Splyc+ (Chrome extension) can record in two modes: Stream Only (player pixels when possible) or Full Window (tab capture). They answer different tradeoffs—quality and crop vs reliability when the player or site blocks direct access. Pick the mode in extension settings; behavior differs slightly by platform (Twitch, Kick, YouTube, and others).
Why two modes?
- Stream Only targets just the stream video—no browser chrome, chat panel, or desktop bleed—when the page exposes a capturable video element and the browser allows capture on it.
- Full Window records the browser tab (what you see in that tab), then optionally crops toward the player when Stream Only falls back with AI enabled.
Neither mode is always better. Stream Only is the quality-first path; Full Window is the compatibility-first path.
Stream Only (direct player capture)
Splyc finds the active stream video, scores candidate players on the page, and reads pixels straight from the player—native resolution where supported, without re-encoding the whole tab.
What you should expect:
- Cleaner frames (no URL bar, side panels, or overlays outside the player unless they’re burned into the video element).
- Lower overhead than full-tab capture when direct capture succeeds.
- Best when the stream page keeps a stable player and the site does not block capture APIs.
When it can fail:
- No suitable video yet (player still loading, theater mode change, or ad break).
- Capture unsupported or blocked (some players or embed states).
- AI Auto Clipping off: if direct capture fails, Splyc does not silently switch to Full Window—you get a clear error and should switch mode or enable AI fallback.
- AI Auto Clipping on: Splyc may fall back to cropped tab capture after retrying player detection—still stream focused, but not pure player capture.
Stream Only is not invisible offscreen recording of the whole tab. It is player-first capture.
Full Window (tab capture)
Splyc records the entire tab via the extension’s tab-capture pipeline—the same family of behavior as the legacy screen recorder path, now normalized as Full Window.
- Works on more pages when player APIs are finicky.
- May include UI around the player unless crop logic applies.
- Default for new installs when Stream Only is not selected.
Older setting value “screen recorder” automatically maps to Full Window (not Stream Only). That avoids forcing Twitch or Kick into a stream-only path that correlates with player errors and cancelled downloads.
How to choose
| Your priority | Suggested mode |
|---|---|
| Cleanest stream pixels, you’re on a supported watch page | Stream Only |
| Maximum reliability, odd embeds, or Stream Only errors | Full Window |
| Stream Only fails but you want AI clipping | Enable AI Auto Clipping, retry Stream Only (fallback crop), or use Full Window |
Settings live in Splyc+ popup / side panel → Capture mode.
AI Auto Clipping interaction
Stream Only and AI are related but not the same toggle:
- Stream Only = how video pixels are recorded.
- AI Auto Clipping = whether offscreen/analysis pipelines run for moment detection, samples, and uploads.
If Stream Only direct capture fails and AI Auto Clipping is disabled, Splyc stops with an explicit message rather than spinning up heavy fallback paths you did not ask for. If AI is enabled, fallback cropped capture may run so clipping can continue. Performance mode (when enabled in settings) reduces recommended-analysis overhead; capture mode choice is independent.
Platform and page requirements
Splyc+ only treats URLs as supported stream pages when hostname and path match known watch patterns (not loose “contains twitch.tv” checks). Unsupported pages will not behave like a full stream capture surface. Per-platform branches exist because Twitch, Kick, and YouTube player DOM and policies differ.
Credits (when billing is enabled)
Extension AI samples, vision frames, pre-clip checks, and post-upload analysis consume API credits when Splyc’s credits system is enabled on your account. Recording itself (Stream Only or Full Window) is not a credit meter—credits apply to AI/compute around clipping, not to minutes of tab video captured.
At a glance: capture path
| Step | Stream Only (happy path) | Full Window |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detect best video on page | Start tab capture |
| 2 | Player capture → recorder | Optional crop toward player |
| 3 | Chunks to extension pipeline | Same pipeline |
| 4 | AI pipeline if enabled | AI pipeline if enabled |
| 5 | Upload / clip manager | Upload / clip manager |
Capture runs only on pages you open with Splyc+ active. Clips upload to your Splyc account under extension auth; treat API keys like passwords. Stream Only reads the player element you’re watching, not arbitrary hidden tabs.