Screen Recorder VS Video Downloader, What’s the Difference?

Gary Henderson Gary Henderson Updated on Sep 9 , 2020 Tag:

There is a large number of video sources on the Internet, most of which are streaming videos and possessed by major video portal websites like YouTube or Netflix. Watching those videos is a pleasant experience, but saving them is a difficult task. This passage will show viewers two important ways to save videos from the Internet – through screen recorder and video downloader. Later we will give detailed information on them through a comparison of screen recorder vs video downloader.

A Glance at Screen Recorder and Video Downloader

Screen recorder and video downloader are both effective ways to save Internet videos to users’ hard disks. However, the two methods could vary from each other in many ways. Let’s take a closer look at the discrepancies of them.

Cover of Screen Recorder VS Video Downloader

● Screen Recorder
Screen recorders possess basic yet strong functions that make recording on-screen activities so simple to achieve. And their powerful capability to record stream videos (any kind of videos) is leveraged as a means to download videos.

A merit of screen recorder is that it can record already produced videos and also allow users to produce their videos. Besides, to some degree, it can change the format of your recorded videos. What’s more, screen recorder can record infringed videos (please use this feature with compatible purposes, don’t violate relative policies in spreading the recordings for commercial use).  This tool is flexible, rich in features, and allows users to edit their chosen videos to make them colorful.

Flaws of screen recorders are obvious – for unlock more features of screen recorders, users usually need to pay for licenses. And Recording is not an on-click operation, users need to spend time wait recorders to capture their chosen videos.

Click here if you want to know some free and powerful screen recorders without spam or malware.

● Video Downloader
Video Downloader is fast and convenient, with this tool’s help, you can download your inclined video within several clicks. Some products even allow download in batch effectively.

What’s more, video downloader in most situations is free to use, which cites the reasons why users prefer this typical method.

Flaws of video downloaders are evident. One thing is that this method is severely influenced by the relative policies of major video portal websites. For example, many video downloaders for YouTube have been banned since YouTube doesn’t allow its videos to be downloaded by third-party software. Click here to solve ‘unable to download YouTube videos’.

Another disadvantage of video downloaders is that it can’t make changes to their copied videos.  Like it’s impossible to change videos’ length or resolution.

Third deficiency of video downloader is that many downloader fails to support their service for a large number of websites.

  Screen Recorder Video Downloader
Cost Most handy and easy screen recorder charges money. Video downloader seldom charges money.
Efficiency Low, it takes a long time recording. High, video is downloaded within several clicks.
Stability Extensive, screen recorder captures any videos on the Internet. Video downloader is easily influenced by infringements.
Change Video Formats Yes Yes
Change Video Length Yes No
Video Quality Record videos in up-to original quality. Download video in up-to original quality.
Save videos with attached captions Yes, if you click the ‘cc’ on the bottom line of the video (YouTube) Some downloaders support downloading video with subtitles

Screen Recorder VS Video Downloader – Recorders List

● RecMaster [A high price-performance-ratio screen recorder]

RecMaster caters users with multiple choices to record different videos. It has a game mode for capturing gameplay videos, full-screen mode to capture full-screen videos. Audio mode is for capturing sheer sounds. During the recording, RecMaster allows users to add webcam, annotation, and watermark to their videos thus making them look variable.

Free RecMaster

As a newly born screen recorder in an industry, it is gradually catching up yet still charges users with the most affordable price. This software is cost-effective and worth trying.

free download RecMaster for Windows free download RecMaster for Mac

● Bandicam [The most powerful screen recorder users ever seen]

The most outstanding feature of Bandicam is that it allows users to record their screen at up-to 480 FPS, which is the highest parameter among all the alternatives of it. With this brilliant recording condition, you can capture any gameplay videos no matter on YouTube, Mixer, or Twitch. As a magnate in the screen recorder industry, Bandicam receives the most compliments and delivers users with the best performance in recording.

The very few deficiencies of this software are that it is too expensive and it can’t work on Mac. Click here to see the solution of Bandicam not available for Mac.

Download link: https://www.bandicam.com/downloads

● OBS [The most used freeware that enjoys the largest user base]

OBS is a free and professional software that guarantees high-quality performance in recording and streaming tasks. Unlike some of its competitors who distinguish themselves by providing a clean interface and simple operations to users, OBS Studio breaks new ground with its advanced operations and complex interfaces. OBS receives polarized reviews from its users, senior users consider it the most professional screen recorder while fresh-hands spend a long time can’t get the hang of it.

However, OBS isn’t equipped with any out-of-the-box solutions, which is an extensively argued point among users. To amend this inconvenience, users have to build up different “scenes” thus to create different “recording modes” to meet with their various recording demands.

Download link: https://obsproject.com/download

Screen Recorder VS Video downloader – Downloaders List

● Video Downloader Ultimate [Paid software, Download any videos from the Internet]

It makes it easy to download nearly any video you watch online. But that simplicity comes at a price: It is missing some of the key features found in the best online video downloaders.

Video Downloader Ultimate’s interface consists of a single window that contains all its tools. When you launch the program, it scans your internet browser and compiles a list of all the videos that appear on the websites you visit. Each entry exhibits all the resolutions available for that video. All you have to do is select which video you want to download, and the program transfers it onto your hard drive. If you don’t want the program to compile this list, you can turn the feature off.

This video downloader also installs a browser plug-in you can use to select specific videos to download. When you come across a video you want to download, you just click the arrow and the video starts downloading. This is Video Downloader Ultimate’s two downloading methods.

Flaws:
– It can only turn a video file into an MP3, Video Downloader Ultimate can’t convert downloads from one video format to another.
– The web version of this software doesn’t support downloading YouTube videos (and more copyright-protected videos).

● X2convert [Safe YouTube video downloader]

X2convert is a safe website. Following Google Safe Browsing and Symantec x2convert.com is pretty a safe domain. Besides, x2convert has a valid and up-to-date SSL certificate issued by Sectigo Limited. This software has advantages over downloading videos from the Internet. It is free and offers high-speed and unlimited downloads for users. In terms of detailed parameters, it supports downloading the audio file, 4k resolution video, and HD, Full HD videos. X2convert is such a great website downloader that users don’t even have to register before downloading.

Scene of X2convert Downloading Videos

Download link: no need to download, it is a web-launched video downloader.

● VLC [A powerful media player that also capable of downloading videos]

VLC is a media player, we consider it a video downloader because it is so versatile that it can successfully carry out downloading tasks. VLC is a nearly perfect tool that can both capture screen and download videos from the Internet.

This passage won’t go further to introduce the steps of recording or downloading, if you have relative demands over that, you can refer to our specific articles and get inspired.

Download link: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html

Related guides: Use VCL to record screen | Use VLC to download videos

Verdict

This passage lists differences between screen recorder and video downloader, and through the comparison of Screen recorder vs video downloader, along with 3 desirable software of each kind, we hope viewers find their preferred tool to save videos in the future.

RecMaster – Record Every Moment on Your Computer Screen

RecMaster – Record Every Moment on Your Computer Screen

Multiple recording modes make it easy to capture anything on screen.

Record 1080p or even 4K clips at 60fps to maintain the high quality still.

Flexible settings for mouse cursor effects, watermark and annotations.

Preloaded with recording scheduler, video editor. Allow one-click sharing.

Home / How-to / How to Record Snapchat Videos? [on Windows/Mac/iOS/Android]

Gary Henderson

Gary Henderson

As one of the senior editors of RecMaster, I currently concentrate on writing articles about game recordings and also, how-to tips to regular recordings. As an avid gamer, I am skilled at game APIs, game configurations. Helping customers find solutions to game-related issues is never boring stuff to me.

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