Thread: Techsmith Camtasia Studio 6.0.2

While the popularity of screen casting is largely owed to video tutorials, such as the ones on the Internet, it hasn't gained momentum amongst the masses or the end-consumer. But with applications such as the Camtasia Studio 6.0.2, this could change rapidly. So, if you're even a little apprehensive about recording full-motion screen-capture videos, this application will be a good refresher.

Features
Tutorials, official presentations, marketing and even advertising, they all use screen casting videos. Camtasia Studio 6.0.2 is a professional screen casting program which is brimming with features that allow recording audio narration, full motion video recording of onsc.reen activities and single-frame snapshots. Mainly intended for screen casting, it also allows editing, producing and sharing of the recorded media online.

It has an automated hierarchy where a user is given choices at each stage to modify the video for specific use. First, a recording area needs to be selected, and there are two basic options to do so, full screen and custom. Once set, push the 'Record' button to start recording.

Post recording, the media lands up in the editor for editing. There are four parts in this Window, the left-hand side panel which shows a list of tasks that can be performed; a preview of the video on the right-hand side, the center panel has files waiting to be edited and finally the timeline area at the bottom. Timeline is where all the action happens, such as adding transition effects, deleting parts of a clip, inserting external media such as MP3, AVI, MPEG, and the zoom-n- tilt function. One of the most striking features is 'Smart Focus'-found on the timeline toolbar.



Enabling this allows Camtasia to detect the prevalent areas that need to be zoomed into, and adds the zoom-n-tilt feature automatically. Another commendable feature is the support and guidance provided. For each task and feature, there's an elaborate video tutorial made. All you need to do is click on the 'Show me' button from inside a specific task window, and you'll be taken to the easy, online video walk through of that particular task.

Once edited, its time for production. Saving the video in the desired format and size is important. A user is prompted twice, once before editing and once after the completion if editing. For best results, it's recommended that you choose the same production preset as chosen before. For instance, you might want to use the video for a personal media player, the Internet or for presentations. That brings us to yet another useful feature, the Microsoft PowerPoint add-in. During installation, the user is prompted to enable the PowerPoint add-in so that you can record slide shows from within PowerPoint.

Features such as adding voice narration, recording video from other sources such as a webcam, adding picture in picture, callouts and captions, can all be added once you get your video in the timeline.

Performance
This is a professional application that delivers good results and is quite easy to use. Although it's one of the most comprehensive screen-capturing software out there, it is quite expensive. Also it's sluggish on entry-level computers, so if you plan to use it on a netbook or a modest entry-level laptop, this is not a good option. Teachers and salespersons will greatly benefit from this software.