Select
video encoder – QSV-GPU, QSV, NVENC (on NVIDIA system), set up Quality, Show
small information panel 4. Click
Test – run a 5 second test (only needed once) 5. Start
Recording – click Record or push the start/stop key (Alt+3, Ctrl+3, Shit+3 or
F8 default) 6. Stop
Recording – push the start/stop key (Alt+3, Ctrl+3, Shit+3 or F8 default) Simple
recording – Screen Capture (CAP) mode NOTE : on a
NVIDIA system WM Capture must open on the computer primary display (a laptop
display for example). On a multiple monitor system, recording can be done on
either one of the two monitors, 1 or 2. No special
settings or performance characteristics of your computer are required for
this mode. Windows 7 to 11, newer or older computers can be used (learn more
under Details below). Open a video
and pause the play. 1. Open
WM Capture – The image of the marked capture area of your screen is shown in
a small Preview window on WM Capture main screen (if the preview option is
enabled in Settings). 2. On a dual
monitor system – open Monitor select and info from Options or Settings –
Select the recording monitor. 3. Mark the
video area – You can do this in two ways: · Manual – click Mark Window button. 4. Begin
recording – click the Record button – The marked screen area is now recorded,
and the Preview window shows what is recorded. 5.
Stop/Pause recording – click Stop or Pause – Once recording begins the Record
button turns to Stop, and the Play button turns to Pause. Playback
recording – click Play or View – The default video/audio player is VLC Media
Player if this app was found in your computer. You can change this to Windows
or another default player. If you’re
happy with your recordings you can stop here. However, we recommend taking a
look at the the Enhanced recording settings below, the User Guide or the
Quick Guide for more and better recording options offered by WM Capture. Recording videos and movies – D3D Window mode NOTE: on NVIDIA systems, use our recommendations as a
guide for setting up the NVIDIA Control Panel (open Options, NVIDIA Control
Panel setup hints) NOTE: on multiple monitor systems, WM Capture supports two
monitors placed side by side, aligned at the top as shown in Windows Display
settings image. 1. Open WM
Capture – on a dual
monitor system click Options, click Monitor select and scaling and
choose the monitor you like to use for recording 2. Open D3D
settings – if the
dialog Recording modes is visible click D3D; otherwise click Video modes then
click D3D setup 2. Click
Mark – this
checks that the recording coordinates correspond to the intended area of your
screen. Verify or modify the recording window coordinates, select Fullscreen
or click Get Video on WM Capture main screen to get the coordinates of videos
containing motion. 3. Select
video encoder – QSV,
QSV / CPU, NVENC (on NVIDIA systems), set up Quality, Show small information
panel. For systems without NVIDIA, QSV / GPU is the recommended encoder. 4. Click
Test – run a 5
second test (only needed once). 5. Start
Recording – click
Record or press the start/stop key (Alt+3, Ctrl+3, Shit+3 or F8 default) 6.
(Optional) Audio device warning – ensure that the WM Capture audio
recording device matches the audio device used by the media player (web
browser). 7. Stop
Recording – push
the start/stop key (Alt+3, Ctrl+3, Shit+3 or F8 default) Recording games – D3D Game mode NOTE: The suggestions provided below mainly pertain to
games played in Fullscreen mode. For Windowed mode games, refer to the points
mentioned above. 1. Before
setting up the game mode – in
D3D Settings window make sure all the steps outlined above are successfully
done. It is important to pay attention to all warning messages, particularly
on NVIDIA systems. 2. Click
Fullscreen – if
game window size is not known and the game runs in Fullscreen mode ;
otherwise enter the game window size as
0,0, (width,height) 3. Click
Game mode – this
setting turns off all warning messages, the Preview window, the Small
information panel, and also removes the “always on top” option for the WM
Capture interface. 4. Close the
D3D window, open Game –
wait for the game to complete the setup 5. Start
recording – press the
start/stop record key; you should hear a beep indicating recording has
started. a) if a second beep follows within 20
seconds this indicates a recording failure, often because the selected video
encoder could not be correctly configured or the game restricts recording b) if the recorded file size is zero,
recording is automatically aborted after 20 seconds; WM Capture interface
becomes visible if the game allows it 6. Stop
recording – press
the start/stop button again or allow the recording to stop automatically if a
timeout is set. 7. Close
game – press Alt +
Tab to exit the game unless there is an alternative method provided by the
game. To return to
the Window mode, click Game mode, click Options, Additional settings and
details to reset the other options. Schedule
recordings (simple setup) Simple
Scheduler setup example Here is a
straightforward schedule for recording a movie event where a streaming movie
plays in your web browser without needing mouse clicks or delays to begin
playing the broadcast. We recommend using the main monitor for
recording scheduled events. Keep the D3D
Setup window and the example window on your screen during the setup (position
these windows at the edges of your screen without closing them). 1.Open the media player (or a web browser), play then
stop the media (movie, video, etc.). 2.Click Options, Open Scheduler, select Close
browser when recording times out 3.Click again Options, Open Scheduler, click Open
now 4.In the Schedule events window that opens
click New, click No on the Message Box, the Scheduler setup window
opens; you can view here the recording coordinates 5.Paste the URL in the URL/File path box 6.Enter a file name, enter a recording time (say
00:01:00), select a browser name under Program name (Chrome) 7.Click Set current time then click RUN to
start the scheduled recording (before running, close the example window) This
straightforward example demonstrates how to configure a scheduled timed
recording for the present moment, a chosen time of day, or a daily
recurrence. Quick Sync set up on NVIDIA system Intel Quick Sync encoder used for the Screen Capture mode
cannot be installed on a NVIDIA monitor system, however it can be used with
D3D recording mode under the name QSV or QSV-CPU. Below are the
recommendations for Setting up the Quick Sync encoder for Screen
Capture mode. Open NVIDIA Control Panel Single monitor Dual monitor – see Notes Note 1: To
enable Quick Sync encoder on a NVIDIA dual monitor system, WM Capture
must open on the computer primary display (a laptop display for example).
Recording can be done on either one of the two monitors. Note 2. NVIDIA NVENC encoder for
Screen Capture (CAP) mode cannot be set up on the current WM Capture version. (available
with WM Capture 10v12 and Window 11, 10) Windows 11 and 10 now support
rerouting audio devices for different applications, allowing each app to use
its own audio output. For instance, one app can play sound through the
speakers while another plays and records audio via headphones, with both audio
streams operating independently. Keep in mind that the Windows “Default”
device shown in the 'Sound' settings only applies to programs that have not
been rerouted to other audio devices. With
this feature, WM Capture can use the Google Chrome Canary browser to record
video and redirect the audio to headphones or another silent audio device,
while Google Chrome plays audio through the speakers without affecting the
recording (see Settings, Help, WM Capture recording hints – Update 10004). You can also manually reroute audio using
the Windows Volume mixer. On Windows 11, right-click the speaker icon on the
taskbar and select 'Open volume mixer.' On Windows 10, go to Settings >
System > Sound > Volume mixer (see Settings, Help, WM Capture recording
hints - Update 10002). WM
Capture uses the 'Audio reroute' dialog to reroute audio for WM Capture
itself, and a second media player like the Google Chrome Canary browser. Windows saves these settings, so this
process only needs to be done once. To use this feature, connect headphones
to your computer (these can be USB or Bluetooth) to create an additional
Windows audio device, or use the VB-Audio app. In WM Capture, go to Options >
Reroute audio/video The Audio reroute dialog opens, listing
all available, enabled, and ready audio playback devices on your system. Use
this dialog to reroute WM Capture and a second audio player to a chosen audio
device only (this does not assign audio devices to other Windows apps). The
selected device can be silent (like Headphone) or audible (like Speaker). The
dialog also displays the current audio device assigned to WM Capture and the
name of the second player (browser). ·
Set
up the first player's audio device (if needed) Click
Windows Sound and ensure the Default device is the one you want, such as
Speaker (Realtek (R) Audio) for audible output or Headset (AirPods) for
wireless headphones output. This device will play the first audio while WM
Capture records the second. This selected Default device will only be
assigned to the apps that use the Default device. ·
Choose
the second audio device from the list (headphones or speakers) and click
Reroute. To
reset audio: ·
If
you set a silent audio device for WM Capture and the second player, you can
switch them back to audible output by reopening the Audio reroute dialog and
selecting the audible device (e.g., Speaker) for both WM Capture and the
second player. ·
To
revert all Windows audio to the default device, open the Audio reroute
dialog, click on Apps Volume, and then in the System > Sound > Volume
mixer window that appears, press the Reset button. ·
To
choose a default audio device (such as Speakers or Headphones), open the
Audio reroute dialog, click on Windows Sound, pick the audio device, and then
click Default. Keep in mind that this sets the default device only for
applications that use the Default device. Applications configured as
described above or set manually will remain unchanged. NOTE:
When changing modes from CAP to D3D you should reroute audio again if
rerouting was never done before for the D3D mode. Video and Audio rerouting – setup information (available
with WM Capture 10v12 and Window 11, 10) 1. Laptop with external monitor ·
Set
up a second audio/video player (for example, Chrome Canary, Opera, or Brave
browsers) and ensure that both the first player (for example, Google Chrome,
Edge browsers) and the second player can play video with audible sound. ·
Click
the top bar of the second player window to set focus; WM Capture will display
its name. ·
Move
one of the player windows to the second monitor. ·
Connect
headphones, then in WM Capture’s Options menu, select the audio reroute
option. ·
Play
and record the second player window while the first player is running. 2. Single screen computer (Windows 11) Follow the procedure above but instead
of moving one of the players try to fit both players on the same computer
screen. (see https://wmrecorder.com/video_audio_recording.htm)
. You can also use WM Recorder app YTV Clone from wmrecorder.com to arrange
the windows. 2. Single screen computer with Background mode
(Windows 10 or Windows 11 with Firefox browser) IMPORTANT
NOTE: Starting in
June 2025, updates to Google Chrome and Google Chrome Canary browsers have
disabled the Background mode required for video rerouting on Windows 11. WM
Capture address this blunder by allowing rerouting compatibility with
alternative browsers like Firefox. Video/audio rerouting using the Canary
browser is unchanged and still available on Windows 10, 8, 7. The details provided below mention
Chrome Canary as the secondary player, but Firefox or other browsers may also
be utilized. This feature allows you to record
(capture) both video and audio while simultaneously playing other video and
audio through your computer’s screen and speakers without any disruption. The
required steps and components are described below. ·
Install
Google Chrome Canary browser The Canary browser will be used for
recording, while your regular Chrome browser will handle playback. Navigate
to Options, then Google Chrome Canary, and install the Canary browser. ·
Use
Background mode (to hide the recording video from computer screen) This mode is required to run the
recorded video without disrupting the playback video. Go to Options and
switch to Background mode. ·
Connect
headphones to your computer (these can be USB or Bluetooth) or use the
VB-Audio app. This device will play and record
silenced audio, allowing the Chrome browser or other apps to play audio
through the speakers simultaneously. ·
Reroute
audio This step only needs to be done once;
Windows will remember the configuration. Go to Options and select Reroute
audio to open the Audio reroute dialog. Refer to the Help file for
details. Additional alternative methods for
playing and recording video and audio simultaneously are available at https://wmrecorder.com/video_audio_recording.htm How
to get the best recordings with WM Capture 10 (CAP mode) Below is how
you can get the best quality recordings with WM Capture. More details in the
User Guide. 1. Use
the H264/MP4 video format Open
Settings, open the dropdown list Video Format, click H264-AAC (MP4). In the
dialog window that opens click Quick Sync/MP4. 2. Disable
graphics acceleration Open
Settings, Help, Useful tips, Disable browser acceleration follow instructions. Note: you may not be able to
screen capture streaming movies if you don’t disable graphic acceleration in
your browser. 3. Use
the D3D mode (in most cases) Note that graphics
acceleration must be disabled on every web browser utilized. Open Video
setup, click D3D, or open Options, D3D recording setup 4. Use
Background mode whenever feasible - Firefox is the only web browser that
supports this mode for recording videos and movies. 5. Use
Picture in Picture (PIP) for playback and recording (whenever feasible, see
above) Open
Options, click Picture in Picture (PIP), click Play, click Record 6. Use
the Scheduler to setup daily recordings WM Capture
10 can schedule recording of multiple movies in a row, daily recordings of
different video and audio events or anything you need to record when you're
not present. Open
Settings, Tools, Scheduler 7. Reroute
video/audio recording (not available in all versions) Use the
recording browser to play video, hide video using Background mode, silent
audio using headphones and play other videos/audio with your Chrome or Edge
browser. No video or audio interference between the two browsers. Open
Options, Reroute audio, Setup audio devices 8. Use
Dual Audio Record video
with or without its own audio and add other audio streams like a microphone
or other audio sources connected to your computer. As an example, play and
record a webinar, cast your computer screen to a TV then add your comments
from your Bluetooth headphones/microphone. Open
Settings, Audio setup, Dual Audio. The
Background mode (CAP mode) ·
Background
mode (BCK) is an advanced screen capture technique introduced by WM Capture
in 2012. The content of your screen is not copied pixel by pixel instead,
Windows video stream is intercepted and processed. Therefore, the video image
does not need to be visible. It can either be covered by other windows or
completely hidden. Using
Background mode, you can generate a picture-in-picture (PIP) window to view
or record a video while simultaneously using the screen for different tasks. ·
Besides
offering the highest recording quality, Background mode must always be used
when recording 2K or 4K videos and, to get higher frame rates (up to 100
fps). Background mode works best with Intel Quick Sync available on Windows
10, Windows 11 and some Windows 7 computers and Nvidia NVENC. ·
Background
mode enables recording a video through hidden (invisible) windows while
simultaneously watching another video, with the recording audio redirected to
a silent audio driver, such as a pair of USB or Bluetooth headphones. Click Options on WM Capture main
screen to enable the Background mode. NOTE: As of June 2025,
Microsoft and Google have disabled the Windows features required for
Background mode to work with the Chrome Canary browser, the Chrome browser
and the Edge browser. However, Windows 10, 8, and 7 remain unaffected as well
as some Chromium web browsers. Tips for using the Background mode (CAP mode) Background
mode must be used when you record 2K and 4k videos and/or use the computer
screen for doing other things while recording. In Background mode the
recording window can be covered by other windows without obscuring the
recording. Note also that WM Capture main screen is not visible in recording
even if it overlaps the recorded video window. Here is how to become familiar
with this technique. ·
Disable
graphics acceleration in your web browser (see below Troubleshooting). ·
Make
sure WM Capture detects a window name. The prefix (BCK) is added to the name. ·
Do
not minimize the recorded window while recording. Video stream is
disconnected when you do this. ·
Use
the Hide/Show button on WM Capture main screen to Hide or Show the
recording window. · Set the
Video Preview option under Settings, Tools, Video options to open the Preview
window on WM Capture main screen. Play a video and mark the video window to
be recorded using the Mark Video or the Get Video buttons. The
video window marked area should be visible in WM Capture Preview window. If
not, see below 'Background mode cannot be set up'. ·
Avoid
having multiple windows open. If the window you want to record is a browser
tab, drag the tab out of the browser or set the tab as a new window in the
browser. ·
Use
the Brower button from WM Capture main screen to open another browser
instance while recording. Troubleshooting - Background mode cannot be setup ·
A
black or white image of the marked window shown in WM Capture Preview window
indicates that the window cannot be captured in Background mode. If this is a
browser window, try to disable your browser graphics acceleration and make
sure WM Capture detects the window name. If this issue persists switch to
regular Screen Capture mode. ·
The
message "No window selected for Background recording" is displayed.
In this case there may be no visible window except the desktop on the screen.
If a window is present, click the caption (top) bar of the window or restart
WM Capture. ·
The
window name was not detected and no message is displayed. This could happen
if you switch the video to full screen while WM Capture is recording. You
need to start playing the full screen video first then click the Record
button or the Record hotkey to begin recording. Tips
for disabling video acceleration Google
Chrome: open a new
tab in Chrome, copy text below Microsoft
Edge: open a new
tab in Edge, copy text below Mozilla
Firefox: open a new
tab in Firefox, copy text below Brave: open a new tab in Brave, copy text Internet
Explorer Windows 7 (where available): Disabling acceleration is usually not required . Open
Tools, Internet options, Advanced, check ‘Use software rendering instead of
GPU’, restart computer. VLC Media
Player: must be
running on Windows GDI mode (under Tools, Preferences, Video) or use VLC
version 2.2.4) Windows
Media Player: Background
mode cannot be setup Internet
Explorer Windows 8, 10: Background
mode cannot be setup Simple
Scheduler setup ·Before opening the Scheduler, open browser, open the
video you want to schedule, maximize browser window, mark the video area,
copy URL from browser address bar. ·Open the Scheduler, select a browser name from the Program
Name dropdown list, type a file name under File Name. Make sure
"Maximize" box is checked on the Schedule recordings window. ·Paste URL in the Scheduler URL/File Path
(right click text, Select All , Delete, Paste). Close browser now. ·Check one of the Repeat options, click Set
Current Time, set the recording start time and duration ·Click Save Schedule to save settings and
click Scheduled items to open the Scheduled events list. ·Double click item in the list then click RUN. Scheduler
is now waiting for the scheduled time to trigger a recording. (if you want to
start right away, click Set Current Time then Run) Enhanced
Scheduler setup ·Click Test URL to reopen browser and play the
video. This test allows the Scheduler to find the full name of the browser
window. You can also find if you need to setup a click and a delay time for
the clicks (see User Guide) ·Click Get Position button if you need to
resize the video marked area and to save the video parent window size and
position (see User Guide). Close the browser after this. Set the Click/Dbl
Click and the Delay times (see User Guide) |