There are many different apps and programs that give you the ability to record your screen, however most of them require some sort of payment or subscription.
Thankfully there are many free powerful programs that can assist you in recording either your entire screen, game or even just a portion or application.
Popular amongst gamers and streamers is OBS or Open Broadcast Studio. When first opening the program it can seem rather daunting, however the layout and design makes recording and streaming incredibly easy and gives you full control over your media.
Using OBS to Record your Screen or Window
1. Install and open OBS.
2. Select “Settings” found in the bottom right hand corner.
3. Go to the Video options.
4. Select your optimal Base Resolution; this is the resolution of screen inside OBS. I recommend using the same resolution that you want your video to be. The typical resolution is 1920×1080.
5. Select your Output Resolution; this is the resolution your video will be. Most videos are a ratio of 16:9 (2560×1440/1920×1080/1280×720). The higher the resolution the bigger the file size.
6. Select your frame rate (FPS); the frame rate is how many images make up the video per second, recommended that you use between 30 and 60. For video games you’d want to use at least 60. However for tutorials or other screen capture purposes 30 will suffice.
7. Next select the Output options.
8. Select your recording path; where your video will be saved to.
8. Choose your recording quality, the higher the quality the larger the file will be. Depending on your use you may want to record with “Indistinguishable Quality”.
9. Select the recording format and encoder; commonly used settings are mp4 and Software (x264).
10. Click Apply to save the settings then press Ok to close the Window.
11. On the bottom left you will find the Scenes and Sources options.
12. Press the plus sign under the scenes tab to create a new scene.
13. Name the scene and click Ok to confirm.
14. Now press the plus under the sources tab, you’ll be given the choice between different capture options. Select display capture to record your entire screen, or choose the window capture option if you would like to only capture a particular application or program.
15. Name the source then click ok.
16. If you selected to capture your display you will get the option to select which monitor or display device you want to record, if you chose to capture your window you can select which program you want to record from your currently running programs.
17. If you’re using Window Capture you can choose whether or not to capture your cursor, then Ok to add the source.
18. If you are using window capture you may need to enter program into full screen, or resize the window to match the base resolution of OBS. If you’re using display capture you may need to change the size of the source in OBS; you can do this by selecting the source then right clicking on the preview, going to the transform heading then selecting to fit to screen.
19. Once you have it all set up you can press the “Start Recording” button found on the bottom right, you also press this button to stop recording.
Final Thoughts
Open Broadcaster Software is one of the best options for recording your screen. Not only is it free, but it is powerful. Because OBS is designed for streamers, there are plenty of customisation options. Making it optimal for businesses purposes, tutorials and gaming. If you’re looking for a do all screen recorder, OBS is the right choice.
