You need to show a colleague how a process works, save a webcam call, or capture gameplay, and the built-in tools give you one source and few options. Debut Video Capture from NCH Software records your screen, webcam and external video devices in one program, and it has a free version for home use.
Quick facts
- Platforms: Windows 7 to 11, and macOS 10.5 or above
- Free version: available for non-commercial use only, with no signup required
- Paid edition: sold through the vendor's online store for commercial use
- Optional hardware: a USB video capture device or a webcam
Key features
Record the whole screen, one window or just a selected area
Debut records the entire screen, a single window or any selected portion. It also supports multi-screen recording, so you can capture all your monitors.
Show your screen and your face in the same video
The video overlay records your screen and webcam at once. That suits tutorials and reaction videos where viewers should see both.
Capture from webcams, IP cameras and VHS-style devices
Besides the screen, you can record from a webcam, a network IP camera or a video input device such as a VHS recorder. You can record audio from your microphone and speakers with the video, or record video only.
Schedule recordings so you don't have to be there
Set a start and end time, then record once, daily or weekly. This is useful for online meetings you might miss.
Fix the picture before you record
Adjust brightness, contrast and gamma and see the result in the main window straight away. This helps with a weak webcam. You can also add filters such as black and white, negative and sepia.
Match the output to where the video is going
Pick a common TV or HD size, or enter a custom width and height and frame rate. Debut saves to avi, wmv, flv, mpg, mp4, mov and other formats.
Brand and polish the recording
Add text captions, timestamps, a logo or a watermark. You can show mouse highlighting and keystrokes, replace the background with the Green Screen tool, and trim the start and end of a recording. Time-lapse recording and snapshots from the video are also included.
Who it's for
Debut suits people who make tutorials, screencasts, webinars and gameplay clips. It also suits anyone who wants to digitise video from an external device, or record a demonstration of a computer problem for tech support. Home users can use the free version. Commercial use needs the paid edition.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Screen, webcam, IP camera and external device capture in one program
- Free version with no signup
- Scheduling, overlays, captions and watermarks are built in
- Works on both Windows and Mac
Cons
- The free version is for non-commercial use only
- Editing is limited to trimming. For more, NCH points you to its separate VideoPad editor.
- Older Windows versions such as 98, 2000, XP and Vista need a separate, older download
FAQs
Is Debut really free?
A free version is available for non-commercial use. If you use Debut at home, you can download it without signing up.
Can I record my screen and webcam together?
Yes. The video overlay feature records both sources at the same time.
Which video formats can I save to?
Formats include avi, wmv, flv, mpg, mp4 and mov, among others.
Can it record when I'm away from the computer?
Yes. You can schedule a recording to run once, daily or weekly at set times.
Does it work on older Windows?
The current version runs on Windows 7 to 11. NCH offers separate downloads for Windows 98, 2000 and XP/Vista.
System requirements
- Windows 7 to 11
- macOS 10.5 or above
- Optional USB video capture device or webcam