Answers.Body: <p>Even better is to use a HDMI capture device like a Blackmagic Intensity. Plug the iPad (or any tablet with HDMI output) into it and away you go. Perfect screen capture.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-14T01:49:40.633Z
Answers.Text: Yeah, the problem is that you lose the finger (um, that doesn't sound right). It's a reasonable suggestion, though, but the units are $200...
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dan Rosenstark
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-14T05:13:56.260Z
Answers.Text: The finger isn't that important, is it? If anything, the finger/hand gets in the way of seeing what's on the screen. Plus the quality of a capture via HDMI will look perfect, 1:1 copy - where as you've found with a video camera, there's so many variables that can change the quality.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Anthony Agius
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-06-07T00:18:59.243Z
Answers.Text: the finger is pretty important for demoing, otherwise I'd use the iPad Simulator, which is beyond perfect (though hard to pinch and zoom)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dan Rosenstark
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-13T22:01:29.507Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-03-13T22:01:29.507Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Anthony Agius
Answers.Body: <p>From what I recall </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>The room should be dark, so the tablet is the light source.</li>
  <li>Experiment with the brightness, but usually low is the way to go.</li>
  <li>Camera doesn't need to be extremely close, but the more zoom you use the more obvious vibrations will be.</li>
  <li>Put the DSLR in manual focus and adjust it so the tablet is just slightly out of focus - this will remove the moire effect.</li>
  <li>You want a short depth of field. This is achieved with a lower F-Stop (larger aperture opening).</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>I attended a session by <a href="http://www.pocketpixels.com/" rel="nofollow">Hendrik Kueck</a> (creator of <a href="http://www.pocketpixels.com/ColorSplash.html" rel="nofollow">Color Splash</a>) at <a href="http://360iDev.com" rel="nofollow">360iDev</a> on this topic specifically. It was called "<em>Effectively using videos to explain and market your app</em>". You can <a href="http://360idev.com/session-videos#360idevaustin2010" rel="nofollow">buy that video online</a> for $3.50. It goes into a lot more detail and explains everything really well (and may even correct me on a couple points.) It is a deal at 10x that price.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-08T19:11:58.400Z
Answers.Text: Wow, great stuff, thanks! I will definitely check out the video and go through all of your advice carefully.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dan Rosenstark
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-08T19:18:24.603Z
Answers.Text: Also I just added a link as a comment to my question a friend sent me...
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dan Rosenstark
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-08T19:20:05.227Z
Answers.Text: @Yar: I was just reading that article. Looks to have some good information too. I am going to be shooting similar video here soon, so am researching this again too.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jim McKeeth
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-08T19:47:01.650Z
Answers.Text: a friend has also suggested I try a "softening filter" and "UV filter", i.e., hardware. Thoughts?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dan Rosenstark
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-08T20:05:36.763Z
Answers.Text: @Yar: I haven't tried. Get that video by Hendrik and I bet he has his email address in it and you could email him. He does a fabulous job on his videos.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jim McKeeth
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-14T01:53:36.777Z
Answers.Text: After lots of testing and fiddling with a T2i, I actually got better results with my Sony DSC-WX5. Batteries are cheap and it does AVCHD, but it just contains less artifacts the the Digital Reflex. Weird. Anyway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bRIa7y4tLM Not 100% pro, of course... anyway, iPad upside down, some ambient light, a nice distance away, and brightness at 50%. It's a 1-minute video only... Still exploring though...
Answers.UserDisplayName: Dan Rosenstark
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-03-08T19:06:13.963Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-03-08T19:19:05.790Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-03-08T19:19:05.790Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Jim McKeeth
Body: <p>I have been making some movies of my iPad for promotional videos and they all range from bad to worse in terms of video quality. I have used compact cameras and camcorders with pretty similar results. </p>
  
  <p>Most of the stuff I shoot is AVCHD 1920x1080 at 30fps. The camera is positioned to take in the whole screen of the iPad and little (or nothing) else.</p>
  
  <p>The other day I borrowed a Canon REBEL T2i, thinking that the results were going to be fantastic. They were not. There is a weird strobey effect (NO idea why that would appear <em>more</em> with this camera shooting 30fps than with any other one), and the clarity is not great. In fact, it may look better with a $250 Sony pocket camera I have.</p>
  
  <p>Which got me to thinking: I really haven't the slightest idea what I'm doing. </p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Should the room be dark or light? Or should there be light coming from some specific direction?</li>
  <li>Should the iPad's brightness be high, medium or low?</li>
  <li>Should the camera be as close to the iPad as possible, while still being able to get focus, or a few feet away?</li>
  <li>Since the DSLR has SO many manual settings, what adjustments should I be trying to make?</li>
  <li>Since the DSLR has interchangeable lenses, what kind of lens is really appropriate for this sort of thing?</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>I could go on, but I really don't even know the questions to ask. A bit of guidance or orientation or some links to read (that are not 400-page books, unless they are titled "How to Make a Video of a Tablet") would be appreciated. </p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-03-08T19:14:06.807Z
Comments.Text: http://viewstream.com/blog/index.php/2011/12/how-to-record-an-ipad-screen/
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dan Rosenstark
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-03-12T18:46:56.033Z
Comments.Text: Related: http://avp.stackexchange.com/questions/3065/how-do-i-record-a-computer-monitor-without-banding-flickering-with-a-canon-t2i-5
Comments.UserDisplayName: Dan Rosenstark
Tags: <video><ipad>
Title: How to make a video of an iPad (or other tablet) screen
UserDisplayName: Dan Rosenstark
ThreadText: # How to make a video of an iPad (or other tablet) screen
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-03-08)
  
  I have been making some movies of my iPad for promotional videos and they all range from bad to worse in terms of video quality. I have used compact cameras and camcorders with pretty similar results.
  
  Most of the stuff I shoot is AVCHD 1920x1080 at 30fps. The camera is positioned to take in the whole screen of the iPad and little (or nothing) else.
  
  The other day I borrowed a Canon REBEL T2i, thinking that the results were going to be fantastic. They were not. There is a weird strobey effect (NO idea why that would appear *more* with this camera shooting 30fps than with any other one), and the clarity is not great. In fact, it may look better with a $250 Sony pocket camera I have.
  
  Which got me to thinking: I really haven't the slightest idea what I'm doing.
  
  * Should the room be dark or light? Or should there be light coming from some specific direction?
  * Should the iPad's brightness be high, medium or low?
  * Should the camera be as close to the iPad as possible, while still being able to get focus, or a few feet away?
  * Since the DSLR has SO many manual settings, what adjustments should I be trying to make?
  * Since the DSLR has interchangeable lenses, what kind of lens is really appropriate for this sort of thing?
  
  I could go on, but I really don't even know the questions to ask. A bit of guidance or orientation or some links to read (that are not 400-page books, unless they are titled "How to Make a Video of a Tablet") would be appreciated.
  
  **Tags:** video, ipad
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: http://viewstream.com/blog/index.php/2011/12/how-to-record-an-ipad-screen/  
  > **username_0**: Related: http://avp.stackexchange.com/questions/3065/how-do-i-record-a-computer-monitor-without-banding-flickering-with-a-canon-t2i-5  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2012-03-08. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  From what I recall
  
  * The room should be dark, so the tablet is the light source.
  * Experiment with the brightness, but usually low is the way to go.
  * Camera doesn't need to be extremely close, but the more zoom you use the more obvious vibrations will be.
  * Put the DSLR in manual focus and adjust it so the tablet is just slightly out of focus - this will remove the moire effect.
  * You want a short depth of field. This is achieved with a lower F-Stop (larger aperture opening).
  
  I attended a session by [Hendrik Kueck](http://www.pocketpixels.com/) (creator of [Color Splash](http://www.pocketpixels.com/ColorSplash.html)) at [360iDev](http://360iDev.com) on this topic specifically. It was called "*Effectively using videos to explain and market your app*". You can [buy that video online](http://360idev.com/session-videos#360idevaustin2010) for $3.50. It goes into a lot more detail and explains everything really well (and may even correct me on a couple points.) It is a deal at 10x that price.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Wow, great stuff, thanks! I will definitely check out the video and go through all of your advice carefully.  
  > **username_0**: Also I just added a link as a comment to my question a friend sent me...  
  > **username_2**: @Yar: I was just reading that article. Looks to have some good information too. I am going to be shooting similar video here soon, so am researching this again too.  
  > **username_0**: a friend has also suggested I try a "softening filter" and "UV filter", i.e., hardware. Thoughts?  
  > **username_2**: @Yar: I haven't tried. Get that video by Hendrik and I bet he has his email address in it and you could email him. He does a fabulous job on his videos.  
  > **username_0**: After lots of testing and fiddling with a T2i, I actually got better results with my Sony DSC-WX5. Batteries are cheap and it does AVCHD, but it just contains less artifacts the the Digital Reflex. Weird. Anyway: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bRIa7y4tLM Not 100% pro, of course... anyway, iPad upside down, some ambient light, a nice distance away, and brightness at 50%. It's a 1-minute video only... Still exploring though...  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2012-03-13. Score: 1
  
  Even better is to use a HDMI capture device like a Blackmagic Intensity. Plug the iPad (or any tablet with HDMI output) into it and away you go. Perfect screen capture.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Yeah, the problem is that you lose the finger (um, that doesn't sound right). It's a reasonable suggestion, though, but the units are $200...  
  > **username_1**: The finger isn't that important, is it? If anything, the finger/hand gets in the way of seeing what's on the screen. Plus the quality of a capture via HDMI will look perfect, 1:1 copy - where as you've found with a video camera, there's so many variables that can change the quality.  
  > **username_0**: the finger is pretty important for demoing, otherwise I'd use the iPad Simulator, which is beyond perfect (though hard to pinch and zoom)  
  
  ---
  
  