Scan & Fix 50 registry issues FREECNET Editors' review
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 dotted-line selection frame you can drag to resize and reshape. The media player-style toolbar is simple yet superbly executed, with clear icons and displays that need no labels. SOM is totally easy to use, too. You can use the manual controls, but the message box in the center of the selection area had a better idea: one hot-key combo, Alt+P, starts recording video after a 3-second onscreen countdown, and pauses it again when you want to stop recording temporarily. If you click Done, you're taken to SOM's Preview page, where you can preview your recording in quite a large window and select one of three easy options: Publish to Screencast-O-Matic, Publish to YouTube, and Publish to Video File (save). SOM saves clips in QuickTime (MP4), Windows Media File (AVI), Flash (FLV), and Animated Image (GIF) formats. The animated GIF option is great for blogs, smartphone apps, and other size-intensive animation needs. You can also choose an output size in pixels, including a Rescale option, and add Notes and Captions. Advanced options include Mouse effects and the ability to remove audio or Webcam data.
We created a quick desktop demo-style video with both mousing and typing and clicked the Video File option. We selected FLV since we wanted to try the YouTube feature and compare it with normal uploads. The free version's watermark isn't annoying, and our video turned out well. The upload options worked fine, too. And if you like Screencast-O-Matic as much as we do but don't like the watermark, it's cheap to go Pro.
Screencast-O-Matic - Capture your screen or webcam - Download Video Previews:Publisher's Description
From Screencast-O-Matic:
Screencast-O-Matic is a free screen and webcam recorder to capture video from your computer screen Share it on Screencast-O-Matic.com, YouTube, or save to a video file.
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All versions:
3.7 starsout of 24 votes
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Current version:
3.8 starsout of 16 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"Simple to use, and flawless execution."
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
So easy to use, that no tutorial is needed.
Works fast and flawlessly.
Uploads videos directly to youtube.
Screen capture size is easily changed.
Saves videos to your computer in mp4 format.
Encodes videos by itself.
Will save in HD if you chooseCons
In the free version, no more than one video can be done in the program at one time.
Has a fifteen minute recording limit in the free version(which is plenty for me).Summary
This is exactly what I was looking for. It records my screen flawlessly by simply adjusting the recording size window and pressing the record button. After your recording is finished, it asks you what you would like to do with your video. With two clicks, it will upload your video directly to youtube, or you can save it to your computer. It encodes the video to mp4 before saving, which takes a short time. When you press the button saying you're done with the video, it tells you that the video will be deleted. One of the reviews before me said you must delete the saved video on your hard drive before creating a new one. I don't know whether they delete the saved mp4 version on the hard drive as well as the un-encoded raw version in the program or not, so I saved a copy to my usb drive just in case, which worked fine. The video is nice quality, and they give you options of which bit rate you want to save it to, all the way up to hd. This is a great free app.
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"This is a great software."
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
This is free, and allows you to save it to your computer, unlike some other software, which make you upload to Youtube.
Cons
It has the Screencast-O-Matic logo written in the bottom left corner.
Summary
This is overall, a great product, and I would recommend this to anyone who wants a free and easy to use screen recorder.
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"I love this product!"
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
Easy to use. You can draw on the video as you record it or edit it later. You can save it in many formats, and even store it online. Easy to send video to your Youtube account.
Cons
none I can think of.
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"Poor lacks features"
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
No Pros to this
Cons
Doesn't record audio from sound card, only from microphone
Constantly pestering you to buy pro version -
"Almost Useless; only captures ONE video."
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
Easy to use.
Cons
As another reviewer said, it only captures ONE video.
Summary
I used it to capture a video, saving it to my own folder, as an AVI file. I then opened the file, and it opened it into my Windows Media Player as I wanted it to. Worked fine.
However, when I went to capture a 2nd. video, it said "Delete your previous video", or "BUY the better version.
It will not capture another video if you have already saved another one; anywhere on your hard drive!!
This makes it ALMOST USELESS, in my opinion.
I uninstalled it with a GREAT free program, the Wise Program Uninstaller. It also removed strings from my registry; checked by searching the registry, using "regedit". -
"Seems to be fine"
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
Does what it says it will do. Installs quick and easy and off you go screen capturing with a simple dashboard
Cons
No problems so far. Nothing else intalled. No Bastard Ask toolbars or Bastard crap like those other scamwares impose on you.
Summary
Straightforward. Easy. No scams.
"other scamwares" should read "Other Bastard Scamware parasite predator Bastards"
Updated on Nov 6, 2012 -
"Gets the job done"
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
Easy to install and use.
Cons
Need to change sound card settings in control panel to get the volume to work
Summary
Easy to use, functional and not at all bad for a free piece of software
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"Free Ver only saves 1 video at a time"
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
halfways decent
Cons
Free version won't save more than 1 video on your computer -- have to save it off to a thumb drive then delete, before you can do another video ....
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"Decent tool, too short."
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
Easy to use
Cons
Limited to 15 minutes.
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"Near perfect"
Version: Screencast-O-Matic 1.2
Pros
Awesome vid quality, simple to use
Cons
Iffy sound
Summary
Captures full frame rate and accurate color. That merits repeating, FULL FRAME RATE and ACCURATE COLOR! Wow! A very rare combination.
EDIT: I stand corrected, there IS a full screen option.
Sound tends to be muffled with noticeable static in quieter parts; probably not the best choice for capturing music videos, etc.
Interface is intuitive and self-explanatory.
Choose from preset size/resolution, from VGA to full HD, or click and drag capture box to any size... BUT you can't record full vertical because its own temporary toolbar is on screen bottom (for example max possible capture for 1600x900 is 1600x864).
Start/stop is via toolbar or Alt-P. It would be nice if there was an option to set hotkeys.
Finished recordings can be published directly to YouTube or the ScreenOMatic site (free account required), or saved in your choice of MP4, FLV, AVI or GIF formats. Can also be saved as VGA, 1280x720 HD, or to custom scale. A sample display shows how it will look onscreen. Other options are to add notes or create captions. And all that's just the free version!
Very happy with this software so far.
Updated on Oct 22, 2012
As the next reviewer points out, you are limited to 15 minutes per recording in the freeware. Since I'm not trying to capture whole TV episodes or anything, it's a nonissue for my purposes.
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