Tips for good FRAPS capture?

Gimpymoo · 18 Aug 2011 at 11:46

I have a registered version of fraps, can someone give some tips on how to achieve a good smooth capture at a reasonable resolution?

I have been using the AMD video converter to encode videos, is this the best way. It is quick, but any other to encode giving a better quality video?

Many thanks.

iamtheoneneo · 18 Aug 2011 at 11:50

i used to use vegas to convert - so many options and choices and always gave a good output (As to be expected) bit pricey though.

as for fraps , always have the recording streamed onto another HDD, and just generally making sure you have a powerful computer. I noticed a massive change going from a q6600 (pain to record stuff) to a i7 920 (can record anything)

bhavv · 18 Aug 2011 at 12:02

Uninstall fraps, install MSI afterburner

Too bad you actually paid for a registered version though, that thing is far too expensive for what it does.

Red_knight · 18 Aug 2011 at 12:06

Capture onto a seperate (and fast) HDD than you're playing the game and running your OS from - reduces the effects of FRAPs on the system

Don't play the game at full resolution (when I'm capturing I run at 1280*720 as that's youtube's max resolution), and cut the framerate down to whatever you're going to output the videos at (25 for PAL, just under 30 for NTSC) - FRAPs hits your framerate anyway. At those settings most games seem to come in at about a GB a minute of raw footage, and there's no impact on playability, nor do I have to put any settings except the resolution down.

gropingmantis · 18 Aug 2011 at 12:06

bhavv said:
Uninstall fraps, install MSI afterburner

Too bad you actually paid for a registered version though, that thing is far too expensive for what it does.

+1

NeverWinter · 18 Aug 2011 at 12:06

iamtheoneneo said:
i used to use vegas to convert - so many options and choices and always gave a good output (As to be expected) bit pricey though.

as for fraps , always have the recording streamed onto another HDD, and just generally making sure you have a powerful computer. I noticed a massive change going from a q6600 (pain to record stuff) to a i7 920 (can record anything)

Maybe dedicating a core on the Q6600 to Fraps would make things better?

Sin_Chase · 18 Aug 2011 at 12:10

Red_knight said:
Capture onto a seperate (and fast) HDD than you're playing the game and running your OS from - reduces the effects of FRAPs on the system

Don't play the game at full resolution (when I'm capturing I run at 1280*720 as that's youtube's max resolution).

YouTube supports 1080p and, as of recently "Original Format" so I assume it will do even higher now.

When I Fraps raids in WoW I ran at full 1920x1200, capturing at that full res (Half mode sucks if you ask me) at 30FPS.

The main thing you need is indeed to record to a physically separate HDD. Not much more else you can do other than adjust your resolution or FPS settings.

MikeHunt79 · 18 Aug 2011 at 12:13

Capturing to Ramdisk can help if you're doing short recordings.

Red_knight · 18 Aug 2011 at 13:56

Sin_Chase said:
YouTube supports 1080p and, as of recently "Original Format" so I assume it will do even higher now.

Does it? I thought that was only for their partners, not us schulbs. I stand corrected.

When I Fraps raids in WoW I ran at full 1920x1200, capturing at that full res (Half mode sucks if you ask me) at 30FPS.

Yeah, don't use half-mode - videos will look better if you reduce your reduce your resolution instead.

Also, if you're doing commentary at the same time as you're playing, record into a seperate app rather than using Frap's stereo mix option - that way you can adjust game and commentary volume seperately, and if you balls up the commentary you don't have to re-record everything.