Limelight
What Is Screen Capture?
Screen capture is an umbrella term for any technique that records the visual output of a display — including both still screenshots and continuous video recordings.
Screen capture refers to the act of saving what is currently displayed on a screen in a reproducible form. The two main types are static screen capture (a screenshot, which freezes a single frame) and dynamic screen capture (a screen recording, which captures a sequence of frames over time). The term is intentionally broad and appears frequently in software documentation, OS permission dialogs, and accessibility settings precisely because it covers both modalities. On macOS, "Screen Recording" is listed as a privacy permission that governs all dynamic capture, while ⇧⌘3 and ⇧⌘4 handle still screenshots without requiring any special permission.
Screen capture sits at the top of a terminology hierarchy. Below it, screen recording and screencasting refer specifically to video capture. Below those, tools may narrow further — region capture (a selected area), window capture (a single app window), or desktop recording (the full display). Understanding this hierarchy helps when reading software documentation or configuring privacy permissions, because a tool that requests "screen capture" permission may be asking for access to both screenshot and video recording capabilities.
For video screen capture on macOS, the most important practical considerations are frame rate, resolution, and whether the capture tool adds production value on top of raw pixels. Basic capture tools like ⇧⌘5 or QuickTime give you raw footage. Limelight is a native macOS screen capture app that adds a layer of automatic production: zoom follows every click, the cursor is spotlit, keystrokes appear on screen, and freehand annotations let you draw attention to what matters — all without uploading footage anywhere.
Why Limelight
- ▸Screen capture is the umbrella term covering both screenshots (static) and screen recordings (dynamic/video).
- ▸On macOS, "Screen Recording" is a distinct privacy permission controlling which apps can capture the display as video.
- ▸Subcategories include region capture, window capture, and full desktop recording.
- ▸Production-grade screen capture tools like Limelight add auto-zoom, keystrokes, and cursor effects on top of raw pixels.
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FAQ
- Is screen capture the same as screen recording?
- Not exactly. Screen capture is the broader term covering both still screenshots and video recordings. Screen recording refers specifically to the video variety. In casual usage the terms are often used interchangeably to mean video capture.
- Why does macOS ask for "Screen Recording" permission?
- macOS requires apps to get user consent before they can read the pixels displayed on screen and encode them into video. This prevents malicious software from silently capturing sensitive information. You grant permission in System Settings › Privacy & Security › Screen Recording.
- Does Limelight capture audio as part of screen capture?
- No. Limelight focuses on the visual display — video, cursor, and keystrokes — and does not capture microphone audio or system audio, keeping the workflow simple and files lean.