[2025 Updated] Top 6 Disney Plus Screen Recorders Reviewed

Let's be real: there is nothing more frustrating than recording a 2-hour live game on the Disney+ bundle (ESPN+), only to find a pitch-black screen with audio playing in the background.

I learned this the hard way last weekend, trying to save an NBA buzzer-beater. I fired up my old recorder, hit record, and got a 1GB file of absolute darkness.

If you're seeing that same black void, you aren't alone. I spent the last week testing over 15 tools to find out which ones can actually screen record Disney Plus without a black screen. Here are the 6 that worked—and the one ultimate solution that I'd recommend for all Disney+ lovers like me.

Why Do I Get a Black Screen on Disney+?

Almost all streaming services like Disney+, Netflix, and Hulu use a technology called DRM (Digital Rights Management), specifically Widevine or HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection).

DRM is like a digital handshake between your browser and your monitor. If the browser detects that another software (like a screen recorder) is intercepting the video signal, it instantly cuts the visual feed to prevent piracy.

Rex

Is it possible to bypass the black screen? Of course, and it's not complex at all.

If you are dead set on using a traditional recorder (like OBS), there is one common workaround that Reddit users swear by. This disables the browser's ability to protect the video stream efficiently. Here's how:

1. Open your browser Settings (click the three dots in the top right).
2. Go to the System or Performance tab on the left sidebar.
3. Find the toggle that says "Use graphics acceleration when available" (or "Use hardware acceleration").
4. Turn it OFF.
5. Relaunch your browser completely.

Top 6 Screen Recorders for Disney Plus: Personal Test

I tested 15 tools on Windows 11 and macOS Sequoia, in order to see if they could capture a 10-minute clip of Spirited Away without triggering the dreaded black screen. Finally, the 6 screen recorders are selected.

1. EaseUS RecExperts

If you aren't a tech wizard and just want a simple "Record" button, EaseUS is a nice choice. It's one of the few recorders that explicitly markets an "Enhanced Mode", which can help you bypass black screens on streaming platforms.

Pros:

• It's a pure recorder. All the functions serve recording, including trim, customizable watermark, video intro and outro, auto subtitles, and AI summary.
• EaseUS provides detailed output settings. We can choose the output folder, format, and video quality before exporting the recording.

Cons:

• You can only save 1 minute of video with the free version.
• Like most video recorders, EaseUS essentially just captures your screen pixels. If your internet dips and the video buffers, your recording buffers too.

Here's how to use EaseUS RecExperts to record videos:

1. Launch EaseUS, choose the recording mode you prefer from the "Start Recording" section.
2. Choose the window you'd like to record, and click on "REC".

3. Stop the recording by clicking the red button on your screen. Choose output settings and click "Export".

2. iTop Screen Recorder

I usually use iTop for gaming, but surprisingly, its "Game Mode" works decently for Disney+ too. It utilizes hardware acceleration (especially if you have an NVIDIA card) to capture video smoothly without chewing up your CPU.

Pros:

• It optimizes recording for NVIDIA/AMD cards, making it less likely to lag during high-action scenes in Marvel movies.
• It has a basic editor to trim the start/end of your recording.

Cons:

• There is no output setting window as EaseUS does.
• The program window is very small and can not be adjusted.
• The UI is much more complex, full of other tools. It's more like a kit box instead of a video recorder.
• The installer sometimes tries to bundle other software you don't need, so watch out during setup.
• Several users on r/VideoEditing reported that for long recordings (over 1 hour), the audio starts to drift out of sync with the video.

Here's how to use iTop Screen Recorder:

1. Choose your recording mode from Record > Screen/Webcam/Only Audio/Game, and click on "REC".
2. Choose the screen you want to record, and set the size of the window and so on. Click on "REC"

3. Click on the red button on your screen to end recording.
4. In the "Files" section, you can find all the recorded content and choose to edit it.

However, the iTop free trial only allows SD recording with a huge watermark on the top right corner.

3. Wondershare DemoCreator

If you are a YouTuber looking to make a reaction video to a new Disney+ series, DemoCreator is built for you. It's not just a recorder; it's a full creative suite. DemoCreator supports recording the camera and the screen at the same time, in order to meet the requirements under various circumstances.

Pros:

• Clear UI that is friendly to all users, even if you're a beginner.
• It supports dual recording and can record your screen (Disney+) and your webcam (Facecam) simultaneously on separate tracks.
• It has a nice built-in editor. You can add annotations, zoom effects, and transitions right after recording.

Cons:

• It's a massive program. It takes a while to launch and consumes a lot of system resources.
• If you just want to save a movie to watch on a plane, this tool is way too complicated.

Here's how to use DemoCrator to record a video from Disney Plus:

1. Launch DemoCreator and click on "Video Recorder".
2. Choose the recording mode you prefer. And click on "REC".

3. Click on the red button on your screen to stop recording. Choose directly "Export" your recording or "Edit" it with the built-in editor. Both ways allow you to export videos quickly. But you need to log in to your Wondershare ID (with Google, Facebook, or X) to export the videos.

Democreator has a nicely designed video editor. I tried and found that it can meet almost all of my editing requirements. Therefore, if you're a YouTuber and need to do further editing on your recordings, this tool is highly recommended.

4. VideoProc Converter

If you are trying to record Disney+ on a 5-year-old laptop that sounds like a jet engine when you open Chrome, VideoProc is your lifesaver. It's marketed more as a video converter, but its recorder is surprisingly lightweight.

Pros:

• VideoProc supports level-3 hardware acceleration. It squeezes every bit of juice out of your Intel/AMD/NVIDIA chip to record without freezing your computer.
• It records picture-in-picture, which is good for gamers or tutorials. But the mode is less useful for just saving a movie.
• Supported with AI, it offers many services such as quality enhancing, DVD burning, and format converting.

Cons:

• VideoProc lacks advanced audio mixing.
• You can't check the real-time recording duration directly when recording the screen.
• It supports recording webcam and screen at the same time.
• Unlike EaseUS, it doesn't have a specific mode to bypass DRM. You are entirely reliant on the "Hardware Acceleration OFF" trick in your browser for this to work.

How does it work? Here's how to use VideoProc to record Disney+ shows:

1. Launch VideoProc and click on Recorder.
2. Select from Screen, Webcam, Screen & Webcam, or Audio Recorder. Choose your preferred settings on the sidebar "Output Folder", and click on "REC".

3. When the video is done, go back to the desktop to end the recording.
4. Check the recorded content.

The free trial of VideoProc has a more aggressive watermark than iTop.

5. Leawo Screen Recorder

Leawo is a decent middle-of-the-road option. It's part of the larger Leawo media ecosystem. I found it stable, but frankly, it lacks the "wow" factor of the others. Still, it's the most "recorder-like" tool I've ever used: simple, easy, and direct.

Pros:

• Leawo supports scheduled recording. It means you can set a timer to start recording a live event if you aren't home.
• You can draw on the screen while recording (again, better for tutorials than movies).

Cons:

• Sometimes the frame drops. When I was recording, I noticed some stuttering in the video playback.
• No output settings. You can't choose the options for an exact recording.

Here's how to use Leawo to record Disney Plus videos. Compared with other tools, it's much easier:

1. Launch Leawo, click Record Screen. And choose the recording mode.
2. Set the volume of the system sound and the microphone sound. Click "REC".

3. Click on the red button on your screen to end the recording.

Also, if you're using the free trial of Leawo, you'll get a video full of watermarks.

6. Audials One

Audials is the best for batch recording. It's the heavyweight champion of traditional recording. It doesn't just "screen record"; it's more like a DVR in a new era. Audials tries to play the video in a hidden background window and capture it at 2x or 4x speed.

Pros:

• Quick access to various major streaming services, such as Disney+, Netflix, Prime Video, etc.
• You can technically use your computer for other things while it records Disney+ in the background.
• It tries to automatically name the file with the movie title and season number.

Cons:

• You can't interact with the video while recording.
• A Microsoft component Webview2 is necessary to run the software.
• A lot of users complain that whenever Disney+ updates its site, Audials breaks and fails to log in for weeks until a patch is released.
• It has a steep learning curve. The interface looks like a spaceship dashboard—too many buttons for a simple task.

Here's how to use Audials to record a Disney Plus video:

1. Go to the Microsoft Developer to follow the guide and install Webview2 on your PC.

2. Launch Audials and find Disney+ from Home.
3. Set the recording options in a pop-up window, including the speed, video quality, audio, and so on.

4. Play the Disney+ videos in the background. Audials will detect the video automatically and start to record it.

5. When it's done, you can find the downloaded content in the "Files" section.

The Ultimate Solution: Use a Downloader (No Black Screen)

After testing all the "Recorders" above, I found a common phenomenon: the video quality suddenly went low when I clicked on "Recording", especially when using traditional recorders like iTop, Wondershare, and VideoProc.

Therefore, I came to a realization: Screen recording is the wrong tool for the job. If we really want to save a movie or show from Disney Plus, why should we endure the following things?

• It takes forever: To save a 2-hour movie, you might have to let it play for 2 hours.
• The Black Screen Risk: One browser update can break your "Hardware Acceleration" trick instantly.
• Quality loss: You are capturing pixels from your screen, not the source file. If your internet dips, your video buffers.

And that's why I found the video downloader KeepStreams for Disney Plus.

Why KeepStreams is Better than Recorders?

If you just want to save movies and build your own library, a professional video downloader is better than a screen recorder for Disney Plus. Take KeepStreams for an example, here's the comparison of the 7 mentioned tools:

Rex

You'll notice that most "Recorders" are limited by your screen resolution. If you have a 720p monitor, you can only record in 720p. KeepStreams is the only one that pulls the 1080p file directly from the server, regardless of your monitor's quality.

Frankly speaking, KeepStreams isn't a screen recorder. It's a direct video downloader that can download DRM-protected videos for personal use, and pull the raw video file directly from Disney's server. Therefore, it performs better in speed and quality.

How to Use KeepStreams to Download Disney Plus Videos?

Now, let's have a look at how this tool can extract the original video file from Disney Plus. First of all, you need to download and install KeepStreams from the official site in order to ensure safety.

KeepStreams for Disney Plus

Download Disney+ videos in 1080p/4K and watch them offline forever, without a black screen.

• High Quality: Save videos in 1080p and 4K.
• Clear Audio: Save original Amtos, EAC3 5.1, or AAC 2.0 audio.
• Video Codec: Use H264 or H265 to save more space.
• Remove ads: Detect and get rid of all commercials when downloading.
• Multi Language: Select the lang of audio and subs.
• Subtitles Support: Extract subs into SRT files.
• Schedule Download: Set a time and get new episodes automatically.
• Batch Download: Save a lot of episodes at the same time.
• 30-Day Free Trial: Download 3 Disney+ films in 1080p for free.

 Free Trial  Free Trial

Learn More

Then, follow these steps to download Disney Plus movies with KeepStreams:

Launch KeepStreams, click "VIP Services" from the library on the left side, and select the "Disney+" title.

Visit Disney Plus with the built-in browser. Log in to your Disney account here to help KeepStreams verify your accessibility and better prepare for later downloads.

In the built-in browser, play a video you'd like to download, and KeepStreams will analyze it immediately. When the analysis is done, the settings screen will appear. Here you can configure download settings such as video quality, audio, subs, auto-download, etc.

Click "Download Now" to start downloading. You can check the progress from the "Downloading" section in the sidebar. When the download process is done, you can find all downloads in the local folder of your computer by directly clicking "Downloaded".

Video tutorial:

Conclusion

After a week of testing and terabytes of wasted hard drive space, I selected EaseUS, iTop, Wondershare, VideoProc, Leawo, and Audials as the top screen recorders for Disney Plus.

Although you won't be bothered by the black screen problem when using these tools, the pros and cons of each recorder are very obvious. Generally, recording can't help you save the original video from Disney Plus.

If you just want to save Disney Plus movies and shows for offline viewing, KeepStreams for Disney Plus is a better choice. But if you're a gamer or want to make a reaction video or tutorial, pick one of the recorders mentioned above. There must be one tool that can meet your requirements!