No, this is not a new Web 2.0 technology. In fact, it predates webcasting and podcasting by several years–an eternity in computer time. Screencasting is a term used to describe the act of capturing a still image or a video image from your computer screen. Screencasting is particularly useful for educators in that it provides a way to illustrate documents, PowerPoint slide shows, web pages, or videos with snapshots and videos of how a process is supposed to look on a computer screen. For example, you could illustrate a “how to log on to the file server” or “how to use style sheets in Word” slide show with screen shots of the various steps in the process. With a bit more effort, you could create a video of the entire process. I have found this technique particularly useful in my web-based classes, in which I can provide voice-annotated videos of various tasks for my students.<\/p>\n
Both Macs and PCs have had rudimentary screen capture capabilities since their inceptions. Right out of the box, both platforms can capture still images of happenings on the computer screen.<\/p>\n
Here’s how it looks on a Mac:<\/p>\n
To capture the entire screen:<\/p>\n
To capture a portion of the screen:<\/p>\n
To capture any window or menu:<\/p>\n
On Windows, there are a few extra steps involved, and there is not an option to capture a selected region or a menu. The essential difference is that Macs capture the screen image directly as a saved image file–in Windows, you have to paste the captured image into a document or image editor.<\/p>\n
To capture the entire screen:<\/p>\n
To capture the active window:<\/p>\n
But wait–there’s more!<\/p>\n
Not content with simple screen capture of still images, programmers have devised a number of other alternatives for both platforms. There are enhanced versions of still capture for both platforms and a wide variety of video capture programs as well. Some of these programs are free and are worth trying out.<\/p>\n
If you’re looking for free software for Windows, look no further than Windows Media Encoder<\/a>, a free download for XP and Vista from Microsoft. WME will let you capture still shots in a variety of formats, but more importantly will allow you to make voice-annotated videos of screen processes. The many input and output options and technical jargon make it confusing for beginners, but there are wizards available that help you along. The quality of the movies is very good.<\/p>\n The standard for Windows screen capture is Camtasia Studio<\/a>, a full-featured program that allows many more output options than Windows Media Encoder and is actually easier to use than WME. At $299, it’s very pricey, but it does its job very well.<\/p>\n There are also other free or low cost alternatives for Windows. Take a look at CamStudio<\/a>, and try a Google search for more.<\/p>\n On the Mac side, the reigning king of still and video capture is Snapz Pro X<\/a> from Ambrosia Software<\/a>. It does everything and does it well. It’s easy to learn and easy to use. Of course, it’s not free, but it’s not expensive, either–$69 as a download from Ambrosia. If you see a video screen capture done on a Mac, chances are it was done with Snapz Pro.<\/p>\n There are other alternatives for Macs. Check Pure-Mac’s Screen Capture site<\/a> for an annotated list of still and video screen capture utilities, both free and commercial. (One note–it lists Snapz Pro X as a PowerPC progam. It has lately been updated to a Universal Binary version that runs natively on Intel-based Macs.)<\/p>\n