Some days ago we compared in general terms the advantages and disadvantages of using online software and locally installed programs. Now we are going to see how it works in specific areas. In this case the video capture.
Installed software versus online services
Again, the decision depends on what each of us needs and / or the values we have.. If you can take the time to learn how to use them, with Blender, Javascript, HTML 5, CSS 3, and a few Python libraries you can do things that the most comprehensive proprietary video editors can't even dream of. The problem is that hardly any of us have the time or patience.
If you are one of those who are more interested in the ends than the principles, you will agree with me that an advantage of online services (and some proprietary software titles such as Adobe Premier Rush is that they are goal oriented. If you want to create a video for Instagram, you just have to look for the corresponding template in the search engine. As the open source video editors (At least OpenShot and Kdenlive) only give you options of profiles with size, quality or interlacing, you will have to Google which one is the best for you.
It is not something insolubleBut, if you need to create videos for social networks quickly, it is difficult that you want to take the time to do it.
Of course, to obtain similar benefits, you will have to take out the ticketto. However, depending on the situation, it could be money well invested. Many of these services have free plans with limitations such as the inclusion of a watermark or duration. The one that we are going to comment costs around 4 dollars.
Is lack of privacy a problem? I would not use a cloud editing service to edit videos of my underage children. you never know who has access. But, if what I am doing is a project to be seen on social networks, it is not a determining factor.
Of course, none of these online services is open source. I think the closest thing is the option to use OpenShot in Amazon Web Services. We are talking about a level of knowledge and a higher cost than the options we are considering.
Two options for video capture
In the Linux repositories there are many options to capture the screen or the webcam. But, almost all of us agree that the most complete is Obs Studio.
OBS Studio goes beyond simple capture as it allows content to be transmitted to several of the most popular streaming services and to some others that are not even known to the mother of the owners.. A very interesting feature is the virtual camera that simulates a live broadcast with a previously stored video file.
In a way the OBS interface is like a small television control. It is possible to set multiple sources (Webcam, audio input, screenshot, media player, text and images) and combine them in both a recording and a video.
It also allows us to choose the output format.
An option to capture screen, sound and webcam online is RecordCast.
In its free version it allows you to record videos of up to 5 minutes and download it in 480p SD format. As for the paid version, it lets you reach 30 minutes and download it at 720p and 1080p
The service allows three recording modes. Screen only, webcam only, or screen and webcam. Next, it's time to decide if we use a microphone, system audio or none. For this we must give the browser access permissions. The next thing to do is to determine if the entire screen, a window or a browser tab is recorded.
After finishing the recording, it allows us to download the result and access the online video editor. This editor allows us to cut and join parts of the video, superimpose graphic elements, add static and animated titles, multimedia files and transitions.
Obviously, you could have chosen any other program and any other web service to make the comparison. The result of the comparison is not the important thing. It is about knowing what options we have and why we made a decision.