QScreenCast

A no-nonsense screen-caster behind a QToolButton.

A library that exposes a no-nonsense screen caster behind a QToolButton to be incorporated in any Python/Qt application.

Work in progress

Force majeure : Currently QScreenCast only works on windows! 😭

QScreenCast needs the Qt Multimedia module.

• On conda-forge we have a pyqt==5.12.3, which is semi-broken because for windows the Multimedia module is present, but for Linux & macOS it is not ... 🙈 🙉 🙊
• On anaconda the situation is even worse, as there the latest pyqt==5.9.2 and the Multimedia module is omitted all toghether. 😩
• On PyPi the situation is different, there one can use PyQt5==5.15.4 and there (I presume) the Multimedia module is available ... however that opens yet another can of worms ...

That being said, conda-forge/pyqt is working on a pyqt==5.15.x with all the goodies for all platforms (including M1 😍) but the ETA for that is mid 2021.

update

Q1/2022 is more than half way now, and eventhough the whole qt 5.15.4 has been pre-chewed by @andfoy (aka Edgar Margffoy) the conda-forge community only managed to publish the qt-main package ... there are 5 more packages to publish !!! 👎😭😤🤬

After waiting more than ONE YEAR on the conda-forge community, we are moving forward regardless, so we published the other packages on the Semi-ATE channel.

If you are installing conda with the maxiconda installer, the Semi-ATE channel is readily available, and you have access to qt 5.15.4 out of the box ! 😛

Here is the status at the time of writing :

The current implementation of QScreenCast is a fist (granted a bit naïve) attempt, but we are gearing up to make a second iteration, this time by using GStreamer under the hood! 😎

Installation

conda/mamba (preferred)

(myenv) me@mybox:~$ conda install -c conda-forge QScreenCast 

pip

Prior to installing QScreenCast, you need to install ffmpeg on your system somehow.

me@mybox:~$ pip install QScreenCast

Example

The repo holds an example directory where it is demonstrated how to use the QScreenCast button in your own application.

Usage

left-click on the button

A left-click on the button will start/stop the recording. Both Audio and video are recorded, but ONLY the QMainWindow is recorded! 😇 To comply to the 'perfect YouTube Video' recommendations, the QMainWindow is re-scaled (in the middle of the current screen) to it's maximum available size that complies to the video sizes.

Once a recording is stopped, the QScreenCast-er will put the .mp4 file on your desktop.

Notes:

1. While recording, you are not able to re-size or move the QMainWindow. 🧐
2. Anything you move in front of the QMainWindow will be recorded! 😱
3. When you start a recording, there is a count-down displayed in the middle of your QMainWindow to give you the last chance to clear your throught. 🤣

right-click on the button

A right-click on the button will show all the different video sizes (the ones that your screen can't handle are grayed out) and a check box will indicate to what format your screen will re-size if you start a recording. By default this is the biggest size your screen can handle, but you can select a smaller size here, in which case your QMainWindow will resize to that. One also can select a microphone (in case you have more than one) by default the system microphone is used.

Long story short, you shouldn't have to mess with options, just start/stop your recording!

Recording formats

• Sizes:
  • 854 x 480 (aka 480p)
  • 1280 x 720 (aka 720p)
  • 1920 x 1080 (aka 1080p and 1K)
  • 2560 x 1440 (aka 1440p and 2K)
  • 3840 x 2160 (aka 2160p and 4K)
• Container: MP4
• Audio codec: AAC-LC (stereo @ 48KHz)
• Video codec: H.264
  • Progressive scan
  • High Profile
  • 2 consecutive B frames
  • Closed GOP
  • CABAC
  • frame rate = 15 fps
  • 4:2:0 Chroma subsampling