ScreenGrabHD

A lightweight, portable Windows screen recorder built with Python and FFmpeg.

ScreenGrabHD lets you position a fixed 16:9 recording frame anywhere on your screen, capture microphone and/or system audio, and save directly to a high-quality MP4 file with minimal setup.

Perfect for creating tutorials, software demonstrations, online lessons, and quick screen recordings without the complexity of full-featured video editing suites.

Features

• 🎥 Fixed 16:9 recording region
• 📺 HD (1280×720) and Full HD (1920×1080) recording modes
• 🎙 Record microphone audio
• 🔊 Record system audio (Stereo Mix or compatible loopback device)
• 🎚 Simultaneous microphone + system audio recording
• 📦 Portable setup (no installation required)
• ⚡ Powered by FFmpeg for reliable MP4 output
• 💾 Automatic filename numbering to prevent overwriting recordings
• ⚙ Remembers your previously selected settings

Example Output Size

Typical recording size:

Resolution	Approximate Size
1280×720	~1 GB per hour
1920×1080	~1.5–2 GB per hour

Actual file size depends on screen activity and content complexity.

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Requirements

Windows

• Windows 10 or Windows 11
• Python 3.14 or newer
• FFmpeg

Download Python

Download the latest version of Python:

https://www.python.org/downloads/windows/

Download FFmpeg

For Windows x64 (AMD64)

Download:

https://www.gyan.dev/ffmpeg/builds/

Recommended package:

ffmpeg-git-essentials

For Windows ARM64

Download:

https://github.com/tordona/ffmpeg-win-arm64/releases

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Installation

1. Download and extract FFmpeg.
2. Place ScreenGrabHD.py inside the FFmpeg directory.

Your folder structure should look like:

ffmpeg/
├── bin/
│   └── ffmpeg.exe
├── ScreenGrabHD.py
└── ...

Alternatively, you may place ffmpeg.exe in your system PATH.

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Enabling System Audio Recording

To record Windows system audio together with your microphone:

1. Open Settings
2. Navigate to:

System → Sound → All Sound Devices

3. Enable Stereo Mix (if available)

Depending on your sound card manufacturer, the device may also appear as:

• Stereo Mix
• What U Hear
• Wave Out Mix
• Loopback Device

If your hardware does not provide a Stereo Mix device, you can use a virtual audio cable solution.

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Usage

Run the application:

python ScreenGrabHD.py

Recording Workflow

1. Select recording resolution
2. Select microphone device (optional)
3. Select system audio device (optional)
4. Click Select Region & Record
5. Drag the recording frame to the desired location
6. Press Enter to begin recording
7. Click Stop Recording when finished

Recorded videos are saved as:

ScreenGrabHD_recording.mp4
ScreenGrabHD_recording_01.mp4
ScreenGrabHD_recording_02.mp4
...

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Audio Recording Notes

• At least one audio source must be selected.
• Microphone and system audio cannot use the same device.
• When both microphone and system audio are enabled, ScreenGrabHD automatically merges them into a single audio track.

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Configuration

ScreenGrabHD automatically saves your settings in:

ScreenGrabHD.cnf

The following preferences are remembered between sessions:

• Recording resolution
• Microphone device
• System audio device

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Troubleshooting

FFmpeg Not Found

Ensure one of the following exists:

bin/ffmpeg.exe

or

ffmpeg.exe

or FFmpeg is available in your system PATH.

No Audio Devices Detected

Verify that:

• Your microphone is connected and enabled.
• FFmpeg can access DirectShow devices.
• Stereo Mix or a loopback device is enabled if recording system audio.

MP4 File Is Corrupted After Forced Exit

Always stop recording using the Stop Recording button. ScreenGrabHD gracefully tells FFmpeg to finalize the MP4 file before closing.

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Built With

• Python
• Tkinter
• FFmpeg

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2026 [ ivan deus ]