{"id":51235717,"url":"https://github.com/maxrblx1/phantomrec","last_synced_at":"2026-06-28T20:02:22.633Z","repository":{"id":363339950,"uuid":"1262902642","full_name":"MaxRBLX1/PhantomRec","owner":"MaxRBLX1","description":"🎬 PhantomRec: The Ultimate Low-End Screen Recorder — Smooth 60 FPS on Weak PCs, Dual-Core CPUs, No GPU Required","archived":false,"fork":false,"pushed_at":"2026-06-28T10:06:33.000Z","size":187,"stargazers_count":1,"open_issues_count":0,"forks_count":0,"subscribers_count":0,"default_branch":"main","last_synced_at":"2026-06-28T12:05:54.983Z","etag":null,"topics":["cpu-encoding","dual-core","free-screen-recorder","lightweight","lightweight-app","low-end-pc","no-gpu","open-source","portable","screen-recorder-windows-pc","smooth-recording","windows-10","windows-11"],"latest_commit_sha":null,"homepage":"","language":"C++","has_issues":true,"has_wiki":null,"has_pages":null,"mirror_url":null,"source_name":null,"license":"other","status":null,"scm":"git","pull_requests_enabled":true,"icon_url":"https://github.com/MaxRBLX1.png","metadata":{"files":{"readme":"README.md","changelog":null,"contributing":null,"funding":null,"license":"LICENSE","code_of_conduct":null,"threat_model":null,"audit":null,"citation":null,"codeowners":null,"security":null,"support":null,"governance":null,"roadmap":null,"authors":null,"dei":null,"publiccode":null,"codemeta":null,"zenodo":null,"notice":null,"maintainers":null,"copyright":null,"agents":null,"dco":null,"cla":null}},"created_at":"2026-06-08T12:35:49.000Z","updated_at":"2026-06-28T10:06:37.000Z","dependencies_parsed_at":null,"dependency_job_id":null,"html_url":"https://github.com/MaxRBLX1/PhantomRec","commit_stats":null,"previous_names":["maxrblx1/retrorec-screen-record","maxrblx1/retrorec-screen-recorder","maxrblx1/phantomrec"],"tags_count":9,"template":false,"template_full_name":null,"purl":"pkg:github/MaxRBLX1/PhantomRec","repository_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/MaxRBLX1%2FPhantomRec","tags_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/MaxRBLX1%2FPhantomRec/tags","releases_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/MaxRBLX1%2FPhantomRec/releases","manifests_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/MaxRBLX1%2FPhantomRec/manifests","owner_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners/MaxRBLX1","download_url":"https://codeload.github.com/MaxRBLX1/PhantomRec/tar.gz/refs/heads/main","sbom_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/MaxRBLX1%2FPhantomRec/sbom","scorecard":null,"host":{"name":"GitHub","url":"https://github.com","kind":"github","repositories_count":286080680,"owners_count":34901959,"icon_url":"https://github.com/github.png","version":null,"created_at":"2022-05-30T11:31:42.601Z","updated_at":"2026-05-26T15:22:16.424Z","status":"online","status_checked_at":"2026-06-28T02:00:05.809Z","response_time":54,"last_error":null,"robots_txt_status":"success","robots_txt_updated_at":"2025-07-24T06:49:26.215Z","robots_txt_url":"https://github.com/robots.txt","online":true,"can_crawl_api":true,"host_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub","repositories_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories","repository_names_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repository_names","owners_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners"}},"keywords":["cpu-encoding","dual-core","free-screen-recorder","lightweight","lightweight-app","low-end-pc","no-gpu","open-source","portable","screen-recorder-windows-pc","smooth-recording","windows-10","windows-11"],"created_at":"2026-06-28T20:02:20.259Z","updated_at":"2026-06-28T20:02:22.625Z","avatar_url":"https://github.com/MaxRBLX1.png","language":"C++","funding_links":[],"categories":[],"sub_categories":[],"readme":"## Project History\n\nPhantomRec was originally released as **RetroRec** (v1.0 through v1.7). The name was changed in v1.8 to better reflect the software's modern capabilities and universal appeal. All recordings and settings from previous versions are fully compatible with PhantomRec.\n\n---\n\n# PhantomRec — \"Record now. Encode later. Zero lag.\"\n\n**Built by MaxRBLX1**\n\n---\n\n## What is PhantomRec?\n\nPhantomRec is a **free, portable, and invisible screen recorder** for Windows. It captures your desktop at a smooth 60 FPS with system audio, then converts the recording into a compact, high-quality file — all without slowing down your computer.\n\nNo GPU? No problem. Old laptop? It works. PhantomRec is designed to run on **any Windows PC from Vista to Windows 11**, from a dual-core budget machine to a high-end workstation.\n\n---\n\n### A Note on Windows 7\n\nPhantomRec runs on Windows 7 and delivers 60 FPS GDI capture. However, if you experience stutter or frame drops on Windows 7, this is a limitation of the operating system itself — not PhantomRec.\n\n**Windows 7 lacks the GPU-accelerated capture APIs** (D3D11 Desktop Duplication, DirectDraw) that make Windows 8+ recording truly smooth. GDI capture on Windows 7 is software-based and competes with your desktop for CPU time.\n\n**The fix is free:** Upgrade to Windows 8.1, 10, or 11 on the same hardware. You don't need a new PC — just a newer OS. Your existing CPU, RAM, and GPU will immediately benefit from hardware-accelerated capture.\n\n| Windows Version | Capture Method | Smoothness |\n|---|---|---|\n| Windows 7 | GDI (Software) | Good — limited by OS |\n| Windows 8/8.1 | DDAGrab (GPU) | Excellent |\n| Windows 10/11 | GFX Capture (GPU) | Perfect |\n\n**PhantomRec works on everything. Your OS determines how smooth it is.**\n\n---\n\n## Why Choose PhantomRec?\n\nPhantomRec works differently from every other screen recorder. Instead of encoding everything in real time, it uses a **two-stage ghost pipeline**:\n\n**Stage 1 — Live Capture (mpeg4, 1 thread, ~5% CPU):**\nThe screen is captured and encoded with MPEG‑4 Part 2 — a lightweight codec that barely touches your CPU. Duplicate frames are skipped automatically. No GPU encoding means no stop-button freeze.\n\n**Stage 2 — Post-Convert (x264, all cores, after you stop):**\nWhen you press stop, PhantomRec converts the recording to x264 at high quality using all CPU cores — when your system is idle. You get NVENC-quality file sizes without needing a GPU.\n\n### The Result:\n\n- Your GPU stays 100% dedicated to your game or desktop\n- Recording uses ~5% CPU on any hardware\n- Heavy compression happens when you're done recording\n- **Instant stop** — no encoder queue drain freeze like GPU encoders\n- Smooth 60 FPS output on any CPU from 2008 onward\n- **No GPU required.** No GPU encoding used. No NVENC. No AMF. CPU only.\n\n---\n\n## System Requirements\n\n| Component | Minimum |\n|---|---|\n| **Operating System** | Windows 7 SP1 / Server 2008 R2 or later |\n| **CPU** | Any dual-core x86_64 processor (SSE2) |\n| **RAM** | 4 GB |\n| **GPU** | Any. Integrated. None. All work. |\n| **Storage** | Any HDD or SSD |\n\n*\\*No dedicated GPU or GPU hardware encoding required.*\n\n---\n\n## Quick Start\n\n1. Download `PhantomRec_v1.7.0.zip` and extract all files to a folder.\n2. Make sure `maxsengine.exe` is in the same folder as `PhantomRec.exe`.\n3. Double-click **`PhantomRec.exe`** — a small always-on-top window appears.\n4. Press **F10** to start recording.\n5. Press **F10** again to stop.\n6. Wait a few seconds for post-processing — your video opens automatically in Explorer.\n\n---\n\n## What's New in v1.7\n\n- **Exclusive Fullscreen Capture** — Games in exclusive fullscreen mode are now captured correctly. PhantomRec keeps the DWM alive so `gfxcapture` never loses the signal.\n- **Auto Game Detection** — Press F10 and PhantomRec automatically finds the game you're playing. No manual window selection needed.\n- **Safe Window Handling** — Fragile game engines (Geometry Dash, older OpenGL titles) are automatically detected and protected from window modification.\n- **Taskbar Anchor** — Uses the same DWM loophole as Xbox Game Bar to capture exclusive fullscreen games with zero performance loss.\n\n---\n\n## Configuration\n\nAll settings are stored in `PhantomRec.ini` next to the executable. You can edit it while PhantomRec is running — changes take effect within 2 seconds, no restart needed.\n\n```ini\n[Settings]\nHotkey=F10\nPauseHotkey=P\nConvertAfterRecording=yes\nConvertPreset=medium\nConvertPreset options: medium (default, best quality), veryfast (balanced), ultrafast (fastest for older machines).\n```\n\n## Capture Methods\n\nPhantomRec automatically selects the best capture method for your Windows version:\n\n| Windows Version | Capture Method | Details |\n|---|---|---|\n| Windows 10 / 11 | `gfxcapture` (D3D11) | GPU zero-copy, cursor visible, 60 FPS VFR |\n| Windows 8 / 8.1 | `ddagrab` (DirectDraw) | GPU DirectDraw, 60 FPS VFR |\n| Windows 7 / Vista | `gdigrab` (GDI) | CPU software, 55 FPS cap |\n\n---\n\n## What PhantomRec Does Not Do (Yet)\n\n- **Streaming** — PhantomRec is a recorder, not a streaming tool.\n- **Webcam overlay** — Not supported.\n- **Per-window capture** — PhantomRec captures the entire monitor.\n\n## Building from Source\n\n### Requirements\n\n- GCC (MinGW-w64 UCRT64)\n- Windows SDK\n- GDI+ and COMCTL32 development headers\n\n### Linker Libraries\ncomctl32.lib, shell32.lib, user32.lib, gdi32.lib, kernel32.lib,\nadvapi32.lib, ole32.lib, uuid.lib, ksuser.lib, avrt.lib,\ngdiplus.lib, comdlg32.lib\n\n### Compile Command\n\n```bash\ng++ -std=c++17 -O2 -D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0A00 \\\n    -finput-charset=UTF-8 -fexec-charset=UTF-8 \\\n    -o PhantomRec.exe src/PhantomRec.cpp \\\n    -lcomctl32 -lshell32 -luser32 -lgdi32 -lkernel32 \\\n    -ladvapi32 -lole32 -luuid -lksuser -lavrt -lgdiplus -lcomdlg32\n⚠️ Important: The -D_WIN32_WINNT=0x0A00 flag is strictly required. Without it, the binary targets Windows XP compatibility, causing the recording pipeline to fail with 0 FPS.\n```\n---\n\n## License \u0026 Credits\n\n- PhantomRec is free software. Use it, modify it, and share it.\n- Built by **MaxRBLX1**.\n- **Max'sEngine™** powered by **FFmpeg** ([ffmpeg.org](https://ffmpeg.org)).\n- Audio capture based on Microsoft WASAPI sample code.\n","project_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fmaxrblx1%2Fphantomrec","html_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/projects/github.com%2Fmaxrblx1%2Fphantomrec","lists_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fmaxrblx1%2Fphantomrec/lists"}