Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder for Windows

Some sites do not support segmented HTTP progressive downloads correctly. This will sometimes leave you with downloaded video that is shorter than the original. To resolve this, do a straight rather than segmented download. The download will be slower, but you’ll get the entire stream. Here’s how:

• Click on Tools, then Settings, then expand HTTP Download Tweaks
• Set the Maximum Number of Segments to 1.
• Change this number back to 5 when downloadng from sites that respond correctly.

Also if your network connection is unreliable this could lead to downloads that do not complete in full. If you’re unsure of your network connectivity try reducing your number of simultaneous downloads to lighten the load.

Keep in mind that if you’re running Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder in demo mode, you’ll receive 50% of each video you download. 100% for YouTube. Purchasing a license will remove all demo restrictions.

• It may sound too obvious, but make sure you’ve clicked the large Start button. If you’ve clicked the start button, then you should see a spinning red circle next to the word Monitoring in the top right area of Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder’s window.
• Make sure you’re in the right view to see what’s currently being downloaded. In the left pane, click on In Progress or Today in the Recordings tree so that you can see any current activity.
• Please make sure that you’ve given Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder permissions in any security or anti-virus software that you may be running.
• If you’re on a proxy server, be sure that the proxy settings in Internet Explorer are entered correctly. Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder uses IE’s proxy settings.

If you’re still having trouble, please run a test in de-bug mode and send us the log file. Here’s how:

• Open Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder
• Don’t start monitoring
• Click Help > About and expand Support and check Debug Mode and then OK
• Start monitoring.
• Go to YouTube and start watching a video in your browser. Choose one that you’ve not watched previously. This will assure that it’s not cached. Wait until Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder should have picked it up and started downloading. This should be within the first few seconds of the video playing.
• Stop monitoring
• Click Help > About and expand Support and click the email logs to support link. Please attach that file to your support ticket and explain that you’ve followed all of the steps from this FAQ.

An SWF file (acronym of "Shockwave Flash" pronounced swiff) is a flash application that is playing in your browser. In the context of Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder, this is normally the player that hosts the video or music but could also be an ad or some other application. Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can not convert SWF files into any other format so if you have a conversion preset selected this will result in conversion error.

To stop SWF downloading: If you don’t want to detect and download SWF files then open Tools, Settings and then expand HTTP Download Tweaks. De-select the checkbox entitled SWF.

Some videos are encoded using codec’s that are not supported by the base Windows operating system. Or perhaps you’ve installed a player or media editor that has over-written some of your codecs. When you try and convert these files using Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder you may receieve errors such as:

Converting – [flv @ 00AA6C70]Unsupported Video codec (7)

To resolve these issues please install a codec pack such as K-Lite.

Some YouTube URL’s have extra parameters that can cause duplicates. If this happens, enable this setting:

Tools > Settings > Download Settings > Site Specific:

Enable stop multiple downloads of the same video from YouTube.

After a live stream is recorded, the Fix FLV tool will run automatically in order to add the duration metadata in (if its missing). This allows the file to be seeked. If the FLV file plays back at the wrong speed or out of sync, you need to fix the timestamps manually. Here’s how:

• Click Tools > Fix FLV and select the file to be fixed. Or, if the file is still in Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder’s main list, right-click on it and select Fix FLV.
• Expand the File Contents section
• Set timestamp to 15 and click Fix Time.
• If the resulting file is still fast or slow then the time stamp can be adjusted further. But, 15 usually does the trick. Be sure to click the Fix Time button, or your changes will not be applied.

Naming downloaded videos automatically is tricky. The issue is that all sites stream in different formats and manners. Much of the time the stream Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder’s recordings comes from a completely different site than that hosting the video. We use a variety of techniques to try and detect the best name possible for a downloaded/recorded stream. The majority of the time Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder gets it right.

However you can switch on and off the rules Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder uses to detect names. Click Tools > Settings and select File Naming Rules.

In the cases Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can’t find a good video name, you can rename files directly from within Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder. Just right-click the entry and choose Rename from the menu.

Hulu uses copy protection techniques which are illegal to bypass. To record from Hulu you will need to upgrade to the latest version which includes a screen recorder that can record from Hulu and other copy protected sites.

Entering a Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder Plus registration code into Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will unlock additional features such as the audio recorder and cache browser. There is no need to download anything additional. If you are a Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder Standard owner, simply click on the Audio Recorder or Cache Browser menu items in the left-side menu tree in Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder. Here you’ll see a large red button that will unlock these features. This is where you can upgrade to Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder Plus. This is also where you’ll enter your Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder Plus code once purchased.

When Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder detects a compatible stream it will try and create another connection to download the video.

When Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder is downloading there is no need to continue to play the video or music in your browser!

Sometimes it is not possible for Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder to download as the stream is secured in some manner. In these instances Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect the stream is secure and begin to record the stream as it plays in your browser. When Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder is recording a stream you must continue to play the video or music in your browser. If you stop, then Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect this and also stop recording.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder displays whether it is Downloading or Recording progress in front of each streams progress.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder has been translated into the following languages:

• English
• German
• French
• Spanish
• Italian
• Danish
• Portuguese

You can change the language via the Help > Language menu.

When Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder detects a compatible stream it will try and create another connection to download the video.

When Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder is downloading there is no need to continue to play the video or music in your browser!

Sometimes it is not possible for Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder to download as the stream is secured in some manner. In these instances Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect the stream is secure and begin to record the stream as it plays in your browser. When Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder is recording a stream you must continue to play the video or music in your browser. If you stop, then Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect this and also stop recording.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder displays whether it is Downloading or Recording progress in front of each streams progress.

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a common method for streaming both video and music from websites. Sites such as YouTube use this protocol for streaming videos.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect videos and music streamed over HTTP and try to create another connection to download it. If Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can download the stream then there is no need to continue playing the stream in your browser.

Several websites however use technology that secures the stream and Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can not download it. In these cases Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect the stream is secured and begin to record it as it plays in your browser. Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder contains settings (See Tools > Settings- HTTP Download Tweaks) where you can add websites that stream media over HTTP in a secure manner. When Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder detects a stream from one of these configured websites it will automatically record it instead of trying to download it. Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder is preconfigured with several of the most popular websites that stream over HTTP in a secured manner.

ICECAST is a popular streaming protocol used by internet radio stations inparticular those using the SHOUTcast server from Nullsoft.

ICECAST streams are normally played through a program such as iTunes or Windows Media Player and not through your browser. Shoutcast.com currently has over 600,000 internet radio stations that Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can download. When Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder is downloading there is no need to continue to play the stream in your browser or player.

Almost all ICECAST streams are live streams which means they dont have an end and Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will continue to record until you cancel the stream. The trial version of Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will record up to one minute.

Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) is a commonly used protocol (developed by Adobe Systems the makers of Flash and PDF) to stream video and music from websites. This protocol is used by sites such as Hulu.com and most of the webcam sites (cam4.com etc).

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect videos and music streamed over RTMP and try to create another connection to download it. If Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can download the stream then there is no need to continue playing the stream in your browser.

Several websites however use technology that secures the stream and Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can not download it. In these cases Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect the stream is secured and begin to record it as it plays in your browser. See SWF Verification for further details. Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder contains settings (See Tools > Settings > RTMP Download Tweaks) where you can specifiy that all RTMP streams should be recorded instead of downloaded. This can be useful if you want to watch a video whilst you record it.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder displays whether it is downloading or recording RTMP next to the streams progress.

Encrypted Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMPE) is an encrypted version of RTMP. Many internet commentators believe that RTMPE is a Digital Rights Management Technology. But it isn’t. But see SWF Verification for more information.

RTMPE was released with Adobe Flash Media Server 3 in 2008. Uptake has been slow but several sites are now starting to stream using this protocol. The main reason uptake of this protocol has been slow is that 15% more processing power is required to stream in RTMPE when compare to RTMP.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can detect RTMPE streams and will download them if a supported playlist is detected. As the detected stream is encrypted Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can not identify which stream in the playlist you are actually watching, so all streams in the playlist will be downloaded. Playlists normally contain multiple streams. Each one is typically a different resolution. Its up to you which one(s) you would like to continue recording or cancel.

Smooth Streaming Media is a new protocol for delivering HD audio and video from Microsoft.

Smooth Streaming provides a High Quality viewing experience as the quality of the video and audio served to the client adapts to the viewers connection speed.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can detect and download Smooth Streaming.

To change the quality of the audio and video stream that Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will download goto Tools > Settings and select Smooth Streaming Tweaks

SWF Verification is an Adobe copy protection mechanism employed by some sites streaming over RTMP and RTMPE.

It is illegal for Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder to break any form of copy protection mechanism or digital rights management.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect these protected streams. Where possible it will try to record the stream as it plays in your browser instead of trying to download it. If this is not possible you will receive an error stating the stream is protected using SWF Verification.

In such instances please use the Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder search facility to search for the stream on another site that is not using a copy protection mechanism.

• Click the Start Monitoring button.
• If you wish to automatically convert the downloaded stream into a format suitable for your portable media center then select the appropriate settings from the Conversion Settings drop download list. If you do not wish to convert the downloaded stream select Do not convert from the drop-down.
• Navigate your web browser to the web page streaming the media you wish to record. It is important that you are recording before the stream starts playing in the browser. If a stream has already started or is not detected by Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder by the time it starts playing click your browsers reload button to start the stream again. If Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder still doesn’t capture it clear your browsers cache as it may have been cached.
• Compatible streams include:
  
  Streamed via HTTP download on port 80
  • FLV
  • WMA
  • WMV
  • ICECAST
  • WMX
  • Real Audio
  • Real Video
  • ASF
  • MP3
  • MP4
  • 3GP
  • MOV
  • AVI
  • DIVX
  
  Streamed via RTMP on ports 1935 and 443
  • FLV
  • MP4
  • FLV
  • MP4
  
  Streamed via RTSP on port 554
  • ASF
  • MP3
  • WMA
  • WMV
  • MOV
  
  Some websites stream media on non standard ports. See the notes below
  
  
• If the stream is compatible, then Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will detect the stream and queue it for downloading. Once this has occurred, you can continue surfing – There is no reason to play the entire stream in the browser.
• Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will automatically try and determine a useful name from the stream and name the file accordingly, however you can rename the file using the Stream > Rename menu items.
• To stop recording click the Stop Monitoring button. Streams currently being downloaded will still be processed. No new streams will be added.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can automatically convert captured media files to other formats. Under Conversion Settings on the main screen, just choose the final format for your recorded files. Once a file has been captured, the conversion process begins automatically.

You can also convert a file after it has been captured. Here’s how:

• Change the output format in the Conversion Settings list.
• Right-click the file to make the options menu appear:
• Select Convert from the pop-up menu.

Want to convert a file that may no longer be in the recordings list? That’s easy too. Just drag and drop the file from Windows Explorer directly into the Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder window and the selected conversion will run on that file. You’ll find the converted file in your converted files folder.

Note: You can create your own custom conversions using the Conversions Settings option from the Tools menu.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder uses FFMPEG for conversions. The Conversion Settings dialog provides a way to set the command line parameters.

More information on these parameters can be found in the FFMPEG documentation.

• Output format corresponds to -f
• Start Time Offset corresponds to -ss
• Disable Video corresponds to -vn
• Video codec corresponds to -vcodec
• video or ame Rate corresponds to -r
• Video Bit Rate corresponds to -b
• video or ame Size corresponds to -s
• Audio Codec corresponds to -acodec
• Audio Bit Rate corresponds to -ar
• Audio Channels corresponds to -ac
• Audio Sample rate corresponds to -ar
• Audio Volume corresponds to -vol (256 is normal)

Futher Instructions

• To adjust or create new conversion setting presets please open the Conversion Settings dialog from the Tools > Conversion Settings menu item.
• To adjust an existing preset select it from the drop down list, adjust the value and click the Save button.
• To create a new preset, select a preset that is similar to the one you want to create from the drop downlist and click the Clone button. Enter a new name for the preset in the New Preset dialog and click OK. Adjust the settings as required and click the Save button.
• To reset all presets back to the system defaults click the System Defaults button.

If your computer is behind a proxy server, please add the proxy servers port to the Ports to Monitor on the Settings dialog which is accessed via the Tools > Settings menu.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder supports scheduling the recording of streaming media. This can be useful for recording long streams during periods of inactivity or regularly streamed programs such as radio shows or live events.

Streaming media can be scheduled for recording either once off or on a regular repeat basis.

In either case Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder must be running at the scheduled time, an internet connection must be present and the streaming media must play automatically without user intervention when the hosting web page is viewed.

To schedule a stream for recording:

• Select the Schedule node to display the Schedule list.
• Click the Add button to display the Schedule dialog.
• Navigate your web browser to the web page containing the streaming media you would like to record at a schedule time. Ensure the streaming media starts to play automatically. Select and copy the URL (Address) of the web page.
• Past the copied URL (Address) into the URL that hosts the streaming media text box on the Schedule dialog.
• Select the schedule Type and fill out the Start data and time and if necessary the days of the week recording is to occur.
• Click OK to save the schedule.

Provided Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder is running and there is an internet connection, Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will automatically launch scheduled web pages at the required time and begin to record the stream.

Please note that if your machine is unattended and the browser is not closed then both Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder and your browser will download the stream resulting in twice the amount of bandwidth being used.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder’s Fix FLV tool allows you to fix duration meta data and timestamps in FLV files.

Sometimes when recording web-cams the site does not provide meta data. In particular the duration in the meta data is important in FLV files because it allows you to search forward in the FLV file in many players. Without it you can not rapidly seek forward in the file.

Sometimes a recorded web-cams video and audio may also be out of sync because the server is sending incorrect timestamps

To fix a downloaded/recorded FLV file:

• Select the recorded/downloaded entry and then Download > Fix FLV menu item to display the Fix FLV dialog. Depending upon the size of the file it may take sometime to finish loading as it analyzes the file.
• The Meta Data section displays the file name and the actual duration of video/audio packets within the file. It also displays the current meta data within the file. If the duration in the meta data is different to the actual file duration or there is no meta data click the Fix Duration button.
• Expand the File Contents section to view all audio and video packets within the file and their associated timestamps. If the audio and video is out of sync click the Fix Time button which will reset the interval between each packet to the number specified. 15 is the default.
• To delete packets within the file select them and click the Delete button.

To fix an existing FLV file from your file system select the Tools > Fix FLV menu item.

The Audio Recorder lets you save audio as it plays through your PC’s speakers. You would use this if Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder is unable to record audio from a particual web site due to encruption, or if you’d like to record audio from any program playing on your PC.

Here’s how to use the Audio Recorder:

• Click Audio Recorder from the left side of the Jaksta Streaming Media Recorderr window. The Audio Recorder appear.
• Enable Split on Silence if you’re recording music tracks and would like Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder to create individual tracks as it detects silence. If tracks are not splitting properly, adjust the threshold.
• If you’re using Vista or Windows 7, you’ll have two different audio recorder options. Choose Windows Audio Driver to record everything you hear on your PC (which may include alerts or other background noises). Choose Applian Audio Driver to record just the sounds from each player or your browser. (If you have Windows XP, you won’t have this option.)
• Click Start to begin recording. As you record, you’ll see activity as sound is detected by Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder:
• Click Stop to end your audio recording session. The recorded audio file appears in your recordings list.

In most cases when you play a video in your browser, the browser saves a copy in its temporary cache so that it will load more quickly next time you’d like to play it. Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can view this cache and allow you to extract videos from it. Here’s how:

• Click Cache Browser from the left-hand side of your Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder window. The Cache Browser appears:
• You can select to view either your Firefox cache, or your Internet Explorer cache (Chrome is coming soon). If you select Firefox, you’ll be prompted to close Firefox in order to view its cache.
• Click the refresh button and all videos that are currently in the browser cache will be listed.
• To save a video, highlight it in the list then select the Extract button. You’ll be prompted to select a location to save the video.

Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder supports adding third party plug-ins like rtmpdump to handle the downloading of streams. If Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can not download or record a file, installing a plugin will give it extended power.

To add a plug-in go to the Plug-ins tab on the Settings dialog which can be opened via the Tools > Settings menu.

• Click the add button to bring up the External Program dialog.
• Select the protocol you would like to pass to the plug-in
• Enter part of the URL to match
• Enter the plug-ins executable name and place the executable in the Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder installation folder
• Enter the executables parameters. Use the patterns url and file as indicated on the dialog. Other parameters should be hard coded.
• Click OK to save

The above example adds a plug-in called "rtmpdump" to record RTMPE requests from somevideosite.com

Legal Note: Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder does not support recording of copy protected content. The plug-in option is made available for technically oriented customers, but we cannot support or answer questions on using software from other individuals or companies.

A plugin is a windows command line executable that takes a url and output file as command line parameters. Of course it can take other parameters as well but Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder will populate the URL and output files. The plugin should display its download progress to stdout and error output to stderr. Both pipes should be flushed each time something is written to ensure they appear promptly in the Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder interface. It should also return true or false on exit as to whether the download was successful or not so that Jaksta Streaming Media Recorder can display the correct final status.