Record With Screen Off

[Anonymous]

I use a Samsung Galaxy A51 with Android version 13.
I use the app “HD videorecorder”. This app continuous with the videorecording with the screen switched off. So technically it is possible.
The disadvantage of this app is that its is a paid app that costs € 2,95 / month.
I use this functionality once each two months, so “HD videorecorder” is to expensive for the use I make from it.
I would be very grateful is this possibility would be integrated is “Open Camera”.

[Zack Hand]

You don't need to use the system default screen off feature.
You could add a soft mode to show a fully black screen while recording. It avoids wasting battery power by turning off pixels that aren't being watched.

[Anonymous]

I took 5 photos within 5 hours, which consumed almost the entire battery.
After all, taking 5 photos in 5 seconds will only consume a fraction of one percent of the battery.
Why does this app consume so much battery?

Using fully black screen while recording This is probably a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Another bump and +1.

My use case is a 10 minute timer on repeat, taking photos that will later be used for a year long timelapse. The device often overheats, and the app shuts down.

A fullscreen black overlay seems like a decent option if the display can't be fully disabled.

(A nice supporting feature would be an option to disable the camera feed / viewfinder between timer intervals.)

[Anonymous]

It would be

[Anonymous]

The same feature would be useful with street repeating shooting for projet panoramax (google street-view like opensource)

[GCC]

I would be very interested in this too, specifically for the repeating capture function. In my case, the phone I am using to capture images has been completely ruined screen burn-in from the Open Camera UI, as I am using it to take photos for a long term timelapse. I knew that would happen when I saw that the screen would be on continuously, and accepted it anyway as it's and old phone, but it's a problem that doesn't need to be there.

[jer194]

I'd appreciate this feature as well (in particular for plant growth).
Not sure whether the 'black screen' method is the right way to go, though ..

As a workaround, I'm executing a local script (on my S8), either via a local cron, or from remote, via ssh (needs a rooted phone I think).

Basically it looks like:

 input keyevent KEYCODE_POWER # switch on
 sleep 1

 am start -n net.sourceforge.opencamera/net.sourceforge.opencamera.MainActivity
 sleep 5 # needs to be long enough, otherwise there might be no picture

 input keyevent KEYCODE_CAMERA
 sleep 5 # needs to be long enough, otherwise picture might be black

 for i in 1 2 3; do # go out of the app (needed at least twice):
   input keyevent KEYCODE_BACK
   sleep 2
 done

 sleep 2
 input keyevent KEYCODE_POWER # switch off

Might not be perfect, but works quite well, in general ...

[Anonymous]

Same here, taking street view images and would like to have the screen go dark when doing so.

[Anonymous]

Also menzioned in https://sourceforge.net/p/opencamera/discussion/features/thread/398b1ffda0/#9e30

[RafVne2]

For me, that would be so perfect.
I don't know about you guys, but I'm somehow very afraid of interaction with Police.
And here's a thing, I don't think I ever had ANY interaction with them 😏.
I just don't trust them.
And it would be nice if I just hit a button to record what really happened, without them knowing, and upload it to the cloud (in case they'll "loose" my phone 🙄).

I mean we've all heard about, how if they do something wrong, suddenly their body cams are suddenly malfunctioning.

My suggestion is, have a button on the screen, that enables you start recording "In secret mode".
That "secret mode", could have separate settings tab, as to how long the video is recorded, and restated (so the vid is uploaded to cloud incrementally.

What do you guys think?

[RafVne2]

Hmmm... I guess I answered my own question... i found one app. It's called "safe recorder".
I mean there are plenty of them, but I think this one will work.

It seems to be working just as I described above, but if you want to change "repeat recording" after original timer runs out, you need to subscribe.
Still the free option works well enough for me.

[Anonymous]

Droid Dashcam

[RafVne2]

Thanks bud.
This one is quite good, but complicated. I mean I still have to see what's what.
And since I already have a mirror cam for my car, I'm not sure if I'll use it, but I'll keep it anyway, 'cauz it seems like I might, at some point.
The one I mentioned, doesn't even show camera window. Just start/stop in the lower corner of an app. Set a local folder for DCIM/camera, and you're set, and google photos will upload it to the cloud.

But, thanks again.

[RafVne2]

For those still interested, guess what, I think I have found even better one. So simple. It's called BVR "background video recorder"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.droidnova.backgroundcamera

I guess i'm staying with this one It cost only 5,29zł About $1,30USD) to remove ads. I did, but you don't have to.

[edit]
Don't get this one, it doesn't save videos to the folder, and you can only view it in app.
I checked my permissions if anyone wonders. The file folder is empty.

Post some other good recorders you've tested.

[RafVne2]

OK... I think I finally found one that is simple, and has everything I want.
It's also called "Background video recorder" https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coolncoolapps.easyvideorecorder
It says on the page"it contains ads", but as of yet, I haven't seen one. so big thumbs up 👍.
You can set separate folder, it also allows you to automatically send your recordings to google drive. Plus I've lowered my quality to 320p. so now it still looks OK, but won't take much space.

Great app. And I think I'm done with my search.

Sorry for multiple posts, but I think it was worth for those who read it.

Take care.

[Anonymous]

Here's another one

https://github.com/anonfaded/FadCam