Setting up a recording program for each section of your computer you want to record is a huge hassle. ZD Recorder makes it easy on you by allowing you to record anything that goes on in your screen, including audio from multiple sources. A free demo of the program is available.
Installation & Requirements
The program’s installation is very simple and should be very fast even on lower-end computers. The supported operating systems are Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 as well as Windows Servers 2003, 2008 and 2012.
Interface
The program starts in a very interesting way. The wizard of the program allows you to choose your preferred recording mode via a computer screen menu that will also show you a thumbnail of what it means. For example, the “PC Game Screen” mode features a game on the background. You can easily configure the capturing mode by clicking on it and then clicking on next to proceed to the next step. As you move along the wizard you will also be able to configure more specific options like the output folder, the quality of the recording and more. You can even see the hotkeys for the recording for easier use.
After you are done with the wizard, a tiny toolbar will appear at the top of the screen indicating that the program is ready to start recording. You can either press the recording hotkey or simply click on the recording button on that toolbar. If you are unsatisfied with the choices you have made you can always open the wizard by clicking on the Gear icon. If you are satisfied with the capturing mode but you want to change some other settings then they will also be available through the Gear icon without having to go through the Wizard again.
The program is also visible in the system tray and right clicking on it will give you the same options as the Gear icon. However, once you start recording the system tray icon will become active so that you know when you are recording and when you have stopped. Clicking on the icon will stop the recording so you can use that instead of the hotkeys as the top toolbar will disappear once you start recording. The output files created by the application are surprisingly small, especially in contrast to other screen recording applications. Depending on your settings, you will be able to immediately view your recording after you finish it via the default multimedia player.
Pros
-Fast installation
-Very easy to use
-Incredibly helpful setup wizard
-Multiple recording modes for both audio and video
-Decent customization options
Cons
-Steep price
Conclusion
If you are interested in recording whatever is happening on your computer, then you should definitely give ZD Recorder a try. The demo version is more than enough to showcase the capabilities of the program and even the most demanding of users should be satisfied with the functionality offered by the application and the neat interface.
