Screen Recording Software vs Screen Capture Software
The use of screen recording and screen capture software has greatly increased over the years. This can be particularly attributed to their use in blog posts, YouTube videos and when working from home. If you are someone who finds the two terms, i.e., screen recording software and screen capture software confusing, then below is an explanation of what differentiates the two.
Comparing Screen Recording Software vs Screen Capture Software
The fundamental difference between screen recording software vs screen capture software is that the former is meant to record videos and the latter takes screen grabs or screenshots. However, the two features often come as a built-in feature in various applications. Other than standalone apps for screen recording and screenshots, there are also a number of apps that provide the utility to grab screenshots or record video from an ongoing session on a computer or mobile device. Sometimes, the term screen capture is also interchangeably used for both screenshots and recording the screen, however, the term is best used to describe the former.
1. Screen Recording and Screenshot Features in Application Suites
There are various famous apps that provide the option to record your screen and take screenshots. For example, you can record your screen or take screenshots in PowerPoint. Similarly, gaming platforms like Steam also enable players to grab screenshots and record gameplay. One of the most famous application suites that provides the option to both record screen and take screenshots is Camtasia Studio. The app also has a plugin for PowerPoint and also enables editing for recorded videos. Likewise, the Adobe suite also provides various screen recording and screen capture options to support its apps.
2. Built-in Screen Recording Functionality in Apps to Support Other Features
Various applications being used nowadays to work from home, contain a screen recording feature to record remote meeting sessions, a few examples include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype for Business and Cisco WebEx.
3. Built-in Screenshot Function in Apps to Support Other Features
Screen capture or screen grabs are often included in a wide variety of applications, as well as in standalone apps. Everything from video players like VLC and Media Player Classic to cloud storage apps like Dropbox and OneDrive provide some type of screen capturing facility.
4. Standalone Screen Recording Apps
With the popularity of video streaming platforms like YouTube, there has been an increase in standalone apps offering video recording features, called screencast or screen recording apps. These apps allow recording computer or mobile device screen, often with the option to also record and show a window for the device camera. This enables bloggers and vloggers to create tutorials, educational videos, product demos, etc. Many specialized screen recording apps include Screencast-O-Matic, Ezvid and BB Flashback Express.
5. Standalone Screenshot Apps
Virtually every operating system today has a screenshot option. Be it the famous Print Screen button on desktop computers and laptops or the hotkeys used on smartphones and tablets for taking screen grabs. There are even some tools like the Snipping Tool in Windows that come with the operating system. However, to enhance this capability, different stand-alone apps enable users to capture parts on the screen using hotkeys. Along with options to edit, annotate and share the screen grabs. A few examples of such apps include Greenshot, Shotty and Monosnap.
Final Words
In the wake of the rise of stream platforms, blogging, vlogging, social sharing apps and work from home becoming a norm due to COVID-19, the increased need for screen recording software and the need to take screenshots is likely to enable more users to make use of the features. Even individuals who didn’t have any need to record their screens earlier, now require recording meetings to keep track of different discussions conducted with colleagues and clients throughout the day. It is likely that users will also find ways to incorporate some of this utility in PowerPoint presentations to further discuss or explain the progress of ongoing projects, customer feedback, client requirements and the like.
