MovieRecorder Express
MovieRecorder Express is an entry-level version of MovieRecorder. It uses the same reliable recording engine and beautiful user interface as MovieRecorder 4, with many of the same outstanding features, such as edit-while-ingest, NDI® sources, scheduling, remote control, etc. But it limits some of the available features to make it even more affordable for those whose needs do not require the full package of MovieRecorder 4. See below for the complete list of features.
With MovieRecorder you can record multiple channels of HD video on a single Mac— the only limit is the capacity of the CPU and the amount of available storage. When new Macs are released, the capability to record more channels may increase. If you need more than what one Mac can do, you can have multiple computers but control all ingest from a single workstation. And doing a multi-camera ingest is very easy with the gang record feature.
Users very often need their media to be “edit-ready” even while the event that is being recorded continues. This allows editors to start working on growing files during the show, so that they can be done editing sooner, and sometimes even before the show ends. This can for example be used for shows where you want to have a short summary ready at the end of the show. Files created by MovieRecorder can grow in Apple’s Final Cut Pro, Adobe's Premiere Pro, Avid's Media Composer or Blacmagic-Design's DaVinci Resolve.
The ability to schedule recordings is a must for any recording device and will greatly improve your productivity. With MovieRecorder, scheduled recording is as easy as programming your DVR, because it is integrated into the program. You can schedule recordings to automatically start at a specified time, by date or day(s) of the week.
With HEVC, files can be compressed to 40% of the size of an H.264 compression without losing quality. But that encoding efficiency requires a lot of horsepower, and the best CPU can barely encode in real time, but luckily the Mac comes with Hardware acceleration to encode to HEVC in real time! Since macOS 10.13, Apple has added the ability to use the HEVC hardware acceleration available on some computers (those running the 6th Generation Intel Core and over), allowing us to fully take advantage of the codec. The Apple Silicon computers have also greatly improved the encoding to HEVC allowing to encode in real time up to 8 HD channels on an M1 Mac.
MovieRecorder supports multiple timecode sources for your best convenience.
- Mac Clock: That's the simplest timecode source, available with all Mac. ;-)
- Audio LTC: Use an audio input on your Mac and we'll decode the TC
- Embedded TC: Use SDI embedded TC (even if only one of your source has TC, you can share it with the others, so you only need one TC embedder)
- Video device timecode input: Some video devices have a TC input connector
- Timecode Systems products allow to retrieve timecode using WiFi, Network or Bluetooth. Read more about Timecode Systems...
NDI® is an open, low-latency, video-over-IP protocol developed by NewTek™. It uses a simple gigabit ethernet cable to transmit video and audio over a local area network between multiple video systems. Now, thanks to NDI®, you can transfer HD and 4K video over a simple Ethernet cable. There is no need for additional routers or even SDI cables anymore, further demonstrating the ease-of-use and reliability of our products. NDI® opens the world to a different way of doing video production and to an ecosystem of devices supporting the protocol.
Support is included in our permanent licenses. There are no recurring fees.
Softron has a worldwide network of highly skilled specialists ready to assist.
Setting up our software is simple and straightforward. But we are always happy to help.
Our customers love our products and our support.
Get support
Make sure to test with our free DEMO version available for download before purchasing so you are sure it fits your need. In DEMO mode, the application will burn a blue frame in the recorded file or at output at some intervals. That's the only limitation and difference. After your test, you will keep on using the same application, just with the demo mode unlocked.
Free download
You can purchase a dongle and use it in lieu of using serial numbers. You will need one dongle per computer, and a single dongle can hold up to twenty licenses. It can be moved without having to deactivate and then reactivate licenses.
With the Softron Streaming Pack, you can stream to RTMP, to YouTube, Wowza and more.
Application to control video routers. Note that MovieRecorder 4.4 or later have a built-in integration with Videohub or Ross video routers through IP.
Hardware that connects with USB to your Mac and allows to send GPI triggers to other devices to control them, or being controlled by receiving GPI triggers.
| Paid options |
MovieRecorder Express
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MovieRecorder
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|---|---|---|
| Dongle | ||
| HFR (coming Soon) |
| Supports |
MovieRecorder Express
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MovieRecorder
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|---|---|---|
| Devices from AJA and Blackmagic-Design | ||
| M|Family (Deltacast) | ||
| NDI® sources | ||
| NDI|HX® sources (Requires the NDI|HX driver.) | ||
| Direct Link Sources (from one of Softron's playout application) | ||
| Remotely Control other MovieRecorders | ||
| Record Multiple channels at once (Depend on the format, codec and the computer. Up to 12 channels on one Mac) | ||
| Max Resolution (Depend on the video device used, check this article) | Up to 8K | |
| Pixel Formats (Depend on the video device and connector used, check this article) | 8bit, 10bit or ARGB | |
| Color Space (Depend on the video device used, check this article) | Rec. 601, Rec. 709, Rec. 2020 | |
| HDR (Depend on the video device used, check this article) | HDR static metadata packing, HLG and PQ transfer characteristics |
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| High Frame Rate (Paid Option) | (Version 4.6 or later) | |
| Add Effects and Overlays * | (only in 8bit) | |
| External Audio Sources (instead of using the audio from the video device, use another audio available for the macOS) | On "Local Sources", not yet on NDI sources | |
| Audio Mapping (done in the AV Presets) | ||
| Timecode Sources | Video device timecode (LTC, RP188,...) or application timecode (Mac Clock, Audio LTC, Timecode Systems) | |
* Effects and overlays can have an impact on performances and the number of channels you'll be able to encode in real time on one Mac, depending on the format and codec. Make sure to run extensive long term tests.
| Destinations |
MovieRecorder Express
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MovieRecorder
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|---|---|---|
| Record to multiple Destinations with different codecs using easy presets | ||
| MXF Support | ||
| Advanced codecs support | Check list of supported wrappers and codecs | Check list of supported wrappers and codecs |
| Add effects and overlays on the recorded video Effects: crop, resize, rotate / Overlays: text, timecode, image | ||
| Record Closed Captioning CEA-708 to a QuickTime CC track or to MXF | ||
| Record Op-47 Subtitling to file | only with MXF destinations | |
| Record VANCs to file In MXF we record all the VANC, including SCTE triggers | only with MXF destinations | |
| Looped recording Record permanently in the same file and go back to the beginning when it reaches the end of the file. Ideal for TimeShifting playout for example | ||
| Custom naming To automatically name your files with tokens | ||
| Metadata Embedded in the QuickTime file or as a sidecar file | ||
| Frame-accurate automatic split the recordings into chunks Support for 24/7 recording with no frames lost | ||
| Frame-accurate manual split the recordings Create a new file manually instead of manually | ||
| Support edit-while-ingest | With MXF, Classic or Segmented destinations (compatibility depend on the editing software) | |
| Integration & Control |
MovieRecorder Express
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MovieRecorder
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|---|---|---|
| Remotely Controllable using a REST API | ||
| Control with GPI triggers (Requires GPICommander) | ||
| Send GPI triggers (Requires GPICommander) | ||
| Control from Elgato's Stream Deck | ||
| Controllable via AppleScript | ||
| Trigger AppleScripts when start/stop record or on error | ||
| VTR Control and batch capture (using RS422 port on a device or our SerialCommander) | Only record from tape, no record to tape available |
| Other Features |
MovieRecorder Express
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MovieRecorder
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|---|---|---|
| Fully configurable user interface | ||
| Save and restore configurations (save the layout, source names, scheduled recordings,etc... and restore them at a later time) | ||
| Remote Source Slave mode | ||
| Scheduled Recording (repeated weekly, or specific date) |
| SHORTLIST of features ONLY available in MovieRecorder |
MovieRecorder Express
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MovieRecorder
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|---|---|---|
| Multiple Destinations | ||
| Supported Codecs | ProRes, H.264, Uncompressed | Sames as Express + AVC-Intra, DV/DVCPRO, DVCPRO HD, DNxHD, FFV1, IMX, XDCAM |
| MXF | ||
| Closed Captioning | ||
| Metadata | ||
| External audio sources (including Dante, or MADI) | ||
| Add effects (crop, resize, rotate) and overlays (text, timecode, image) on the recorded video | ||
| Save and restore configurations | ||
| Trigger AppleScripts when start/stop record or on error | ||
| VTR Control and batch capture | ||
| Remote Source Slave mode |
| Version |
Sequoia
15.00
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Sonoma
14.00
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Ventura
13.00
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Monterey
12.00
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Big Sur
11.00
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Catalina
10.15
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Mojave
10.14
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High Sierra
10.13
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Sierra
10.12
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El Capitan
10.11
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Yosemite
10.10
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Mavericks
10.9
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| 4.6 and later | ||||||||||||
| 4.5 | ||||||||||||
| 4.3.9 to 4.4.3 | ||||||||||||
| 4.3 to 4.3.8 | ||||||||||||
| 4.2 | ||||||||||||
| 4.0 to 4.1 | ||||||||||||
| 3.6 | ||||||||||||
| 3.5 | ||||||||||||
| 3.2 to 3.4 | ||||||||||||
| 3.0 to 3.1 |
| Required MovieRecorder Version by some macOS Version |
macOS 10.13: Version 3.6 or later (For dongle compatibility) |
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| Recommended macOS | macOS 10.14.6 or later* | |||
| Supported Mac computers | Intel Processors: Version 3.0 and later* Apple Silicon Processors: Version 4.4 and later* WARNING: With Apple Silicon processors, some third party libraries may not be able to run natively, so will have lower performances. Other libraries may not run at all. Check the following article to know more |
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| Recommended RAM |
HD: 4 GB for the first channel. Then add 2GB per additional channel
4K: 8 GB for the first channel. Then add 4GB per additional channel
8K: 16 GB for the first channel. Then add 8GB per additional channel
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| Supported Graphics Cards |
A graphics card that supports Metal is recommended. |
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| Supported Sources | AJA, Blackmagic-Design,Deltacast, NDI® | |||
| Hardware acceleration to encode in Apple ProRes |
Supported hardware: Mac with Apple Silicon M1 Max or Ultra; M2 Pro, Max or Ultra
Required macOS version: macOS 12 or later
Required software version: MovieRecorder 4.4 or later
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| Hardware acceleration to encode in H.264 |
Intel Processors: With all Mac computers with i5 or i7 processors, running macOS 10.9.5 or later for one channel. macOS 10.13 or later is required for multichannel support.
Apple Silicon Processors: All models support hardware acceleration for H.264, but they are more optimised for HEVC, so we recommend using HEVC whenever possible
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| Hardware acceleration to encode in H.265 / HEVC |
Intel Processors: With all Mac computers with 6th generation of intel processors (2016 and later), running macOS 10.13 or later. Macs with M1 chips or later can support multichannels as well.
Apple Silicon Processors: All models support hardware acceleration, and are optimised for HEVC
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| Compatible Storage | Storage that can sustain the required constant write speed (depending on the number of streams, the codec and format). When formatting your storage, make sure to use large block size. For network attached storage (NAS), make sure to disable any kind of cache. Indeed, while caches can be useful if you read and write from time to time to your NAS, video recording generates a continuous, high-speed stream of data. If the cache fills up faster than it can be written to disk, it can cause dropped frames or recording interruptions. This is why, short disk speed test do not show the full story (they will often write and read in the cache), so if you need to run tests, make sure to do long term tests. And finally for your network, if possible, enable jumbo frames, but make sure you know how to set this up with an IT specialist. | |||
| Requires Monitor Connected (Open GL Active) | Yes. Even if MovieRecorder should behave fine in most cases, it is recommended to keep a monitor connected at all times for best performances. Or you should make the macOS think that there is a monitor connected. Beware of some KVM switches that can cause interrupts in the signal. | |||
| Number of license required | One complete license required per channel (source). | |||
| Video Codecs |
MovieRecorder Express
|
MovieRecorder
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Supported types of destinations
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple ProRes 422 Family | QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF OP1a* | |||
| Apple ProRes 4444 | QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF OP1a* | |||
| Apple ProRes 4444 XQ | - | |||
| Apple ProRes RAW | - | |||
| AVC-Intra (50 & 100) | QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF OP1a* | |||
| Avid DNxHD | (Universal version: MovieRecorder 4.5 or later) |
QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF Op1a** | ||
| Avid DNxHR | (MovieRecorder 4.4 or later) |
QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF Op1a** | ||
| Blackmagic RAW | - | |||
| DV/DVCPRO | (Universal version: MovieRecorder 4.5.6 or later) |
QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic) | ||
| DVCPro HD | (Was supported by older intel versions) |
QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF OP1a* | ||
| H.264 | QuickTime (None, Segmented) | |||
| H.265 (HEVC) | QuickTime (None, Segmented) | |||
| HDV | QuickTime (None, Segmented), MXF OP1a* | |||
| MPEG IMX (30/40/50) | QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic), MXF OP1a* | |||
| Uncompressed | QuickTime (None, Segmented, Classic) | |||
| XAVC | - | |||
| XDCAM | QuickTime (None, Segmented), MXF OP1a* |
* MXF destinations are only available with MovieRecorder, not with MovieRecorder Express
** MovieRecorder 4.0.8 and earlier used MXF OpAtom for the DNxHD codec. Starting with MovieRecorder 4.1, MXF OP1a is used.
| File Wrappers |
MovieRecorder Express
|
MovieRecorder
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Supported codecs
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| MXF OP1a | AVC-Intra, DNxHD, DNxHR, IMX, HDV, Uncompressed, XDCAM (all). | |||
| QuickTime .mov(None or Segmented) | All | |||
| QuickTime .mov(Classic) | Apple ProRes, AVC-Intra, DNxHD, DNxHR, IMX, Uncompressed. | |||
| QuickTime .mp4 .m4v | H.264, HEVC | |||
| Supported Audio Codecs |
MovieRecorder Express
|
MovieRecorder
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|---|---|---|---|
| AAC | |||
| Apple Lossless | |||
| Linear PCM |
| Application Version | First Supported Drivers | Last Supported Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Version 4.5 and later | 16.1 | latest |
| Version 4.4 (Universal) | 16.1 | latest |
| Version 4.4 (Intel) | 15.0 | latest |
| Version 4.2 and 4.3 | 15.0 | latest |
| Version 4.0 and 4.1 | 12.4.2 | latest |
| Version 3.5 until 3.6.9 | 12.4.2 | 14.3 |
| Version 3.4 | 12.3.7 | 14.3 |
| Version 3.3 | 12.1.2 | 14.3 |
| Version 3.2 | 10.5.2 | 12.2.2 |
| Version 3.0 until 3.1 | 10.5.2 | 10.6.1 |
WARNING:
- Some AJA devices need to use the latest SDK in our applications. Make sure to check which application version support your device in our help center article.
| Application Version | First Supported Drivers | Last Supported Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Version 4.5 and later | 12.0 or later | latest drivers |
| Version 4.4 (Universal) | 12.0 or later | latest drivers |
| Version 4.4 (Intel) | 11.0 or later | latest drivers |
| Version 4.2 and 4.3 | 11.0 | latest drivers |
| Version 4.0 and 4.1 | 10.9.5 | latest drivers |
| Version 3.6.1 until 3.6.10 | 10.9.5 | latest drivers |
| Version 3.6 | 10.9.3 | latest drivers |
| Version 3.2 until 3.5 | 10.3.1 | latest drivers |
| Version 3.0 until 3.1 | 9.9.3 | 10.3.7 |
WARNING:
- macOS 11 (Big Sur) requires Blackmagic-Design drivers 11.7 or later.
| Application Version | First Supported Drivers | Last Supported Drivers |
|---|---|---|
| Version 4.4 (Universal) | 6.17 Universal beta 1 | latest version |
| Version 4.4 (Intel) | 6.15.01 | latest version |
| Version 4.0 until 4.3 | 5.21 | latest |
| Version 3.6 | 5.21 | 6.17 |
| Version 3.5 | 5.21 | 6.01.01 (but not 6.0 nor 6.01) |
| Version 3.4 | 5.19.03 | 6.01.01 |
| Version 3.3 | 5.18 | 6.01.01 |
| Version 3.0 until 3.2 | 5.17 | 5.18 |
WARNING:
- macOS 10.15 (Catalina) requires drivers version 6.13 or later
- You should only download the Deltacast drivers from our website. Indeed we validate them with our applications before putting them online.
| Application Version | NDI Library Version |
|---|---|
| Version 4.6 | 6.0.1 |
| Version 4.5.6 | 5.5.4 |
| Version 4.5.6 | 5.5.4 |
| Version 4.5.3 | 5.5.3 |
| Version 4.5.2 | 5.5.2 |
| Version 4.5 | 5.5.0 |
| Version 4.4 | 5.1.1 |
| Version 4.4.0b59 | 5.0.3 (First version compatible with Apple Silicon) |
| Version 4.3.8 | 4.5.3 |
| Version 4.3 | 4.1 |
| Version 4.2 | 3.8 |
| Version 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Version 4.0 | 3.0 |
About NDI | HX: Requires the NDI|HX driver.
We know that some of our users can not upgrade their macOS very often. This is why Softron tries to maintain compatibility with older versions of macOS as much as possible, but it is not always possible to achieve. Because Operating Systems are usually significantly improved over previous versions, Softron must use many of the more capable built-in functionalities inherent in Apple's latest OS releases. Failing to do so would mean that Softron software would essentially be blocked from using the new Frameworks provided in the OS. For this reason, Softron's free support is provided only on the current and previous macOS versions. Also, most of our tests will be done on these macOS versions, and only basic tests will be done on the previous OS. We will always try to help, but in some cases, the best solution is to upgrade your macOS to a more recent version.
Softron does not warrant that these recommended configurations will always meet specific user requirements. They are intended as guidelines and are based on extensive testing that Softron has done, they can be changed without notice. Hardware, drivers, software and operating systems change regularly and we advise users and prospective users to evaluate their requirements in their specific environment/workflow using Softron demo licenses that are available for downloading from Softron's web site.
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MovieRecorder Express
Version 4.5.10 - 26 July 2024
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Download |
Useful Resources
- Pre-Release versions
- Release Notes
- Quick Start
- User Manual
- Help Center: Includes a lot of useful information, sometimes not available in the user manual.
- YouTube Channel
Limitations of the free DEMO mode
The free DEMO mode of MovieRecorder Express is fully functional, and has all the features of the licensed mode. The version that you test is the same that you will be using when you get your license, it just records blue demo frames every few seconds in the file when in DEMO mode.
Installation instructions
Once downloaded, unzip the file, and drag and drop the Application in your Applications Folder.
Warning! Do NOT run the Application from your downloads folder or it will be quarantined. Always drag and drop from the Downloads folder to the Applications folder before using it.
Make sure also to download and install the drivers for your video device:
AJA Drivers
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Blackmagic-Design Drivers
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Deltacast Drivers
For Intel and Silicon
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DEMO Limitations
In DEMO mode, the application will burn a blue frame in the recorded file or at output at some intervals. That's the only limitation and difference. After your test, you will keep on using the same application, just with the demo mode unlocked.
How to unlock the DEMO version ?
Purchase a license through one of our resellers or the Softron online store, then just activate your serial number in the License window or plug your dongle in the computer.
Upgrade/Update instructions
Just download the latest version and replace your previous version. It is always recommended to run extensive tests with your specific workflow and setup before putting a new version in production. You can use a free demo version for that on a separate computer. Previous legacy versions are available from the general downloads page.
You do not need to deactivate and reactivate your serial number when updating your Softron software. Read the following article to know when to deactivate.
This software uses code of FFmpeg, licensed under the LGPLv2.1 and its source can be downloaded here.
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MovieRecorder Express 4.5.9
16 April 2024
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Download | |
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MovieRecorder Express 4.4.3
30 June 2022
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Download | |
MovieRecorder Express 4.3.9
31 August 2020
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Download | |
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MovieRecorder Express 4.3.8
26 June 2020
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Download | |
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MovieRecorder Express 4.2.1
6 June 2019
|
Download | |
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MovieRecorder Express 4.1.3
4 December 2018
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Download | |
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MovieRecorder Express 4.0.8
11 Septmeber 2018
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Download |
Copyright
This software uses code of FFmpeg, licensed under the LGPLv2.1 and its source can be downloaded here.