There are tons of software out there for recording webcam which can make it difficult for you to find the right one. So, we took it upon ourselves to go through that large number of webcam recording software and find the best one for you: SmartPixel 3.0. Here, you will learn about SmartPixel’s features, what you can do with it, how you can add effects when recording a video using webcam and more.
SmartPixel 3.0
Platform: Windows
Price: Free
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Features
- Add effects, border, moving objects or text when recording
- Add music or lyrics for creating music video
- Able to record any sound being played on your PC and offers option to record your microphone’s sound
- Multiple audio effects for changing audio when creating music videos
- Record webcam and PC’s screen at the same time using the Pic-in-Pic video capture feature
- Includes a built-in video editor that allows you to add subtitle, dub, add music, effects and export them in standard video formats
- Option to pick FPS between 15, 20, and 25 FPS or customize it on their own
- Record webcam video in FLV format and then export them in AVI, MP4, and GIF animation using the Producer app
- Option remove the mouse cursor from the video or keep it
Description
SmartPixel’s installation process is quite easy. Once you are done installing, you will see three different options after launching the app for the first time: Producer, Recorder and Webcam. Producer is the built-in video editor, Recorder allows you to record your screen and webcam is for recording your webcam video. The software makes it really easy to create tutorial videos as you can record your webcam and screen at the same time from the Recorder tool. You can either record a part of the screen or record your entire screen. The webcam tool is only capable of recording videos in FLV format but you can export them in AVI or MP4 format using the built-in video editor.
Where It Shines
SmartPixel is more than just a webcam recording software that can be used for creating music video, lyrics video, tutorials and more. There are tons of effects, beautify options to choose from. Users can add any music they want with lyrics and then create a karaoke video. You can choose to record just a part of the screen or the entire screen. All the beautify options and effects can be applied live when the video is being recorded which makes it fun. If you own a YouTube channel, you are definitely going to love this software.
Where It Falls Short
SmartPixel falls short in many places. Webcam videos can be saved in only FLV format if you don’t use the built-in editor. Moreover, if you don’t capture your videos carefully, the control panel for recording video shows up on the recorded videos. There’s no option for highlighting a part of the video or the cursor and it can be difficult to get the job done with only one format available for recording webcam videos.
Besides, features like changing playback speed or removing watermark from screen videos are not available for free users in the built-in video editor. Adding lyrics can seem difficult at first and the lyrics searching option needs improvement. It claims to have set time limits for free version users but I managed to record my webcam activities for more than 3 minutes so for me, it was not a problem.
Overall, it’s a great software for recording webcam activities. You get to record and edit them in one single software which is more than what you can expect for in webcam recording software.
The Competition
Debut Video Capture Software by NCH Software is a great alternative to SmartPixel. If you don’t want a feature rich software, Debut Video Capture Software will get the job done for you easily. There are more than 10 formats to choose from and you can add text caption, color effects, and apply filters or watermarks when recording webcam videos. It doesn’t offer glittery effects or picture-in-picture effects like the ones we saw in SmartPixel but simplicity is what makes Debut Video Capture Software a nice alternative. If you want better encoding options, you can go for Debut Video Capture Software.
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Free2X Webcam Recorder is a completely free software that allows you to record videos from digital video cameras and webcams. Users can save them in WMV, MP4 and AVI format and record audio from speakers, microphone or line-in. You get only the basic options needed for recording webcam activities and that’s about it. Unlike other software, you don’t get to record screen or anything else other than your webcam activities. If Debut Video Capture Software is simple, Free2X Webcam Recorder is simpler. It’s the best option if you don’t know much about using webcam recording software.
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Free Screencast falls in-between Debut Video Capture Software and Free2X Webcam Recorder. You can record your videos in multiple format and record your screen with sound if you want like Debut Video Capture Software. On the other hand, all the options are easy to customize like Free2X Webcam Recorder. While it looks really easy to customize everything, the video processing and overlaying part can be confusing at first for some users. There are no effects to choose from or option for adding text caption which is a major deal breaker. Overall, It’s a good alternative if your only goal is to record webcam video.
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