Video resources

Linden Lab is aware that File menu > Start/Stop Movie to Disk doesn't work reliably, depending on various factors like your make and model of computer, the video codecs you have installed, etc. Generally speaking, it works for "some" Residents but not others, and work hasn't been done (or deemed high-priority enough) to improve the built-in movie recorder — this is in part because there are a selection of 3rd-party tools which, while not necessarily free, offer more power and control than SL's own. We're keeping our options open.

This page's purpose is to provide a list of those alternatives with anecdotal experiences, and maybe include workarounds/fixes for getting the built-in recorder to work correctly.

Things to try

Do a clean uninstall of previous video codecs, then download and install a comprehensive codec pack.

Movie recording programs

Most of these have demo versions you can try out. There's a variety of applications on the market, but to record Second Life's on-screen action correctly, a program must have OpenGL support (it usually says in the features).

Windows

CamStudio (free) - NEEDS INFO

Game Cam (US$24.95, Lite version is US$9.95) - Torley tried this briefly and found it to be buggy and reduces FPS considerably — YMMV, see how it works for you.

Game Recorder (US$39) - NEEDS INFO

FRAPS (US$37) - This is possibly the most popular video capture utility. With low CPU usage and a mature history of development, it's used by a number of notable Residents to make machinima. One disadvantage is that it doesn't have high compression options, so whatever you record will consume a lot of disk space and need encoding later. Torley Linden uses this to record raw material for Video Tutorials and video bug reproductions. Note that while it will capture the default cursor, it won't capture one-click action icons (the ones in the edit tools' General tab, under "When Left-Clicked").

Taksi (free) - Sometimes cited as an open source alternative to FRAPS. NEEDS INFO

Mac

Capture Me (free) - Originally a screen capture program for still images, now can also record MPEG-4 videos (no sound) up to 60 seconds.

iShowU (US$20) - NEEDS INFO

Snapz Pro X (US$69) - Generally regarded as the Mac equivalent of Fraps in terms of its popularity with Residents, it's a tad on the pricey side but very elegantly-designed.

Linux

Any recommendations? Please add them using the above formatting.

Fraps recommended settings

These settings are what Torley Linden prefers for FRAPS — tweak to your taste:

Things of note

I like my video capture to be as smooth as possible, so "30 fps" is a good, standard number. You can always downgrade this later in a video editor (I prefer Sony Vegas, and my Video Tutorial workflow is detailed here.)
I chose F8 as my Video Capture Hotkey because it doesn't interfere with any active Second Life gestures (you can view your personal list inworld via Edit menu > Gestures).
I usually resize my screen to 1024x768 using Sizer, a compact, useful utility. (This is because File menu > Set Window Size in SL lacks many standard screen resolutions.)
If you're doing machinima instead of tutorials and video bug repros (the main distinction being that the user interface is shown), you'll want to disable Client menu > Rendering Features > UI in Second Life and check "No Cursor" in FRAPS.
Depending on your bandwidth requirements, you may want to opt for faster storage throughput to record movies and be in Second Life (which has heavy disk access) simultaneously; I've found a noticeable improvement by having dual hard drives, one of them a speedy Western Digital Raptor 150GB.

Related issues

VWR-696 Crash if recording Video
VWR-714 movie recorded off frame
VWR-715 Movie not recorded in H.264
VWR-2096 Movie to disk causes crash
VWR-2184 "Movie to Disk" can not be saved to all directories

SL-50734 Remove the File menu > Start/Stop Movie to Disk feature (This is an internal Linden Lab issue and can't be viewed by Residents — it's listed here for completeness' sake)