Install
Download and install
Download the build for your platform from the download page. The builds are unsigned, so both operating systems ask you to confirm the first launch.
macOS
Unzip the download and drag RAVidEn decoder to the Applications folder. On the first launch, Gatekeeper may refuse to open it. Right-click the application and choose Open, then choose Open again in the dialog. If it still refuses, remove the quarantine flag once from a terminal:
xattr -d com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/RAVidEn decoder.app"
Windows
Run the installer. It installs for the current user only and needs no administrator rights. SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC" because the publisher is not verified. Choose More info, then Run anyway. A locked-down machine may block unsigned installers entirely. In that case, ask your IT department for an exception.
The decoder opens in its own window and runs a local service while the window is open. The same interface is reachable in a browser at http://127.0.0.1:8323/. Closing the window quits the decoder.
Data folder
Everything stays on your machine, in one folder.
| Platform | Folder |
|---|---|
| Windows | %APPDATA%\RAVidEn decoder\ |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/RAVidEn decoder/ |
The folder contains decoder.db, which is the database of everything decoded, and the subfolders ingest/ for copies of clips you dropped in, recordings/, clips/ for the clips you extract or save from live, and live/ for the rolling buffer.
ffmpeg
Recording streams, extracting clips, and opening containers other than MP4 and MOV need a separate ffmpeg install. Everything else runs inside the application.
Install ffmpeg and the decoder finds it on the path:
- On macOS, run
brew install ffmpeg. - On Windows, run
winget install ffmpeg, or download a build from ffmpeg.org and putffmpeg.exein the decoder's install folder, which is%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\RAVidEn decoder\.
Without ffmpeg, the record button is disabled and shows a note explaining why, and extracting a clip reports that ffmpeg was not found.
Updating and removing
Install the new version over the old one. Uninstalling removes the application but leaves the data folder in place, so your clips and the database survive a reinstall. Delete the folder yourself if you want it gone.