Recording the Emulator Screen

Klive allows you to record the emulator display as a video file. This is useful for capturing gameplay, creating tutorials, or demonstrating your retro computer programs.

Starting a Recording

To start recording, use the Record button in the toolbar or use the Machine | Recording | Start Recording menu command.

When you click the Record button:

1. The recording enters armed state (ready to record)
2. When the machine starts running, the recording begins automatically
3. The toolbar displays the recording status
4. Video frames and audio samples are captured in real time

To stop recording, click the Record button again or stop the machine.

Recording Options

You can configure recording options before starting a recording through the menu:

Quality Setting

Choose the video quality level:

• Lossless – Maximum quality, largest file size (CRF 0)
• High – High quality with moderate compression (CRF 10)
• Good – Balanced quality and file size (CRF 18, default)

Frame Rate

Select the frame rate for the output video:

• Native – Records at the machine’s native frame rate (50 fps for PAL, 60 fps for NTSC)
• Half – Records at half the native frame rate (25 fps for PAL, 30 fps for NTSC)

Output Format

Choose the video container format:

• MP4 – Universal compatibility, H.264 video codec with AAC audio (default)
• WebM – Modern format, VP9 video codec with Opus audio
• Matroska (MKV) – Maximum compatibility, HEVC video codec with AAC audio

Audio Recording

Audio from the machine’s beeper or audio device is automatically captured during recording. The audio sample rate matches the emulator’s audio output (typically 48 kHz).

If the machine has no audio output during recording, the video will contain silence. Program your machine or run software that produces sound to capture audio.

File Location

Recorded videos are saved to:

~/KliveExports/video/recording_YYYYMMDD_HHMMSS.{mp4|webm|mkv}

The filename is automatically generated based on the recording date and time.

Tips for Better Recordings

• Test before recording – Run a short test to ensure the machine produces the output you want to record
• Avoid pausing – While paused, recording is temporarily suspended. Continue to resume recording
• Check quality settings – For short clips, use high quality. For long sessions, consider “Good” quality to save space
• Use native frame rate – The recorded video plays back at the same speed as the emulation for accurate representation

Supported Codec Details