Dorgem Webcam Capture Application

Are you using webcams at home, on your laptop or in your company? Maybe you have asked yourself if it would be possible to record those webcam sessions? Dorgem is a freeware application that lets you record web cam footage. As you can see in the screenshot it's very easy to use. It supports multiple cameras, has a build in web server and can be used as a security camera because of its motion sensor support.

Update: Dorgem has been discontinued, and even though that means that the author won't create new versions of the application anymore or answer support questions, it is still available for download at the Sourceforge website. The program is however only compatible with pre-Vista operating systems, including Windows XP and even Windows 9x but not with any newer version of Windows.

Camstudio may be an alternative. While not designed solely for webcams, it can be used for that purpose just like Dorgem. Camstudio is a free screen recording software that you can configure to record full screen, a region, or a specific window that you select during configuration. And it is that feature that makes it interesting. Just fire up your webcam and start to record the webcam window to record the session to your computer. You can record audio if you want as well, but that is no requirement.

Before you start using the software, you should spend a few minutes configuring it properly. Firs thing that you may want to do is click on Options > Video Options to switch to a better compressor there, and modify the default quality level of 70. For the best quality, and the most space required on your hard drive, select 100. I would suggest you select a different codec to improve the recording quality and reduce the size of the recording on the hard drive. You should also make sure that audio recording is enabled if you want to record the audio as well, and configure the program hotkeys under Options > Program Options > Keyboard shortcuts.

Camstudio Tips

• Click on Options > Video Options to select a better codec. One that offers a better quality to size ratio. You may need to install codecs here for a better selection. Here you can also set the maximum framerate and other video related settings.
• Do the same for Options > Audio Options if you plan on using audio as well. If you want to record audio switch from do not record audio under Options to record audio from speakers or microphone.
• Option Options > Cursor Options to select if you want to show the cursor, show a specific custom cursor, highlight it or several activities such as left or right clicking, or not highlight and show the cursor at all.
• Check out the program options under Options. Here you find a selection of useful options, including settings to define keyboard shortcuts. You can for instance start and pause recordings with the F8 key and stop the recording with F9.