Screen recording programs are incredibly useful in today’s high tech media world. After all, being able to make a simple video by just recording what you are doing on your computer screen is one of the more useful functions of these little programs. However, there are many different ones out there, and it’s often confusing when it comes to selecting a specific screen recording or screen capturing program.
After much research and review, I’ve found two very good pieces of software for screen recording. Cam Studio, and FRAPS both will record your screen, and both are very popular by many computer media enthusiasts. However, while they seem to work in the same way, they are quite different, and work well under different conditions.
If you are simply looking for a screen recorder that will capture simple computer tasks being completed on your screen, like drawing in MS Paint or Adobe Photoshop, playing a game of Solitaire, or something else that doesn’t have high memory requirements, Cam Studio is the best thing around. It’s free, unlike FRAPS, and runs quite well at the push of a button. You can even select the area of the screen you would like to record, with an easy to use ‘click-and-drag’ interface, or you can elect to record the entire screen. FRAPS will only record the entire screen or half the screen, as it doesn’t allow for selecting just one area of the screen. Both programs, however, will run off of a hotkey, if needed, as they can be configured to run this way or just though the program interface. Cam Studio seems to really shine in programs that don’t require a high FPS, or Frames per Second, in recording them.
Now, in programs that do have a lot happening in every frame, and would require a high Frames per Second recorder, FRAPS is the best bet. It is not free, but it does have a free demo version, in which you can only record up to 30 second clips and a water mark with the FRAPS logo with appear at the top of the screen. The 30 second limit isn’t too big a deal, with the FRAPS logo is pretty ugly, although it doesn’t take up much of the screen. FRAPS really shines in recording PC games, and captures the intense action happening every second with brilliant detail. Cam Studio doesn’t seem to be able to capture action at this speed, and this is one area where FRAPS really excels. It [FRAPS] is probably one of the most used programs to record popular games like World of Warcraft and Counter-Strike, and a search of YouTube gaming videos will reveal many with the free FRAPS watermark at the top of the screen. A look at the FRAPS website shows several demo videos captured with the paid version of FRAPS, including Far Cry and other games, and they truly look just like the game play itself. Cam Studio seems to make videos that lag and are jittery when recording a game or other high FPS application.
Overall, both are quality screen recording programs for the PC. Cam Studio really works well with faster loading, less intense PC applications, and I like to use it to capture videos of myself sketching in Open Canvas, and other programs. I’m especially happy with Cam studio being free, as too many other programs cost a lot of money to purchase. FRAPS works wonders with recording game videos, and if you need to record that ‘pwnage’ moment in your Runescape gaming career, FRAPS will do the job. Check them both out, if you have the need and get the chance.
