Zoom is not made for 29.97 fps TV, the engineering is based on PAL 25fps so it will always stutter and the resolution is too low> 640×360.
A better solution is to use higher frame rate services like Apple Facetime or Skype business with free open source software recording solution OBS. This will even improve Zoom recordings because recording the computer screen at 1920×1080 @ 29.97 is a huge improvement over Zoom quality.
On a modern Mac you can record both Zoom & OBS at the same time.
One time only preparation in 10 steps:
- Download & install Soundflower. Make sure to read the instructions about the need to give permission to use Soundflower (developer: MATT INGALLS)
- Download & install OBS. Depending on your version of Mac OS X, you might want to download an older version.
- From: Applications/Utilities> Open: Audio MIDI Setup.app
-Click the + button and click “Create Multi-Output device”
-check Built-in-Output & Soundflower (2ch)
-set Master Device to Buit-in-Output
-Sample Rate 48 kHz
-Rename it: “to OBS”
4. in the Mac Sound Output Preference, select the “to OBS” device you made in step 3.
5. If you are using Zoom, also select “to OBS” in the Audio settings.
6. Open OBS, do the setup wizard (one time only)
-set to Optimize for recording.
7. In OBS Preferences:
-Video: Base & Output Resolution 1920×1080> 16×9
-Downscale Filter: Bicubic
-FPS: 29.97
8. Audio
-Sample rate 48kHz
-Disable both Desktop audio settings.
-Set Mic/Auxilary Audio to >Soundflower (2ch)
9. Output Preferences
-set recording path and other settings:
-Recording format .mov
10. Advanced Preferences> RGB, 709, Full Color range.
File size
Zoom’s recording bit rate varies between 500-2500 Kbps.
The “Medium” bit rate of OBS is actually a bit lower than Zoom’s but the quality is better because of the larger pixel size & frame rate.
OBS averages 1500 Kbps, 1920×1080, 29.97, High Quality, Medium file size
1 hour of video is 180MB.
-At the next setting 3000-6000 Kbps> Large File Size, CPU demand goes up because of higher bit rate.
1 hour of video is 3000MB, 3GB
-A faster Mac can handle recording a higher bit rate.
-Editing with the “Large File Size” is also more demanding during edit. (unless you transcode to an edit friendlier codec like ProRes 422)
-Do your own test and compare quality, It mostly depends on the streaming source.
-If your Streaming quality is good and you have a fast Mac, use the “Large File size” setting.
Using OBS
-Create a new scene and add a Display Capture Device.
-if you have multiple screens pick the screen that you will be streaming to.
-Start Recording will capture the screen to your harddrive.
-For best quality share the video for editing on Dropbox, Wetransfer or Google drive.
-Use “sharable link” option and email the link.
Note: Uploading the file YouTube or Vimeo with the goal of having someone edit the video is not a good idea, because streaming platforms like YouTube degrade the audio and video quality.
Sizing & cropping of different sources.
If the video source is 4×3> crop top & bottom by dragging on the corner of the red frame to resize & moving the frame around.
Even with 16×9 video you’ll probably want to crop a little to remove on screen controls for an edit ready, clean video.