Performance Issues

Solutions for performance-related issues during recording.

Dropped Frames

Symptoms

• Warning about dropped frames
• Choppy playback
• Missing frames in timeline

Solutions

1. Lower resolution

   4K → 1440p → 1080p → 720p

   Start with lower resolution and increase if stable.

2. Reduce frame rate

   • 60fps → 30fps → 24fps
   • 30fps sufficient for most content

3. Use HEVC codec

   • Hardware accelerated encoding
   • Lower CPU usage than H.264

4. Close background apps

   • Browsers with many tabs
   • Video editing software
   • Music production apps

5. Check storage speed

   • Internal SSD recommended
   • External SSD via Thunderbolt
   • Avoid spinning drives (HDD)

High CPU Usage

During recording

1. Enable hardware encoding

   • Settings > Advanced > Hardware Acceleration
   • Uses Apple Silicon video encoder

2. Reduce streams

   • Each stream adds CPU load
   • Record only necessary sources

3. Disable preview

   • Preview consumes resources
   • Cmd + T to toggle

4. Lower quality preset

   • High → Standard → Low
   • Standard usually sufficient

While idle

If CPU is high when not recording:

1. Check for preview playback
2. Restart PixelRecorder
3. Report bug if persists

High Memory Usage

RAM consumption increasing

1. Long recording sessions

   • Memory may grow over time
   • Restart app between sessions

2. Multiple high-res streams

   • Each stream uses RAM
   • 4K streams use more than 1080p

3. Recommendation

   • 16GB+ RAM for multi-stream
   • 8GB sufficient for single stream

Choppy Preview

Preview stutters but recording is fine

1. Lower preview quality

   • Settings > Display > Preview Quality
   • Half or Quarter resolution

2. Disable preview

   • Recording unaffected by preview
   • Cmd + T to toggle

3. Single monitor setup

   • Preview on secondary display uses more resources

Thermal Throttling

Mac getting hot

1. Improve cooling

   • Ensure vents aren’t blocked
   • Use laptop stand for airflow
   • Consider cooling pad

2. Reduce workload

   • Lower resolution
   • Fewer streams
   • HEVC codec

3. Check ambient temperature

   • Work in cooler environment
   • Avoid direct sunlight

How to detect

• Fans running at full speed
• Performance degrades over time
• Activity Monitor shows reduced CPU frequency

Storage Performance

Slow disk causing issues

1. Check available space

   • Keep 20%+ free on recording drive
   • Fragmented space affects performance

2. Use fast storage

   Type	Suitable
   Internal SSD	Yes
   Thunderbolt SSD	Yes
   USB 3.0 SSD	Usually
   USB HDD	No
   Network drive	No

3. Test disk speed

   • Use Disk Utility > First Aid
   • Or Blackmagic Disk Speed Test

Multi-Stream Performance

Recording multiple streams

Resources scale with streams:

Streams	RAM	CPU
1	Low	Low
2	Medium	Medium
3	High	High
4+	Very High	Very High

Optimization for multi-stream

1. Use same resolution for all streams
2. Use same frame rate for all streams
3. HEVC codec for all
4. Close all other apps
5. Use internal or Thunderbolt storage

When to Contact Support

If after trying all solutions:

• Performance still poor
• App becomes unresponsive
• Crashes during recording

Include in report:

• Mac model (e.g., MacBook Pro M3)
• macOS version
• Recording settings used
• Number of streams
• Activity Monitor screenshot