Glossary

Glossary

Plain-language definitions of the terms used across this wiki, from everyday settings to the engineering pages.

A–C

1% low / 0.1% low The frame rate of the slowest 1% (or 0.1%) of frames in a test. It shows stutter that an average FPS figure hides. See Benchmarks.

AAC The audio codec in Flashback's MP4 clips. Plays almost everywhere.

AMF AMD's Advanced Media Framework, the interface to the hardware video encoder on AMD graphics. Flashback's FFmpeg uses it for exports; the live buffer reaches the same hardware through Media Foundation.

Anyone with the link A Cloud visibility: anyone who has the clip's flashbk.gg/c/... link can watch it, and it previews in Discord. It isn't listed anywhere. See Sharing and Visibility.

Automatic (capture method) The default capture method. It asks for Desktop Duplication first and switches the session to Windows Graphics Capture if Desktop Duplication doesn't deliver a real frame or the display is on another graphics adapter.

AV1 A newer, efficient video codec. Flashback uses hardware AV1 only for smaller-file exports, never for the live buffer.

Bitrate How much data per second the video uses, in megabits per second (Mbps). Higher means better quality and bigger files. Balanced records at 15 Mbps.

Capture health An on-demand, read-only check on a saved clip that reports frame timing and audio sync from the file's packet timestamps, plus the clip's microphone continuity. Found in a clip's three-dot menu.

Capture worker The private, headless Flashback process that does the actual capture and encoding. If it fails, the app replaces it while your window, hotkeys and library keep working. See Isolated capture worker.

Catalog (package catalog) A small file, signed by Flashback's publisher, that binds an update package's name, size and SHA-256 hash. One of the two signatures every update needs. See Update Security Chain.

CBR (constant bitrate) An encoder mode that keeps the data rate steady. Flashback uses it for 240 FPS H.264 to avoid encoder and disk-write bursts.

Collection A titled group of your Cloud clips, edited on the web, shown on your profile to the audience you choose. A collection never widens who can see a clip. See Profiles and Friends.

Confirmed segment A buffer segment that was finished cleanly and checked, and that the desktop host has accepted into replay history. Only confirmed segments are used in saved clips.

Continuity generation A run of uninterrupted recording. If recording is interrupted unexpectedly, a new generation starts, and a clip never joins footage across two generations, so it never hides a gap.

Copy engine A part of the GPU that moves data without using the 3D engine. Flashback copies changed screen areas with it where it can.

D–H

DDA (Desktop Duplication) The Windows Desktop Duplication API. Flashback's preferred capture method: it shows no capture border and reports which parts of the screen changed.

Desktop host The Flashback process you see: window, tray, hotkeys, library, editor, settings and updates. It supervises the capture worker.

Dirty rectangles The areas of the screen that changed since the last frame, as reported by Desktop Duplication.

Downgrade (replay) protection Flashback remembers the newest update it has accepted and refuses an older one, even a genuinely signed one. See Update Security Chain.

DPAPI The Windows Data Protection API. Flashback uses it to protect your Cloud session and other secrets on your PC so only your Windows account can read them.

Editable audio tracks The separate audio tracks Flashback adds to every clip by default: Game and desktop, and Microphone when the mic is on, next to the Flashback mix. A video editor can adjust each one on its own. See Audio.

Edit list An MP4 feature that tells a player to skip part of the video. Windows' own players ignore it, so from 0.8.0 Flashback starts clips on a keyframe instead of relying on one. See Audio and Video Sync.

Fail closed Stopping safely rather than continuing in an uncertain state. If your selected monitor disappears, capture stops instead of recording another screen.

Feed In Flashback Cloud, the clips your friends shared as Friends or Public in the last 30 days, newest first. See Profiles and Friends.

FFmpeg / FFprobe Open-source media tools. Flashback ships its own LGPL build and runs it as separate processes to save, trim, export and inspect clips. See FFmpeg build.

Finalize Finish writing an MP4 file so it's complete and playable on its own.

Flashback mix The first audio track in a clip: game and desktop sound plus your microphone at full level, with a limiter only where they'd clip. It's what players, Discord and browsers play. See Audio.

Friends (visibility) A Cloud visibility: you and your accepted friends, signed in. A Friends clip's link shows no preview in chat apps.

Ghost Mode A setting that keeps the buffer running with no window at launch, no sounds, no notifications and no Discord status. The tray icon stays, with a checked Ghost Mode item to turn it off.

H.264 The most widely supported video codec. Flashback's default for the live buffer.

Hardware encoder Dedicated video-encoding hardware on a graphics card, separate from the 3D engine your game uses. Flashback is designed and tested for one.

HEVC (H.265) A video codec that gives better quality per bit than H.264 but isn't supported for playback everywhere. Available when your PC can both record and play it.

I–P

IDR frame / keyframe A video frame that can be decoded without any earlier frame. Flashback switches buffer segments exactly on one, so every segment plays on its own.

IPC (named pipe) How the desktop host and capture worker talk: a private, authenticated channel limited to your Windows user.

Manifest (release manifest) A small file listing exactly what a release is: version, feed, package and installer, with sizes and SHA-256 hashes. It's signed with an offline key. See Update Security Chain.

Media Foundation The Windows media framework. Flashback's live buffer uses its hardware H.264 and HEVC encoders.

MiB Mebibyte, 1,048,576 bytes. Memory figures in the benchmarks use MiB.

Microsoft Artifact Signing Microsoft's code-signing service. Flashback's installers and program files are signed through it since 0.7.41, so Windows shows a verified publisher.

Microphone continuity Whether a microphone delivered its audio without dropouts. Flashback counts the dropouts the device and Windows report, warns you when they repeat, and lists them for each clip in Capture health. See Audio.

Montage A single MP4 made by joining 2 to 20 of your clips, new in 0.8, with optional music, fades and crossfades. Made entirely on your PC.

NVENC NVIDIA's hardware video encoder. On compatible NVIDIA H.264, Flashback keeps one encoder alive across segment rollovers.

Only me The default Cloud visibility for new uploads: only you can watch the clip, signed in.

P99 frame time The frame time that 99% of frames beat. A lower number means fewer long, stuttery frames.

Pacing Fetching frames at the rate you record (with a small margin) rather than at your monitor's refresh rate. It saves CPU and GPU work on high-refresh displays.

Per-game profile Settings (quality preset, replay length, game audio, microphone and mouse pointer) that apply only while a particular game or app is in front. Any program can have one. See Per-Game Profiles.

Plan A paid Flashback Cloud subscription (Plus, Pro or Creator) that lets you upload. Profiles, friends and watching need an account but no plan. See Cloud Plans and Billing.

PresentMon A frame-timing tool that records when each frame is presented. Used in Flashback's benchmarks.

Private memory Memory a process has committed. It isn't the same as RAM in use, so it's reported separately from resident memory.

Profile link The address of a Flashback Cloud profile, flashbk.gg/u/<username>. The short form flashbk.gg/<username> leads to the same page.

Public on my profile A Cloud visibility for adults, where offered: anyone with the link, plus anyone who can see your profile.

Q–Z

Quick Sync (QSV) Intel's hardware video encoder. Flashback's FFmpeg uses it for exports on Intel graphics.

Raw Input A Windows way to read keyboard and mouse input without hooks. The optional input overlay uses it only while enabled.

ReadyToRun Ahead-of-time compilation of .NET code to native code, so the app starts faster. Flashback is published this way.

Record audio from The audio setting that picks which speakers or headset are recorded: the Windows default output, or one device you choose.

Recorder-off baseline A benchmark run with no recorder running, used as the reference every recorder is compared against.

Replay buffer The rolling window of recent video Flashback keeps on disk so you can save a moment after it happens. See Replay buffer and segment rotation.

Resident memory (working set) The physical RAM a process is actually using.

Rollover / rotation Switching the buffer from one segment file to the next without stopping capture.

Segment One short, independently finished MP4 file in the replay buffer.

Self-contained Shipping the .NET runtime inside the app, so you don't install it separately.

Share link A flashbk.gg/c/... address for one uploaded clip or screenshot, built from a long random identifier. Get a new link retires the old one for good.

Smart replay length An optional setting where a quick double press of the save shortcut saves a longer clip.

SmartScreen A Windows feature that warns about downloads without established reputation. It can still ask about a newly signed installer.

Storage limit The size Flashback keeps its saved captures under (20 GB by default), removing the oldest first. See Storage Limit.

Stream copy Copying already-encoded video into a new file without decoding or re-encoding it. How Flashback saves clips: fast, light, and no quality loss.

Velopack The open-source installer and update framework Flashback uses. Flashback adds its own signature and package checks on top.

WASAPI The Windows audio capture interface Flashback uses for system audio and microphones.

WGC (Windows Graphics Capture) The newer Windows capture API. Flashback's fallback capture method, or one you can choose; Windows may show a capture border while it's in use.

Where offered Some Cloud options (Google sign-in, Public on my profile, profiles visible to everyone, custom profile pictures, sharing screenshots with friends) switch on in stages after launch. Until one is available to you, the app and website don't offer it.

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Related pages: Architecture overview · FAQ · Benchmarks