# Free video capture software suitable for a middle schooler? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 24, 2016, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-video-capture-software-suitable-for-a-middle-schooler/760751 "2016-07-24T05:45:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-video-capture-software-suitable-for-a-middle-schooler/760751/1 "2016-07-24T05:45:34Z")
I’ve got a kidlet entering middle school. She’s not wasting her summer on minecraft as it’s a vehicle to hone her blogger skilz or something. Anyhoo, does anyone have a recommendation for video capture software so she can launch her new career? Ideally, it is free and relatively easy to use. Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-video-capture-software-suitable-for-a-middle-schooler/760751/2 "2016-07-24T12:26:50Z")
You really need to post a _lot_ of info. What type of system are you using to capture? What OS? What capture hardware does the device have? What is the source of the video (HDMI, component, etc.)? ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-video-capture-software-suitable-for-a-middle-schooler/760751/3 "2016-07-24T21:26:16Z")
OK, it’s a low end Dell notebook running Win10 with a cheap front facing camera, built in mic and speakers. I think Minecraft is the key program, so captured by the notebook. An eleven year old with no experience that wants to play around. Appreciate the patience and hope this is enough to recommend a free version or a low cost easy to use program. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-video-capture-software-suitable-for-a-middle-schooler/760751/4 "2016-07-25T01:50:05Z")
I laughed when I saw the title of this! I consider “video capture” one of the most frustrating and complex things I have ever done! For that matter just trying to play a CD on Windows 10 lately is a nightmare! (Thank you Microsoft!) Anyway maybe if someone set something up first, then gave instructions of how to use whatever, then it might be less frustrating. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-video-capture-software-suitable-for-a-middle-schooler/760751/5 "2016-07-25T07:16:13Z")
You mean she wants to capture Minecraft itself? In the game, Windows + G should bring up the [Game Bar](http://www.polygon.com/2015/7/31/9081715/windows-10-game-bar-how-to-record-screen-video) that lets her record it… maybe. That might be hardware dependent. If the Dell has a built-in nvidia card, the [GeForce Experience](http://www.geforce.com/geforce-experience/shadowplay) software should let you do that. Otherwise there’s OBS, which supports a variety of hardware encoders: > **[Open Broadcaster Software | OBS](https://obsproject.com/)** > > OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. Stream to Twitch, YouTube and many other providers or record your own videos with high quality H264 / AAC encoding. And tool of last resort, Fraps: > **[FRAPS show fps, record video game movies, screen capture software](https://fraps.com/)** > > Fraps can show your frame rate in games! Fraps performs video capture, screen capture and can benchmark your fps! Supports both DirectX capture and OpenGL capture! Her hardware may or may not be powerful enough. If it’s got a modern Core CPU, use OBS and turn on Intel QuickSync encoding (the GPU built in to Intel CPUs). If she has something else, well, worth a shot but she may be SOL. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-video-capture-software-suitable-for-a-middle-schooler/760751/6 "2016-07-25T13:46:31Z")
I think Apple has a moviemaker that’s relatively easy to use. It would kinda-sorta require you to buy a whole computer, but if it’s a family computer that she uses for video it could work ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2016, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-video-capture-software-suitable-for-a-middle-schooler/760751/7 "2016-07-25T19:02:02Z")
So, you’re talking about “screen recording”, not video capture. Different things. Since screen recording is so often used to make videos for/stream to YouTube and such, the broader term “screencasting” often replaces the specific term. [Here’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_screencasting_software) Wikipedia’s list of screencasting software. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2016, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-video-capture-software-suitable-for-a-middle-schooler/760751/8 "2016-07-26T00:34:21Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > So, you’re talking about “screen recording”, not video capture. Different things. > > Since screen recording is so often used to make videos for/stream to YouTube and such, the broader term “screencasting” often replaces the specific term. [Here’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_screencasting_software) Wikipedia’s list of screencasting software. ahh, yes, apologies. I stand corrected. “screen recording” I will try the Windows Media Encoder thanks for the replies everyone and I learned something new today. 😃