How to do screencasting (desktop recording) with high quality audio and video?

sound ffmpeg jack recordmydesktop

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Solution 1

The solution I like is to use SimpleScreenRecorder. Here's how I did it:

How to build and install latest SimpleScreenRecorder from git?

My solution turned out to be simple to follow once I got the help I needed. I hope others can follow the dev's git instructions now.

Here's more info on SSR:

Main page - SimpleScreenRecorder - Maarten Baert's website

SimpleScreenRecorder is a Linux program that I've created to record programs and games. There were already a few programs that could do this, but I wasn't 100% happy with any of them, so I created my own.

My original goal was to create a program that was just really simple to use, but as I was writing it I started adding more and more features, and the result is actually a pretty powerful program. It's 'simple' in the sense that it's easier to use than ffmpeg/avconv or VLC, because it has a straightforward user interface.

Features

Graphical user interface (Qt-based).
Faster than VLC and ffmpeg/avconv.
Records the entire screen or part of it, or records OpenGL applications directly (similar to Fraps on Windows).
Synchronizes audio and video properly (a common issue with VLC and ffmpeg/avconv).
Reduces the video frame rate if your computer is too slow (rather than using up all your RAM like VLC does).
Fully multithreaded: small delays in any of the components will never block the other components, resulting is smoother video and better performance on computers with multiple processors.
Pause and resume recording at any time (either by clicking a button or by pressing a hotkey).
Shows statistics during recording (file size, bit rate, total recording time, actual frame rate, ...).
Can show a preview during recording, so you don't waste time recording something only to figure out afterwards that some setting was wrong.
Uses libav/ffmpeg libraries for encoding, so it supports many different codecs and file formats (adding more is trivial).
Can also do live streaming (experimental).
Sensible default settings: no need to change anything if you don't want to.
Tooltips for almost everything: no need to read the documentation to find out what something does.

Solution 2

Use kazam screencaster it can also record audio output from speakers or also eidete

12,924

MountainX

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Comments

MountainX over 1 year
I have googled around and found all the usual solutions. None of them work for me. First of all, I want to make high quality recordings. Second, I use JACK audio (PulseAudio is completely uninstalled.)

My OS and hardware details are at the end. But I think JACK audio is the main challenge when it comes to screencasting. JACK is my only option because this computer's purpose is audio production.

My next challenge seems to be Ubuntu itself... ffmpeg and Ubuntu aren't so friendly. I don't really feel like compiling my own ffmpeg, for example. And even if I do (which is an option of last resort), I want to be able to record specific program windows easily, even if they move around on the screen. Command line ffmpeg seems to be limited to recording predefined screen regions and it lacks flexibility, easy of use, and simplicity.

I seek a GUI approach to recording my desktop with audio using JACK. And I want high quality audio and video that are sync'd. I think a significant number of Linux users are interested in a solution like this.

The developer of SimpleScreenRecorder (SSR) said he intends to add JACK support, so SSR is at the top of my list of potential solutions.

Main page - SimpleScreenRecorder - Maarten Baert's website

(Unfortunately, the repo version of SSR crashes and I can't try the current/latest git version because I can't get the git version to build on Ubuntu, but I'll open a separate question for that.)

Until SSR comes along with JACK audio support (if it does), I hope someone else has a solution that works now.

BTW, I do have the jack2alsa bridge. (It's part of KX Studio.)

I am running Kubuntu 12.04. Additionally, I have installed the raring-lts hardware enablement stack, KX studio, and kernel 3.8.0-30-lowlatency. I use an AMD/ATI Radeon HD6750 1 GB PCI-Express video card with 3 monitors and a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface.

Here are some of the links I investigated in my screencasting research:
MountainX over 10 years

The reason I decided not to use Kazam is the lack of recent development. See the blog post here: twm-kd.com/linux/kazam/the-future-of-kazam-screencaster . Back in August he admits that "Work on Kazam came to a grinding halt." He also says the future looks bright. But the current features of SimpleScreenRecorder (and the possibility it will have JACK audio support in the future) together with the lack of recent activity on Kazam made my decision.
llogan over 10 years

How can it be "faster than ffmpeg" when it uses ffmpeg to do the hard work?
MountainX over 10 years

@LordNeckbeard-good question. You could email the dev. He's been responsive to me. All I can say is that I'm using SSR and I'm happy with it.