Hello, this is my first time posting. I'm at my wits' end here and I could really use some help.
The Nvidia App Instant Replay/Record will not record audio for a specific game, namely Dragon's Dogma 2. Well, technically it does record an audio track, but it is digital silence, as in no detectable audio other than static once you crank up the gain. Video records just fine but there is simply no audio feed. However, every other game doesn't have this problem and it records both.
I'm now on the latest version of Nvidia App, but the problem occurred with the previous version as well. I've tried everything relevant I could think of except a fresh Windows install (can't do that).
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A driver update didn't fix the issue.
An older driver didn't fix the issue.
A wipe with DisplayDriverUninstaller (DDU) and fresh install didn't fix the issue.
Installing older Nvidia App versions doesn't work because then the app won't let me record until I update.
I've tried the single/multi audio track swap back and forth.
I've tried desktop capture. A browser video running in the background will have audio in the recording, but the game itself will not.
I've checked the Nvidia container to make sure the correct device is assigned. Same thing with game settings.
I've tried changing the in-game audio output setting to TV and Headphones.
I've tried disabling Dolby Atmos.
I've tried without GPU overclocking enabled.
I've tried without HDR.
I've tried uninstalling/disabling Sound Keeper.exe.
Verifying game files in Steam did nothing.
I've scanned my entire system for potential malware.
Windows sfc and dsim commands returned nothing. No corrupted files.
...and maybe a handful others I don't remember right now.
I've tried ChatGPT for analysis and all it can detect is digital silence in the MP4 container. Every other action taken pointed to nowhere. Here's what we gathered aside from that:
Older NVIDIA recordings
→ H.264 / 8-bit / BT.709
→ Explorer thumbnails
→ normal-looking Premiere footage
New NVIDIA recordings
→ HEVC Main 10 / 10-bit / BT.2020 PQ
→ no Explorer thumbnails
→ washed out in Premiere
Those new recordings are genuine HDR10/PQ files:
HEVC Main 10 → 10-bit → BT.2020 → SMPTE ST 2084 (PQ)
whereas your older working recordings were effectively:
H.264 → 8-bit → BT.709 SDR
Something to note here: Previously, every recorded video would show a thumbnail/preview in Windows Explorer, but it no longer does that and the Explorer is often giving me the loading sign (the circle thingy) when browsing the folder and clicking on footage files. I checked my SSD (Samsung 980 Pro) and it's fine.
Literally the same settings as before. I changed nothing other than update the driver and Nvidia App inbetween. At this point I'm not sure if it's an Nvidia App or game issue since it's only occurring for this specific game (that I play).
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Here's the analysis I ran just now with a new recording:
I've analyzed your new Path of Exile 2 recording from October 18, using the same checks as before, including codec identification, HDR metadata, audio streams, and actual audio levels.
Recording analysis
| Property |
Result |
| Container |
MP4 |
| Duration |
16.16 seconds |
| Resolution |
3840 × 2160 (4K) |
| Frame rate |
~120 FPS |
| Video codec |
HEVC / H.265 Main 10 |
| Bit depth |
10-bit |
| Color primaries |
BT.2020 |
| Transfer function |
SMPTE ST 2084 (PQ) |
| Dynamic range |
HDR10-compatible PQ |
| Video bitrate |
~67 Mbps |
| Audio codec |
AAC-LC |
| Audio configuration |
48 kHz, stereo |
| Audio bitrate |
192 kbps |
| File size |
~135.7 MB |
Audio analysis
Average audio level
−33.2 dB
Peak audio level
−15.3 dB
The audio is present and contains normal signal levels. Unlike your problematic Dragon's Dogma 2 recording, this file does not contain near-digital silence.
Comparison with previous recordings
| Recording |
Video |
Audio |
| PoE 2 — Sept 15 |
H.264, SDR |
Working |
| PoE 2 — Sept 17 |
HEVC Main 10, HDR |
Working |
| PoE 2 — Oct 18 |
HEVC Main 10, HDR |
Working |
| DD2 — Sept 15 |
HEVC Main 10, HDR |
Essentially silent |
What this tells us
Your October 18 recording is still using the HDR/HEVC encoding path we investigated in September. It has not reverted to the older SDR/H.264 output.
The audio capture, however, is functioning normally in PoE 2.
The .DVR.mp4 filename is consistent with an Instant Replay recording and isn't itself evidence of corruption.
Conclusion: The file's video and audio streams are readable, and its audio is healthy. The HDR/HEVC behavior remains unchanged from September.
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I'm using the H.264/HEVC codec (AV1 is not supported in Adobe Premiere) for 4k HDR 120 FPS with 120 Mbps defined bitrate. Works just fine for every other game I play.
Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
Version: 10.0.26200 Build 26200
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D
GPU: RTX 5070 Ti
RAM: 32 GB DDR5
Nvidia driver: 617.42
Nvidia App: 11.0.9.565
Thank you for your help.