Best video codec for game, video, and screen recording

How to choose the best video codec for recording

What is the best video codec for game recording, video recording, and screen recording?

• If you use a high-compression codec, you can get a small video file, but the encoding speed might be slower.
• If you use a high-quality codec, you can get the best quality video, but the video file size might be larger.
• If you use a high-speed codec, you can reduce CPU usage, but the video file size might be larger.

We recommend choosing the video codec that best suits your recording needs.

Comparison of video codecs - Size, Quality, and Speed

The table below shows the file size, video quality, and codec speed
(Recording time: one minute, Video resolution: 1920x1080, FPS: 30, Quality: 80).

• Comparison of codec speed: RGB24 (Fastest) > YV12 > Motion JPEG > Xvid > MPEG-1 (Normal)
• H.264 may be faster than Motion JPEG with high performing computers.

1. Hardware accelerated H.264 codec (GPU): Best codec for advanced users

The hardware-accelerated H.264 codec allows users to record the target with high speed, high compression ratio, and excellent quality. Usually, the H.264 codec is not suitable for real-time video recording because it uses much more system resources and the codec speed is much slower than others. However, the hardware accelerated H.264 codec solves the issue with the codec speed. The speed of hardware accelerated H.264 codec (Nvidia® NVENC™, Intel® Quick Sync video, AMD VCE) may be faster than Motion JPEG with high performing computers.

* Summary: If you can choose H.264 encoder in Bandicam, choose "H.264".

2. Xvid: Best codec for most users

Xvid is used in many other applications/hardware and has gained great popularity. Most CD/DVD players, Smartphones, SmartTVs, and media players support the Xvid codec, making it one of the best video codecs for most users. The Xvid codec is faster than MPEG-1 (Xvid uses lower CPU usage than MPEG-1).

* Summary: If you can't choose the H.264 encoder in Bandicam, choose "Xvid".

3. MPEG-1: Better compression ratio than Xvid

MPEG-1 is the most widely compatible, lossy audio/video format in the world. Most media players, as well as YouTube, support the MPEG-1 codec. The MPEG-1 codec offers a good quality of video and uses much less CPU than other codecs (The quality of MPEG-1 is similar to Xvid.)

* Summary: If you want to get smaller videos than Xvid, choose "MPEG-1".

4. Motion JPEG (MJPEG): Best codec for video editing

Motion JPEG (M-JPEG or MJPEG) is a video format in which each video frame is a JPEG image. In other words, each frame is a keyframe, allowing you to edit the recorded video easily. Motion JPEG is an ideal codec for most users who want to edit the recorded streaming video in Sony Vegas or Adobe Premiere Editor.

* Summary: If you want to edit the recorded video with a video editing program, choose "Motion JPEG".

5. YV12: Best quality video codec (lossless)

The video quality is better than MPEG-1/XVID because YV12 doesn’t compress the video. However, the file size is much bigger than MPEG-1/XVID (The file size is smaller than RGB24).

* Summary: If you want to get the best quality videos, try "YV12".

6. RGB24: Best quality video codec (lossless)

The video quality is better than MPEG-1/XVID because RGB24 doesn’t compress the video. However, the file size is much bigger than MPEG-1/XVID (The file size is bigger than YV12).

* Summary: If you want to get the best quality videos, try "RGB24".

7. External Codec

If you want to get better quality videos or make smaller videos, you could try the [External Codec] option in Bandicam.
You need a high-end computer to use an external codec because most external codecs use much more system resources than Bandicam's internal codecs.

The table below shows the file sizes when Bandicam records a 1920x1080 resolution video for one minute. (FPS: 30, Quality: 80)

To use an External codec in Bandicam, visit https://www.bandicam.com/faqs/vfw-x264-xvid-divx-h264-codec/

* Summary: If you have a high-end computer, try the "External codec" option in Bandicam.