Recording Indicator

[Joe Gandalf]

With the default skin for VLC the record status is almost impossible to discern. Is there any way to customize that button so - for example - the button changes its color in a meaningful way when recording is activated? As it stands, I'm not certain if I clicked on the record button or not.

Added: I should mention that I cannot find a skin that allows me to add a "record" button. Maybe I need to learn more about this whole thing, but I mainly use VLC to record a couple of web streams.

[clemenzina]

I would like to second this request.

I've been using VLC for years and keep meaning to ask if the blue colour which surrounds the red when recording is activated could be brightened, or made more obvious in some other way.

[Joe Gandalf]

Kinda disappointed that the development team still has not replied, even after 7 months! This seems as though it should be a relatively easy fix. I've missed a number of recording attempts because I could not verify that VLC was indeed recording.

[clemenzina]

As you say, it seems as though it should be a relatively easy fix - but wuddoo I know? :-/

I do hope that the developers could acknowledge the request, and maybe explain why it won't/can't be acted on.

[Birmingham]

I want to know if I'm recording or not!

[Lotesdelere]

In the menu View tick the Advanced Controls option and it will show four more buttons.
One of them is the Record button, which you can use for starting and stopping the recording, and it will be up or down depending on the current state of the recording.

[clemenzina]

VLC 2.2.6 Umbrella

I get no reaction to View>AdvancedControls, whether VLC is empty or running a live network stream or playing a recording :-/

If the 4 buttons did appear, should they display on the interface? They'd be no good if they had to be accessed via the View menu every time.

[EodiV]

VLC 2.2.6 Umbrella

I get no reaction to View>AdvancedControls, whether VLC is empty or running a live network stream or playing a recording :-/

If the 4 buttons did appear, should they display on the interface? They'd be no good if they had to be accessed via the View menu every time.

I'm currently on a beta version myself so it would be quite a haste to test this with the same version, but you are supposed to see the toolbar at the bottom expand and show a few additional buttons above the play button. One of them is record. You can also customize the interface using tools-> customize interface...

Please people look around before assuming buttons are hard to access.

Kinda disappointed that the development team still has not replied, even after 7 months! This seems as though it should be a relatively easy fix. I've missed a number of recording attempts because I could not verify that VLC was indeed recording.

Alright alright, I see you have raised a valid point, so I have written a ticket 19109 for this.
Please keep in mind VLC is being coded by mostly volunteers. There is no real support. We depend on just a few people who care to write some code from day to day. As a result even simple things like these can linger for more than a year. If you know how to write a patch, come help us. Else, I'm really sorry but its a matter of waiting until someone finds some time.

[clemenzina]

VLC 2.2.6 Umbrella

I get no reaction to View>AdvancedControls, whether VLC is empty or running a live network stream or playing a recording :-/

If the 4 buttons did appear, should they display on the interface? They'd be no good if they had to be accessed via the View menu every time.

I'm currently on a beta version myself so it would be quite a haste to test this with the same version, but you are supposed to see the toolbar at the bottom expand and show a few additional buttons above the play button. One of them is record. You can also customize the interface using tools-> customize interface...

Please people look around before assuming buttons are hard to access.

I'm still not sure that we're understanding each other I thought you must be recommending a different record button.

This is my customised interface - it's pared down to the essentials for what I do.



The problem for me and for some others (according to this thread) is that it can be difficult to make out whether the Record button is showing active or not. It would be great if the blue could be brightened or substituted for another colour that would show up better.

[Lotesdelere]

Recording is OFF:


Recording is ON:


But yes, maybe we need something more flashy.

[EodiV]

This was what I wrote the ticket for, I understand you perfectly.

Lotesdelere offers a possible solution to be blinking. I deliberately avoided that suggestion in my ticket because I oppose the idea of having something blink, it will annoy many users. I agree the button needs to more clearly show a state change once it has been pressed, but I prefer to look for a different way than having something blink.

[clemenzina]

Thank you very much, EodiV and Lotesdelere, I really appreciate your attention to this and hope "the team" can come up with something soon

[Lotesdelere]

flashy != blinking

[Aeneas]

The vlc-record-active color chosen for the background around
the red spot should be a stronger color -- e.g. navy blue or dark green.
This is a simple-to-fix problem.

The main remaining piece of work for this vlc-Record/edit feature
is to set manually a time limit chosen ad hoc for each record,
so that it will segment out specific period of content
into another smaller compact file,
e.g. a 1 hour 2 minutes and 10 seconds, without the user having
to pay attention to it.

Another problem is that some file media types can use speeded up playback
to accelerate the vlc-record process (e.g. HD PVR) and
other file media types generate gibberish output files when speeded up
(e.g. Windows Media Center .wtv).

[Aeneas]

With the default skin for VLC the record status is almost impossible to discern. Is there any way to customize that button so - for example - the button changes its color in a meaningful way when recording is activated? As it stands, I'm not certain if I clicked on the record button or not.

Added: I should mention that I cannot find a skin that allows me to add a "record" button. Maybe I need to learn more about this whole thing, but I mainly use VLC to record a couple of web streams.

Use the /vlc/Tools/Customize Interface/ feature to add the vlc-Record button
to the Main Toolbar tab and the Fullscreen Controller tab.

[clemenzina]

IN HASTE!

Because of an unrelated problem, I just installed VLC 3.0.0-rc5 Vetinari, and see how much better it is! Yes, the blue could still be brighter, but I hope we get an official release of 3 soon (The interface isn't finished, it takes me weeeks! )

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Yes, 3.0 is a bit better.

[clemenzina]

Yes, 3.0 is a bit better.

.
Unfortunately it's started playing sound only with black screen, so I must revert to 2 Umbrella and squint

(A number of other performance issues make it obvious this is unfinished business, I wish all you super program-writers speedy progress )

[Jean-Baptiste Kempf]

Sorry, but that's not a good idea. If you don't report bugs, 3.0 will be out, and you won't have video.

[clemenzina]

Sorry, but that's not a good idea. If you don't report bugs, 3.0 will be out, and you won't have video.

.

I've been looking for the v3 Nightly category to report some things but not found it, maybe because I'm under so much pressure (health and tech) at the mo

I'll uninstall with RevoPro and reinstall, see if that mends it. Thank you, Jean-Baptiste

[trysting]

I'm using 3.0.18 and am encountering two problems that are posted elsewhere on the web.

1. Record often doesn't work and the only posted fixes are (a) reboot the machine or (b) reinstall VLC. This is a new machine, so, what is going on?
2. Documentation refers to the "Videos" directory, which appears to be the "Video Snapshots" directory. Separate directories would be ideal, but not necessary. Being able to replace vlcsnap- with the actual filename save a lot of time and work.
3. Does this thread imply that there is an indication that recording is in progress. Images in one reply are missing, but I cannot see any change, but would people object to the word "Recording" appearing on the status line? icons are subjective, words less so.

I am repeatedly trying to capture a clip and checking the presumed destination directory. If I reinstall and/or restart I am going to lose my place in the windows I have open.

[Aeneas]

I'm using 3.0.18 and am encountering two problems that are posted elsewhere on the web.

1. Record often doesn't work and the only posted fixes are (a) reboot the machine or (b) reinstall VLC. This is a new machine, so, what is going on?
2. Documentation refers to the "Videos" directory, which appears to be the "Video Snapshots" directory. Separate directories would be ideal, but not necessary. Being able to replace vlcsnap- with the actual filename save a lot of time and work.
3. Does this thread imply that there is an indication that recording is in progress. Images in one reply are missing, but I cannot see any change, but would people object to the word "Recording" appearing on the status line? icons are subjective, words less so.

I am repeatedly trying to capture a clip and checking the presumed destination directory. If I reinstall and/or restart I am going to lose my place in the windows I have open.

Normally the output directory, for my input .m2ts files, is the 'My Documents' directory in Users,
and has a .ts extension in the output file.
Some input file types, like .avi, I have noticed sometimes to result in
an output file in the 'My Videos' directory in Users (Windows OS).

Record or 'Record file segment to an output file from a larger input file'
does work and is perhaps the most useful feature in VLC.
While Record is active (the white background around the red button turns a difficult to discern light blue),
using Play button will record-edit that play-ed portion of the input file out to a .ts output file.