BP2_ScreenCastle

Last year a client of mine introduced me to ScreenCastle while he was attending a convention. A thousand miles away, I had been working on a video project for him with a rather tight schedule. Anyway we needed to add a few clips to the video demonstrating the use of some online testing tools, and for the sake of time he shot quick screencasts using ScreenCastle on his laptop from the lobby of his hotel. He quickly sent me links to the screencasts in which he narrated exactly which sections of the web page he wanted to have displayed in the video. I was impressed with the turnaround and we made a very close deadline because of it. 


Up until now I hadn't a chance to put it to use myself, but when I saw it listed on go2web20.net I knew I had to give it a try.


http://screencastle.com/watch/7c5ea4836fb8d795c8635073a840cbb9


I first attempted to capture the functions of ScreenCastle in video, using ScreenCastle itself. This was probably a mistake because it did not work. I thought at first it was an issue with the browser but I imagine it could have also been that I had two instances of the tool running at once.


Later that day though my dad gave me a call asking me about RealPlayer and its associated video downloader and converted. So I sent him the links to the download, and made a quick demonstration video with ScreenCastle for he and my step mother. This time ScreenCastle worked flawlessly. I on the other hand did not. You only get one take in ScreenCastle, so it better be a good one. In the four and a half minute clip, I stutter and stumble my way through using real player. The video functioned well enough for their needs, but with the momentary pauses for web pages to load and files to convert a full two minutes are completely wasted, and with no way to cut or edit it is not something I would publish here. The truth is a tutorial of this kind, for the masses, requires  a professional screencasting tool.


That said if you need to get a screencast out there fast, and don't care about overall quality this is definitely a great tool. 

Instructions

For those of you who have spent any amount of time with Screenflow, Camtasia, iShowU, or their likenesses, you know there are learning curves involved in creating and editing a screencast, not to mention the time to export, and upload your final cut. ScreenCastle is the tool you need to make a quick screencast for the web without software.

Just open your web browser, in this case I used Firefox 4.0.1, and visit http://screencastle.com/.

Click the red button, and ScreenCastle will load a small Java control application (you may have to give your browser permission to do so). When the controls open you can decide weather you want the whole screen to be recorded or or just a selected portion, and weather to use microphone audio or not. Those are the settings, thats all you get. 

                                  

When you have made your selections a bar appears at the top of your screen with a record button on it, press to record, and touch your mouse cursor to the top of the screen when you are done. 

                                  

If you're not recording the full screen a focus window will appear with start and stop functions. 

                                  

After recording the file will upload, and upload time will depend on the length of your recording. There is no limit on the size or length of your recording. After upload your screencast is given a list of formatted URLs you can use including a link to the Screencastle player, an HTML embed code, and a direct link to the file for download. This could be useful if you want to edit the file and use it for further screencast projects. 

     

Keep in mind, there is no way to edit in ScreenCastle, so, its a one shot deal, or start the recording over. But, this is really hard to consider a limitation, if you wanted or need to edit wouldn't you just use Screenflow. So, for ease of use, quick results, and immediate online hosting for free, try ScreenCastle.