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These utilities are normally used for effectively making movies of computer screens. Such utilities are really useful in tech support, product documentation, presentations, or simply showing someone how to do something.
CamStudio is a freeware application for Windows that allows a user to capture video, sound, or both. It can save videos in both AVI and FLV format. I like the UI of this program; it is simple and easy to use. Of course, as with most video capture programs, you can set the recording area. This program has a lot of useful features such as annotations, watermarks, and customizable interface. You can also set it to either stay on screen while recording or you can hide it to pull up later. As for how the program runs, it ran pretty well for me which says a lot because I am running Windows XP with 256MB of RAM, so it should run on any computer. I did however, experience frame lag when I watched the video back, but this is correctable if you play with the settings. This is probably my favorite Windows capture program.
Istanbul is an application for Linux released under the GNU/GPL license. It is a very lightweight application; in fact when it is running it shows up only as a symbol in your notification area. I personally like this program because it is very light on resources, it has a simple UI, and it has all the features you need. It doesn't have a lot of features like annotations and watermarks, but it is still more than enough for the average user. It also has a simple menu for saving your videos. Some very good things about this program are that you do not need to compile tarballs to install it (though you can if you want), it is available for every Linux distribution, and it produces good recordings. My only complaint is that it only records videos in .ogg format which are not uploadable to YouTube.
Fraps is a Windows only application that has both a free and a paid version. The only difference is that the paid version gives you access to looping features and removes the barely noticable Fraps watermark. Anyway, Fraps is OK if you only plan to record games because that is all you can do with it! You can't record your destop session with it. Another downside is that Fraps uses a lot of resources however, it produces really good looking videos. Also, if you are going to install Fraps make sure you have either DirectX 9.0c or 10.0 because it is required. One really nice feature is that in addition to recording, you can take screenshots or run recording benchmarks to tell you how well your recordings will turn out. All in all it isn't too bad, it just doesn't serve the purposes I need it to.
This software category is in need of an editor. If you are interested in taking it over then check out this page for more details. You can then contact us from that page or by clicking here.
To my mind CamStudio is one of the best. It provides its users with quite good options although it is free. I tried another software, Free Screen Video Recorder. It is also worth trying. Still there is no option for recording audio.
Camstudio WARNING! I tried a couple of these programs - installed them and ran tests. I elected to go with Camstudio because the replays seemed better ( sharp screen and smooth running ). I then recorded a session for which it was very important that I have session proof. When I tried to view the resultant file it would not run - not in VLC, not in WMP, not even in Camstudio's own player.
I went to the Camstudio forum to see if I could get some help. The first topic in the forum talked about how Camstudio could not reliably record any file greater than 2gb in size. It also noted that there would be no warning of any kind - you would just end up with a corrupt file.
THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THIS KNOWN CRITICAL LIMITATION ANYWHERE ON THE CAMSTUDIO MAIN WEBPAGE NOR IN THE INSTALLATION PROCESS NOR IN THE INSTALLATION NOTES. They just let you merrily go your own way and, in my case, lose a critical piece of proof that I needed.
Never use software that can't be trusted. Camstudio can't be trusted. I'm still unable to wrap my head around the fact that they deliberately chose to hide this defect from new users - until its too late.
I came here to post about Active Presenter free and I think that along with CamStudio they are the best video/screen recording softwares available. Although Active Presenter is better among the two.
I've tried many application in the list and most of them have similar features concerning screen recording. My favorite is ActivePresenter which can record video or capture images then export to video. Its free edition doesn't limit features or file size. I can edit after recording, such as add annotation, narration with free edition
by Kim Phoenix (not verified) on 22. October 2012 - 2:49(101159)
An awesome tool, can't believe it's free. Thumbs up for you.
I'm playing around with it now. I'm surprised that I haven't heard about ActivePresenter before, maybe it's a new face in this category?
BB Flashback Express is annoying. It always ask for upgrade at startup and require registration after the 30 day trial. Moreover, it doesn't allow editing.
I've just got a hand on it to try. Yes I agree it's better now, and there's a new release earlier this month. I still like CamStudio due to its ease of use and no drivers are installed as part of the installation. But CamStudio can't record long videos and no new version is out since October 2010.
Also, I don't think there's a portable version of BB Flashback express, which is something I find quite annoying, and I don't think you can export settings easily.
I have tried CamStudio before but it won't record the audio. It just records the video. I remember following a tutorial one time on how to properly record live stream using CamStudio but when I followed the steps strictly, the recorded audio came out very faint.
Did I miss any thing? While when I tried this program, I can record the video with audio and the audio is decent not like one which I have also ever used was very faint.
by Paul777 (not verified) on 31. July 2011 - 17:09(76621)
BEWARE! I spent many hours researching session recording software and found that there are an extremely high number of very low quality /fraudulent/ malicious/ untrustworthy programs that claim to do this. After investigating I was not satisfied that the above programs are any better so I tried Camstudio because it is open source & recommended by so many people here. I found it to be extremely poor. Eventually I discovered that Microsoft Expression Encoder (the free edition) can do this brilliantly, although only 10 minutes at a time. It is a bit complicated, but a brief tutorial is all that is needed. My previous posts contained much more information about the scams, CamStudio & Expression Encoder, but were deleted.
In my impression, two common issues of screen session recording software are audio missing/distortion and low quality recording of dynamic video/HD video. Some bad Software considered by us is really fraudulent with poor technology. And some of them are just Ok but we don’t correctly set the options, for instance, you may not know the high quality audio format is 256kbps, 44Hz, 2 channel 24bit CBR. Previously I record with a software and end up with distorted audio then I also thought it was poor software and felt deceived but someday I change the audio setting then I got better audio quality. So I think we may get some knowledge of technological aspect.
by JohnnyD (not verified) on 27. July 2011 - 16:58(76319)
BBFlashBack got greedy. The program has been pestering me for an upgrade and then I was given a trial period. I was only too happy to uninstalled the dam thing.
CamStudio never worked for me in Vista. I can't get it to record sound. It is plagued by too many error pop-ups. It has a great potential though but perhaps most happy users have it installed in WinXP.
I believe that you are running Vista x64. I have Win7Pro with SP1 x86 and CamStudio worked perfectly.
CamStudio is the best, and is in one of the list of software that I will install after reformatting.
That's one reason I stick with 32bit Windows. Many software worked perfectly with it. Software existed for 64bit Windows, but they worked poorly. So I would suggest you use a 32bit Windows instead, until most or all software worked perfectly.
Also, I think your problem might also be a Vista issue, so upgrading to Windows 7 might fix your problem.
by Ron K. (not verified) on 15. March 2011 - 5:46(67940)
In looking for a Wink alternative, I found this software and would like to nominate it for best in this category... at the very least it's worth a review...
http://www.atomisystems.com/activepresenter/free-edition
by santuccie (not verified) on 12. January 2011 - 7:57(64342)
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears as though you need a dedicated graphics controller in order to capture video at a decent frame rate with BB Flashback Express. Its two standard options offered me 8 and 9 FPS; but supposedly higher if I installed the kernel driver for device capture, which I did. I tested it on a YouTube video (not that I'd planned on using it for this, when I can simply pull these vids from cache), and playback stuttered badly as soon as I started recording. And while my machine may only have humble, Intel HD graphics, it is hardly a dinosaur; with i3 processor, 4 gigs of DDR3, and an $800, 256GB SSD. This leaves Wink and Jing, neither of which would run on my W7 x64 system.
I see a few mentions of CamStudio in the forum here, yet not a word about it in the editorial review. It is armed to the teeth with controls, allowing the user to tailor and optimize recording options as needed. Thanks to settings like "fast decoding" and "zero latency" for the x264vfw compressor, as well as a "Time Critical" option for recording thread priority, I was able to record the video at well over 30 FPS (probably closer to 60) for near-perfect fluidity. I couldn't see an iota of loss until the umpteenth view of the output vid, with my face in the screen. CamStudio only recognizes my microphone, so I can't capture PC speaker sound like I could with Flashback Express, but I already have audio dubbing software; the extra step is a small price to pay for screen session recording at several times the frame rate of the editor's top pick.
I am a happy convert from NCH Debut, whose performance is hardly any better than Flashback Express and also does not recognize my PC speakers. I understand CamStudio doesn't work for everybody (I doubt any of the others do, either, and Flashback Express certainly didn't work for me), and is no longer being developed. But for anyone wanting to capture integrated graphics, this may be your best bet. Whether or not CamStudio deserves top pick, I think it deserves an honorable mention at the very least; an editorial about best free screen session recording software is incomplete without this title IMO. HTH!
Good point about CamStudio. You would be surprised, but CamStudio is still in development. I got to know this few months ago, and I was quite surprised too. Although, they haven't released a stable version after 2.0, but they are working on beta versions, and the latest beta version is 2.6b_r294 released in Oct 2010. It can be downloaded from the CamStudio site, where it is available for download along with older version 2.0.
I also love Camstudio.
There are just a lot of options that I can't cover.
I am using version 2.5 Beta. Much lighter than 2.6, and is completely portable.
I've heard about the 2GB avi limit thingy on the Camstudio's forum but I want to ask does this 2GB limit applies to other Windows screen recorders?
BBFlashback let me export to .avi, but then the .avi file could not be edited by Aviedemux. It won't play, only shows as a pink screen. I need a program that will create a file that can be edited or stopped and recorded over.
I love Camstudio.
It's even better than QuickTime X I guest.
I think I will call Camstudio 'QuickTime X for Windows'.
I even added it to my rklauncher, give it 'QuickTime X' label and give it Quicktime X icon!
by mcvid (not verified) on 25. October 2010 - 10:26(60125)
BB Flashback Express insists on making a sound when it starts recording so every video I make with it has an annoying beep at the start. Can it be made to go away?
Why Camstudio isn't mentioned in the review? It's a great software, and the latest 2.6 beta just came out with a huge bug fix.
Camstudio also don't need any software to be installed, just download it and install it;plus it's win7 compatible;plus you can easily make a portable version just copy the entire camstudio folder to a usb drive and run it anywhere you go.
It's a great app, and I'd stick to it now.
Update:
I tried the stable version of Camstudio version 2.0 and it can run natively on Windows 7;plus it can capture aero!
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To my mind CamStudio is one of the best. It provides its users with quite good options although it is free. I tried another software, Free Screen Video Recorder. It is also worth trying. Still there is no option for recording audio.
CamStudio is still alive!! A new version released .. 2.7 build 316.
Camstudio WARNING! I tried a couple of these programs - installed them and ran tests. I elected to go with Camstudio because the replays seemed better ( sharp screen and smooth running ). I then recorded a session for which it was very important that I have session proof. When I tried to view the resultant file it would not run - not in VLC, not in WMP, not even in Camstudio's own player.
I went to the Camstudio forum to see if I could get some help. The first topic in the forum talked about how Camstudio could not reliably record any file greater than 2gb in size. It also noted that there would be no warning of any kind - you would just end up with a corrupt file.
THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THIS KNOWN CRITICAL LIMITATION ANYWHERE ON THE CAMSTUDIO MAIN WEBPAGE NOR IN THE INSTALLATION PROCESS NOR IN THE INSTALLATION NOTES. They just let you merrily go your own way and, in my case, lose a critical piece of proof that I needed.
Never use software that can't be trusted. Camstudio can't be trusted. I'm still unable to wrap my head around the fact that they deliberately chose to hide this defect from new users - until its too late.
Camstudio is well-known but it's out of date now. I've tried all suggestions from your comments and I think ActivePresenter is an awesome tool.
I came here to post about Active Presenter free and I think that along with CamStudio they are the best video/screen recording softwares available. Although Active Presenter is better among the two.
Camstudio is also available as a Firefox extension/ add-on , you have to have download helper extension/ add-on installed and camstudio is a little add-on to that which is great if you don't want download the software you can just use the Firefox extension.
1st you need firefox download helper -> https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/?src...
then add the CSHelper to it -> https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/cshelper/?src=dp-dl-othersby
Does anybody have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_screencasting_software?
I've tried many application in the list and most of them have similar features concerning screen recording. My favorite is ActivePresenter which can record video or capture images then export to video. Its free edition doesn't limit features or file size. I can edit after recording, such as add annotation, narration with free edition
An awesome tool, can't believe it's free. Thumbs up for you.
I'm playing around with it now. I'm surprised that I haven't heard about ActivePresenter before, maybe it's a new face in this category?
How about BB Flashback Express?
There's someone ever use BB Flashback Express latest version?
BB Flashback Express is better now.
Thanks.
BB Flashback Express is annoying. It always ask for upgrade at startup and require registration after the 30 day trial. Moreover, it doesn't allow editing.
I've just got a hand on it to try. Yes I agree it's better now, and there's a new release earlier this month. I still like CamStudio due to its ease of use and no drivers are installed as part of the installation. But CamStudio can't record long videos and no new version is out since October 2010.
Also, I don't think there's a portable version of BB Flashback express, which is something I find quite annoying, and I don't think you can export settings easily.
I have tried CamStudio before but it won't record the audio. It just records the video. I remember following a tutorial one time on how to properly record live stream using CamStudio but when I followed the steps strictly, the recorded audio came out very faint.
Did I miss any thing? While when I tried this program, I can record the video with audio and the audio is decent not like one which I have also ever used was very faint.
JING and Snagit is the same way. Audio sucks.
BEWARE! I spent many hours researching session recording software and found that there are an extremely high number of very low quality /fraudulent/ malicious/ untrustworthy programs that claim to do this. After investigating I was not satisfied that the above programs are any better so I tried Camstudio because it is open source & recommended by so many people here. I found it to be extremely poor. Eventually I discovered that Microsoft Expression Encoder (the free edition) can do this brilliantly, although only 10 minutes at a time. It is a bit complicated, but a brief tutorial is all that is needed. My previous posts contained much more information about the scams, CamStudio & Expression Encoder, but were deleted.
camstudio is being used in my company. it simply works and doesn't eat up my cpu power.
all windows xp machines
In my impression, two common issues of screen session recording software are audio missing/distortion and low quality recording of dynamic video/HD video. Some bad Software considered by us is really fraudulent with poor technology. And some of them are just Ok but we don’t correctly set the options, for instance, you may not know the high quality audio format is 256kbps, 44Hz, 2 channel 24bit CBR. Previously I record with a software and end up with distorted audio then I also thought it was poor software and felt deceived but someday I change the audio setting then I got better audio quality. So I think we may get some knowledge of technological aspect.
BBFlashBack got greedy. The program has been pestering me for an upgrade and then I was given a trial period. I was only too happy to uninstalled the dam thing.
CamStudio never worked for me in Vista. I can't get it to record sound. It is plagued by too many error pop-ups. It has a great potential though but perhaps most happy users have it installed in WinXP.
I believe that you are running Vista x64. I have Win7Pro with SP1 x86 and CamStudio worked perfectly.
CamStudio is the best, and is in one of the list of software that I will install after reformatting.
That's one reason I stick with 32bit Windows. Many software worked perfectly with it. Software existed for 64bit Windows, but they worked poorly. So I would suggest you use a 32bit Windows instead, until most or all software worked perfectly.
Also, I think your problem might also be a Vista issue, so upgrading to Windows 7 might fix your problem.
At present there appears to be a bug in Wink 2.0 which does not allow for input-driven capture in Windows 7.0 or other 64-bit OS.
http://groups.google.com/group/wink-discuss/web/known-issues-in-wink-v2-0 (under #9)
and also
http://groups.google.com/group/wink-discuss/browse_thread/thread/fcc4feaceaad032d
In looking for a Wink alternative, I found this software and would like to nominate it for best in this category... at the very least it's worth a review...
http://www.atomisystems.com/activepresenter/free-edition
Have tried and absolutely agree. You can mix slide-based screenshots with full motion video. Easily add audio, callouts and interactions...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but it appears as though you need a dedicated graphics controller in order to capture video at a decent frame rate with BB Flashback Express. Its two standard options offered me 8 and 9 FPS; but supposedly higher if I installed the kernel driver for device capture, which I did. I tested it on a YouTube video (not that I'd planned on using it for this, when I can simply pull these vids from cache), and playback stuttered badly as soon as I started recording. And while my machine may only have humble, Intel HD graphics, it is hardly a dinosaur; with i3 processor, 4 gigs of DDR3, and an $800, 256GB SSD. This leaves Wink and Jing, neither of which would run on my W7 x64 system.
I see a few mentions of CamStudio in the forum here, yet not a word about it in the editorial review. It is armed to the teeth with controls, allowing the user to tailor and optimize recording options as needed. Thanks to settings like "fast decoding" and "zero latency" for the x264vfw compressor, as well as a "Time Critical" option for recording thread priority, I was able to record the video at well over 30 FPS (probably closer to 60) for near-perfect fluidity. I couldn't see an iota of loss until the umpteenth view of the output vid, with my face in the screen. CamStudio only recognizes my microphone, so I can't capture PC speaker sound like I could with Flashback Express, but I already have audio dubbing software; the extra step is a small price to pay for screen session recording at several times the frame rate of the editor's top pick.
I am a happy convert from NCH Debut, whose performance is hardly any better than Flashback Express and also does not recognize my PC speakers. I understand CamStudio doesn't work for everybody (I doubt any of the others do, either, and Flashback Express certainly didn't work for me), and is no longer being developed. But for anyone wanting to capture integrated graphics, this may be your best bet. Whether or not CamStudio deserves top pick, I think it deserves an honorable mention at the very least; an editorial about best free screen session recording software is incomplete without this title IMO. HTH!
Good point about CamStudio. You would be surprised, but CamStudio is still in development. I got to know this few months ago, and I was quite surprised too. Although, they haven't released a stable version after 2.0, but they are working on beta versions, and the latest beta version is 2.6b_r294 released in Oct 2010. It can be downloaded from the CamStudio site, where it is available for download along with older version 2.0.
Thank you very much for this information!
Very welcome :).
I also love Camstudio.
There are just a lot of options that I can't cover.
I am using version 2.5 Beta. Much lighter than 2.6, and is completely portable.
I've heard about the 2GB avi limit thingy on the Camstudio's forum but I want to ask does this 2GB limit applies to other Windows screen recorders?
BBFlashback let me export to .avi, but then the .avi file could not be edited by Aviedemux. It won't play, only shows as a pink screen. I need a program that will create a file that can be edited or stopped and recorded over.
I love Camstudio.
It's even better than QuickTime X I guest.
I think I will call Camstudio 'QuickTime X for Windows'.
I even added it to my rklauncher, give it 'QuickTime X' label and give it Quicktime X icon!
BB Flashback Express insists on making a sound when it starts recording so every video I make with it has an annoying beep at the start. Can it be made to go away?
Why Camstudio isn't mentioned in the review? It's a great software, and the latest 2.6 beta just came out with a huge bug fix.
Camstudio also don't need any software to be installed, just download it and install it;plus it's win7 compatible;plus you can easily make a portable version just copy the entire camstudio folder to a usb drive and run it anywhere you go.
It's a great app, and I'd stick to it now.
Update:
I tried the stable version of Camstudio version 2.0 and it can run natively on Windows 7;plus it can capture aero!