Good webcam video recording software...?

[FredLC]

Hello there.

After spending two weeks trying to configre my notebook's device features on my laptop in Ubuntu, I got fed up and decided to purchase windows for it.

Now I have my webcam working, but turns out that the software that camealong with it just takes still pictures. I don't know why, since it shows me real-time video, like a mirror.

Well; because of that, I want to ask if anyone knows a good free software for recording video, since I do plan to make an incursion on utube...

Regards .

 

[Synobun]

You could try the trial of FRAPS, 30 days.

EDIT: Oh wait, you do mean computer video right?

 

[FredLC]

Well, I mean the mounted webcam recording what's in front of it's lens, and simultaneously, the sound, saving in a video (possibly .avi) format.

Clear enough?

Regards .

 

[Jamesds]

Well, since a webcam is a video capture device, I imagine something cheap and free like Windows Movie Maker will do the job fine.

That is, if you are using XP - I don't know if it exists or what the alternative is in Vista.

EDIT: I see you want the sound recorded too...well, I think it might do that too, but it could be asking a bit much...then again, I think I recall being able to set a audio input source so, it'll probably work.

 

[FredLC]

Well, I did figure out how to record only audio in Windows Movie Maker (on Vista Ultimate - and only as "narration" in other videos previously imported), but no video at all...

I did found a software that does it for free, but the files it outputs are HUGE [about 200 MB for a 2 minutes video with 360 X 240 (more or less) definition and bad audo quality]. Man, I got a 1.1 GB file for a 2 minutes test video with 640 X 480 and decent audio quality (always .AVI files, it accepts no other formats). AND it has lame sync between video and sound - the video keeps going faster than the sound, in less than a minute the image and the voice stops coinciding.

I see people in Youtube presenting far larger videos with much better sync, and with much more manageable file sizes - some of them obviously recorded with webcams, not with regular videocameras. Therefore, there necessarily IS a way to do that... I'm just yet to figure out what that way is.

Nobody has any software suggestion? I'm taking even "trial only" software because I might decide to acquire it if worthy... I just didn't find anything compelling in Tucows.com...

Regards .

 

[Till]

Uncompressed videos are indeed gigantic. I use virtualdub to get the filesize down. I think it can record videos, too, (never tried it) so it might actually be a free all in one solution.

Edit: Yepp, recording works, as well.

 

[FredLC]

Till; that program seens to work fine, thanks a lot.

Anyway, what tips do you give so I can shrink the files to optimal quality/size ratio (in my first attempt, I shrank 105 mb to 5 mb, and while audio seemed ok, video went REALLY lame) .

Regards .

 

[Till]

My favourite codecs for compression are xvid (Here is a good guide for using it) and wmv.

I prefer xvid for encoding longer, high resolution, videos, and wmv for shorter, low resolution, ones, where small filesize is more important than quality.
The wmv encoding software is also easier to use, but it lacks many of the features virtualdub has.
Edit. Well, bugger me with a pitchfork! It apparently can record videos, too!