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Learn MoreMedal.tv is a free clip capture tool for PC gamers that records gameplay locally while you play, then lets you clip and share highlights from a desktop overlay. It works for what it’s designed to do — local capture for PC players who want to clip highlights without leaving the game. It doesn’t process Twitch or Kick VODs, doesn’t auto-detect moments, and doesn’t support console or phone recording without additional hardware.
This review covers what Medal.tv actually does well, where it falls short for streamers specifically, and how it compares to alternatives.
TL;DR
- Medal.tv captures gameplay locally on PC with no clip count limit on the free plan
- Does not process Twitch or Kick VODs — only works if you record locally while playing
- No automatic clip detection — you manually clip moments using a hotkey or post-session timeline review
- Free and usable; no watermark on locally-captured clips
- Does not support console streamers or Kick/Twitch VOD-based workflows
- Eklipse differs from Medal in one key way: it processes your Twitch/Kick VOD automatically after the stream ends, with no local recording required
What Medal.tv does
Medal.tv is a local PC game capture tool. When running in the background while you play, it continuously records your gameplay in a buffer (typically the last 15–30 seconds, configurable). You press a hotkey to save the most recent clip — similar to NVIDIA ShadowPlay’s “instant replay” function.
Key features:
- Continuous background recording — no manual start required
- Hotkey clip capture (default: F8) — saves the last 15–180 seconds
- Clip library stored locally and uploaded to Medal.tv’s servers for sharing
- Free tier: unlimited clip captures, no clip count cap, no watermark
- Social layer: Medal has a gaming clip community where clips can be shared and liked
- Clip editing: basic trim, speed, and text tools within the Medal interface
Who Medal.tv is for
Medal is genuinely well-suited for:
PC gamers who play without streaming: Medal’s local capture works while you play normally. If you’re not streaming to Twitch or Kick, Medal captures gameplay clips without the setup of a full streaming software configuration.
Casual clippers who want no-setup capture: Press F8 to save. No VOD to process, no dashboard to check. The workflow is fast for individual highlight moments.
Players in games without a native clip tool: Games without NVIDIA Highlights support or built-in clip tools benefit from Medal’s continuous buffer — you never miss a moment because you forgot to start recording.
Where Medal.tv falls short for streamers
If you stream on Twitch or Kick, Medal’s workflow has a significant gap:
No Twitch or Kick VOD processing: Medal records locally while you play. If you’re streaming on Twitch, you have two video sources — your local game and your Twitch VOD. Medal captures from local game video; it doesn’t know your Twitch stream exists. You can’t use Medal to process your 4-hour Twitch VOD after the session to find the best moments.
No automatic detection: Medal doesn’t watch your session and identify the best moments. You must manually press F8 at the right time, or manually review your local recording afterward. Miss a moment? It’s gone unless you saved it.
Local recording requirements: Medal requires the local recording buffer to be active while you play. If you’re streaming and Medal isn’t running (because you forgot to start it, because it conflicted with OBS, or because it was disabled), you have no clip source after the fact.
No console support: Medal doesn’t work on PS5, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch without external capture card hardware. Console streamers can’t use Medal’s core workflow.
No TikTok/Shorts formatting: Medal exports horizontal clips. Converting to vertical 9:16 for TikTok requires additional editing.
Medal.tv vs Eklipse: key differences
| Feature | Medal.tv | Eklipse |
|---|---|---|
| Recording method | Local PC capture | Twitch/Kick VOD processing |
| Requires local recording | Yes — Medal must be running during play | No — works from your Twitch/Kick VOD after stream |
| Automatic moment detection | No — manual F8 capture | Yes — AI detects kills, clutches, chat spikes |
| Console support | No (requires capture card) | Yes — Kick/Twitch VOD works regardless of hardware |
| Vertical format output | No (horizontal) | Yes — 9:16 output ready for TikTok |
| VOD processing | No | Yes — processes full session VODs |
| Free plan | Unlimited local clips, no watermark | 15 clips/stream, 720p, watermark |
| TikTok/Shorts publishing | Not integrated | Direct via Content Publisher |
The core use-case difference: Medal is for local capture while you play. Eklipse is for processing your Twitch or Kick VOD after your stream ends. These serve different workflows — a streamer who goes live on Twitch and wants clips from that session without local recording setup needs Eklipse, not Medal.
Medal.tv free vs paid
Medal offers a free plan and Medal+ (paid):
Free plan:
- Unlimited clip captures (local)
- No watermark on clips
- 1080p 30fps capture
- Basic editing tools
Medal+ (paid):
- Higher resolution capture (1440p, 4K on capable hardware)
- 60fps capture
- Priority cloud uploads
- No upload size limits
- Additional editing features
Medal’s free plan is genuinely competitive — no watermark and no clip count limit are better terms than many free plans in the clip space. Medal+ is worth it for players who want higher resolution local capture.
Honest assessment
Medal.tv is a solid tool for its intended use case — instant hotkey clipping from local PC gameplay. It’s free, watermark-free, and has no complexity overhead.
Medal is the right choice if:
- You play PC games without streaming and want no-setup clip capture
- You want local capture with unlimited clips, no watermark, for free
- You primarily play in situations where you can clip manually with a hotkey
Medal is the wrong choice if:
- You stream on Twitch or Kick and want to process your session’s full VOD for highlights
- You play on console without a capture card
- You want vertical clips ready for TikTok without additional editing
- You want automatic detection of your best moments without manual triggering
For streamers, the question isn’t “Medal vs Eklipse” — it’s “do I want local capture or VOD processing?” Both tools can coexist: Medal can run locally for in-game hotkey capture while Eklipse processes your Twitch VOD for post-session automatic detection.
Frequently asked questions
Is Medal.tv free?
Yes. Medal’s core functionality — local PC game capture, clip saving, and sharing — is free with no clip count limit and no watermark. Medal+ is the paid tier for higher resolution capture (1440p/4K) and 60fps recording.
Does Medal.tv work with Twitch?
Not directly. Medal records your local PC gameplay, not your Twitch stream. To get clips from a Twitch VOD after your session, you need a tool that processes Twitch VODs — like Eklipse. Medal and Twitch VOD processing are different workflows.
Is Medal.tv safe?
Medal.tv is a widely-used application with millions of installs. It runs as a background process with game capture permissions. Standard security precautions apply: download only from Medal’s official site, review what permissions the application requests.
What happened to Medal.tv — is it still being updated?
As of 2026, Medal.tv continues to operate and update. The platform has had ownership changes in the past few years. Check Medal’s official site for current platform status and feature roadmap.
Medal.tv vs NVIDIA ShadowPlay: which is better?
Both capture local gameplay with a continuous buffer and hotkey clip saving. ShadowPlay (NVIDIA Highlights) is built into NVIDIA’s GeForce Experience and is slightly lower overhead for NVIDIA GPU owners. Medal adds a social layer and clip community. For pure local capture, the tools are roughly equivalent for NVIDIA users; Medal is the better option for non-NVIDIA hardware.
The right tool for your workflow
Medal.tv and Eklipse are not competing for the same workflow. If you want to clip your Twitch or Kick VOD automatically after a session, Eklipse is the tool. If you want local hotkey capture while you play, Medal works well and costs nothing.
Most streamers can use both: Medal running locally for in-game moments, Eklipse processing the full session VOD for the highlights you missed.
Process your Twitch or Kick VOD automatically with Eklipse →
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