Screenflick 2 Support

Screenflick 2 Support

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Screenflick 2 This page applies to Screenflick 2 only.

DVDs and DRM-Protected Video

Why some video can't be recorded, and a workaround for DVD clips.

DVDs, movies in iTunes, and streaming video such as Netflix and Hulu in Safari can't be recorded by Screenflick. That's because of DRM protection built into macOS and controlled by Apple. You'd have the same problem with any screen recording software, because this is something Apple does, not a limitation of Screenflick. There are some workarounds.

Why can't I record Netflix or Hulu in Safari?

Safari protects that video with DRM built into macOS, so it can't be recorded. Chrome may work. Keep reading.

Why does my recording of a DVD have a checkerboard pattern?

Apple's DVD Player overlays a checkerboard on DRM-protected DVDs. Playing the DVD in VLC instead avoids it. Keep reading.

How do I record a DVD clip?

Play the DVD in VLC, choose "Screenflick Loopback" from VLC's Audio Device menu, and record. Keep reading.

Streaming Video #

Safari implements DRM to protect the video it plays from being recorded, so services like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu can't be recorded. Google Chrome doesn't yet implement any DRM, so you should be able to play the video in Chrome and record it instead.

DRM-Protected DVD Content #

If you see a checkerboard pattern in your recording, it's because the DVD is DRM-protected to prevent copying. When a protected movie plays in Apple's DVD Player application, macOS overlays a checkerboard pattern to enforce the protection. The same thing happens when taking screenshots.

Recording Apple's DVD Player can result in the DRM checkerboard pattern
Recording Apple's DVD Player can result in the DRM checkerboard pattern

Unfortunately, this enforcement sometimes interferes with legitimate fair uses. It can be worked around by using a DVD player other than Apple's, such as VLC from videolan.org.

Using VLC #

To record a DVD clip with VLC

  1. Download and install the VLC player from videolan.org. (It's free.)
  2. Launch VLC and choose Open Disc… from the File menu.
  3. Choose the DVD in the window that opens.
  4. Once the DVD window has opened, choose Audio Device → Screenflick Loopback from the Audio menu.
  5. Start the Screenflick recording. (Make sure Record System Audio is turned on.)
The DVD playing in VLC
The DVD playing in VLC

VLC's interface isn't as nice as Apple's for playing DVDs, but it does the job. After you choose Screenflick Loopback in the Audio Device menu, and before the recording starts, you won't hear the DVD's audio through your speakers because it's being directed to Screenflick Loopback. Once the recording starts, you and Screenflick both hear everything being recorded.