screencast

Free screenshot tools are fun to try because they come in so many varieties, and because they're free, you can try as many as you want. Screencast-O-Matic captures screen and Webcam video and saves it or posts it online on YouTube or the program's Web site. With a well-designed interface and simple operation, it's a contender. The freeware version uses a nag screen (it's really more of a nag box) and places an output watermark, and it limits recording to 15 minutes.

Screencast-O-Matic's user interface is quite unique, and pretty cool, too. It's a … Read more

Ashampoo Snap lets users take screenshots of Web pages, specific selections, or even entire desktops using its simple capture bar. Once captures are created, you can make changes such as adding elements, resizing, or rotating through an image editor. Snap 6 also allows for video and audio recording (via microphone), making production of video screencasts a cinch. Time-lapse video and interval snapshot features are other useful tools in creating video tutorials.

The latest edition of Ashampoo Snap, version 6, has added a multitude of features that have flesh out the screenshot program, but there are still some unaddressed issues from … Read more

Camtasia for Mac makes it easy to create professional screencasts (capturing all actions on screen) for demonstration videos, instructional videos, and other screen-recording projects.

The interface is fairly easy to understand right away with your media, transitions, animations, and effects on the left side, the work area (what they call the Canvas) on the right, and a video timeline on the bottom. You can quickly create a screencast at launch by first selecting sound and Webcam preferences, then hitting the red record button. The Webcam feature lets you personally "present" your screencast in a picture-in-picture window and you … Read more

The screen-capture video tool Camtasia Studio has long balanced a strong set of features with a friendly interface and graceful learning curve. Version 8 continues the tradition with cool, new features that don't bog down the app with any additional complexity. Camtasia's price--$300--may raise eyebrows, but make no mistake: this screencasting software is serious business. New and advanced users both should be able to learn the software and start producing professionally looking videos in little time.

Robust in-app tutorials introduce Camtasia to users, but experienced editors can wave them aside and dive in. The main interface is … Read more

When it comes to producing professional-looking movies and demos from your computer screen, TechSmith's Camtasia Studio is known for striking the right balance between a powerful toolset and ease of use. Version 8, released today, adds even more useful features that encourage end-user interactivity without making the app any more complex to use.

The feature-packed screencast app, which includes HD production settings, does have a learning curve, but the user-friendly interface and front-and-center icons for most-used tools go a long way toward lowering the intimidation factor a notch. Plus, TechSmith provides a useful online help center that includes several … Read more

Camtasia for Mac received an update today that makes it easy to create professional screencasts (capturing all actions on screen) for demonstration videos, instructional videos, and other screen-recording projects. Some new features offered in version 2.1 of the software should make it even more useful, adding new Clip Speed and Remove a Color options to add to your screencasts.

Clip Speed lets you adjust play speed easily The new Clip Speed feature can be accessed from the Video FX tab, and lets you speed through slow processes in a demonstration or slow down a faster process you want your … Read more

As screencasting software gets better and easier to use, people have found more and more uses for recording and sharing live video from their Mac's screen--from hands-on tech support to online gaming braggadocio. Screenium has long been one of the best options for Mac users who want to record video and audio captured from their desktops, and the jump to 2.0 has made the app even better.

Screenium can help you record full-screen, or in a single window or prescribed area, and the app captures anything and everything -- including streaming video, microphone audio commentary, picture-in-picture of your … Read more

Your Mac comes with some handy options for taking a quick screen grab, but sometimes you need a bit more. Most Mac users will recognize the Command-Shift-3 keystroke to take a screenshot of the whole screen or Command-Shift-4 to capture a selected area of your screen. But often you'll want to tell a story with that screenshot, and that's where popular image capture app Snagit comes in.

Snagit for Mac just had a major upgrade to version 2.0, and while it still hasn't reached feature parity with the Windows version, it's clear the folks at … Read more

ScreenFlow is a popular screen-recording and editing tool for creating screencasts, such as presentations, tutorials, and product demos, on your Mac. This app can handle every aspect of pulling together a screencast, from high-quality screen capture (including the ability to grab iSight and DV camera data, and mic and computer audio) to editing and exporting, with built-in YouTube publishing.

Thanks to ScreenFlow's fairly intuitive interface (now with even more time-saving shortcuts and contextual menus), even novice users can assemble a basic screencast. Experienced users, on the other hand, will appreciate the app's more sophisticated touches, such as the … Read more