Perhaps there was one magic button hidden from view, as we had no similar issues when trying out competing software. And we found it made it impossible to record it separately from whatever we felt like narrating. One solution we eventually settled on was for it to be recorded via the microphone, but that’s far from ideal, leading to much lower quality audio (and demanding the need for a post-production audio editor).

Try as we might, we couldn’t get the software to record any audio coming from the Mac itself. It wasn’t the visuals - those were fine, as was the webcam. However, there is a huge caveat: all this is fine on the PC, but we encountered a pretty big problem when trying to do the same on the Mac. You’ll find many audio options, but try as we might, we didn’t manage to capture the sound directly from the computer on a Mac (Image credit: NCH Software) This is all very impressive, especially for software that’s free (or, if your use-case demands, is relatively inexpensive compared to competitors like Camtasia, EaseUS RecExperts, and FlashBack Express).

You have the ability to connect other devices and record from there, even through a network, and if you have more than one screen connected to your computer, well, you can choose which one to focus on. You can control your webcam, choose its resolution, decide to make it full screen, or as an overlay. You’ll find tools to capture the whole screen, narrow that down to a cropped section of said screen, or just select one open window. Still, what it lacks in style, it makes up for in options.

It’s not the best introduction to the free screen recording software. It feels extremely dated, as if it came straight out of the 90s, with big square buttons at the top filled with what looks like low-res icons.

So many options can be a little overwhelming for newcomersĪt first glance, Debut’s interface isn’t especially stylish.

The interface feels pretty antiquated, but is filled with tools and features (Image credit: NCH Software)

Debut video capture software no sound