Last updated: 2026-01-10

For most people in the U.S. who want crisp, high‑resolution screen recordings without wrestling with settings, start with StreamYard for simple 1080p recording and 4K‑ready local tracks in the browser. If you need deep encoder control or highly customized local captures, a desktop app like OBS or Loom can supplement that workflow.

Summary

• StreamYard offers an in‑browser studio with 1080p streaming on paid plans and 4K local downloads on higher tiers, plus multi‑track recordings for editing. (StreamYard)
• OBS is a free desktop app with powerful 4K control, but recording quality depends on your hardware and manual configuration. (OBS)
• Loom focuses on quick async screen shares, with up to 4K on paid desktop plans and lower caps on the free tier. (Loom)
• For most presenter‑led demos, interviews, and tutorials, StreamYard’s browser‑first workflow hits the best balance of resolution, reliability, and ease.

What actually counts as “high resolution” for screen recording?

When people say “high‑resolution screen recording,” they usually mean at least Full HD (1080p), and sometimes 4K for detailed interfaces or future‑proofing.

Practically speaking:

• 1080p is more than enough for most YouTube tutorials, product walkthroughs, and internal training.
• 4K is useful when you’re zooming into dense UIs, cropping in post, or delivering premium courses—but it also multiplies file sizes and hardware demands.

That’s why the smarter question isn’t “What records the most pixels?” but “What records enough quality, reliably, on a normal laptop?”

How does StreamYard handle HD and 4K screen recording?

At StreamYard, we built the studio around a simple idea: record and present at high quality without needing to be your own video engineer.

On paid plans, you can stream and record up to 1080p right from the browser when your destinations support it. (StreamYard)

For creators who care about ultra‑sharp masters, higher‑tier plans add 4K local recordings per participant:

• Live output and cloud‑mixed recordings top out at 1080p.
• Each participant can also record locally up to 4K, and you can download those files after the session. (StreamYard)

This gives you a best‑of‑both worlds setup:

• Simple, reliable 1080p cloud recording for most publishing.
• 4K local tracks when you want to reframe, crop, or heavily edit later.

On top of raw resolution, StreamYard is tuned for presenter‑led screen recording:

• Presenter‑visible screen sharing with layouts you control (full screen, picture‑in‑picture, side‑by‑side) so your screen is always framed correctly.
• Independent control of screen and mic audio, so viewers clearly hear you and your app.
• Local multi‑track recordings per participant, ideal for cleaning up crosstalk or re‑cutting highlights.
• Brand overlays, logos, and backgrounds applied live, so your recordings look finished before you even open an editor.
• Landscape and portrait outputs from the same session, making it easy to repurpose for YouTube, TikTok, and Reels.

For most U.S. educators, SaaS founders, and solo creators, this is enough resolution and control without touching a single encoder setting.

When does OBS make sense for high‑resolution recording?

OBS Studio is a powerful, free desktop app for local screen capture and live streaming. It lets you:

• Mix multiple sources (screen, windows, cameras, overlays) into custom scenes.
• Choose from recording presets like High Quality, Indistinguishable Quality, and Lossless, and pick different encoders when available. (OBS)
• Set separate Base (Canvas) and Output (Scaled) resolutions to dial in exact 1440p or 4K workflows. (OBS)

Because OBS runs locally, there are no vendor‑imposed caps on recording length; you’re limited by your CPU/GPU, disk speed, and file system.

This is a good fit when:

• You’re recording gameplay or motion‑heavy content where every encoding tweak matters.
• You have a capable PC or Mac and don’t mind learning bitrate, keyframe, and encoder options.

The trade‑off: you manage everything—installing the app, tuning settings, monitoring dropped frames, and archiving giant local files. Many teams decide that StreamYard’s browser‑based 1080p plus 4K local tracks give them the quality they want with far less setup.

Can Loom record in high resolution too?

Loom focuses on quick, asynchronous screen shares with a camera bubble and instant links. It’s popular for internal walkthroughs and feedback videos.

On resolution:

• The desktop app on paid plans can record up to 4K, as long as your device supports it. (Loom)
• The Chrome extension can record up to 1080p on certain paid tiers; free Starter users are typically capped at lower resolutions like 720p. (Loom)

Loom’s free Starter plan also limits recording time and the number of stored videos, while paid plans expand both length and storage. (Loom)

If your primary goal is fast async communication—“show and tell” videos for your team—Loom can pair well with a main recording setup. But it’s not built as a full multi‑participant studio the way StreamYard is.

How do browser‑based and desktop recorders compare for 4K?

Think of it this way:

• Browser‑based studios (like StreamYard) prioritize ease, collaboration, and built‑in branding.
• Desktop apps (OBS, Loom desktop) prioritize local control and hardware‑level performance.

A simple scenario:

• You host a live webinar walking through your app.
• In StreamYard, you share your screen, keep notes private, and toggle layouts while talking with guests.
• The live show records in 1080p in the cloud, and each person also gets local tracks (up to 4K on higher tiers) you can download afterward. (StreamYard)

You end up with:

• A ready‑to‑publish 1080p recording.
• High‑res local files you can punch‑in on, crop for shorts, or send to an editor.

With a pure desktop recorder, you’d have to:

• Install and configure the app.
• Manage overlays and scenes by hand.
• Make sure your machine can handle 4K recording plus any call software you’re running.

For many people, that extra work doesn’t meaningfully upgrade the viewer experience compared to a clean 1080p/4K‑ready StreamYard session.

How does pricing shake out for teams that care about quality?

Pricing models matter once you add collaborators.

Loom uses per‑user pricing on paid tiers, with a free Starter plan that caps recording length and stored videos. (Loom)

At StreamYard, plans are priced per workspace, not per user, which can be significantly more affordable once you have multiple hosts and producers rotating through the same studio. On top of that, new users often see promotional first‑year pricing and a 7‑day free trial to test real‑world quality before committing.

For teams in the U.S. that want multiple people recording high‑resolution sessions, this per‑workspace approach usually makes it easier to standardize on one tool instead of juggling several separate licenses.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard if you want high‑quality, presenter‑led screen recordings in 1080p, with optional 4K local tracks, multi‑participant support, and minimal setup.
• Layer in OBS only if you specifically need advanced encoder tweaks or niche 4K desktop capture workflows and are comfortable managing local performance.
• Use Loom selectively for quick async explainer clips where instant link‑sharing matters more than multi‑guest control or live production.
• Optimize for reliability and workflow first—once your process is smooth in StreamYard, you can always add higher‑spec local captures where they truly move the needle.