CamStudio 2.5 beta

• Popularity:

  #2 in Video Capture Software (out of 243 products)

• License:

  Free

• Editor's Rating:

  3.0 stars

• Average User Rating:

  3.5 stars (out of 58 votes) Rate it!

• Downloads:

  322,014

• Requirements:

  Windows 95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP

• Limitations:

  No limitations

• Date Added:

  September 17, 2007

• Previous Versions:

  Select a version CamStudio 2.0 CamStudio 2.1 CamStudio 1.6 CamStudio 1.2 CamStudio 1.0

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Publisher's description of CamStudio

CamStudio is able to record all screen and audio activity on your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos (SWFs)

Version 2.5 beta adds recording a region by windows, mouse-button-based visual feedback, true multilanguage support, recording audio from speakers, and a variety of other new features and fixes.

Editor's review of CamStudio

• 3.0 stars

• ""

We'll give it to you straight. You won't find a zoom feature, a huge variety of compressors or file types, or a video editor in the free CamStudio 2.5 (beta). What you will find is a small, sturdy screencast app that faithfully records your PC in AVI and SWF (Flash) formats. There are many fine features in the intuitive, open source app to recommend it, including an option to highlight the cursor path during a recording session, automatically pan, and record with sound. A brand-new effects menu scoops on the ability to annotate and append videos with comments, a time stamp, and a territorial watermark. Just don't get too crazy all at once.

There's clearly a long way to go for CamStudio to catch up with commercial rivals--most grumble-worthy is the lack of file type support outside AVI and SWF files and the absent editor for trimming, splicing, and optimizing a video. If those aren't strong concerns, this freebie, with its steady playback and modicum of audio and video settings options, will provide the necessary tools for creating quick demos and screencasts.

User reviews

• Average user rating: 3.9 stars out of 58 votes
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• Showing 5 of 41 user reviewsSee all 41 user reviews
  This software version | All versions

• 5 stars

  Version: CamStudio 2.5 beta

  "Just what I needed and absolutely free"

  by ComputerJy on September 28, 2007

  Pros: It records AVIs and allows the conversion to swf.

  It's so customizable that you can even pick an image to display instead of your cursor.

  Very easy to use

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• 5 stars

  Version: CamStudio 2.5 beta

  "Works perfectly and records great No problems found so far"

  by adkiller2k7 on April 22, 2008

  Pros: Records high quality videos, has AutoPanning to make it record a box following the mouse, The site that offers this program also offers CamStudio Codec to decrease file size and gives quality videos, CamStudio is very customizable, its all free!!!

  Cons: Sometimes the settings MAY be incorrectly set up at first, follow Jimmyrcom's video tutorial on camstudio on youtube.com to get the good settings that work perfectly or search for it on jimmyr.com

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• 1 stars

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

  Version: CamStudio 2.5 beta

  "Wouldn't work"

  by maidensolo on May 20, 2008

  Pros: What did I like? The fact that it's free and the CNet Editors gave an honest and satisfactory review; saying it lacked some things but the basics were there.

  Well, for an xp home user running IE6, it sure didn't do much.

  I could download it, and I could get the Player to install. But the Recorder, the Producer, and whatever else was there wouldn't install because it couldn't locate a file called MFC71.DLL. It suggested I start over from scratch, and download again. I did. Same result. It couldn't find other files but I uncovered them and satisfed it's confusion. But I never could find the MFC71.DLL.

  Cons: I don't like the fact that there are only 3 of us out of 35 who can't function:

  ebby47 had the same problems I did. and

  edddlalo just kept saying "i don't know" over and over. Poor confused guy. He sounded as confused as the software.

  I need a replacement. I do remember finding some cool stuff in business application software, and some people don't think to look there. But i reviewed a kick $** recorder several years ago with great sound quality. Perhaps the business applications have expanded to recording streaming video and audio since lots of video conferencing takes place these days. It's worth a look.

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• 2 stars

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

  Version: CamStudio 2.5 beta

  "Where is the Audio?"

  by miwi98 on March 4, 2008

  Pros: The Video is on point!

  Cons: Can not deselect the "record audio" feature so I have a video but no audio

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• 5 stars

  Version: CamStudio 2.5 beta

  "Quality videos"

  by jorgeletralia on July 12, 2008

  Pros: The videos have excellent quality. I've testing some free software, and this is the best.

  Cons: I think the developer must focus in the interface. It's a bit complicated and less intuitive than other I've seen. However, I prefer this little piece of software to others more famous.

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