Problem
Snagit is supposed to record at 30 frames per second (FPS). Why is my video showing less than 30 frames per second?
Solution
Only Capture the Necessary Frames
Snagit 13 and later offers three different options for video recording quality. Each quality setting captures at a different frame rate. To change the quality setting, open the Snagit capture window and select File > Capture Preferences > Capture. Then, select the desired setting from the Video Quality dropdown.
| Quality Setting | Recording Resolution | Capture Frame Rate (up to) |
|---|---|---|
| Very Low | 1080px | Snagit 2018 and later: 5 FPS Snagit 13: N/A |
| Very Low | 4K | Snagit 2018 and later: 5 FPS Snagit 13: N/A |
| Low | 1080px | Snagit 13 and later: 10 FPS |
| Low | 4K | Snagit 13 and later: 10 FPS |
| Med | 1080px | Snagit 13 and later: 15 FPS |
| Med | 4K | Snagit 2018 and later: 15 FPS Snagit 13: 10 FPS |
| High | 1080px | Snagit 13 and later: 30 FPS |
| High | 4K | Snagit 2018 and later: 20 FPS Snagit 13: 10 FPS |
This means that Snagit is taking pictures (frames) of the screen with X many times per second. However, if there is no change on the screen from one frame to the next, then that duplicate frame is not recorded at all (with exceptions for when audio is being recorded). For example, if an application window is recorded but the window does not change at all, then there is no need to record additional frames for the same content.
Only Capture Content That Is Changing
Another example is when a small portion of the screen is changing. If only a portion of the screen is changing, then Snagit will only focus on that portion rather than capture the entire duplicate frame.
For example, if recording a webinar where a speaker is talking, Snagit would concentrate on just recording the area of the screen that is moving. In this case, it would be the speakers mouth.
Variable Capture Frame Rate
Snagit uses variable frame rates to capture. This means that the frame rate is always changing to optimize performance. As a result, even if the High quality setting is chosen for a 1080px recording, the final video will not likely show as a constant 30 FPS video. Instead it will vary throughout the video, up to 30 FPS.
Why Not Just Capture Everything?
By utilizing this smart method of screen recording, Snagit is able to record high quality videos while maintaining very efficient video files. This allows for faster saving and faster sharing of content.
