> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://captivatehelp.newbluelive.com/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/screen-capture-input.md). # Screen as a live source Screen capture brings a live feed of any monitor connected to the Captivate machine into the project as a video source. Use it to show a presentation, a software demonstration, or any application that runs full-screen on a connected display. This article covers full-display capture; for capturing a single application window instead of the whole desktop, see [Window as a live source](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/window-capture-input.md). ## Before you start * On Windows, screen capture uses the Windows Graphics Capture API. This requires **Windows 10 version 1803 (April 2018 Update) or newer**. On older Windows versions the **Screen** submenu is empty and no error is shown. * On Mac, screen capture uses ScreenCaptureKit. Grant Captivate Screen Recording permission the first time you add a screen source. macOS requires a relaunch after granting Screen Recording permission. * Plan your project resolution before adding a screen source. The captured display is scaled to the project resolution; a 4K display captured into a 1080p project is downscaled at capture time. ## Add a display as a source 1. Open the project. From the top menu, choose **File** > **New** > **Live Audio/Video** > **Screen**, or right-click in the Project List and choose **New** > **Live Audio/Video** > **Screen**. 2. The **Screen** item opens onto two sibling submenus — **Screen** (the connected displays) and **Window** (visible application windows). Open the **Screen** submenu and pick the display you want to capture. 3. The captured display appears as a layer on the current channel. Drag it relative to your graphics layers to set z-order. Display names come from the OS, refined by Qt’s display information when available. If both come back empty, the fallback is "Display 1", "Display 2", and so on. {% hint style="info" %} The **Screen** and **Window** menu items are two views of the same capture feature; they appear as separate submenus to make the choice between "full display" and "single window" clear. Settings and behavior overlap between the two; the differences are noted in the window article. {% endhint %} ## Static screens stay live A captured display that does not change (a paused slide, a static dashboard) does not generate new frames — the OS only delivers a frame when something on screen actually changes. Captivate keeps the source marked as live during these idle periods, so a frozen slide does not get a "disconnected" overlay drawn on top of it. ## Cursor capture In the source’s Live Audio/Video properties panel, a **Capture mouse cursor** checkbox controls cursor inclusion. The checkbox is on by default and shows only when the device type is **Screen** (which covers both display and window capture). ## Audio: Mac yes, Windows no * **Mac (ScreenCaptureKit)** can capture audio scoped to the source — for an Application Capture source the audio is scoped to that app, for a Display Capture source it is system audio. Enable audio capture on the source’s settings. * **Windows (Graphics Capture)** does **not** capture system audio. If your show needs the desktop’s sound, add a separate **System Audio** source from the **Live Audio/Video** menu and mix it with the screen capture in the audio mixer. ## Frame rate The capture frame rate can be configured per source. Set it to match the project frame rate for steady playback. A display that refreshes at 144 Hz captured at 30 fps delivers 30 fps to the project — the capture rate caps the ingest, regardless of the display’s refresh. ## Captivate on the captured screen If you point screen capture at the same display where Captivate’s own window is shown, you get a feedback recursion — Captivate renders itself rendering itself. On Mac, ScreenCaptureKit’s self-exclusion can hide Captivate’s window from the capture. On Windows, move Captivate to a different display. ## Edge cases * **No "screen capture unavailable" message on older Windows.** If you’re on a Windows build before 10/1803, the **Screen** submenu lists nothing. Update Windows, or use a different source type. * **4K capture is heavy.** Capturing a 4K display into a 4K project consumes proportionally more CPU and memory than 1080p. If you see dropped frames on the Program output, lower the capture frame rate or downscale by reducing the project resolution. * **Capture rate caps the source.** Even on a 144 Hz monitor, only the configured frame rate reaches the project. ## Related * [Window as a live source](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/window-capture-input.md) — capture one application window instead of the whole display. * [How live video inputs work](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-2/live-video-input-pipeline.md) — the input pipeline overview. * [The Audio Mixer](/set-up-your-production/chapter-index-5/the-audio-mixer.md) — routing screen capture audio (Mac) or a paired System Audio source (Windows). * [Set the project format](/set-up-your-production/set-up-your-project.md) — project resolution and frame rate. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. 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