Troubleshooting

This section describes common questions with ScreenFlow which may be addressed by the user. If your issue is not listed or the recommended procedure does not work, please contact technical support.

Why doesn’t ScreenFlow play a movie file I imported?

If ScreenFlow can not play a movie file you’ve imported, attempt to open the media in QuickTime Player. If QuickTime Player cannot open the file, most likely the codec is not installed. If QuickTime Player can play the clip and the clip does not play in ScreenFlow, please contact technical support.

I exported my video, but it looks fuzzy or blurry. What can I do to make it look better?

When using ScreenFlow, it can be difficult to record your entire display at full resolution then compress that data into a low-resolution video while still retaining your necessary level of image clarity. Here are a few things you can do:

•	Export using the Lossless uncompressed video format. As long as you do not lower the resolution, it is identical to the original recording, but results in a large file size. This is ideal if you require additional editing or reformatting outside of ScreenFlow before publishing it.

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Reduce your display resolution before recording (System Preferences/Displays). By reducing your display resolution before recording, you require less compression later. We recommend that you decide what size you want your video to be in advance. Then, lower your display resolution as close to that as possible, but no smaller. If you use a smaller resolution than your output, you will lose image clarity.

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Use the scale and zoom functions in ScreenFlow. If you do not want to reduce your display resolution or export to a large, uncompressed format, your best option is to use Video Properties > Scale or Callout Action > Zoom. These functions allow you to increase the visibility on a specific portion of the recording which can be valuable for maintaining clarity in a heavily compressed video.

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Text is the hardest item to reproduce clearly in digital video. Digital video was not designed to recreate detailed figures like text. It was designed to map color spaces, so the thin lines of text can be particularly difficult to recreate. If you have text in your project, it is best to use the Scale feature or to increase the text size.

How do you designate a recording area?

Although many screen capture programs function by designating a recording area, ScreenFlow does not. ScreenFlow captures the entire monitor and all of its contents. This enables you to make use of the entire monitor during editing in post-production.

When using a program which designates a recording space, you may unexpectedly move outside of this space due to a menu option or pop-up. If your recording space is preset, there is no way to recover this lost information. With ScreenFlow's reliance on post-production editing, you can move outside your area of focus when necessary.

If you are recording a small video area, you may be concerned that a full-screen recording will take up unnecessary disk space. ScreenFlow's adaptive recording method captures minimal information on parts of the screen where there is no action, so this has very little effect on file size.

Does ScreenFlow work with Parallels or VMware?

Since ScreenFlow captures everything on your monitor, both Parallels and VMware are supported (including Computer Audio output). However, ScreenFlow cannot use the Callout features, as these are dependent upon information provided by Mac OS X.

Telestream has tested ScreenFlow with Parallels in all modes (Coherence, Window, and Full Screen) without issue. In fact, when using Parallels/VMware, some users have reported that ScreenFlow produces smoother, higher-quality output while using less CPU resources than native Windows screen capture programs.

What kind of graphics card should I use?

ScreenFlow requires a Quartz Extreme-capable graphics card. If you are unsure if your graphics card is supported, please download an evaluation version; ScreenFlow will notify you if it is not supported. You can expect most Mac hardware made in the last five years to fully support Quartz Extreme graphics cards.

ScreenFlow uses video RAM (or VRAM) during the recording process, so it is important to have a graphics card with at least 64 MB of VRAM, but we recommend 128 MB. The amount of VRAM necessary to record smooth video depends on your display resolution and whether or not other applications are simultaneously using VRAM. If you have insufficient VRAM, the recording will drop frames and the video skips during playback.

Does ScreenFlow support audio interface or mixing devices?

ScreenFlow does not support audio interface or mixing devices. However many of these devices will work with ScreenFlow if the audio is routed properly. If you are having trouble with your mixer, we recommend posting your issue on our forum.

Does ScreenFlow support closed captioning?

ScreenFlow does not support closed captioning. This process is performed following video production in a separate application specifically designed for closed captioning.

How do I use ScreenFlow to record my iPod/iPhone/iPad?

ScreenFlow cannot record these devices directly, but can record demonstrations using the XCODE simulator on Mac OS X.

My USB microphone and iSight camera are out of sync. What should I do?

If the audio and video are out of sync, try using the audio input on the computer (not the USB input) as there can be a latency problem between USB input and the iSight camera. This is particularly evident when recording a "talking head." Use a microphone that utilizes the audio input into the computer.