10 Best Streaming Video Recorder in 2022

With the rise of digital media, people are gradually shifting the way to watch video: from offline to online. In the past, people used to watch videos mostly in front of the TV or by downloading videos from the internet and playing them locally. But now, it's the norm to watch videos directly from online streaming video sites, as online viewing does not take up local space and can be turned off at any time.

However, there are still some people who choose to record or download videos for offline replay after watching them. So in this article, we will provide you with some streaming video recorders that are suitable for recording streaming video on your computer. Let's get started.

Part 1. Top 10 Best Streaming Video Recorder

1. TunesKit Screen Recorder

OS: Windows and macOS

TunesKit Screen Recorder is a professional and powerful streaming video recorder to record video on any streaming platform, such as online streaming video websites or desktop clients. It records the video you want in high quality, which can be up to 4K. Meanwhile, it supports different recording modes for recording various scenes, such as webcam, audio, window, and game, and then cutting the video recording and editing the ID3 tags (only for audio recording mode) by using the built-in editing tool.

This software is available for Windows and macOS. With its trial version, you record unlimited-length streaming video and 1-minute audio and export it to MP4, MOV, MKV, and other video or audio formats for compatibility with various devices. It also offers recording options such as customizing the watermark, setting the webcam, recording schedule, and cursor options, which can make your video recordings even more unique.

2. OBS (Open Broadcast Studio Software)

OS: Windows, macOS and Linux

OBS can be considered the best software among video streaming recorders. This program is free and open-source and available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It enables users to record streaming video from any source without lag and lost frame.

In the meantime, it endows you to add various sources while recording the streaming video, such as text, color cover, pictures, transitions, browser, filters, etc. However, the novices may find it difficult to use as this software has a relatively complex operating interface.

3. Bandicam

OS: Windows

Bandicam can record everything on your computer, including streaming video. This Windows-only streaming video recorder has the ability to record all kinds of streaming videos in high quality and export them to MP4 or AVI format. Moreover, it also supports game recording and audio-only recording, so it is convenient for you to choose the right recording mode for different on-screen activities.

However, its free version only supports recording streaming videos of up to 10 minutes and will attach a watermark, so if you have a need to record for a long time, you'd better upgrade the software.

4. QuickTime Player

OS: macOS

QuickTime Player is a pre-install media player on Mac. Besides viewing media files, it is capable of recording screens on the Mac, such as streaming video, with simple operation. Just tap the top menu, and you'll find the recording option easily.

Once you have finished recording, you can export the recorded streaming video to MOV format in up to 4K quality (based on resolution). But the downside is that it cannot record internal audio, which means you only get streaming video recordings without audio. Also, it doesn't come with a built-in editor, and you have to resort to other video editors to make further editing.

5. VLC Media Player

OS: Windows, macOS, Linux

Another free streaming video recorder you should try is called VLC Media Player. Yes, this media player has the ability as same as QuickTime Player to record streaming video without hassle. It's also a pre-install program on Windows, Mac, and Linux. And you are able to download this program on the web store if you can't find it on your computer.

However, some drawbacks cannot be ignored, such that it only supports recording video or audio individually, not simultaneously, which will be unfriendly if you use it to record a live stream.

6. VSDC Free Screen Recorder

OS: Windows

VSDC Free Screen Recorder is a lightweight program for use on Windows. It supports free recording of streaming video in MP4 format up to 60fps without any limitations. In addition, this tool has a near-cursor mode capture, where the recording area follows the cursor, so it is valuable when you want to make a how-to video recording. Moreover, its usual recording mode has a highlighting tool that allows you to draw or highlight the key points as you record.

However, as a tiny recorder, it has fewer settings. For example, it lacks watermark editing, a video editor, and output format options. Nevertheless, this is an advantage for some users who choose this tool, as it is simple to use and not too complicated.

7. Screen Capture

OS: Web-based

Screen Capture is a free online recording tool for capturing streaming video and other scenes without any time limit. It has a simple interface that you'll get on well with it immediately without any learning curve. In addition, the tool allows you to choose the recording source, such as the entire screen, a single browser tab, or a desktop application.

However, the downside is that the quality of the videos recorded under the free version screenshots can be a bit blurry and will only save them to MP4. It is recommended that you upgrade or download its desktop app for more polished recordings.

8. Apowersoft Online Screen Recorder

OS: Web-based

Apowersoft Free Online Screen Recorder is a free web-based online screen recorder that records video and screen on your computer in just a few clicks. This tool does not leave a watermark on the recording and does not incur potential costs. All you need to do is download the launcher and install it, then you are free to use it to record as much video as you want (the launcher only needs to be downloaded the first time you use it). It offers a number of recording options, enabling you to select the specific screen you want to record, and can record system audio and microphone voice before you record your video.

However, if you want to record videos of more than 30 minutes, you would be better off downloading its desktop software, as this online tool does not support saving recorded videos of over 30 minutes.

9. Screencastify

OS: Browser-based

Screencastify is a free extension available on Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Yandex browser. It's one of the best free streaming video recording extensions that have the ability to record the whole screen or a single browser tab.

The recorded video will be saved in Cloud automatically which won't waste your local space. It has a versatile drawing tool that features mouse icons, pen, shapes, and stickers, and you are able to trim the recorded video when it turns to a preview page. Screencastify Free will store up to 10 videos in the Cloud, but it's possible to delete the video or upgrade to the Pro version to get more space.

10. Awesome Screen Recorder

OS: Browser-based

Another best free streaming video recorder is called Awesome Screen Recorder, which is also a free extension used for Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, and Safari browser. It has the ability to capture videos and other screens on your desktop, specific tab, or webcam only. Also, it supports screen capture on the selected area, full page, or the visible part.

It's good for making educational videos, as it comes with annotation tools and an editor. When you finish the recording, the recorded video can be exported to 720p resolution under its free version and saved to Cloud or locally. However, there are some limits to the free version, such as the output format, output quality, saving duration, etc.

Part 2. Comparison to the 10 Streaming Video Recorders

So, these are the 10 best streaming video recordes for Windows and Mac. Here is a comparison with these screen recorders that you can refer to.

	TunesKit Screen Recorder	OBS	Bandicam	QuickTime Player	VLC Media Player	VSDC Free Screen Recorder	Screen Capture	Apowersoft Free Online Video Recorder	Screencastify	Awesome Screen Recorder
Free/Paid	Free & Paid	Free	Free & Paid	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free	Free & Paid	Free & Paid
Supported System	Windows and macOS	Windows, macOS, and Linux	Windows	macOS	Windows, macOS, and Linux	Windows	Web-based	Web-based	Browser-based	Browser-based
Clear Interface	√	×	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Good for the new hand	√	√	×	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Video Trimer	√	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	×	√
Output Format	MP4, MOV, MKV, M4V, AVI, etc	MP4, MOV, MKV, FLV	MP4, AVI	MOV	WEBM	MP4	MP4	MP4	MP4	MP4
Output Quality	High, Medium, Low	High, Medium, Low	High, Medium, Low	Medium	Medium	High, Medium, Low	Medium	Medium	Medium	Medium
Watermark-Free	√	√	×	√	√	√	×	√	√	√

Part 3. FAQs about Streaming Video Recorder

Q1: How do I record streaming vide to watch later?

The streaming video recorder is essential if you want to record streaming video to watch later. To save your search time, we recommend TunesKit Screen Recorder as it is capable of recording high-quality streaming video with a few simple clicks.

Q2: How do I record streaming video on Windows 10?

There are a variety of screen recorders available on Windows 10 that record streaming video without trouble. And here, we suggest TunesKit Screen Recorder for you. All you need to do is to create a recording area over the streaming video and tap the start button, and then it will start capturing the video content immediately.

Q3: How do I rip streaming video from Netflix?

As you know, you can only download the video in the menu Available for Download on Netflix. If you want to rip any kind of streaming video on Netflix, you'd better try third-party recording software, such as TunesKit Screen Recorder, OBS, Screen Capture, etc. Please refer to the above for more details.

Part 4. Bottom-line

These are our round-up of ten streaming video recorders that make it easy to record streaming video and other on-screen activities. The free versions of most of these tools are sufficient for the basic needs of users, and you can still upgrade to the full version if required. Among these recorders, we still recommend the TunsKit Screen Recorder as your first choice as it has the ability to record high-quality videos in over 20 V/A formats and cut or trim them in the built-in editor, which other recorders don't feature.