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TUAW Faceoff: Screencasting
Screencasting -- the not-so-ancient art of recording the computer screen for the entertainment and enrichment of others -- has evolved into quite a Hydra of options. How do the myriad gladiators in this arena stack up? I've tried everything I could find that could record a little movement on the screen, and selected 8 contenders for the matchup. We'll start this boxing match off with the free apps, and then see if the "money" apps stack enough features on to make them worth the cash.
Beta Beat: Screenium
Screencasting is becoming a standard method of conveying software-related information. I'm fairly certain that even my mom knows the word, which is my typical buzz-guage. And here you were, thinking "I wish there was yet another contender in the screencast recording arena", right? Lucky you.Synium's Screenium, which is currently in beta preview, is a new arrival in an already teeming category of software. It has standard features like fullscreen, fixed area and mouse-follow capture, hotkey integration and adjustable quality/frame rate with capture presets. It also boasts a single window capture mode and frame rates up to 60fps. I don't know why you'd need to capture a screen at 60fps, but it can't hurt to know it's available. In my testing, Screenium performed exceptionally well in the area of small filesize, high quality captures and its default presets were simple and useful. It also gets high marks for ease of use. And it didn't max out my CPU and turn my fans into Harrier jets after 2 minutes, which is kind of nice when you're recording microphone audio. It's got some distance to cover before the official release in February, but Screenium is looking like a strong contender.
Screencast for, well, screencasts
Screencast is the latest entry in the OS X screencast making sweepstakes (joining iShowU and old champ, Snapz Pro X among others). One of the nice things about Screencast is its built-in support for showing keystrokes and mouse clicks, without the need for extra software like Mouseposé. When you type a keyboard command while recording, a bezel will pop up showing what you typed. The specs and price sound good (30fps and less than $30), but it's hard to tell how well it will work for longer screencasts since the demo is limited to 1 minute (and prominently watermarks the video).Screencast is $29 and the demo is available.[via Macworld]
Snapz Pro X 2.1.1 is available
Earlier today, Ambrosia released version 2.1.1 of their popular screen capture tool (we've written about Snapz Pro X several times). For the unfamiliar: Snapz Pro X lets you capture what you're doing on your Mac's screen - or just a portion thereof - as a Quicktime movie. It's a fantastic way to make screencasts, and also snags audio and still images.Version 2.1.1 brings a number of changes, including: Improved registration experience Several squashed bugs, including the blank frames at the end of some movies and garbled video capture on older, nVidia-equipped Macs Improved performance for audio captures We like Snapz Pro X quite a bit. Try it out. A single license will cost you $69US. It's universal and requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or later.
TUAW Podcast #25: Aperture
Now that I'm on the home stretch of my undergrad (just a thesis project left to finish), I'm finally able to stretch my legs into some hobbies I've been meaning to pick up. One such hobby is photography, and since I've been flexing my digital tools, I've quickly become enamored with Aperture, Apple's professional alternative to iPhoto. Even though I am by no means a professional photographer (no laughing at my pictures!), there are a ton of features in Aperture that drew me away from iPhoto, and I thought highlighting some of these tempting tools would be ripe for a TUAW podcast. Aperture, in my opinion, isn't just for the photographers whose lens bags weigh more than most typical household dogs; it offers a wealth of general features for power users, photography enthusiasts and those who need something that lands right at the intersection of iPhoto and Photoshop in terms of both functionality and price.Hence, TUAW Podcast #25 was born. For just over twenty minutes I explore some of Aperture's features that I think appeal to a wide audience. Pick up a copy from our iTunes Store Podcast directory, this direct link or our own podcast rss feed.
Desktopple - powerful desktop hiding utility
For podcasters and clutterbugs alike, there are a number of tools that help you hide your desktop, briefly change its wallpaper and digitally stuff all your icons in the closet to help your screencast shine and impress the boss with your ninja-like file management skills. Desktopple from FoggyNoggin Software (what a name for a software company) is just such a tool, and I'm an inch away from buying a license as it goes above and beyond merely hiding my messy desktop habits. As you can see, Desktopple still gives you easy access to your desktop files while hiding them, and it offers 'Window Cleaning,' the ability to automatically hide certain applications after a specified period of inactivity. It can also be set to hide your desktop when you start certain applications, and even restore it when you quit said apps. Toss in support for separately configuring the hiding of multiple desktops, ignoring Exposé (so your desktop remains hidden) hotkey and Automator support, and you can consider me sold as soon as I can explain yet another software purchase to my wife.Desktopple costs $17, and a free 15-day trial is available from FoggyNoggin Software.[via simongate's TUAW Flickr Desktops Pool submission]
Making Screencasts
Don McAllister over at ScreenCastsOnline points to this great tutorial for making screencasts on your Mac. Miraz Jordan has a bunch of suggestions for setting up and recording a screencast bringing together a number of tools like Backdrop, Mouseposé , iShowU, and Snapz Pro X, all of which we have mentioned at one time or another. Rather coincidentally I also ran across (via Cocoablogs) this discussion by Peter Hosey of optimizing iShowU for screencasts, but the comments there suggest that Snapz Pro X is able to capture at a higher resolution than iShowU (with the trade off being the time it takes to save the movie when you're finished recording). Unfortunately, though it works with Intel Macs, Snapz Pro X is not universal (unlike the less expensive iShowU). So TUAWers, share your own experiences: what have you found that works particularly well for screencasting? And if you don't have any experience yet, but would like to get some, check out Miraz Jordan's tutorial to learn how to get started.
Omni Group posts OmniOutliner screencasts
OmniOutliner is arguably the Photoshop of the note-taking industry; it's endowed with a plethora of powerful abilities that are wrapped in a well-designed experience, and it wears many hats for its many users. It only makes sense, then, for the Omni crew to team up with ScreenCastsOnline to produce a series of free tutorial videos that demonstrate some of OmniOutliner and OmniOutliner Pro's key features. If you've ever needed a crash course on everything you can do with this powerful app, these videos range in topics from a basic introduction, levels and styles, columns in notes, embedding files and exactly what's so special about the Pro version. As one would expect from a website that makes a living out of producing screencasts, these tutorials are very well produced and a great resource for users both old and new.
TUAW Podcast #21 - the NetNewsWire 3 beta screencast
The TUAW Podcast is upon us, and for #21 I decided on a screencast of that NetNewsWire 3 beta sneak peek released a couple weeks ago. The new version is a slick piece of work with a lot of nice new features, and I go over all the good stuff in just under 8 minutes. This H264/AAC podcast weighs in at 800 x 450 and 42MB, and can be had from our iTunes Store Podcast directory, this direct link or our own podcast rss feed. Enjoy!P.S. - don't forget to digg us in the digg podcast directory as well![Update: It seems we had some problems with properly linking the podcast directly and for the iTS, but things should be good to go now. The direct link is now working, and our iTS podcast directory should refresh at least within an hour or two, but likely within 30 minutes.]
Requesting Feedback on the TUAW podcast
Unfortunately, we won't be having a podcast this week on account of some medical troubles of yours truly. In light of this void, however, we figured it would be perfect time to solicit some feedback on how we're doing so far. Do you want to hear more witty banter from the TUAW bloggers? More screencasts? Too long or short? Would you like more tips and tricks or commentary on current Apple events? We know sound quality is an issue, and we're working on it (I just picked up a Blue Snowball for you guys, and I'm trying to learn everything I can about how best to leverage it). If you need a review, check out our most recent podcasts: #11, #12 (a Quicksilver screencast) and #13, or simply subscribe to our iTS podcast feed or straight-up podcast RSS feed to get caught up.So let's hear it: what would you like out of the TUAW podcast? Obviously, we'd like you to keep your requests realistic and constructive (i.e. - we're working on a Steve Jobs interview, but don't hold your breath), but we'll do our best to take your feedback to heart and make the TUAW podcast one of the best darn Apple-centric podcasts you can lay your ears on.
TUAW Podcast #12: Quicksilver and iCal
There wasn't much podcast-worthy news to chat about last week, so we thought it was the perfect time to do something different and bring you the first TUAW screencast evar! In this podcast (netcast!), I demonstrate that trick we covered last month of how to add iCal events and todos from Quicksilver, and I've ironed out a few details for a much more usable process. I figured this would be a great way to demonstrate some of Quicksilver's unique power with purty moving pictures, instead of the typical non-moving pictures. This screencast clocks in at 7:32, and it's 21MB of H.264 goodness.Speaking of goodness, we're soliciting feedback on this screencast (as if you need to be asked). This is my first screencast, so it's a little rough around the edges. I sound a lot better podcasting-wise, though I'm still working on picking up a Samson USB mic that reader Jules Stoop recommended, especially since I've seen it written up as *the* killer podcasting mic (I'm trying to find a good deal, since $80 is a little steep right now). But let us know what you think: too fast? Too slow? Do I sound like a muppet? I have a lot to learn about moving video between the big suites, as I have some good After Effects skills I could've used to spice this up, but I couldn't find a decent codec to preserve the quality when exporting the edited video out of Final Cut Pro (I especially am accepting workflow feedback on this topic). Rest assured, this is at the top my todos (pun intended!) for the next screencast, so I'll be able to add all sorts of flying text and 3D space aliens.But that's enough chatter for now: here's a direct link to TUAW Podcast #12, another link to our iTS podcast feed, and of course: our good ol' fashioned raw RSS feed.Update: Our iTS feed had a little bug that prevented this video from making the list, but it has since been fixed. Podcast #12 is ready to roll from the iTS Podcast Directory, so head over and grab a copy!
Snapz Pro updated for Intel Macs
Ambrosia Software has released Snapz Pro X 2.0.3, an Intel Mac-compatible upgrade to its top-notch screen recording app. Other improvements include a tune-up to make Snapz Pro run smoothly on single processor machines, and a fix to ensure control over whether the cursor appears in your recording. I use Snapz Pro almost every day to make static screenshots for TUAW and for print publications, and to make movies of my screen for video podcasts. I love, love, love this program. Sure you can use the built-in screenshot capability in OS X, but Snapz Pro offers much more control over static screenshots and the added bonus of recording movement on your screen. Snapz Pro X 2.0.3 is a free upgrade for registered users of Snapz Pro X 2.0.x. New users pay $29 for the static version and $69 for the movie version.
Sandvox 1.0.2 with new features, demo screencast, intro pricing ends soon
Karelia Software has updated Sandvox, their feature-packed WYSIWYG web design app, to version 1.0.2, bringing a few new features to the table such as a much-requested Format menu. Of course, other bug fixes and the like are included, so check out the release notes for the full details.In addition to a one-hundredth of a point update, Karelia Software has also created a demo screencast for Sandvox which takes (potential) users through the site creation process and demos the many features Sandvox has to offer, such as adding weblogs and photo albums, as well as the Pro feature lineup. Along with the screencast, Karelia Software has also updated their online documentation with "How do I?", troubleshooting and reference sections. Last on the Sandvox update is the impending doom of their introductory pricing offer. Presently, a single regular Sandvox license goes for $39 USD, while the Pro version is $69 USD - but only until Friday, June 16th. I couldn't track down what these prices will bump up to, but I'm sure they'll make these look like a good deal. Get it while it's hot.
Quicksilver screencast at the Apple Blog
Quicksilver, you either love it with all your heart or just don't get it. We here at TUAW are Quicksilver boosters (I've said it before, and I'll say it again, a Mac without Quicksilver doesn't seem like a Mac to me). It would seem that we are not the only Apple centric blog on the block that is crazy for Quicksilver.The Apple Blog (they're not official either, so don't worry) has produced a screencast (a quicktime movie demoing the app) all about setting up Quicksilver. This is worth a look if you want to find out about all the hubbub about Quicksilver, and you don't feel like installing it on your Mac.
Subversion screencast
Mike Zornek, fellow Mac geek and Philadelphian, has created a very good screencast that covers installing, and using, Subversion on OS X.What's Subversion?A versioning system that allows a large group of people to work on the same files without worrying about overwriting each other's work. It is very useful in development shops were more than one set of hands touches code.Take a look at the screencast (it is about 15 minutes long) and get a good intro into both Subversion and versioning in general.
Kinkless Getting Things Done 0.83 released
For those who aren't familiar with this "Getting Things Done" term that's being tossed around the 'net more and more often these days: it's a methodology (not necessarily a piece of software) developed by David Allen for better managing your projects, tasks, time and life. Kinkless GTD (Getting Things Done) is a combination of plugins by Ethan Schoonover for both Quicksilver and OmniOutliner Pro that adapts this methodology for the digital lifestyle, allowing you to easily add projects and tasks to a customized OmniOutliner Pro document, as well as syncing them with iCal - reminders and all.To help you wrap your head around this fantastic new way of organizing yourself, as well as these equally impressive tools, Ethan has produced a 10 minute screencast that should help you hit the ground running. Yes, it's 10 minutes out of your non-stop, lightning-fast lifestyle, but trust me: this could quite possibly be the best 10 minutes you've ever spent learning how to organize the other 1430 minutes of your day.It's hard to just jump into this system and figure out what's going on, but in case you're already ahead of the rest of the class, you'll need the latest kGTD release, as well as the latest beta of OmniOutliner Pro and the optional but spectacular Quicksilver.[via Hawk Wings]
