Recording Settings
Screen recording is powered by ScreenRecorderLib on top of Windows Media Foundation. These settings shape video quality, audio sources, and output.
Settings
| Setting | Default | Description | UI location |
|---|---|---|---|
QualityPreset | "High" | Preset bitrate tier. Low / Medium / High / Ultra / Custom | Settings → Recording |
CustomBitrateKbps | 8000 | Target video bitrate in kbps. Used only when QualityPreset = "Custom" | Settings → Recording |
FrameRate | 30 | Capture frame rate. Typical values 24 / 30 / 60 | Settings → Recording |
Encoder | "H264" | Video codec. H264 or H265 | Settings → Recording |
UseHardwareEncoding | true | Prefer GPU encoders (NVENC / QuickSync / AMF). Falls back to software if unavailable | Settings → Recording |
MonitorDeviceName | "" | Target display device name. Empty = all monitors combined | Settings → Recording |
SaveFolder | "" | Output directory. Empty falls back to %USERPROFILE%\Videos\Tex | Settings → Recording |
FileNamePattern | "tex_rec_{timestamp}" | Output filename template (no extension). {timestamp} expands to YYYYMMDD_HHmmss | Settings → Recording |
CaptureCursor | true | Include the mouse cursor in the video | Settings → Recording |
CaptureSystemAudio | false | Mix system output (loopback) into the recording | Settings → Recording |
CaptureMicrophone | false | Mix the default microphone input into the recording | Settings → Recording |
MaxDurationMinutes | 0 | Auto-stop after this many minutes. 0 = unlimited | Settings → Recording |
Quality preset mapping
Presets map to approximate target bitrates. Exact values depend on resolution and encoder — treat these as indicative:
| Preset | Target bitrate (approx, 1080p) | Use case |
|---|---|---|
Low | ~2 Mbps | Tutorials, small upload |
Medium | ~4 Mbps | Everyday screencasts |
High | ~8 Mbps | Detail-heavy UI work |
Ultra | ~16 Mbps | Archival, motion-heavy content |
Custom | CustomBitrateKbps | Exact control |
H.264 vs H.265
Tip — Stick with H264 for broad compatibility (browsers, Teams, Slack, most video editors). Switch to H265 only when file size matters more than where the clip will play — older players, some corporate video platforms, and many browsers still struggle with H.265 without an extension.
Hardware encoding
With UseHardwareEncoding = true, ScreenRecorderLib picks the best available GPU encoder at start. If no supported GPU encoder is present, or initialisation fails, it silently falls back to software encoding. Recording still works, but CPU usage rises sharply at 1080p60 and above.
Audio capture
Warning — When both CaptureSystemAudio and CaptureMicrophone are on, Windows may prompt the first time for microphone permission. If the prompt is dismissed or denied, the microphone track will be silent and no error is shown in Tex — check Settings → Privacy → Microphone in Windows if you expected narration and got none.