Camtasia Studio

Type of Program: Video/Graphics Editor
Supported Platforms: Win9x/NT/XP
Version: 1.1.0
Company Name: TechSmith
Price: $349.00
Installed Size: 12 Mb

Download/Homepage

Many of you may already be familiar with the popular software application of "SnagIt" or Camtasia itself but did you know that Camtasia has been improved and upgraded? Camtasia is now called Camtasia Studio. Camtasia Studio is five applications in one: You have Camtasia Recorder, Camtasia Producer, Camtasia Effects, Camtasia MenuMaker, and Camtasia Player. Each of these applications can be easily opened from the Camtasia Studio LaunchPad. Camtasia Studio gives you the professional edge and quality in video production that is designed to prepare for your every need. By using the Camtasia Recorder you can capture moving action on your computer screen and save it as a computer video file. What about other real-time movement? Well, if you type text, move the cursor, click buttons, or select menus, the Recorder gives you the ability to record a video of all your actions that you can later save and play back!

If you are not familiar with what Camtasia Studio is, it is a screen capture and video production tool all in one. With Camtasia Studio you can record all your screen activity as videos, and then go back to edit and narrate any of the clips. Or, narrate on the fly as you capture screen shots. You can of course capture entire screens or any sections as you wish. By utilizing the LaunchPad you have instant access to many of 's options. Once you have a series of capture shots it's just a click away to start producing your final output!

Producing your final video is just as easy. You can go back to any frame, using the Storyboard interface to assemble and add transitions to your AVI clips. Produce the final video to distribute as standard AVI files or as streaming presentations from a Web site. Since this newest release of Camtasia Studio you now also have the option of creating SWF files that are small and easy to place onto any Web site. SO if you have video presentations, tutorials or instructions you need for others to see, it's a snap to produce these and get them ready for your site.

Since Camtasia has been transformed now into Camtasia Studio, let me name some of its new features:

1.. Camtasia Studio LaunchPad
b.. Camtasia Recorder
c.. Camtasia Producer
d.. Camtasia Audio Editor
e.. Camtasia Effects
f.. Camtasia MenuMaker
g.. Camtasia Player

When I was testing Camtasia Studio I put together a small tutorial that was as natural as just using the actual program! I launched my application, started the recording activation from Camtasia Studio and used my application, as I normally would while recording mouse clicks and all intervention. When I was finished I launched the Producer and assembled the final video with dialog boxes and a few other nifty little items to spruce it up. Using the MenuMaker was a great feature to create my own CD complete with (imagine this), "menus" and options. All was done without a great deal of time and the video was ready for the Web in a matter of a few mouse clicks.

What about add-ons? TechSmith has you covered with a nice program called Theater. With Theater you can easily create an interactive program, complete with menus for all of your Flash files. Theater gives you that professional edge and allows you create DVD style navigation where your users can quickly choose between your movies and can be viewed online or on a CD ROM. Theater is just as easy to use too. You can add files, edit them and save them as Project files so you can come back to them later and finish working on them. With Theater you can really give your video style with just the look and feel all your own!

Bottomline: I have tried other programs that are suppose to do what Camtasia Studio does. I have seen and used look-a-likes of Camtasia Studio, but there is only one Camtasia Studio! All the others, in my opinion just do not have what it takes to be as good as this one! While one may be a spin-off and the other produces such slow videos (very slow to create and especially slow for the Web), Camtasia Studio is the original! With Camtasia Studio having so many great features it will be up to you to decide how you are going to use it. Be assured that you will use it and your presentations will look professional, be easy for the customer to use and best of all, easy and fun to design! Camtasia Studio redefines the way you will design, create and produce all your screen activity in the future. Check out your possibilities on their site.

Performance
User Friendly
Cost
Ease of Installation
Support
Reviewed by Robert Hall

Purchases can be made by visiting their Web site.

Return to SharewareJunkies.com