Filming the Whole Match or Just the Highlights?
Last updated: September 22, 2026
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Filming the whole match captures everything but leaves you with a multi-gigabyte file and an editing job. Buffer recording captures only the seconds you tapped, so you finish with the highlights already made, at a small fraction of the storage. The trade-off is real: buffer recording cannot give you a moment you did not react to within 30 seconds. It makes no difference whether you are filming a padel match, a kids' tournament or an afternoon with the dog.
Key facts
- Full match, one hour Full HD in a regular camera app: approximately 6–9 GB
- Ten buffered clips of 30 seconds in Videotapr: about 150 MB at the default setting
- Full match requires editing afterwards; buffered clips do not
- Buffer recording misses anything you did not react to in time
- Both keep the camera running all session; only one leaves you hours to scroll through
Free on Android and iOS — 3 clips a day, no account needed.
How do the two compare?
| Filming the whole match | Buffer recording | |
|---|---|---|
| Storage for one hour | 6–9 GB | About 150 MB for ten clips |
| Work afterwards | Find and cut every moment | None — clips are already short |
| Risk of missing a moment | None, it is all there | Real, if you react too late |
| Attention during the match | You watch the screen | You watch the match |
| Sharing | Too big for chat apps | Send straight from your phone |
When is filming everything the better choice?
When you genuinely need the full record: match analysis, a coach reviewing positioning, a disputed call, or a final you want in its entirety.
Buffer recording is built for the other case, which is far more common — you want the four good moments out of a Tuesday evening session, and you want them without spending Wednesday editing.
Can you do both?
You can run a separate camera for the full record and use buffer capture for highlights on your phone. In practice most amateur players find the highlights are the only thing they ever open again.
Try it yourself
Videotapr is free to download for Android and iOS, with 3 clips per day. Pro is a one-time purchase — not a subscription.