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Segra offers quality presets for quick configuration, plus custom settings for advanced users. Choose the right balance of quality, performance, and file size for your needs.

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Quality Presets

Quick configuration options for both recordings and clips.

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Recording Presets

Resolution: 720p
Framerate: 30 fps
Best for: Older hardware, testing, or minimal file sizesUse when you need Segra to have minimal performance impact or when disk space is very limited.

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Clip Presets

Separate quality settings for exported clips:
Settings: Fast encoding, 30 fps
Best for: Quick sharing, social media storiesFast exports with smaller file sizes, suitable for casual sharing.

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Custom Video Settings

When using the Custom preset, configure these parameters:

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Resolution

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resolution
enum
default:"1440p"
Output resolution for recordings:
  • 720p: 1280×720
  • 1080p: 1920×1080
  • 1440p: 2560×1440 (requires 1440p+ display)
  • 4K: 3840×2160 (requires 4K display)
Higher resolutions are only available if your monitor supports them. Segra automatically limits options based on your display’s maximum resolution.

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Framerate

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frameRate
integer
default:"60"
Frames per second to record:
  • 24: Cinematic look
  • 30: Standard definition
  • 60: Smooth gameplay (recommended)
  • 120: High refresh rate displays
  • 144: For 144Hz+ monitors
Higher framerates increase file size and CPU/GPU load. Match your game’s framerate for best results.

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Encoder

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encoder
enum
default:"gpu"
Hardware to use for video encoding:
  • gpu: Hardware encoding (NVIDIA NVENC, AMD VCE, Intel Quick Sync)
  • cpu: Software encoding (x264/x265)
GPU Encoding:
  • Faster, lower CPU usage
  • Minimal performance impact while gaming
  • Recommended for most users
CPU Encoding:
  • Higher quality at same bitrate
  • More CPU intensive
  • Best for systems with powerful CPUs and no GPU encoder

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Codec

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codec
object
default:"auto"
Video codec to use for encoding. Available codecs depend on your hardware:NVIDIA GPUs:
  • NVIDIA NVENC H.264 (most compatible)
  • NVIDIA NVENC H.265/HEVC (better compression)
  • NVIDIA NVENC AV1 (newest, best compression, RTX 40-series only)
AMD GPUs:
  • AMD VCE H.264
  • AMD VCE H.265/HEVC
Intel GPUs:
  • Intel Quick Sync H.264
  • Intel Quick Sync H.265/HEVC
CPU:
  • x264 (H.264 software encoder)
  • x265 (H.265/HEVC software encoder)
Segra automatically selects the best codec when you change encoders.

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Rate Control Methods

Control how the encoder manages bitrate and quality:

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CBR (Constant Bitrate)

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rateControl
enum
Maintains a constant bitrate throughout the recording.When to use:
  • Streaming or uploading to platforms with bitrate limits
  • Predictable file sizes
  • Consistent quality
Settings:
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bitrate
integer
default:"70"
Target bitrate in Mbps (10-100+)Recommended values:
  • 720p/30fps: 10-15 Mbps
  • 1080p/60fps: 30-50 Mbps
  • 1440p/60fps: 50-80 Mbps
  • 4K/60fps: 80-130 Mbps

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VBR (Variable Bitrate)

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rateControl
enum
Varies bitrate based on scene complexity.When to use:
  • Best quality-to-size ratio
  • Local storage (not streaming)
  • Most efficient for archival
Settings:
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minBitrate
integer
default:"70"
Minimum bitrate in Mbps (simple scenes use lower bitrate)
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maxBitrate
integer
default:"100"
Maximum bitrate in Mbps (complex scenes use higher bitrate)

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CRF (Constant Rate Factor) - CPU Only

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rateControl
enum
Quality-based encoding (lower CRF = higher quality).When to use:
  • Best quality for file size
  • CPU encoding only
  • Archival or content creation
Settings:
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crfValue
integer
default:"23"
Quality level (0-51):
  • 17-18: Very high quality (large files)
  • 21-23: High quality (recommended)
  • 24-26: Good quality (balanced)
  • 27-28: Lower quality (smaller files)
23 is considered visually lossless for most content. Lower values increase quality and file size.

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CQP/CQ (Constant Quantization) - GPU Only

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rateControl
enum
GPU equivalent of CRF (lower = higher quality).When to use:
  • GPU encoding with quality priority
  • Similar to CRF but for hardware encoders
Settings:
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cqLevel
integer
default:"20"
Quality level (0-51):
  • 0-15: Very high quality
  • 16-20: High quality (recommended)
  • 21-25: Good quality
  • 26-30: Lower quality

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Advanced Settings

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4:3 Aspect Ratio Handling

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stretch4By3
boolean
default:"true"
Automatically stretch 4:3 content to 16:9.Enable for older games that run in 4:3 to avoid black bars.

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Encoder Presets

Presets control encoding speed vs. quality tradeoff.

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CPU Presets (x264/x265)

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clipPreset
enum
default:"veryfast"
Speed/quality tradeoff for CPU encoding:
  • ultrafast: Fastest, lowest quality
  • superfast, veryfast: Fast, good for real-time
  • faster, fast: Balanced
  • medium: Good quality, slower
  • slow, slower, veryslow: Best quality, very slow
For live recording, use veryfast or faster. For clip exports, medium or slow work well.

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GPU Presets

Presets vary by GPU vendor: NVIDIA NVENC (H.264/HEVC):
  • slow: Best quality
  • medium: Balanced
  • fast: Better performance
  • hp: High performance
  • hq: High quality
  • ll: Low latency
  • llhq: Low latency high quality
NVIDIA AV1:
  • p1: Fastest
  • p4: Balanced (recommended)
  • p7: Slowest, best quality
AMD VCE:
  • quality: Best quality
  • transcoding: Balanced
  • lowlatency: Faster
  • ultralowlatency: Fastest
Intel Quick Sync:
  • slow: Best quality
  • medium: Balanced
  • fast: Better performance

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Clip Export Settings

Separate settings for exporting clips:
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clipEncoder
enum
default:"cpu"
Encoder for clip exports (can differ from recording encoder)
  • cpu: Better quality, slower exports
  • gpu: Faster exports, uses GPU
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clipCodec
enum
default:"h264"
Codec for exported clips:
  • h264: Maximum compatibility
  • h265: Better compression (larger compatibility)
  • av1: Best compression (limited compatibility)
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clipFps
integer
default:"60"
Framerate for clips:
  • 0: Use original framerate
  • 30, 60: Fixed framerate
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clipAudioQuality
enum
default:"128k"
Audio bitrate for clips:
  • 96k: Lower quality, smaller files
  • 128k: Standard quality (recommended)
  • 192k, 256k, 320k: Higher quality
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clipQualityCpu
integer
default:"23"
CRF value for CPU-encoded clips (17-28, lower = better)
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clipQualityGpu
integer
default:"23"
CQ value for GPU-encoded clips (0-51, lower = better)

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Settings JSON Examples

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High Quality GPU Recording

{
  "videoQualityPreset": "custom",
  "resolution": "1440p",
  "frameRate": 60,
  "encoder": "gpu",
  "codec": {
    "friendlyName": "NVIDIA NVENC H.264",
    "internalEncoderId": "jim_nvenc",
    "isHardwareEncoder": true
  },
  "rateControl": "VBR",
  "minBitrate": 60,
  "maxBitrate": 90
}

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CPU Quality Recording

{
  "videoQualityPreset": "custom",
  "resolution": "1080p",
  "frameRate": 60,
  "encoder": "cpu",
  "rateControl": "CRF",
  "crfValue": 20
}

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Fast Clip Export

{
  "clipQualityPreset": "custom",
  "clipEncoder": "gpu",
  "clipCodec": "h264",
  "clipFps": 60,
  "clipQualityGpu": 20,
  "clipPreset": "fast",
  "clipAudioQuality": "128k"
}

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Performance vs Quality Guide

Minimal impact on gaming performance:
  • Encoder: GPU
  • Resolution: 720p or 1080p
  • Framerate: 30 or 60 fps
  • Rate Control: VBR or CQP
  • Preset: Fast/HP (GPU)

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Troubleshooting

If a codec/encoder isn’t listed:
  • GPU encoders: Update graphics drivers
  • NVENC: Requires NVIDIA GTX 600-series or newer
  • AMD VCE: Requires AMD Radeon HD 7000-series or newer
  • Quick Sync: Requires Intel CPU with integrated graphics
  • Restart Segra after driver updates
  • Switch to GPU encoder
  • Lower resolution (1080p → 720p)
  • Reduce framerate (60 → 30 fps)
  • Use faster preset (Medium → Fast)
  • Close other applications
  • Check GPU/CPU usage in Task Manager
  • Use VBR instead of CBR
  • Lower bitrate (try 30-50 Mbps for 1080p)
  • Use H.265/HEVC codec (better compression)
  • Reduce resolution or framerate
  • Enable compression in Storage settings