Capture screen activity or webcam as a movie with Microsoft Windows Media Encoder

Microsoft Windows Media Encoder is a powerful tool to capture audio and video content using Windows Media, including high-quality multichannel sound, high-definition video quality, and support for mixed-mode voice and music content.

The tool is available for free download from Microsoft website.

Note that Microsoft requires you to run Genuine Advantage Validation to get Encoder 9. Once installed it allows you to create custom encoding sessions and do broadcasting. You may use it to record or broadcast live events from attached camera or do conversion from different video and audio formats into Windows Media File format. Encoder 9 allows to selected different capture sources such as attached webcams, installed capture cards or just do plain screen captures. Once input device is selected – the program is all ready to save your capture in .WMV format.

Together with saving the file – Encoder 9 lets you choose distribution (broadcasting) method – streaming via Windows Media Server, other web server ot watched directly via computer.

Special menu allows to adjust for different bandwidth (slow to fast connections).

Flexibility of options and ample number of features makes Media Encoder 9 great addition into your screen capture toolbox