The best video format for screen recording on Windows
Short answer: use MP4 with H.264 video. It plays in browsers, on phones, and on both Windows and Mac, and most upload forms and chat apps accept it without conversion. Director saves every recording in this format, so a take is ready to share as soon as you stop.
Container and codec in plain words
Two terms come up whenever people talk about video files, and they mean different things.
- The container is the file type you see, such as .mp4, .mkv or .mov. It is a box that holds the video, the audio and the timing information together. To check which one a file uses, look at the extension at the end of its name.
- The codec is the method that compresses the picture so it fits in the file. H.264 is the codec most often used for screen recordings and online video.
The same H.264 video can sit in an MP4 box or in an MKV box. Changing the box does not change the picture inside it, which is why a converter can often move a file into another box quickly.
You rarely choose a codec yourself. The recorder sets it, and for screen recordings you will usually see H.264.
Which format to pick
| Format | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| MP4 | The most widely supported container, usually with H.264 video | Sharing, uploading and sending |
| MKV | A flexible container that holds many codecs and stays readable if a recording stops unexpectedly | Keeping a long recording safe, then converting it |
| MOV | Apple’s container, common on Macs and iPhones | Files from Apple devices, converted if a site rejects them |
| WebM | An open container for the web, usually with VP8, VP9 or AV1 video | Web playback on sites that support it |
If the video is going to someone else, pick MP4.
Why MP4 with H.264 for sharing
MP4 with H.264 is the combination that almost everything plays. A viewer can watch it in a browser without installing anything. Phones play it, and so do Windows and Mac computers. Upload pages for YouTube and most course platforms accept it, and so do email and chat apps.
Email and chat apps limit file size, though, so a very long recording may need smaller settings. The section on file size below explains what drives that size.
Before you upload, play the file on a phone and on a second computer if you have one. If it plays on both, it will play for most of the people who open it.
When another format shows up
Some recorders save MKV, especially for long sessions, because the file stays readable if the recording stops unexpectedly. That is a sensible choice while you record, but it is a poor choice for sharing, since not every player or upload form accepts MKV. If a file is not MP4, convert it before you upload it.
When the video is already H.264, a converter can usually copy it into an MP4 box without compressing it again. The conversion is quick, and the picture stays the same. If you are not sure whether a platform accepts a format, its upload page or help center lists the formats it takes.
Frame rate and resolution are separate
The format does not make a video sharper or smoother. Resolution and frame rate do that. Director lets you pick native, 1440p, 1080p or 720p, and 60 or 30 frames per second. To decide between the two frame rates, read 30 vs 60 fps for screen recording.
File size comes from the settings
The format adds very little to file size. What matters most is resolution, frame rate and length. A full screen at 60 frames per second is larger than the same screen at 30, and a long take is larger than a short one.
Resolution works the same way. A frame at 4K holds far more pixels than a frame at 720p, so a take at a higher resolution is larger, even when it is the same length. Pick the resolution your viewers need, not the highest one your screen supports, and the file stays easier to upload.
To estimate how big a file will be before you record, use the video file size calculator.
What Director saves
Director saves every take as an H.264 MP4 in your Videos folder, under Director. It uses your graphics card’s hardware encoder (NVIDIA NVENC, Intel Quick Sync or AMD AMF), which keeps recording light on the PC. When you stop, the MP4 is already saved, with every zoom, spotlight and note in it, so there is no export step.
Your microphone and, if you turn it on, the PC’s system audio are mixed into the same MP4. That gives you one file to share.
If you change a zoom or a spotlight in the editor, Re-export writes a new MP4 next to the original, which is never touched. Since the take is already an MP4, you can upload it as it is.
Related guides
For more on getting the best out of the MP4, read how to screen record without lag on Windows and how to fix a blurry screen recording.