If you’ve ever wished you could record what you are seeing on your iPhone or iPad your options have been limited. You could mount a video camera on a tripod and aim at the screen, you could rely on screenshots alone, or you might have chosen to Jailbreak your device to get access to Display Recorder. It’s a Cydia app that allows you to record the action right as it happens on your iOS device. Recently, an app with similar functionality and UI, and even the same name (but made by different developers called Bugun Software), appeared in the iTunes App Store briefly in June.
I don’t know who was asleep at Apple’s quality control, but I almost fell over when I the saw the app and again when I realized it was a knock-off. Someone in Cupertino woke up quickly though, as Apple pulled it in the first days of July. The reason may be that the developer of the original Display Recorder, Ryan Petrich, filed a (valid) complaint with Apple.
For those not acquainted with Bugun’s version of Display Recorder, it couldn’t be easier to use. The home screen looks like a camera lens with start and stop buttons on the bottom. Just tap the red light to begin recording. Be it demoing a game or preparing a presentation, Display Recorder captures all the screen action and audio.
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In the Cydia app it’s possible to set a button combination to launch Display Recorder from anywhere. This briefly-approved version records right from its own screen, but allows users to open the end product in video editors like iMovie to trim the fat and use advanced editing features. Once recorded you can upload directly to YouTube, save projects to the photo library or even send the video to Dropbox and Evernote.
The results are choppy and a little sluggish particularly compared to Petrich s latest version, but it’s an even trade off for ease of use. Here’s hoping the removal is temporary pending a UI redesign and new name and that Apple loosens its reins in general to allow the original Display Recorder to compete on an even playing field.
