diff --git a/JPSvis.pro b/JPSvis.pro
index da3e562e547664a96fb0660b739bbeec107ce6b8..2fd9050b012afa3f9722f8b04d2654efe5de1b4a 100644
--- a/JPSvis.pro
+++ b/JPSvis.pro
@@ -647,6 +647,18 @@ SOURCES += src/geometry/Building.cpp \
     src/TrailPlotter.cpp \
     src/geometry/GeometryFactory.cpp
 
+
+#enable video remdering *nix and osx
+exists("$$INCLUDEPATH/vtkFFMPEGWriter.h") {
+      message( "enabling direct video rendering (linux and osx)")
+      DEFINES += TRAVISTO_FFMPEG
+}
+#enable video remdering *dos
+exists("$$INCLUDEPATH/vtkAVIWriter.h") {
+      message( "enabling direct video rendering (windows)")
+      DEFINES += TRAVISTO_FFMPEG
+}
+
 FORMS += forms/settings.ui \
     forms/mainwindow.ui
 RESOURCES += forms/icons.qrc
diff --git a/src/MainWindow.cpp b/src/MainWindow.cpp
index da951ed51472068158e8ac095008ee9dca95c83b..0dfbd321b67021dddc09ea55fc25767543f71b20 100755
--- a/src/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -775,12 +775,13 @@ void MainWindow::slotRecord()
             extern_recording_enable = false;
             ui.BtRecord->setToolTip("Start Recording");
             labelCurrentAction->setText("   Playing   ");
+            labelRecording->setText(" rec: off ");
             return;
         }
     }
     extern_launch_recording = true;
     ui.BtRecord->setToolTip("Stop Recording");
-    labelRecording->setText("recording");
+    labelRecording->setText(" rec: on ");
     //labelCurrentAction->setText("   recording   ");
 
 }
diff --git a/src/TimerCallback.cpp b/src/TimerCallback.cpp
index 48b0916adcad4998dec5c2dd9339327ff3b0f346..5a695509210d99dd6b2e32fce48285b5467d14de 100644
--- a/src/TimerCallback.cpp
+++ b/src/TimerCallback.cpp
@@ -39,16 +39,12 @@
 #include <iostream>
 
 
+#ifdef TRAVISTO_FFMPEG
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #include <vtkAVIWriter.h>
 #include <windows.h>
-#define TRAVISTO_FFMPEG
-#endif
-
-#ifdef __linux__
-#ifdef __vtkFFMPEGWriter_h
+#else
 #include <vtkFFMPEGWriter.h>
-#define TRAVISTO_FFMPEG
 #endif
 #endif