MacMost Now 546: iPad Video Screen Capture

Update: This technique also now works with the iPhone 4S.
Update: See episode 702 for a new method of doing this.
Learn how I capture the iPad 2's screen to use in presentations and video podcasts. You must use the iPad 2 plus the HDMi adapter. Then bring the HDMI in to your Mac or recording device using special hardware and software.


Comments: 53 Responses to “MacMost Now 546: iPad Video Screen Capture”

    Brian
    13 years ago

    OR, you can simply jailbreak and use DisplayRecorder to record what's on the display. Obviously isn't available for the iPad 2 yet.

      13 years ago

      Two problems with that 1) I'd then be recording a jailbroken iPad. 2) Jailbreaking lags behind iOS updates. I want to always use the latest iOS for tutorials.

        John
        13 years ago

        Hi

        I spoke to a retailer in New York and he says it can't be done.

        I have a feeling he is wrong and you are right. Is there anything special you have to to get the Ipad2 screen to transmit to a Macbook pro once you have the Maxtor mini?. I create instructional videos and have Camtasia on my Macbook and would love to record the iPad screen legally.

          13 years ago

          I am right? I know I am right as you can see it in my videos.
          It is the Matrox MX02 mini you need, or anything else that takes HDMI input into your Mac (Maxtor is a hard drive, not an HDMI adapter).
          But whether or no Camtasia works with the MX02 mini is another matter. You may want to contact one or both companies about that. the MX02 mini input only works with some applications. BoinxTV is the one I use.

    Piet van 't Zelfde
    13 years ago

    Hi Gary, does the iPad2 also have a VGA or HDMI in? So I could connect my camera onto it for a better view.

      13 years ago

      IN? No. It doesn't have that.

      Aminfosystems
      12 years ago

      Hahahahahaha

    Luis Anthony Ast
    13 years ago

    Would using the Apple Component AV Cable be just as good? I have the eyetv 250 plus, and figure maybe I can connect the iPad with the Apple Component AV Cable to the eyetv device, and that to my MacBook to capture video.

      13 years ago

      It won't work with the "Component" cable (yellow, red, white). That one only works to present video and from special apps like Keynote. The "Composite" cable (Red, Yellow, Green, Red, White) will do it. But not sure that works with EyeTV.

        Luis Anthony Ast
        13 years ago

        Oops! My bad. I meant composite (came back here to correct, and you beat me to it!) But it looks like it won't work for EyeTV (which uses composite). Composite is the red-yellow-white. So now I am confused.

    Luis Anthony Ast
    13 years ago

    OK... found THIS: http://www.port-ta.com/products/258.html Perhaps connecting iPad2 to this, and this converter to eyeTV, I can get things recorded on my MacBook.

      13 years ago

      It may, but you'll end up with a pretty low-res image, I think.

    Paul
    13 years ago

    Hello Gary

    I work for a gaming company and we're developing some titles on the iPad2. I have the AV adapter that you mentioned and also have a HD capture card/TV tuner card by Aver Media which supports 720p and which has a built in recording tool, but here's my problem.

    Every time i connect the iPad2 it briefly (like a flash) shows on my monitor but then the connection is lost/stopped and i get an error saying HDCP content blocked or something like that.

    Do you know why this would is happening?
    Is it the HD capture card that needs to be changed?
    I dont quite remember the serial number but it works perfectly well with the other consoles, just not the iPad2. :(

    Thanks
    Paul

      13 years ago

      No, sorry, I don't know why that would be happening. Just an incompatibility between your card and the signal the iPad is putting out. Try outputting to a standard TV with HDMI and you'll see that the iPad works (sanity check) and then you know it must be the card or the software that comes with the card.
      Note that with iOS 5 you should be able to do this same thing wirelessly to the Apple TV 2 using AirPlay.

      DemoFox
      13 years ago

      My guess is that you are using a tv tuner card like the AverMedia AverTV and either your video card or monitor is not HDCP compliant. Either resolve that issue or use a different capture card like the Blackmagic Intensity Pro.

      Paul
      12 years ago

      The reason you have the HDCP content problem is copy protection. The rings and hoops we have to face in trying to capture from the iPad2 is there to protect video copyright holders from piracy. This makes it inconvenient for those of us (in our case we are app developers) who have a legitimate need to make screen captures.

    John
    13 years ago

    Gary - I'm trying to do the same thing with the hdmi adapter, and an MX02 mini w/max that i've had for a couple of years now. I'm getting a distorted pink image, and I believe that may be due to HDCP compliance issues. Are you using any kind of an HDCP stripper?

      13 years ago

      Nope. I'm not using anything like that. There are dozens of different "formats" that come out of the MX02 mini. Things like "1080p 29.97 YUV 8-bit" and such. You've got to try each one as only one works.

        John
        13 years ago

        Interesting. Which worked for you? I'm on a difference platform, but that info may be helpful.

          13 years ago

          Can't remember. I think it was one of the 720p ones. Oh, and it only worked for me using BonixTV software, not Wirecast. It worked in QuickTime Pro, but only for a few seconds each time. Weird. But I eventually just used Boinx and didn't worry about it. WIrecast has updated a few times, and so has Matrox's drivers, and I haven't tried it yet.

    Paul Stackhouse
    13 years ago

    Have you found any way to display and/or record the finger motions from the iPad? I need people to be able to see what I am touching an moving as I record.

      13 years ago

      No, sorry, I haven't.

        DemoFox
        13 years ago

        Can't find anything like that either, but could be added in post production using software like Camtasia.

    Rosens
    12 years ago

    Gary,
    I have the Matrox mini 02 and an iPad 2. Also have Boinx TV as you suggested. I can't seem to get my iPad to display w/in Boinx. I have the HDMI cable coming from the iPad in to HDMI In on the Matrox. When I open Boinx, I choose to display camera 2, which is the Matrox. No image displays.
    On a separate note, when I view the Matrox icon at the top of my MacBook Pro, I see "Matrox 02 Mini" and "I/O Device" grayed out. "Power off Card" is active in black.

    Thoughts?

      12 years ago

      Have you tried all of the different Matrox settings? There are dozens of them. Only a few work with the signal. You've got to set it to the right one. Look in the Matrox preferences in System Preferences to get an idea. I'm not using a MacBook Pro, I'm using a Mac Pro, but I assume it is all the same.

        Rosens
        12 years ago

        Thanks, I'm getting it to work now, but need to find a format that best diplays. I'm noticing the preferences have to be selected the same as the format you choose in Boinx. Any suggested formats you prefer?

          Shannon
          12 years ago

          Rosens, it sounds like I'm nearly in the same situation as you were. I have the Macbook pro, Ipad2, Matrox mini MX02 and Boinx TV. What settings ended up working for you?

          Although in my case Boinx doesn't even give me an option for camera 2 :/

    Wing
    12 years ago

    "iPad Video Screen Capture". Hold down the Home Key and then press the Power Key. This will result in a screen capture with the file being stored on the iPad.

      12 years ago

      That will get you a still image. But it will not get you a video.

      MC
      12 years ago

      Oh my @Wing, it helps to actually view a video tutorial before giving (what you think is) relevant advice. :)

    Anthony
    12 years ago

    This is the MOST eloquent explanation I've seen. Thank you! I have an older MacBook so USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt devices won't work for me, but I found the H.264 Pro Recorder from Black Magic Design that works with USB 2.0.

    ZenFire
    12 years ago

    Hi, I have the need to use SketchbookPro for iPad2, Brushes, etc drawing programs from stage, wired or wireless (preferred), and have the drawings end up on a big screen for audience viewing, and have the drawings end up on the MacBook Pro for capture, broadcast, webinar on GoToMeeting or FreeConferenceCall, and for editing/burning/posting on YouTube, websites, and Internet TV. Any and all solutions are very gratefully welcomed. Either total solution, or at least MacBook Pro capture, edit/burn/post. I am good with iMovie if that is ok, otherwise recommend. Cheers, ZenFire

    sj
    12 years ago

    Its better to jailbreak and install DisplayRecorder to record video than to spend $1200 dollars to record the video.

      12 years ago

      $1200? $300 for the HDMI card and then maybe $100 for some software. And for me it is $0 because I have both for other things.

        autumn
        12 years ago

        Is it possible to record on an iPad 2 using Camtasia? We would need to hook up the iPad 2 to a second monitor and record what is on the tablet. Any thoughts?

          12 years ago

          If there were an iPad app by Camtasia. You don't need a second monitor for what I show in the video.

    Severin
    12 years ago

    Hi Gary,
    Great stuff, thanks! Quick question I hope..
    I have been tasked with coming up with a solid IPad screen capture solution, i've looked at a few different solutions, but am most impressed with yours. I just need to be sure i have everything before finalizing the proposal.
    We need to get: 1) Ipad2 2) Matrox MX02 Mini 3)Thunderbolt Adapter (for MacBook Pro) 4) 2 hdmi cables
    Is this correct? I called Matrox and they said the Ventura Capture Software is all we would need to capture video of an Ipad screen in action. I think eventually the video would go into Camtasia.
    Please let me know any thoughts, or what i have missed. I really appreciate what you do.
    Thanks
    Severin

      12 years ago

      That should work. Only 1 HDMI cable is needed. I don't use Thunderbolt yet, as I have a Mac Pro and so have the PCIe card with the Matrox. Black Magic is the other alternative to Matrox for Thunderbolt, not sure which works best.
      You probably could use Ventura to capture -- I have only tied Wirecast and Boinx. You also need the iPad HDMI cable adapter from Apple, don't forget that piece.

        Severin
        12 years ago

        Thanks Gary!
        Turns out we don't even have thunderbolt laptops...so i guess it needs to be a desktop...boy, a lot of work for such a simple task.

        Thanks again!

          12 years ago

          Not just a desktop, but a Mac Pro (can take PCIe cards). Actually cheaper just to get a new MacBook Pro.

    thomasm
    12 years ago

    You can also just install AirServer (airserverapp.com) on your Mac and then stream or mirror your iPad 2 or iPhone 4S to your Mac and record or present from there.

    Victor
    12 years ago

    A cheaper alternative to the Matrox card is using the $300 VGA to USB device from Epiphan, http://www.epiphan.com

    Works seamlessly for iPad screen capture, and compatible with Mac and Windows.

      12 years ago

      But keep in mind that VGA is much lower resolution.

    Annika
    12 years ago

    Gary, I'm a script supervisor on film sets - we commonly need to take low-res image captures (single image) of what the camera is recording to use as reference in our notes. Most scriptys run bnc cables to analogue to digital clamshell style recorders then use that to capture stills that they then import into their computers and upload into documents. It's rather elaborate. I wish there was a way to use my ipad as an external monitor (wireless) and then be able to use it to screen capture stills from the video. I know this is a bit off-topic, sorry, but you seem to have a handle on all things video and ipad related and I'm hoping you might have some thoughts.....

    I have attempted an experiment using the ipad as a second monitor to my computer (using DisplayPad) - then from my Mac using Debut as my capture device - putting it on my ipad monitor and capturing from there. But it doesn't ease well between programs (each time I exit DisplayPad on my iPad I need to reinstate it from my computer - which is fumbly and inconvenience when needing to work very quickly). and it saves the screenshots on my computer which adds a step as I'd ideally like to write my notes using iPad and import screenshots that have been saved in Photos into my iPad Pages doc.

    Can you think of anyway to eliminate my computer from the equation? Hope this makes sense,
    thanks, Annika

      12 years ago

      No, sorry, I can't think of anything that would help. You'd need some sort of specialized piece of hardware to connect the video feed to the iPad, and then a special app to go with it. I doubt that exists, but even if it did I wouldn't have come across it in what I do.

    Dominick
    12 years ago

    I have figured out a somewhat complex and expensive method for recording an iPad's display...and it doesn't have to be jailbroken! Using a desktop PC in conjunction with an AverMedia DarkCrystal HD Capture card I can connect my iPad to my desktop with an HDMI cable in conjunction with an iPad HDMI pigtail. From there I can launch the included software the comes with the AverMedia card and I can easily record, project, or even launch a GoTo Meeting and display full 1080p graphics straight from my tablet. I know it seems to good to be true but it works and I use it everyday in my role as a marketing manager for a software company that has started creating mobile applications. As happy as I am that I can do this with ease there are a number of drawbacks to this setup...the first, it's expensive. In addition, to the desktop pc the AverMedia Capture Card was almost 1K, placing the total cost of this setup somewhere in the 4-5k(not including the tablet) range. In addition, the AverMedia card (at the time) was not sold in the US so I had to coordinate with a Taiwanese company and get them to sell us this product within the US. I honestly don't know if this product is now sold in the US but nevertheless I'm sure if you needed this setup that bad you could sway them to sell you one as well.

    Aside from this setup I have found one other solution that looks to offer a lot of promises...you just have to forgo the horrible website and lack of bi-directional communication. Apparently, this company is in the process of creating a low-cost product that uses a clam-shell to connect to the back of a tablet. Then using a wireless connection it streams the content to another computer, allowing the display to show up as I have come to know with my AverMedia card. The problem with this setup is that it doesn't exist in the marketplace however I would encourage each of you to reach out to the owner and express your interest. The company name is Wi2tv and you can access their site at the following address....http://wi2tv.com/.. I have email'd this guy a couple times and he has promised that his product will be available in the very near future. Unfortunately, it has yet to come and I have not heard back from this owner after repeated attempts for secondary information. From the owner's initial response he stated that this solution would be in the range of $200-$300, which is much easier to swallow than the one my company purchased for me.

    Anyways, if anyone has any questions please feel free to respond.

    Thanks, Dominick

      12 years ago

      There's a much much easier cheaper way now. Using AirServer for Mac. I'll have a video for it soon (probably episode 702 later this week).

    Hans Mundahl
    12 years ago

    Here is a brilliantly simple (and cheap) way to do this: Reflection App (I have no affiliation with these guys).
    It costs $15 and works very well though your network needs to allow Airplay which some corporate networks don't allow.

    MIKE
    12 years ago

    Hey Gary,
    Thanks for the advice. Is there a way to do this with your IPhone or Ipod. I'm trying to make a demo of an app, before the app launches though.

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