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game recording

How to Record HD Video Locally on a PC or Phone

A practical guide to local HD video recording with OBS Studio or a smartphone, including resolution, frame rate, quality presets, storage, and troubleshooting.

By VGSources Team 5 min read
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To record HD video locally, capture it directly to storage on your computer or phone: use OBS Studio when you need to combine gameplay, screen, camera, or audio sources, or use your phone’s camera app for a straightforward camera recording. Set a suitable HD output, check framing and sound, then make and review a short test before recording the full take.

Choose the recording method that fits your video

  • Use OBS Studio for gameplay, screen capture, a camera, a capture card, or a combination of sources arranged in one scene.
  • Use a smartphone when you want to record directly with its camera and do not need to combine computer sources.

HD describes the recorded output, not a guarantee that the image contains extra detail. If the camera, game capture, or other source is lower resolution, setting an HD output does not create detail that was not captured.

Record HD video locally with OBS Studio

1. Build and frame a scene

  1. Open OBS Studio and add a scene.
  2. In the Sources panel, add the material you want to record, such as a display, window, game, camera, or capture card.
  3. Arrange and resize the sources in the preview. Check that important gameplay, text, or camera framing is not cropped.

2. Set the canvas and recording resolution

  1. Open Settings → Video.
  2. Set Base (Canvas) Resolution to the space in which OBS arranges your sources.
  3. Set Output (Scaled) Resolution to the HD size you want in the recording, provided the source and computer can support it.

The canvas and output are separate controls. If they differ, OBS scales the image; scaling can affect detail, and an HD output cannot recover detail missing from a lower-resolution source.

3. Choose a frame rate you can sustain

Choose a frame rate appropriate to the content and your hardware. OBS gives 30 and 60 fps as common examples and cautions that 60 fps can be demanding. Fast gameplay may benefit from smoother motion at a higher frame rate, but the extra load can cause performance or encoding problems. Make a short test at the settings you intend to use and check playback before a long session.

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4. Choose recording quality and a save location

  1. Open Settings → Output and find the recording options.
  2. Choose a recording path on a drive with enough free space. Confirm the destination so you can find the file after recording.
  3. Select a recording quality preset that suits your balance of image quality, file size, and system performance.
OBS preset What to expect
Same as stream Uses the stream encoder settings. OBS says recordings cannot be paused with this preset.
High Quality Aims for high quality with a medium file size. The OBS Project’s Recording Encoder Presets Guide describes it as producing “a high quality video with a medium file size.”
Indistinguishable Offers higher quality with larger files; depending on encoder choice, it can affect performance on older or weaker hardware.
Lossless Uses the CPU encoder and produces very large files. The OBS Project’s 2023 guide estimates around 7 GB per minute for lossless recording; this is an estimate for that preset, not a general file-size rate for other settings.

For more control over stream and recording settings, switch Output to Advanced output mode and consult the OBS Project’s Recording knowledge base for its advanced recording, format, and standard-output guides. The sources do not establish one universally best codec, container, or bitrate: the right choice depends on the encoder, hardware, source, and editing workflow.

5. Check audio and make a test recording

  1. Confirm the intended audio devices are selected and that the meters respond when you speak or play sound.
  2. Record a short sample using the intended scene and settings.
  3. Play the file back. Check picture detail, motion, framing, sound, and that the file saved at the path you selected.

Testing ahead of a live stream is OBS’s own recommendation; the same check is useful before a local recording you cannot easily repeat.

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Record HD video directly on a smartphone

Set up the phone and frame the shot

  • Choose an HD recording option supported by your device. Phone menus and available settings vary by model.
  • For conventional widescreen video, turn the phone horizontally and frame the subject before recording.
  • Keep the phone steady. A smartphone tripod with a phone holder is optional; a stable improvised support can also work. The University of London’s home-recording guide recommends a tripod with a mobile-phone adapter for stability.
  • For a mostly static subject, the University of London guide suggests using auto-exposure/auto-focus lock where available. A back camera is typically better than a front-facing camera, though it can make framing yourself harder.
  • Airplane mode is an optional way to reduce interruptions while recording.

Pick resolution and frame rate for the job

The University of London guide recommends 24, 25, or 30 fps for its educational recording use case and notes that the highest available resolution may be 1080p or 4K. Those are not universal settings for every platform or purpose; choose based on the intended use and the phone’s capabilities. The guide also warns that 4K files can be cumbersome.

Its published iPhone examples are about 60 MB per minute at 1080p 30 fps and about 170 MB per minute at 4K 30 fps (University of London, 2020). These are device- and setting-specific examples, not universal estimates for current phones.

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Test the recording before the full take

Record a short clip and play it back. Check that the subject is framed correctly, the image is steady, the sound is clear, and the file is saved where expected. If you need footage from a game or computer screen combined with a phone camera or separate audio, OBS or another computer recording workflow may suit the job better than a phone-only recording.

Fix common recording problems

Symptom What to check
The recording looks soft or less detailed than expected Check the source resolution as well as OBS’s Base (Canvas) and Output (Scaled) Resolution. An HD output cannot add detail absent from the source, and scaling between canvas and output can affect detail.
Motion looks choppy or the recording has encoding issues Try a short test at a frame rate your computer can sustain. OBS cautions that 60 fps can be demanding; adjust the frame rate or recording quality if the actual test indicates the system is struggling.
The file is too large Review the quality preset and resolution. Indistinguishable and especially lossless can create larger files; check available storage before a long recording.
The recording has no sound or the wrong sound Verify the selected audio devices and make another short recording. Listen to the saved file rather than relying only on OBS meters.
You cannot find the recording Check the recording path in OBS Settings → Output and confirm the destination drive is available and has free space.
Phone footage is shaky or interrupts unexpectedly Stabilize the phone on a steady surface or optional tripod, and consider airplane mode to reduce interruptions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Or let it run in the cloud

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