Selecting a screencasting tool for your project

Recently I was in need of a good screencasting software to create my own video tutorials. I must say that this is one area where a paid software is a much better option than an open-source one. Let us take a look at the available options.

1. Camtasia Studio - Even though I have not used it, all the feedback I have read till now tells me that this is the best screencasting software available. It is however a premium product and will cost you $299. This software comes will all the features that you require, including the much desired video editing features, and glamorous player themes. You can even annotate the video frames with your own text, pointers, etc. It records the screencast in video format, and the output can be in your desired format including flash.

2. Camstudio - This is an open-source software. It is a good alternative to Camtasia Studio but lacks the editing feature. So, once you record something you have to live with it or rerecord the whole thing. This makes it cumbersome for users new to screencasting, as mistakes are bound to happen.

3. Wink - This is another open-source screencasting tool from DebugMode and works pretty well. It comes with all the editing features that you may require. You can add/delete frames, and even overlay text, arrow marks, etc on the screens. I think this is the best tool to start your screencasting experience with As you gain experience, you can thing of purchasing a license for Camtasia Studio.


4. Jing - This is also a free software for screen captures and screencasts. It has a limitation of 5 minutes for recording and also doesn't have editing features. However, the screen capture feature is verygood. You can capture a screen and then even add textboxes, shade different areas, or add arrow marks, among other features.

I am using Jing for screen captures and Wink for screencasting.