> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.segra.tv/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Replay Buffer

> Capture instant replays of your best moments with Segra's replay buffer system

Replay Buffer is Segra's instant replay system that continuously records gameplay in the background and lets you save the last 30 seconds (or custom duration) with a single hotkey press.

## Overview

Replay Buffer works like a DVR for your gameplay:

* **Always recording** - Segra continuously records in a rolling buffer
* **Save on demand** - Press a hotkey (default: F10) to save the last N seconds
* **No storage waste** - Only saved clips are written to disk
* **Minimal overhead** - The buffer runs in memory with zero performance impact

<Info>
  Replay Buffer is perfect for games where you don't want full sessions but need to capture unexpected amazing plays.
</Info>

## How It Works

### The Rolling Buffer

1. **Segra starts recording** when a game is detected (or manually)
2. **Footage is stored in memory** in a circular buffer
3. **Old footage is overwritten** as new frames come in
4. **Pressing the hotkey** saves the current buffer to disk
5. **Buffer continues** recording after the save

Think of it like this:

```
[30 seconds of gameplay] → Keep recording → Amazing play happens → Press F10 → Last 30s saved
```

### Memory Management

The buffer size is determined by:

* **Duration** (e.g., 30 seconds)
* **Max file size** (e.g., 1000 MB)

Whichever limit is reached first stops the buffer from growing. This prevents memory overflow.

## Configuration

### Replay Buffer Settings

Configure the recording mode in **Settings > Capture Mode**. Buffer **Duration** and **Maximum Size** live in **Settings > Video Settings** and become editable once a mode that uses the replay buffer is selected:

#### Recording Mode

Choose one of three modes:

* **Replay Buffer** - Only buffer, no session recording
* **Hybrid** - Buffer + full session recording (recommended)
* **Session** - No buffer, full session only

<Tip>
  Hybrid mode gives you the best of both worlds: instant replays via the buffer and full sessions for review.
</Tip>

#### Buffer Duration

Set how many seconds of footage to keep in the buffer:

* Minimum: **5 seconds**
* Default: **30 seconds**
* Maximum: **600 seconds** (10 minutes)

**Longer buffers:**

* Capture more context before the moment
* Use more memory
* May impact performance on low-end systems

**Shorter buffers:**

* Use less memory
* Faster saves
* May miss context for some plays

<Note>
  A 30-second buffer at 1080p60 with high bitrate uses approximately 200-500 MB of RAM.
</Note>

#### Buffer Max Size

Set the maximum file size for the buffer:

* Default: **1000 MB** (1 GB)

This prevents the buffer from consuming too much memory. If the file size limit is reached before the duration, the buffer stops growing. The settings UI is a number input that accepts values from 100 MB to 5000 MB; the underlying setting accepts any positive integer.

### Hotkey Configuration

Change the save hotkey in **Settings > Keybindings**:

1. Navigate to **Settings > Keybindings**
2. Find **Save Replay Buffer**
3. Click **Edit** and press your desired key combination
4. Default is **F10**

<Warning>
  Avoid using keys that conflict with in-game bindings. F9, F10, and F11 are usually safe choices.
</Warning>

## Using Replay Buffer

### Starting the Buffer

<Steps>
  <Step title="Set recording mode to Buffer or Hybrid">
    Go to **Settings > Capture Mode** and select **Replay Buffer** or **Hybrid**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Launch a game">
    Segra automatically detects the game and starts the replay buffer.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify buffer is running">
    Check the Segra interface - you should see a recording indicator.
  </Step>
</Steps>

You can also start the buffer manually:

* Click the **Record** button on the home screen
* Segra starts the buffer using Display Capture
* Useful for recording desktop apps, browsers, or non-game content

### Saving a Replay

When something amazing happens:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Press the hotkey">
    Press **F10** (or your custom hotkey) immediately after the moment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Segra saves the buffer">
    The last 30 seconds (or your custom duration) are saved to disk.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Buffer resets">
    The buffer is cleared and starts recording fresh footage for the next save.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find your clip">
    The saved replay appears in the **Replay Buffer** section.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Press the hotkey as soon as possible after the moment. If you wait too long, the buffer may have already overwritten the footage.
</Tip>

### Buffer Reset Behavior

After saving a replay:

* The **buffer is stopped**
* The saved file is written to disk
* Metadata, thumbnail, and waveform are generated
* The **buffer restarts** automatically

This ensures that subsequent saves only contain new footage, not duplicate content from previous saves.

<Note>
  There's a brief gap (1-2 seconds) during the reset process. Avoid pressing the save hotkey multiple times rapidly.
</Note>

## Replay Buffer vs Other Modes

### Replay Buffer Mode

**Pros:**

* Minimal storage usage - only saves what you want
* Fast saves - near-instant clip creation
* Perfect for highlight-only gaming

**Cons:**

* No full session review
* No bookmarks or game integration
* Can't go back further than buffer duration
* No AI-generated highlights

**Best for:** Casual gaming, social media clips, low storage systems

### Session Mode

**Pros:**

* Full game session saved
* Game integration with automatic bookmarks
* AI-powered highlight generation
* Timeline review and analysis

**Cons:**

* Uses significant storage
* Can't save instant replays without stopping the recording
* Requires post-game review to find moments

**Best for:** Content creators, streamers, competitive players

### Hybrid Mode (Recommended)

**Pros:**

* Instant replays during gameplay (buffer)
* Full session saved for review (session)
* All game integration features
* Best of both worlds

**Cons:**

* Uses the most storage (session + saved buffers)
* Slightly higher system resource usage

**Best for:** Most users who want flexibility

## Replay Buffer Output

Saved replays are organized by game:

```
Segra/
└── Replay Buffers/
    ├── Counter-Strike 2/
    │   ├── 2024-01-15_14-30-45.mp4
    │   └── 2024-01-15_14-35-22.mp4
    ├── Valorant/
    │   └── 2024-01-15_15-12-08.mp4
    └── Apex Legends/
        └── 2024-01-16_18-45-33.mp4
```

Each saved replay includes:

* **Video file** (.mp4) with the buffer content
* **Metadata** - Game name, timestamp, duration
* **Thumbnail** - Auto-generated preview
* **Waveform** - Audio visualization

### Viewing Saved Replays

Access saved replays in the **Replay Buffer** section:

* Click the **Replay Buffer** tab in Segra
* Replays are sorted by date (newest first)
* Click any replay to watch in the built-in player
* Right-click for options (rename, delete, show in folder)

### Sharing Replays

Saved replays are standard MP4 files that can be:

* Uploaded to Segra Cloud (click the upload icon)
* Shared directly to YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, etc.
* Edited in video editing software
* Sent to friends via file sharing

See the [Uploads](/features/uploads) page for cloud sharing details.

## Advanced Features

### Multiple Saves Per Session

You can save the buffer multiple times during a single gaming session:

1. Amazing play happens → Press F10 → Saved as `14-30-45.mp4`
2. Buffer resets and continues recording
3. Another amazing play → Press F10 → Saved as `14-35-22.mp4`
4. Repeat as many times as you want

Each save creates a separate file with no overlap.

### Audio Tracks

Replay buffer recordings support the same audio features as sessions:

* **Multiple audio sources** (microphone, desktop audio, game audio)
* **Separate audio tracks** (if enabled in settings)
* **Volume control** per device

Configure audio in **Settings > Audio Devices**.

### Quality Settings

Replay buffer uses your main recording quality settings:

* Go to **Settings > Video** to adjust resolution, bitrate, encoder
* Changes apply to both session and buffer recordings
* Higher quality = larger buffer memory usage

<Tip>
  If you only use Replay Buffer mode (not Hybrid), you can lower quality settings to reduce memory usage without affecting file sizes much.
</Tip>

## Performance Optimization

### Reducing Memory Usage

If Segra is using too much RAM:

* **Lower buffer duration** (30s → 20s or 15s)
* **Reduce max buffer size** (1000 MB → 500 MB)
* **Lower recording quality** (1440p → 1080p or 60fps → 30fps)
* **Use VBR instead of CBR** rate control

### Reducing Disk I/O

Each save writes to disk. To minimize impact:

* Save replays to an **SSD** (much faster than HDD)
* Don't spam the save hotkey (allow buffer to reset between saves)
* Close other disk-intensive applications while recording

### GPU vs CPU Encoding

Replay buffer works best with **GPU encoding**:

* NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, or Intel QuickSync
* Near-zero performance impact on gameplay
* Fast encoding means quicker saves

CPU encoding works but may cause frame drops during saves.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Buffer not saving">
    * Verify the buffer is actually running (check recording indicator)
    * Make sure you're pressing the correct hotkey (default: F10)
    * Check that **Replay Buffer** or **Hybrid** mode is selected
    * Restart Segra if the buffer appears stuck
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Saved replay is shorter than expected">
    * Check your **buffer duration** setting (may be less than 30s)
    * Ensure **max buffer size** isn't reached before duration
    * If you pressed the hotkey too late, the moment may have been overwritten
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Game stutters when saving">
    * Switch to **GPU encoding** in **Settings > Video**
    * Lower your recording quality (resolution or bitrate)
    * Reduce buffer duration to decrease memory pressure
    * Ensure Segra is running on an SSD, not HDD
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Replay has no audio">
    * Check **Settings > Audio Devices** - ensure devices are selected
    * Test with a manual recording to verify audio setup
    * Make sure volume levels aren't set to 0
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Out of memory errors">
    * Reduce **buffer duration** (30s → 15s)
    * Lower **max buffer size** (1000 MB → 500 MB)
    * Close other memory-intensive applications
    * Reduce recording quality (1440p → 1080p)
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Use Cases

### Battle Royale Games

Replay Buffer is perfect for games like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Warzone:

* Most of the game is boring
* Amazing plays happen unexpectedly
* You don't want to save the full 20-minute match
* Just save the final kill or clutch moment

### Fighting Games

For Street Fighter, Tekken, Guilty Gear:

* Save sick combos instantly
* Capture unexpected comebacks
* Don't need full matches recorded

### Multiplayer Shooters

For Valorant, CS2, Overwatch:

* Save insane flicks or aces
* Capture funny moments with friends
* Keep storage usage low across many games

### Social Media Content

Replay Buffer is ideal for creating short-form content:

* 15-30 second clips are perfect for Twitter, TikTok, Instagram
* Save only highlight-worthy moments
* No need to edit down long sessions

## Related Features

* [Recording](/features/recording) - Full session and hybrid recording modes
* [Clipping](/features/clipping) - Edit and combine saved replays
* [Uploads](/features/uploads) - Share replays online