Video Settings Reference
Every control in the Video section: resolution, aspect ratio, frame rate, bitrate, codec, watermark and more.
The Video Section
Open Video on the rail for every recording control. It has four parts, top to bottom: Instant capture, Local studio recorder, Advanced recording and Cloud services. A part with a lock names the plan that opens it.
Local Studio Recorder
Renders the clip in this browser tab. The aspect ratio you choose defines the recorded frame: the simulation is fitted to it, so nothing is cropped away afterwards.
| Control | What it does | Range / options | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local export quota | Exports used and left this period, with the reset date behind its ⓘ. | - | - |
| Quick presets | Performance (1080p, the smoothest settings) or Max quality (the sharpest). | One click | - |
| Auto-stop capture / Stop after | Stops the recording at a set length, kept in step with the top bar clip length. | 1 to 600 seconds | 30 |
| Resolution preset | Output size. Picking one also sets a matching bitrate. | 720p (HD), 1080p (Full HD), 1440p (2K), 4K (Ultra HD) | 1080p (720p on phones until you choose) |
| Social aspect ratio | The shape of the recorded frame. | 9:16, 16:9, 1:1, 4:3, Custom Region | 9:16 |
| Always show recording area | Keeps the recording-area outline on screen. Never in the video. | On / Off | On |
| Platform preview | Draws an app's buttons, captions and safe zone over the recording area so you can see what they will cover. Never recorded. | Off, or one of TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels and more | Off |
Tip
- Platform preview colours: red blocks are buttons and bars, amber blocks are caption text, the green outline is the safe zone. Keep faces, scores and titles inside the green box.
Resolutions, Shapes and Plans
Resolution sets the size of the short side; the aspect ratio sets the shape. A 1080p vertical video is 1080 x 1920.
| Preset | 9:16 size | 16:9 size | Plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 720p (HD) | 720 x 1280 | 1280 x 720 | Every plan |
| 1080p (Full HD) | 1080 x 1920 | 1920 x 1080 | Creator and up |
| 1440p (2K) | 1440 x 2560 | 2560 x 1440 | Pro and up |
| 4K (Ultra HD) | 2160 x 3840 | 3840 x 2160 | Pro and up |
Tip
- Shapes: 9:16 is open to every plan, 16:9, 1:1, 4:3 and the platform previews need Creator, and Custom Region needs Pro. A saved choice your plan does not include falls back to 9:16.
- On a device that has to render video in software, sizes above 720p are greyed out. See Devices & Browsers for Exporting.
Advanced Recording
Everything here is set from your resolution preset. Change it only when you have a reason, for example a platform rejecting a file.
| Control | What it does | Range / options | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitrate (Mbps) | Quality versus file size. | 0.1 to 80 | Set by the preset |
| Video codec | The format inside the MP4. Auto uses H.264, which every platform accepts. H.265 and AV1 make smaller files, but some apps reject them. Only codecs your browser supports are listed. | Auto (H.264), H.265, AV1 | Auto |
| Quality mode | How the bitrate is used. VBR adds bitrate where the scene needs it; CBR holds it exactly; LOSSLESS makes very large files for editing. | CBR, VBR, LOSSLESS | VBR |
| Capture sharpness | Draws each frame larger, then scales it down, for smoother edges. Slower to render. | Performance, Balanced, Max quality | Performance |
| Recorder FPS | Frames per second of the video. Above 60 needs a paid plan and takes longer to render. | 24, 30, 48, 60, 90, 120, 144 | 60 |
| Show HUD in recording | Includes the on-screen counters and stats in the video. Turn off for a clean shot. | On / Off | On |
Tip
- Devices that render in software are held to 30 fps automatically.
Watermark
The watermark is soft, semi-transparent "ballengine.app" text that drifts slowly around the middle of the frame. The Watermark switch in the Video section controls it.
| Plan | Watermark |
|---|---|
| Starter (free) | Always on. It cannot be turned off. |
| Creator | Off by default. Turn the switch on to add ballengine.app. |
| Pro, Elite, Agency | Off by default. Turn it on, then type your own text under it (up to 40 characters) to replace ballengine.app on new exports. |
More from BallEngine
Guides, plans and answers for making your videos.