What Can I Do To Record My Screen? Any cheaper yet powerful apps for PC?

[Adward 0]

Hi all Trap17ers.

 

I'm making some demos of how to use the software of my institute, also I need narration recording and zoom-and-pan features since they make quite easy for audiences to follow. I've tried Camtasia 30-day trial, all things work good but I'm afraid the price makes me little nervous.

 

I also ask for help in other forums, thanks to those warmhearded guys, they told me boatloads of apps so I really don't which one is fit for me. After several times of filtering I decide to choose between Democreator and BB Flashback, both of them have some basic video editing features including what I need, but I still don't know which one is better for software demostration. Any suggestion if you have ideas about them or other alternatives which offers those features mentioned above?

 

Thanks in advanced.

 

Adward

Edited January 5, 2010 by Adward (see edit history)

[deadmad7 4]

I have also tried Camtasia and liked it! I really dont know what you find wrong with the trail... i mean after you get 30 days most people just uninstall then reinstall or you can switch your computer clock backward... or forward.. BUT it is wrong for the developers and you wont support them if you do that so i suggest you try Screen Recorder it is the next best thing..

 

This article provides a step-by-step explanation of how to make a good screen recording, using My Screen Recorder, from planning to actual recording.

Planning your presentation

 

The first step is to have a plan for your screen recording session. To start with, you need to decide whether you want to add voice narration while recording or to record the sound played by the application.

If you're going to record a voice-over narration, it is always a good idea to have some sort of script, so that you can maintain a steady voice and pace while you record. This script can also contain a list of actions (like opening particular windows), so you don't miss recording something important. You can pause and resume the recording at anytime by using the F8 shortcut key. It is a good idea to use a friendly tone of voice, even for corporate presentations.

 

When you want to record the audio from the application itself, set up the audio in the following manner:

 

1. In My Screen Recorder, on the toolbar click on Settings and select Audio.

My Screen Recorder - Settings Menu

2. Click on the Configure button.

My Screen Recorder - Audio Settings Tab

3. To record the application's audio, select Record from speakers. Click on Auto Select to let My Screen Recorder choose the best line for you. While using Auto Select, we recommended that you disconnect the microphone. To choose manually, select the Let me select the line option. Click OK when you have done this, and then OK again to close the Options window.

 

It is especially important to adjust the audio settings when you are recording media players or other interactive software.

Preparing to record

 

To get high quality screen recordings, you need to optimize the settings of My Screen Recorder:

 

1. You first need to decide what screen resolution to record at. High resolution recordings played back at lower screen resolutions result in image distortion. It is generally best to determine the lowest screen resolution that your recording will be played back at, and record at slightly less than that resolution. You can change your PC's screen resolution by right-clicking on the Windows desktop and then selecting Properties > Settings. Under the Settings tab, you can lower the resolution by moving the 'Screen resolution' slider to the left. If you want to increase the resolution, move the slider to the right.

2. The next step is to decide the recording size. If you want to capture only specific parts of your screen, click on the Region button on the tool bar, then choose either the Fixed Dimensions or Rectangle option. This reduces the file size of the recorded video.

My Screen Recorder - Region Selection

3. My Screen Recorder records the video in AVI format, which can be edited easily. However, uncompressed AVI files are very large so your recordings need to be compressed. Go to Tools menu > Settings > Video tab and select a Compressor. (Generally the default compression settings are fine.) Frame rate and Key Frame rate values also affect the file size and can be changed. If you are using My Screen Recorder Pro, you can also convert your AVI file to Windows Media Format. Windows Media files are much smaller, and can be streamed from a specialized web server (such as Video Desk).

 

good recording

 

Frame Rate is the number of frames to record per second. You can make it higher if you want smoother playback, especially for videos containing a lot of motion. However, higher frame rates also result in bigger files.

Key Frame Rate controls how often "full frames" are stored in an AVI file. A higher key frame rate can make it easier to "seek" within a video file, but it also increases the file size. The default settings of the frame rate and the key frame rate are optimum for most types of recordings, but you may try experimenting with these settings for better results.

4. For smoother recordings, especially of applications having fast action motion or media players, disable hardware acceleration by clicking on the Performance tab in the Settings window and then checking the option "Disable hardware acceleration" during recording.

 

Start Recording your Screen Activity

 

1. In My Screen Recorder, click the Record button on the toolbar to launch the Recording Options window. Please note the keyboard shortcuts for record (F8, by default), stop (F9 by default) and cancel (F10 by default). Check the option Pause before recording starts. Uncheck the Record audio while recording video box if you don't want to record audio. Click on OK.

2. Launch the application you would like to record. To start recording, press F8 on your keyboard. Now, perform the actions you want to document. My Screen Recorder will record them in the background. To stop the recording, press the F9 key.

[rayzoredge 2]

Try Wink.

It's free and I think it will be an excellent match with what you're trying to do: software demonstration. You can add captions and basically make a very useful video that you can dumb down as much as you want while giving more tech-savvy users the option to fly through by literally building your own training course. Everything can be saved as an EXE, PDF, HTML, or even Flash so that you can put your tutorial online. The files that are made are also small enough to share in comparison to saving a huge video file.

[Ash-Bash 0]

Camtasia by far! Yes although not exactly freeware but very good for the price. I have been using this ever since it came out and go the new edition of it totally free. No I did not download it, well I did but not illegally. Because I have been a customer with them for ages I said if they send me there new version I would review it for them with all the subscribers I have. They agreed and did this for me, I could not thank them enough after than that but just put there 10 second add in all of my videos!

Now about the software. The software is about 40MB! it includes a screen recorder, video editor and a lot more. It has many customization options and now in the new version has the option for HD on Youtube which is just fantastic!

narration recording and zoom-and-pan

As what you asked for Camtasia Studio will do this for you easy but professionally.
Now you did say in your post that you was nervous about the price of it, Go to there website then to the contact page, Find the correction section to contact sales or something then ask them if you can have there software for free in return you will put adds in all of your videos and maybe a review on it. This usually works!

Please reply or contact me Via PM on these forums if you need any more help .

[Adward 0]

well, thanks for your big help all trap17ers. I've bought DemoCreator yesterday since I have to finish the demos before Wednesday this week, it cost $79 which should be the cheapest among all screencasting tools providing video editing features. It's the first time we try to make such things by using screen recording software so I hope make it simple and frugal.I'm try to shoot for another fund to get camtasia your recommend if the video demos really take effect on academic exchange and popularization. Well, it seems that I need some time to have a deeper study before buying the lisence and I hope I can get your help when I get stuck.Thanks for all your helps and good luck in 2010

[ahmed_mmahmoud 0]

google the net for screen2exe or the version screen2sw, you will like itnote that only the free version is screen2exe