Looking for a video recorder for MAME......

-Bridget- · Post by **-Bridget-** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:38 am

Ok, yes, looking for a program that DOESNT SUCK, with which to record videos of gameplay from MAME.

Also something that ISNT FRAPS.

Cause I dont have money to spend on that right now..... so Im gonna try and look for free stuff first.

If I cant find that, eventually I'll just buy Fraps, cause I at least do know it's good and works easily......

So, just something that'll record to a good format, and NOT drastically slow down my machine (and thus the game) while recording.

I've a really powerful machine here, so processor type/speed or RAM or video card isnt an issue whatsoever.

Suggestions appreciated!!!

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 7:44 am

I would buy Fraps if it was better priced. $38? No thanks.

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:03 am

There are Fraps alternatives. Check out Sourceforge.

worstplayer · Post by **worstplayer** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:39 am

If that game can be played in finalBurn alpha+, use it. It records avi, and has none of MAME's problems (skipping sound, input lag, corrupt tiles etc.).

If not, CamStudio records MAME quite well (except sound, but it could be just my computer) and it's free.

cigsthecat · Post by **cigsthecat** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:41 am

MAME062b will let you record inps to video.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:39 am

cigsthecat wrote:MAME062b will let you record inps to video.

But doesn't play loads of games.

cigsthecat · Post by **cigsthecat** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 11:03 am

But lets you record inps to video.

destructor · Post by **destructor** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 11:29 am

1. Use EK-MAME or other MAME clone with record avi option.
2. Record inp file.
3. Playback inp file and now turn on recording avi file.

Why record avi during playback inp, not during recording inp or during normal play? Because when you record avi during playback inp lags are very small.

Danny · Post by **Danny** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 5:11 pm

I use Camstudio, this is how I do it.

1) First play the game using "record input".

2) After you finished playing resize the window in the options. Resize it so that it's big enough for decent video quality but not to big so that it slows you computer down to a crawl.

3) Play the new input file while using camstudio to record the footage.

This way you can actualy play the game at full size then later record the footage when you are ready and at a resolution that sutes you so that the movie file does not take up most of your HardDrive!

landshark · Post by **landshark** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 5:30 pm

destructor wrote:1. Use EK-MAME or other MAME clone with record avi option.
2. Record inp file.
3. Playback inp file and now turn on recording avi file.

Why record avi during playback inp, not during recording inp or during normal play? Because when you record avi during playback inp lags are very small.

This is the process I use too. Except I also playback to WAV as well because the video/audio never syncs up right and I need to scale the audio.

-Bridget- · Post by **-Bridget-** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:11 pm

Hmm, "record input"..... that's a good idea, I think I'll give that a whirl.

I always forget that that option is even in there.....

gameoverDude · Post by **gameoverDude** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:10 pm

I bought Fraps, but I found it to cause massive slowdown while I played the game. Even after recording an inp first then letting Fraps capture the replay, I'm still not pleased with it. I don't use it.

Guess I'll have to give CamStudio a try.

Post by **Icarus** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 10:20 pm

Last time I checked, EK-MAME+ was well over v0.90, I think around v0.99b.
http://woosuk00.dothome.co.kr/aquamp/index.html
EDIT: Actually, they've gone over v0.100, but v0.99b is pretty decent and actually works from testing.

Unless you intend to record Raiden Fighters 2 replays, I think that's pretty acceptable for everything else.
Clip of me playing Great Mahou, stage 2 boss, done using the .inp to .avi feature. Quality is great, video is always at around 60fps, but you need a large amount of drive space for the conversion, as the raw video takes up a lot of space. Also, if you intend to use EK-MAME+ as a replay-making base, make sure you sync the audio to video using something like Virtualdub (VIDEO dropdown/FRAMERATE > Change so video and audio durations match) when you come to compress the video, as I've noticed that the sound always desyncs if you don't fix it.

-Bridget- · Post by **-Bridget-** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:18 am

Any other ideas about this?

I was originally using "HyperCam 2"...... which decided to be really pathetically slow (and not record sound) during recording. AKA video speed jumps up and down (usually down).

Then tried Camstudio....... which was the most miserable failure I've seen yet on this computer. Apparantly it's method of recording was to take the images and spray them in pieces all over the screen. Of course, could be Vista's retarded influence.

And I dunno about the other MAMEs. That EK-Mame is on a site I cant understand, so I havent actually downloaded it again.....

Also, I dont wanna have to use a new MAME for this if I dont have to; The input file I want to use was recorded with MAME32 0.90.

Unless those input files can be used with other MAME versions, no way in HECK Im going through the ARGH of recording that again...... Took me an hour of yelling to get it right.....