> ## 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.

# Quickstart

> Get started with Segra and record your first gaming session in minutes

This guide will walk you through setting up Segra and recording your first gameplay session.

## Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Segra Installed" icon="check">
    Follow the [installation guide](/installation) if you haven't installed Segra yet
  </Card>

  <Card title="Windows 10/11" icon="windows">
    Windows 10 (build 19041+) or Windows 11 required
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## First-Time Setup

When you first launch Segra, you'll go through initial configuration:

<Steps>
  <Step title="OBS Components">
    Segra will download required OBS components (approximately 150MB). This is a one-time download.

    <Note>
      If the download fails, check your internet connection and try restarting Segra.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Recording Directory">
    Select where Segra will save your recordings. Make sure you have enough free space.

    **Recommended**: Use a fast SSD drive for best performance and choose a drive with at least 100GB free space.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Encoder">
    Segra will detect your GPU and recommend the best encoder:

    * **NVENC** (NVIDIA GPUs) - Best performance and quality
    * **AMD AMF** (AMD GPUs) - Good performance and quality
    * **Intel QSV** (Intel GPUs) - Hardware encoding on Intel iGPUs and Arc
    * **x264** (CPU) - Fallback option, higher CPU usage

    The default settings are optimized for your hardware.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Default Hotkeys

Segra comes with these default hotkeys:

| Hotkey  | Action             | Description                             |
| ------- | ------------------ | --------------------------------------- |
| **F8**  | Create Bookmark    | Mark important moments during recording |
| **F9**  | Toggle Recording   | Start or stop a manual recording        |
| **F10** | Save Replay Buffer | Save the current replay buffer to disk  |
| **F11** | Toggle Preview     | Toggle the recording preview window     |

<Tip>
  You can customize these hotkeys in [Settings](/configuration/hotkeys).
</Tip>

## Record Your First Session

Segra offers three recording modes. For your first session, we recommend **Hybrid Mode** (the default):

<Steps>
  <Step title="Launch Your Game">
    Simply start playing your game. Segra will automatically detect it and begin recording in the background.

    <Info>
      Look for the Segra icon in your system tray to confirm recording has started.
    </Info>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Mark Important Moments">
    Press **F8** during gameplay to create bookmarks at exciting moments (kills, goals, clutch plays).

    These bookmarks will help you find highlights later.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stop Recording">
    Exit your game or click "Stop Recording" in the Segra interface.

    Your session will be saved automatically to your recordings folder.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and Clip">
    Open Segra to view your recording. Use the clip editor to:

    * Cut highlights from your session
    * Trim unwanted parts
    * Create shareable clips
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Understanding Recording Modes

Segra offers three recording modes to fit your workflow:

| Mode              | Description                                                            | Best For                                                    |
| ----------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Hybrid**        | Records entire session + saves replay buffer clips                     | Most users - you get both full sessions and instant replays |
| **Session**       | Records from game start to game end                                    | When you want full gameplay sessions without replay buffer  |
| **Replay Buffer** | Keeps a rolling buffer (default 30s, configurable) and saves on demand | Saving only the best moments without full session files     |

<Accordion title="Which mode should I use?">
  * **New users**: Start with **Hybrid** mode - it gives you the most flexibility
  * **Content creators**: Use **Session** mode for full gameplay to edit later
  * **Highlight hunters**: Use **Replay Buffer** mode to save only epic moments
</Accordion>

## Create Your First Clip

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Clip Editor">
    In Segra, navigate to the **Clips** tab and select your recording.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Timeline">
    Drag to select the portion of your video you want to clip. You can:

    * Use bookmarks as quick selection points
    * Fine-tune start and end times
    * Preview your selection
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Quality">
    Select a clip quality preset:

    * **Low Quality** - Fast export at 30 FPS, smaller file size
    * **Standard** - Balanced quality at 60 FPS
    * **High Quality** - Best quality at 60 FPS
    * **Custom** - Advanced settings for specific needs

    <Tip>
      When the selected codec, container, and FPS already match the source recording, Segra automatically copies the video stream instead of re-encoding, so the export completes in seconds.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create Clip">
    Click "Create Clip" and wait for processing. You'll see a progress bar.

    Once complete, your clip is ready to share!
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Upload to Segra.tv

Share your clips instantly with Segra's built-in upload:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create Account">
    Sign up for a free account at [Segra.tv](https://segra.tv) or log in through the Segra app.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload Clip">
    Right-click any clip in Segra and select "Upload to Segra.tv".

    The upload will happen in the background - you can keep gaming!
  </Step>

  <Step title="Share Link">
    Once uploaded, you'll receive a shareable link. Copy and share with friends, Discord, or social media.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## AI-Powered Highlights

For supported games (Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2, Grand Theft Auto, League of Legends, Minecraft, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Rocket League, RuneScape: Dragonwilds, Rust, and War Thunder), Segra can automatically create highlight reels:

<Accordion title="How AI highlights work">
  Segra tracks your in-game stats (kills, deaths, goals, assists) and automatically creates bookmarks. When you're done playing, it can generate a highlight reel of your best moments.

  This feature requires:

  * A supported game with integration enabled
  * Bookmarks created during gameplay (manual or automatic)
  * At least one recording session with bookmarks
</Accordion>

<Info>
  Enable per-game integrations in [Settings → Game Integrations](/configuration/game-integration) to use AI highlights.
</Info>

## Configure Audio Settings

By default, Segra records all audio sources. You can customize this:

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Separate Audio Tracks">
    Record game audio and microphone on separate tracks for easier editing:

    1. Go to **Settings → Audio Devices**
    2. Enable "Separate Audio Tracks"
    3. Up to 5 individual sources are encoded onto their own tracks (track 1 is always the full mix, for a total of 6 tracks)

    This allows you to adjust or remove audio tracks in post-production.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Audio Output Modes">
    Choose what audio to record:

    * **All Audio** (default) - Captures all system sounds
    * **Game Only** - Records only game audio
    * **Game + Voice Chat Audio Only** - Game audio plus a shared voice-chat track (Discord, TeamSpeak 3, TeamSpeak 5)

    Change this in **Settings → Audio Devices → Output Mode**.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Game not detected">
    If Segra doesn't auto-detect your game:

    1. Add it to the whitelist in **Settings → Game Detection**
    2. Make sure the game is running in fullscreen or borderless window mode
    3. Check that auto-start recording is enabled
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Black screen recording">
    If you see a black screen in recordings:

    * Try switching from Game Capture to Display Capture in settings
    * Run your game in borderless window mode instead of fullscreen
    * Update your GPU drivers
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Performance issues">
    If your game is lagging with Segra running:

    * Lower recording resolution (try 1080p instead of 1440p/4K)
    * Reduce recording frame rate to 60 FPS
    * Ensure you're using hardware encoding (NVENC/AMF)
    * Close other background applications

    See the [Performance Guide](/advanced/performance) for more optimization tips.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

Now that you've recorded your first session, explore more features:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Recording Modes" icon="video" href="/features/recording">
    Learn about Session, Buffer, and Hybrid recording modes
  </Card>

  <Card title="Game Integration" icon="gamepad" href="/configuration/game-integration">
    Set up automatic highlight detection for your favorite games
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hotkeys" icon="keyboard" href="/configuration/hotkeys">
    Customize keyboard shortcuts for faster workflow
  </Card>

  <Card title="Video Presets" icon="sliders" href="/configuration/video-presets">
    Optimize recording quality and file size
  </Card>
</CardGroup>