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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
The information contained within this guide will help you understand the guiding principles behind successful screen recording. Before you begin working with Camtasia Studio, it is recommend that you read through this guide to become familiar with some of the terms and concepts that you will come across when making your videos.
(fundamentals_310.pdf
- 6916Kb)
Version 3.1
Camtasia Studio
The Fundamentals of
Screen Recording
By TechSmith Corp.
TechSmith License Agreement
TechSmith Corporation provides this manual "as is", makes no
representations or warranties with respect to its contents or use, and
specifically disclaims any expressed or implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. TechSmith
Corporation reserves the right to make changes to the content of this
manual, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity of
such changes.
The software described in this document is furnished under a license
agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with
the terms of the agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on
any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement.
No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose
other than the purchaser’s personal use, without the express written
permission of TechSmith Corporation.
TechSmith Corporation reserves the right to make changes to the content
of this manual, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or
entity of such changes.
Copyright © 1990-2007 TechSmith Corporation.
All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
Trademarks
TechSmith, SnagIt, Camtasia Studio and Morae are registered
trademarks. EnSharpen and DubIt are trademarks of TechSmith
Corporation.
All other registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of their
respective companies. All rights reserved.
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Getting Started: The Fundamentals of Screen Recording 4
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production............................................5
File Size, Bit Rate, Bandwidth and Data Transmission ...................................................6
Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission .......................................................7
Video Compression and Key Frames...............................................................................8
Key Frames versus Delta Frames ....................................................................................................... 8
Frame Rate and Bandwidth ................................................................................................................ 8
Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes, and Buffering .................................................9
Audio and Bandwidth.....................................................................................................10
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs.............................................................................11
What is a Codec?.............................................................................................................................. 11
How do Codecs work? ..................................................................................................................... 11
Lossless vs. Lossy Codecs................................................................................................................ 11
Identifying the Codecs that are Installed on your System ................................................................ 12
Determining the Codec a Video is Compressed With ...................................................................... 12
About the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) ...................................................13
About the Microsoft Video 1 Codec ..............................................................................14
Audio Codecs Overview ................................................................................................16
The Best Overall Codec Options While Recording .......................................................18
Getting Great Sound in your Recordings ............................................................................19
Barely Audible Recordings ............................................................................................20
Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record ...............................................................21
Solving Common Sound Problems ................................................................................22
Recording Audio from Other Applications ....................................................................24
Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones.....................................................25
Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios ............................................................27
Learning about the File Size .................................................................................................28
Video Dimensions ..........................................................................................................31
Video Production & File Formats 34
Produce your Video ...............................................................................................................35
Share your Video............................................................................................................36
www.techsmith.com • 1
Table of Contents
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Help Me Choose a File Format .............................................................................................37
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution ...........................................39
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) & DVD Productions .....................................................40
Macromedia Flash (SWF/FLV) .....................................................................................41
QuickTime (MOV).........................................................................................................42
Windows Media (WMV - Streaming Format) ...............................................................43
Recommended Settings for Normal Screen Recordings .................................................................. 43
Recommended Settings: Higher Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos ........................ 44
RealMedia Streaming Media (RM)................................................................................45
Camtasia for RealPlayer (RealPlayer Plug-In(CAMV)) ................................................46
GIF Animation File (GIF) ..............................................................................................47
Looking at the Different Media Players...............................................................................48
Comparing Media Players ..............................................................................................49
About Camtasia Player...................................................................................................50
Making Camtasia Player your Default Player................................................................52
Camtasia Player & Pack and Show ................................................................................53
Looking at Common Media Player Problems ................................................................54
Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices 56
Preventing Blurry Videos......................................................................................................57
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos..........................................................................................58
Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts .......................................................................60
Camtasia Studio's Main Interface...................................................................................61
Camtasia Audio Editor ...................................................................................................62
Camtasia MenuMaker ....................................................................................................63
Camtasia Player..............................................................................................................64
Camtasia Theater............................................................................................................65
Tips for Scripting and Audio ................................................................................................66
Before you Record Worksheets ............................................................................................67
Screen Resolution Checklist...........................................................................................68
Video Quality and File Size Checklist ...........................................................................69
Video Compression Checklist........................................................................................70
2 • www.techsmith.com Table of Contents
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Video Type & Playback Checklist .................................................................................71
Audio Compression Checklist........................................................................................74
Contact TechSmith Technical Support................................................................................75
Index 76
www.techsmith.com • 3
Table of Contents
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Getting Started: The
Fundamentals of Screen
Recording
The information contained within this guide will help you understand the guiding principles behind successful
screen recording.
Before you begin working with Camtasia Studio, we recommend that you read through this guide to become
familiar with some of the terms and concepts that you will come across when making your videos. Please
refer to the Camtasia Studio Help file for a comprehensive explanation of all Camtasia Studio’s features and
options.
You will find the following topics included within the scope of this guide.
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production on page 5.
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs on page 11.
Getting Great Sound in your Recordings on page 19.
Learning about the File Size on page 28.
Produce your Video on page 35.
Help Me Choose a File Format on page 37.
Looking at the Different Media Players on page 48.
Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices on page 56.
Preventing Blurry Videos on page 57.
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos on page 58.
Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts on page 60.
Tips for Scripting and Audio on page 66.
Before you Record Worksheets on page 67.
4 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media
Production
Bandwidth is simply a measure of the amount of data that can be transmitted through a connection over a
given amount of time. Bandwidth, also called data transfer rate, is usually expressed in bits per second (bps).
Bandwidth is synonymous with capacity. Every machine on the Internet is connected by a cable or another
type of connection. This cable has a capacity; it can carry a certain amount of information through it, similar
to a hose. This cable may have a high or low capacity. If you compare a garden hose to a fire hose, more
water can pass through the fire hose in a minute than a garden
hose.
The slowest of these capacities is the bandwidth of the line; it’s
the fastest you can communicate between the ends. Think of the
cable as a long tube with someone pouring water into it on one
end, and someone draining it out the other. You cannot take out
more than was put in, and if you pour it in too fast the water will
spill (losing data).
For example, a 28.8 kbps dialup modem connection is much
slower than a cable modem connection. The cable modem
connection can download more data than the 28.8 kbps dialup
modem connection can over the same period of time. The cable
modem has a higher bandwidth connection than the 28.8 kbps
dialup connection does. High bandwidth allows fast transmission
of data or high volume transmission just like the fire hose.
Continue with the following topics:
File Size, Bit Rate, Bandwidth and Data Transmission on page 6.
Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission on page 7.
Video Compression and Key Frames on page 8.
Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes, and Buffering on page 9.
Audio and Bandwidth on page 10.
www.techsmith.com • 5
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
File Size, Bit Rate, Bandwidth and Data Transmission
This section describes the measurements used for file size and bandwidth and describes how these
measurements relate to data transmission.
File Size
File size is measured in bytes. One kilobyte (K or KB) equals about 1,000 bytes. For example, a small image
file might be 20K or about 20,000 bytes in size.
To learn more about file size, continue with Learning about the File Size on page 28.
Measurements and Conversions
The following chart describes the units, measurements, and conversions for data transmission.
Usage Measurement Equivalence (Abbreviation)
(Abbreviation)
File Size 1 kilobyte (K or KB) 1000 bytes
Conversion 1 byte 8 bits
Bit Rate 1000 bits per second (bps) 1 kilobit per second (kbps)
(Bandwidth)
Data Transmission
Data transmission measured in bits per second (bps) is called the baud rate or bit rate—it is the measure of
bandwidth. If a computer can receive 5KB (5,000 bytes) in a second, it would take 4 seconds for it to receive
a file 20K in length.
But bandwidth is not measured in bytes—it is measured in bits. 1 byte contains 8 bits. So, if a computer can
receive 5K (5,000 bytes) in one second, it can receive 40,000 bits per second. 5,000 bytes x 8 bits = 40,000
bits per second or 40 kbps.
Data transmission measured in bits per second is called the baud rate or bit rate and is the measure of
bandwidth. It is commonly measured in thousands of bits per second or kilobits per second. The abbreviation
for kilobits per second is kbps or simply k. One kilobit equals about 1,000 bits.
If a computer connects to the Internet using a 56 kbps dialup modem, in theory, it means that the computer
could receive 56,000 bits per second (56 kbps). That would mean that the computer could receive about 7,000
bytes per second. Remember that a byte equals 8 bits, so 56,000 bps/ 8 bits = 7,000 bytes.
So, to receive the 20K image file, the 56 kbps dialup connection would require slightly less than 3 seconds to
receive the file (20K/7,000 bytes=2.85 seconds).
Data transmission measured in bits per second is the bandwidth of the connection. In this case the bandwidth
is 56 kbps.
Note: A 56 kbps modem cannot actually communicate at 56 kbps. In reality it’s more like 35-45 kbps. A
56 kbps modem connection generally only provides 35-45 kbps of bandwidth.
Continue with Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission on page 7.
6 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission
Computer video files are basically a number of still images called frames that are combined sequentially into
one file. When the file is played on a player such as Windows Media Player, it goes through the video file and
displays each frame sequentially in quick succession to create the illusion of motion similar to a video film
rolling through a movie projector.
When a file is streamed, frames are continuously delivered from the computer that is streaming the video to
the computer that is playing it. Each frame is displayed as it is received.
For example, consider a computer connected to the Internet using a dialup modem. If the modem is connected
at 40 kbps, that would mean that it could receive 5,000 bytes (5 KB) of data per second. If each frame of the
video was only 5K then the modem could only receive 1 frame per second.
Commercial motion pictures are 24 fps (frames per second), television is 30 frames per second. The more
frames per second (fps), the smother the video playback appears
to the viewer. So, a 1 fps video is a very slow and choppy video.
The number of frames per second (fps) is also called the frame
rate.
With a higher bandwidth connection, more frames per second
could be received. With a 128 kbps ISDN connection for
example, 32 5K frames could be delivered per second.
But, a 5K image or frame is not very big. A small 320x200, 16
bit JPEG file can easily be 20K in size. So, for the modem
connected with only 40 kbps of bandwidth, it would take 4
seconds to receive only one frame of the video! At that rate, the
video would degrade into a slide show, and not be a video at all.
This is the reason why many videos that you see online or on
news sites are very small, and why a dialup Internet connection
just does not have enough bandwidth to enjoy a very rich
multimedia experience.
Continue with Video Compression and Key Frames on page 8.
www.techsmith.com • 7
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Video Compression and Key Frames
As static image files are compressed using various compression algorithms the video and audio data in
streaming media files is compressed. This reduces the number of bytes in each frame thus reducing the
bandwidth requirement to deliver the video. While data compression helps considerably, another step is taken
to reduce bandwidth requirements.
Video files are simply a number of still images called frames that are combined sequentially into one file.
Each frame is displayed at some given number of frames per second (fps) to create the illusion of movement.
But many times there is no movement or change in the video between one frame and the next.
For example, a video demonstration of an application may show the opening of a new window and then not
change for several minutes while the audio narration explains the application. If nothing changes, there is no
reason to send a new frame of video data. The player can just sit there and display the same frame. This
hugely reduces bandwidth requirements.
Consider a video that is a demonstration of an application. Perhaps, all that is changing in the video is that the
cursor moves around the application as the author of the video points out different areas in the application.
Instead of sending the entire frame, only the changes to the new frame are sent. If the only change between
one frame and the next is that the cursor is in a different position, then the only change to the image is
drawing the area where the cursor was to the cursor in its new position. The mouse pointer is very small and
the number of bytes of video data that represents it is minimal, so very little video data needs to be
transmitted to reflect the change between frames. Sending only the part of the frame that has changed can also
greatly reduce bandwidth requirements.
Changes from one frame to the next, increases the bandwidth requirements of the video. The more movement
occurs, the more area of the screen is changed, resulting in larger amounts of video data that must be sent to
update to the next frame. If the entire screen changed from one frame to the next, the entire frame would have
to be sent.
Key Frames versus Delta Frames
There are two types of video frames: key frames and delta frames. Key frames contain all of the pixels that
comprise the complete frame. Delta frames only contain what has changed from the previous frame. Key
frames are placed in the video at regular intervals, either every so many seconds or so many frames. Windows
Media Encoder, for example, defaults to 1 key frame every 10 frames. It looks something like this:
Key frame | delta frame | delta | delta | delta | key | etc…
If there is no change from one frame to the next, delta frames can contain 0 bytes of data. If the only change
from one frame to the next is the movement of the mouse pointer, the delta frame would contain very little
data. If the entire screen had changed, the delta frame would be as large as a key frame, as it would have to
contain bytes of data representing every pixel in the frame. Although high key frame rates increase file size,
they improve seeking.
Frame Rate and Bandwidth
Frame rate may or may not have much effect on the bandwidth requirements of the video. If there is a lot of
change between frames, then the size of each frame is larger and more data must be transmitted for each
frame. In this case, higher capture frame rates require increased bandwidth. But, if there is little or no change
between frames, then little or no video data is transmitted for each frame. So, depending on the content of the
video, increasing the frame rate may have little or great effect on how much bandwidth is required.
Continue with Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes, and Buffering on page 9.
8 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes, and Buffering
Streamed video is displayed as it is received. With streaming video, the video can start to display the data
before the entire file has been transmitted. If for some reason the data stream is slowed or interrupted, the
video will stop playing. Network congestion and other problems are fairly common, and to help ameliorate
the interruption of the data stream, buffering is implemented.
Buffering works by storing a portion of the video locally, and then playing the video by retrieving data from
the local buffer. Before the video starts playing, the player downloads some amount of the video and stores it
locally. Generally this is not a large portion of the video, usually 10 seconds or so. It then plays the video
from this local buffer while continually downloading more of the video to keep the buffer full.
If the network becomes congested, or if the stream is interrupted for some reason, the player can continue
playing from the buffer, and hopefully the interruption will be corrected before the buffer is depleted and the
video stops playing.
Buffering can also help with encoding videos that contain spikes of high bandwidth. This can occur if
something in the video suddenly requires more bandwidth. For example, in a video demonstrating an
application, the only movement might be the mouse pointer moving across the screen for many frames. If the
author of the video clicks a button in the
application that causes a new window to open,
the entire frame might change, requiring a large
block of data needing to be transmitted to
update the next frame. This causes a spike in
the required bandwidth.
Modern media encoders take into account the
extra time afforded by the buffer. While the
extra data caused by the increase in bandwidth
is being delivered, the video can be played from
the buffer, thereby not interrupting playback.
Increasing the amount of buffering time can
make the difference between a failed or a
successful encoding process.
Continue with Audio and Bandwidth on page 10.
www.techsmith.com • 9
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Audio and Bandwidth
Audio is a very important factor when considering streaming content and bandwidth. Audio requires
bandwidth just as video does. The higher the quality of the audio, the more bandwidth it will consume.
That is why streaming media encoders such as
Media Encoder always use compressed audio.
Uncompressed audio gobbles up bandwidth.
PCM uncompressed audio, 22.050 kHz, 16 bit
mono for instance requires 43 kbps of
bandwidth. If you consider a dialup modem
connected at 40 kbps, it is evident that any
attempt to stream this is doomed to fail. Highly
compressed, lower quality audio such as
ACELP.net 8 kHz, mono, for example, requires
only 5 kbps of bandwidth.
Continue with the following topics:
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs on page 11.
Audio Codecs Overview on page 16.
10 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
What is a Codec?
The term codec is an abbreviation for compressor/decompressor. A codec is an algorithm that compresses
data when you are recording and producing a movie and decompresses the data when the video is being
viewed. Codecs affect both the image quality and the file size of videos. Certain codecs are better to use than
others in certain situations, because of the way they compress content.
How do Codecs work?
A codec is encoded to a file when a video is recorded. The codec compresses the data to make the bit rate and
file size smaller. This allows for the video to be easily stored and streamed over a network. When the video is
played on a media player, such as Microsoft Windows Media Player, the player decompresses the video file
for playback.
When a video is compressed with any particular codec, that same codec must be installed on the computer
that is going to view the video, because the video must be decompressed with the same codec that it was
compressed with. If the codec is not installed on the computer playing the file, then the media player will try
to download the codec so that it can understand how to decompress the file.
There are two main advantages of using a codec for your video file:
• Storage space – A compressed file takes up less storage space than an uncompressed file. This also
allows you to store more files on your computer, add more content onto CD-ROMs, etc.
• Transfer time – Compressed file sizes are smaller than uncompressed file sizes. With smaller file
sizes and lower bit rates, video files can be stored and streamed over a network more quickly and
easily.
Lossless vs. Lossy Codecs
Video codecs can be divided into two categories: lossless and lossy. Lossless codecs maintain perfect image
quality when the video is compressed, while lossy codecs sacrifice image quality for compression. Many
video codecs such as Microsoft Video 1 are lossy codecs, but the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) is
lossless.
If you start out with a video made using either a lossy audio or video codec, each time you reproduce the
video the quality will degrade. It is similar to making a copy of a videotape and then proceeding to make a
copy from that copy. The video quality of each copy is severely degraded, and eventually will become too
difficult to view.
We recommend using the default codec options (TSCC and PCM uncompressed mono audio) to record your
video. Since the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) is lossless, it does not sacrifice image quality for
compression, making TSCC an excellent choice for recording your master video.
www.techsmith.com • 11
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Identifying the Codecs that are Installed on your System
• In Windows 2000:
Select Windows Start > Settings > Control Panel > Hardware > Device Manger > Sound, Video
and Game Controllers > Video Codecs or Audio Codecs.
• In Windows XP:
Select Windows Start > Control Panel > Sounds, Speech, and Audio Device Properties > Sounds
and Audio Devices > Hardware tab > Choose Video Codecs or Audio Codecs from the list >
Properties.
Determining the Codec a Video is Compressed With
Within Windows Explorer, right-click the video file name, and then select Properties > Summary tab >
Advanced.
The codec is listed in the Video Compression entry. You can also right-click on a thumbnail within Camtasia
Studio and select Properties to see both audio and video codec information.
Continue with:
About the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) on page 13.
About the Microsoft Video 1 Codec on page 14.
12 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
About the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC)
By default, Camtasia Recorder uses the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) for video compression
during recording. This codec was created by TechSmith specifically for screen recordings of standard
Windows and desktop content. A big advantage to using the TSCC is that is provides lossless compression.
This means that any recordings made with TSCC will always be 100% perfect quality - even through multiple
decompression/recompression cycles that are typical during the production process.
Other advantages to using the TSCC are:
• It’s built into the Camtasia Player.
• The ability to playback videos on the host PC without having to install the TSCC. There are no
charges, royalties, or licensing requirements involved in distributing videos encoded with TSCC or
with distributing the codec to others for viewing.
• Lossless preservation of 100% of the image quality, even through multiple
decompression/recompression cycles that are typical during the production process.
• Optimization for screen captures so that the resulting files are small and highly compressed.
• Exceptional compression speed at all color depths.
Overall, TSCC is really designed for content that consists mostly of solid blocks of color such as that found in
most Windows and other desktop PC applications.
The TSCC video codec does not compress well for real-world video, camera video, music videos, video
conference windows, video with high motion, gradients, and dithered images, or any other content that does
not contain a proportionately higher number of areas containing solid blocks of color. In fact, you may find
that if the TSCC is used with one of these kinds of recordings, the final file size of that recording may be
close to that of a totally uncompressed video.
It is very important to only use TSCC to compress the content that it is intended for. The images below
illustrate the type of content that is best for TSCC compression.
Sample #1
In sample number one on the left, you can easily see solid blocks of color within this image. This makes it an
ideal candidate for TSCC compression.
Sample #2
In sample number two on the right, it is easy to see that there are no solid blocks of color within this image.
Therefore, the TSCC codec would not be a good choice for compression.
www.techsmith.com • 13
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
About the Microsoft Video 1 Codec
Microsoft Video 1 is a standard video codec that comes with Windows and provides mid-range compression,
with a relatively small amount of quality loss.
The benefits of using the Microsoft Video 1 codec include:
• Standard video codec that comes with Windows.
• Provides mid-range compression.
• Relatively small amount of quality loss (lossy).
• Good when real world video, gradients, or dithered images are being recorded.
It is very important to only use the Microsoft Video 1 codec to compress the content that it is intended for.
When creating a ten second video with the following images using both the TSCC and the Microsoft Video 1
codecs, the subsequent results were achieved:
Image #1 Video Sample
Using image number one, the final TSCC compressed video was almost half the size of the same video
compressed using the Microsoft Video 1 codec. This is because the TSCC is designed specifically for the type
of content shown in image one, that is, mostly large, solid blocks of color.
Image #2 Video Sample
On the other hand, when using image number two, the final TSCC compressed video was nearly 60 percent
larger than the video compressed with the Microsoft Video 1 codec. This makes Microsoft Video 1 a good
alternative to TSCC when real-world video, photos, gradients, or dithered images are being recorded.
14 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Looking at the Lossy Attributes
It is important to note that the Microsoft Video 1 is a lossy codec and does not compress videos nearly as well
as some of the more modern video codecs, such as Microsoft MPEG-4 V2 or, in some situations, TSCC. This
means that some color banding and degradation of antialiased objects can occur.
This quality loss is illustrated in the following two images.
Sample #1
In sample number one on the left, the image was compressed using TSCC. All of the aspects of the original
image are preserved perfectly, including all of the antialiased objects and the color gradients.
Sample #2
In sample number two on the right, the image was compressed using Microsoft Video 1.
Note the blocky distortions around the antialiased objects such as the rune in the title bar and the folder icon.
Also, many of the gradient colors are now noticeably banded.
Continue with Audio Codecs Overview on page 16.
www.techsmith.com • 15
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Audio Codecs Overview
Depending on the audio configuration, the audio portion of your recording file may be 150 or more times
larger than the video portion. For example, a 464x412, 62 second video compressed with TSCC and
containing no audio was 64K. The same video with PCM uncompressed audio, 48 kHz 16 bit stereo was
11.6MB!
In the same way that video files are compressed with various video codecs, audio is compressed using audio
codecs. The choice of an audio codec will not only be a major determining factor in the size of the video, but
also affect the audio quality.
Note: For voice recordings, stereo is generally not needed and will double the size of the audio portion
of the file.
Consider the following AVI video file. The only difference is the audio compression used. Note how the file
size varies when the file is compressed with various audio codecs.
Audio Setting File Size
No Audio 300 KB
PCM 22.050kHz, 16 bit, Mono Uncompressed Audio (Camtasia Recorder's 2.7 MB
default settings)
CCITT u-Law 11.25kHz, 8 bit, Mono Compressed Audio 911 KB
Mpeg Layer-3 24.00 kHz, Mono Compressed Audio 471 KB
To get the best quality audio, use the uncompressed PCM codec in your Camtasia Studio project. Continue
using PCM throughout the entire production and editing process. Then, when your project is finished, make
copies of the original using another audio compressor, if you so desire.
Comparing Audio Codecs
When using audio, keep these tips in mind:
• MPEG Layer 3 is an excellent audio codec. It produces small files sizes and maintains good audio
quality. MPEG Layer 3 does have some drawbacks. It may not be installed on all computers. The
only way to ensure it is installed is to install Media Encoder from Microsoft.
• Windows Media Player 8 on XP cannot play MPEG Layer 3 encoded AVIs. It thinks that the AVI is a
MP3 file and only plays the audio. One workaround for this problem is to distribute the Camtasia
Player with your videos.
• GCM 6.10 is good for voice compression.
16 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Audio Codec Tips
Be careful in selecting audio codecs. Some audio codecs produce horrible sounding audio—from scratchy
static noise to sounding like the Tin Man talking into a drain pipe. You will want to select the best codec that
meets your compression and viewing needs.
• To find the best audio codec for your video, experiment by making a short video using Camtasia
Recorder's default configuration (PCM uncompressed audio, 16 bit, 20.050kHz). Then in Camtasia
Studio, try saving your video using various audio codecs at different sample rates.
• For voice, stereo is generally not necessary and will double the size of the file. If you need higher
quality audio you can increase the sample rate, but keep in mind that it will dramatically increase the
file size.
• Camtasia Studio supports all audio codecs installed on your computer. Be aware that some of the
audio codecs Camtasia finds and displays cannot be used when producing new videos due to
licensing restrictions by the owners/authors of the codec. If you try to use one of these restricted
audio codecs, Camtasia displays a dialog saying that you must choose a different codec.
Continue with The Best Overall Codec Options While Recording on page 18.
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Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
The Best Overall Codec Options While Recording
If you want to distribute your video with a codec other than the TechSmith Screen Capture codec (TSCC), we
recommend you still use TSCC and uncompressed, PCM audio format to record your master video. When the
video is produced in Camtasia Studio, select another video and/or audio codec for distribution (such as a
standard Windows video codec, compressed audio, or a streaming file format) to suite your compression
needs.
TSCC and PCM audio are the default options for recording videos within Camtasia Recorder. However, if
these settings have been changed, you can change the codecs back by following the steps below.
To Change Video Codecs in Recorder
1. In Camtasia Recorder, click the Tools Options button or choose Tools > Options from the menu bar.
2. In the Streams tab, disable the Auto configure option.
3. Click the Video setup button. The Video Compression Setup dialog appears.
4. Select the desired video codec from the Compressor dropdown menu.
5. Click OK.
To Change Audio Codecs in Recorder
1. In Camtasia Recorder, click the Tools Options button or choose Tools > Options from the menu bar.
2. In the Streams tab, click the Audio setup button. The Audio Format dialog appears.
3. Select the desired audio codec and attributes from the Format and Attributes dropdown menus.
4. Click OK.
To Change Codecs after Recording
The Encoding Options screen in the Production Wizard allows you to set the audio and video codecs for the
video you are producing.
18 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
This section contains some hints to make better quality audio recordings and to help you avoid audio
problems before they occur.
However, before you begin recording, make sure that Camtasia Recorder is enabled for audio recording:
1. Open Camtasia Recorder. Choose Start > All Programs > Camtasia Studio 3 > Applications >
Camtasia Recorder. Or, from within Camtasia Studio, choose
Tools > Camtasia Recorder.
2. Activate the Audio toolbar by selecting View > Audio Toolbar.
3. Click the Record Audio button on the Audio toolbar.
Still No Sound?
If you have enabled Camtasia Recorder for audio recording but you are
still are not getting any sound, check the following audio settings within
Recorder.
1. Click the Options button on the toolbar and choose the
Volume button under the Streams tab. This will open up the
Windows Record Control dialog box.
2. Verify that the Microphone is selected as the input within the Microphone section, and that the
Microphone Volume slider is not at its lowest setting.
I Still Have a Silent Recording
If you have enabled audio recording in Camtasia Recorder and checked the microphone settings, and you are
still unable to record any sound at all, do the following:
• Check that your microphone is properly connected to the sound card in your computer. It needs to be
plugged into the microphone jack, not the line in jack, etc.
• Check to see if you can record with Windows Sound Recorder. Select Start > All Programs >
Accessories > Entertainment > Sound Recorder.
• Try a different microphone.
• Test to see if sound recording is working in another audio application.
• Try updating/reinstalling the sound card drivers.
• Try a different sound card.
Continue with the following topics:
Barely Audible Recordings on page 20.
Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record on page 21.
Solving Common Sound Problems on page 22.
Recording Audio from Other Applications on page 24.
Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones on page 25.
Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios on page 27.
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Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Barely Audible Recordings
If you are getting some sound, but your audio recordings are too low in volume, there may be a number of
causes. Some of the most common include the following.
Is your sound card’s recording volume set too low?
You need to adjust the audio level before recording.
1. Open Camtasia Recorder. Choose Start > All Programs > Camtasia Studio 3 > Applications >
Camtasia Recorder. Or, from within Camtasia Studio, choose Tools > Camtasia Recorder.
2. Click the Options button on the toolbar to open the Tools Options dialog box.
On the Streams tab, under the Audio Options section, click the Volume button. This will open up the
Windows Record Control dialog box.
Make sure that the Microphone option is selected and that the Microphone Volume slider is up enough to
allow for sufficient sound.
Are you too far from the microphone?
Try several recordings allowing different distances from the
microphone to choose the right one. You should probably be about six
inches from the microphone—close enough to record full tones but
not so close that other noises interfere.
Are you speaking distinctly and clearly?
To make a good recording, you need to project and enunciate, so that
your voice recording sounds clear and crisp on replay. As an aid in
determining a good vocal level and tone, imagine you are addressing a
small audience in a large room.
Continue with Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record on page 21.
20 • www.techsmith.com Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record
While you record audio with Camtasia Recorder, you can monitor the Audio Level to be sure you are
encoding the optimal dynamic range.
• The green to yellow range indicate a normal reading.
• Orange to red warns that you are close to an over-modulated input.
The best sound quality will occur when the audio level bar is kept in the green to light orange range and only
occasionally enter the red range. That is, try to keep the level bar from filling the entire audio level meter all
the time.
The goal is to keep your input levels as high as possible without exceeding the range of values which can be
stored digitally when encoded. When the Audio Level meter is frequently in the red range, your input level is
too high and the peaks of your waveform become clipped off, resulting in distortion.
The input level also depends on your particular microphone, how close you are to the microphone and how
loudly you speak while recording. By keeping your input levels steady and as high as possible, you will be
encoding the optimal dynamic range.
It is particularly important to record sounds within the green to light orange range if possible if you plan to
later convert 16 bit audio data to 8 bit, or if you plan to compress your audio in a streaming media file. This
assures that you will use the greatest dynamic range possible in the converted file.
Adjusting your Audio Level
To adjust your audio levels, click the Options button on the toolbar to open the Tools Options dialog
box.
On the Streams tab, under the Audio Options section, click the Volume button. This will open up the
Windows Record Control dialog box. Adjust the volume setting up or down.
Continue with Solving Common Sound Problems on page 22.
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Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Solving Common Sound Problems
The following gives some information on resolving issues concerning external noise, low quality sound, and
recording conflicts.
Too much External Noise can be Heard
Some audio noise is caused by environmental elements. Background sounds you may not have noticed before
may suddenly show up in your audio of your recording. You can
eliminate most problems by relocating your recording "studio" to a
quieter location. Also, do not forget that most computers make some
noise that your microphone might be picking up. The disk drives and
fan are potential sources of a low-level noise in your recordings.
Hum and whine can also be caused by a “ground loop.” Ground loop
occurs where there is more than one electrical path to “ground” for
electrical/electronic equipment. Tracing and eliminating the exact
source of ground loop can be complicated, but light dimmer switches,
motorized appliances, and cable TV outlets are prime culprits.
First try disconnecting any unnecessary electrical equipment sharing
the same circuit as your computer. Also, disconnect the coaxial cable
running to any nearby TVs. If these methods do not help, consult an
expert at your local Radio Shack or other electronics retailer. They can
offer solutions to help you isolate ground loop interference.
Low Quality Recordings
The default audio setup for the Recorder is PCM (uncompressed audio)
22.050 kHz, 16 bit mono. That should give you good quality audio. If
the audio is still low quality, try a different microphone.
Additionally, most consumer-quality recording equipment shipped with
computers is relatively low quality (unless you have purchased upgrade accessories). Studio-quality
recordings cannot be made on inexpensive equipment. To improve the quality of recordings, you can upgrade
the components responsible for audio on your computer: microphone, sound card, and speakers.
Better sound comes with a tradeoff, however, as higher quality audio results in a larger Camtasia Studio video
file size. The audio format you specify determines the quality of the video audio track and also affects video
file size.
Large File Size when Recording with Audio
By default, Recorder uses uncompressed PCM audio. That is a good selection for your original recording
because you can later edit the video within Camtasia Studio and not lose audio quality.
It is recommended that you compress the audio during production in Camtasia Studio after you have finished
recording in Camtasia Recorder and have made all your edits.
Within Camtasia Studio, there are many different video file formats to choose from that will allow you to
effectively compress you video. For example, if you produce your video in SWF it will typically be smaller in
size than an AVI. You can try producing in a couple of different formats to find the right size and quality that
you desire.
22 • www.techsmith.com Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Audio Recording Error Message
If you receive an error message relating to audio recording, it might be that another application is using the
sound card to play and/or record audio. Only one application can record audio at a time on your computer.
Some computers with "Full Duplex" sound cards allow one application (for example, Camtasia Recorder) to
record from the microphone, while another application plays sound. In this case, you can even hold the
microphone up to your computer speakers and record what another application is playing. However, many
computers do not have this capability and allow recording only when no other application is playing sound.
The Audio is out of Sync with the Video
Your audio could be out of sync for two reasons.
First, your on-board audio subsystem is not functioning properly. Many Sony VIO notebooks and systems
that have ESS audio may have this problem. The current version of Camtasia Studio will compensate for this
hardware failure. In most cases this problem crops up when the audio stream is longer than the video. To
correct this situation, please download the current version of Camtasia Studio.
Additionally, you can verify this problem by using another application to record audio on the system. Start
recording and note the exact time you start recording. Let it record for 20-30 seconds and then stop recording
and note the exact time that you stopped.
Calculate the time that you recorded for
and then right-click on the WAV file and
select Properties. If the amount of time
that you recorded for does not match the
actual time of the recording session, then
you might be having this problem on your
system.
Second, if the computer is overloaded and
has no resources left, Camtasia Studio can
drop audio. In this case the audio stream
will be shorter than the video.
Continue with Recording Audio from Other Applications on page 24.
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Recording Audio from Other Applications
Camtasia Studio records audio only from the microphone source. If you want to record other audio sources,
such as sound generated by games or other applications, try the following:
• Check the sound card in your computer. Some sound cards may also have a mixer control that allows
you to map the audio to the microphone input.
• Install a sound card that maps the audio to the microphone internally. One such sound card is Sound
Blaster® Live!, manufactured by Creative®. It places a "What You Hear" input in the Recording
section of the Windows Volume Control dialog box, allowing for direct recording of audio generated
by applications. Then all you would need to do is enable audio recording in Camtasia Studio.
• Record the sound coming from your speakers. Position your microphone about 12 inches at the
midway point between your computer’s stereo speakers. Test the recording level, and then adjust the
speaker volume as necessary.
• Insert a jumper wire in the Line Out and Mic In jacks on your computer’s sound card. If you do, you
may wish to adjust the microphone again in the Windows Volume Control if the audio is overamped
or sounds distorted. From within Recorder, click the Options button on the toolbar to open
the Tools Options dialog box. On the Streams tab, under the Audio Options section, click the Volume
button. This will open up the Windows Record Control dialog box. Adjust the volume setting up or
down.
• Camtasia Studio can record sound directly from the sound card, using an application such as Total
Recorder®, made by High Criteria, Inc. (www.totalrecorder.com). Please note that Total Recorder®
is not a TechSmith product, and we do not support it or otherwise make any guarantees.
Continue with Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones on page 25.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones
Choosing the correct microphone for your recording needs can be a time consuming process. Certain types of
microphones produce good recordings in some environments while produce poor recordings in others. It is
important to select the correct microphone to meet your recording needs.
General Microphone Tips
The most expensive microphone will not necessarily produce better quality recordings. It is important to
select the right microphone to complement your hardware and recording situational needs.
Choose a microphone with lower output impedance. For acceptable results, the output impedance of the
microphone must be less than the input impedance of the sound card, which is in the range of 600-1500. Look
for a microphone with output impedance of about 1000 ohms.
A Word about Pickup Patterns
The microphone pickup pattern determines from which direction the microphone picks up the sound the best.
Microphones can be designed to be sensitive to sounds from given directions, while they reject sounds from
others. The directional characteristics, or pickup pattern of a microphone, are defined by noting the direction
from which a microphone is optimally sensitive to sound waves.
Microphones can only pick up the sound waves which strike it. This means that proper placement of the
microphone is critical to good sound. For example, a pickup pattern can be selected for its ability to reject
unwanted sound coming from a particular direction and to help reduce feedback. A microphone pickup
pattern should be based on the application. For example, most lavaliere microphones are omnidirectional, so
that no matter which way the speaker’s head turns, it will pick up their voice.
Omnidirectional Microphones
Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound equally from all directions with a slight preference for sounds
coming from the direction in which they are pointed. Omnidirectional microphones are typically used for
recording with group pick-up. The level and sound quality will be identical whether you speak from the front
or the back of the microphone.
Omnidirectional microphones are:
• Effective for recording a meeting or panel discussion where all speakers are near each other.
• Not well-suited for noisy environments.
Cardioid (Unidirectional) Microphones
Cardioid microphones have a heart-shaped pickup pattern and are sensitive to sounds predominantly from the
front of the microphone diaphragm. They pickup sounds which come from the direction in which they are
pointed and reject sound coming from the sides and the rear. The ability to reject unwanted sounds is the
primary reason carioid microphones are the most-used for presentations and recording.
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Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Microphone Description Table
The following describes several different types of microphones along with some tips for their use.
Example Microphone Type Strengths / Tips
Desktop Microphone Inexpensive.
Basic computer microphone for Typically comes with your computer.
recording audio. Desktop microphones that have a battery at the
This microphone sits on the desk or base amplifies the signal and produces a little
better quality than microphones without
is attached to the monitor.
batteries.
Note: May often pick up unwanted
ambient noises produced from your
PC.
Headset Microphone Provides the best audio quality because it
maintains a consistent position near the mouth.
Preferable in recording situations
where the person talking needs to Adjust the headset so the microphone is about
listen as well as speak. one inch from the corner of your mouth.
This microphone set is worn on the A microphone with a foam cover helps
minimize breathing sounds. Position the
head by the speaker.
microphone so that it is level with your nose to
keep it out of the breathing air stream.
Lavaliere or Lapel Microphone Small, lightweight, and easy to conceal.
Preferable for recording a conference Attaches to the speaker’s clothing.
session for just one speaker. Will not produce rustling noises when wearer
This microphone set is worn on a moves around.
shirt lapel by the speaker. Often wireless.
Allows you to record both sides of the
Telecom Adapter
conversation without the cutout of typical
Used in telephone audio recordings
speakerphone conversations
to send the audio to the computer
microphone input jack.
This microphone adaptor hooks into
the phone system and is directly
linked to the PC input jack.
Continue with Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios on page 27.
26 • www.techsmith.com Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios
Camtasia Studio allows you to record in a variety of different environments. However, each environment
might require a different microphone in order to capture good audio quality.
The following gives some general overview information on the different kinds of recording settings.
However, as with all recordings, you will want to try out your audio equipment and Camtasia Studio settings
before making the final recording to ensure the best results.
Telephone Audio Recording
To make a telephone audio recording, you will need to buy an adapter to send the audio to the computer
microphone input jack. The adapter allows you to record both sides of the conversation without the cutout of
typical speakerphone conversations.
Teleconference Recording
One common problem that occurs in recording teleconferences is that people speak at different levels. It is
difficult to adjust the recording audio level during a teleconference session. One solution is to use a telephone
with a handset volume control. Increase the volume for a quiet speaker or decrease the volume for a loud
speaker with the level control on the telephone.
Conference Recording
A lapel or lavaliere microphone may be preferable for recording a conference session for just one speaker.
The lapel microphone clips on the speaker’s clothing and has a cord that plugs into the computer microphone
input jack. Most are powered by a button battery and
have an on/off switch.
Web Conference Recording using Voiceover IP
Audio
Web conference recordings typically use traditional
teleconferencing services. To record web conference
audio or any phone conversation, simply place your
microphone close to a speaker phone. Or alternatively,
you can purchase an adapter which will connect
your phone directly to your computer.
Some web conferences deliver audio via Voice Over IP.
In the web conference services that use voiceover IP
audio, the participants talk through microphone headsets
connected to their computers and the audio comes across
the Internet. No special type of hardware is required to
record for this type of web conference.
To record audio in Camtasia Recorder using voiceover IP audio:
In Camtasia Recorder, select Capture > Wizard. In the 4th Wizard window, select Speaker Audio (what you
hear).
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Learning about the File Size
When recording videos in Camtasia Studio, it is important to consider the file size of your video. Video file
sizes can become quite large. AVIs over one megabyte are not uncommon. It is essential to understand the
factors that affect file sizes and how to keep file sizes to a minimum. The following are factors that affect the
file size of a video.
Screen Resolution
The first question to consider before recording a video of your computer screen is, will the dimensions of the
video easily fit on the screen for my entire viewing audience? If, for example, you create a video that is
1024x768, people who have a lower screen resolution such as 640x480 will not be able to view your videos
very well.
They could scale the video down in Windows Media Player, but scaling videos results in image quality
degradation that makes characters unreadable and your video may look like a blurry mess.
To ensure the best playback screen resolution, follow these tips:
• Determine the lowest screen resolution that your video will be played back on, and then, to save room
for the player window frame and controls, record your video at slightly less than that lowest screen
resolution.
• When recording your video, you will
need to consider the player window, the
area of the screen used to display
controls, and the actual window frame
into consideration when determining the
final size.
• If the video dimensions equal the
resolution of the monitor, then the player
will have to be configured to play in full
screen mode in order to play the video
without scaling. In full screen mode, the
player will have no visible controls to start, stop, pause the video or exit the player.
• It's a fairly safe assumption that most people are now running at 800x600 or better. The video should
be small enough to be completely displayed on the screen without scaling, and still have room for the
player window frame and controls.
• As a general rule, never record a larger area of the screen than necessary. If you are recording an
application, record just the application window and not the entire desktop. Recording unnecessary
screen area, aside from the aforementioned considerations, also results in larger file sizes, reduced
capture frame rates, and in some cases can cause playback problems on slower systems.
• If you need to record the entire screen, try setting your monitor resolution to a lower resolution than
the target audience screen. If your audience is using 800x600, set your screen to 640x480 for the
recording.
• For example, if you are recording a fixed region of 640x480, it does not make any difference what the
overall screen resolution is set to. Recording a fixed region of 640x480 will create a video that is
640x480, whether the screen resolution is set to 640x480 or set to 1280x1024. If a 640x480 video is
played back on a monitor set to 640x480, it would have to be played in full screen mode. If it is
played back on a 1024x768 or higher monitor resolution, the video could be played in a player
window without scaling.
28 • www.techsmith.com Learning about the File Size
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Movement or Screen Activity
Changes from one frame to the next, increases the bandwidth requirements of the video. The more movement
occurs, the more area of the screen is changed, resulting in larger amounts of video data that must be sent to
update the next frame. If the entire screen changed from one frame to the next, the entire frame would have to
be sent. Transitions, zooming, and panning are a few examples of movements on the screen that will produce
larger file sizes.
One method to minimize file size is to limit the size of the application window being captured. Do not bother
including extraneous information in your video. You can use Camtasia Recorder's Region Input option to
select a smaller area to capture and then "pan" across the screen while capturing, thereby making a much
smaller video file.
Frame Rate
The frame rate is the number of frames or images
that are displayed per second on the screen. Frame
rates are measured in frames per second (fps). The
more frames per second (fps), the smother the video
playback appears to the viewer. So, a 1 fps video is a
very slow and choppy video. However, faster frame
rates result in larger video file size, increased
bandwidth requirements, and can cause slower
computers to have playback problems.
• There are a few ways to create smooth
videos in Camtasia Studio without
producing extremely large file sizes. To
control the frame rate your video is recorded
at, try disabling Auto Configure in
Camtasia Recorder. If Auto Configure is
enabled it will attempt to record at the
fastest frame rate possible up to 15fps or
90% CPU utilization. For most software
demos and/or training videos, 5-10 fps is perfectly adequate.
To disable Auto Configure, in Camtasia Recorder, choose Options > Streams Tab > Disable Auto
Configure.
Video Length
Try to limiting the length of the video capture sequence. The shorter your video sequence, the smaller the
resulting file size will be. Try making multiple clips using Camtasia Recorder. Use Camtasia Studio to join
those short clips together into a longer video production.
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Learning about the File Size
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Codecs
Video files can contain thousands of frames; all of that picture information can produce very large file sizes.
To reduce the file size, the video data can be compressed using various compression algorithms called codecs.
A codec is an algorithm computer program that compresses data when you are recording and producing a
movie and then decompresses the data when the movie is being viewed. While it is possible to create an
uncompressed video, the file size is enormous. To keep file sizes more reasonable, you should use a codec to
compress your video.
To learn more about codecs and selecting the appropriate codec for your recording needs, continue with the
following topics:
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs on page 11.
The Best Overall Codec Options While Recording on page 18.
Audio
By default, Recorder is configured to use the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) for lossless video
compression, and PCM uncompressed mono audio. The default audio setting is PCM, 22.050 kHz, 16 bit
mono. For general voice recording, this is a good setting. PCM uncompressed audio creates large file sizes.
However, it is the best quality and should be used for making the master video. For the final distribution
video, a copy of the master video can be created in Camtasia Studio with compressed audio.
Avoid using Stereo; the file size of the audio will double. For voice, stereo is generally not necessary and will
double the size of the file. If you need higher quality audio, you can increase the sample rate, but keep in
mind that it will dramatically increase the file size. Unless you have a compelling reason not to, always record
using the TSCC codec and uncompressed (PCM) audio. Because TSCC is lossless and PCM is uncompressed
you can edit the video and create reproductions indefinitely and not lose quality.
Compressing the audio can drastically reduce the overall file size of the video. For example a one minute
video with PCM uncompressed audio, 22.050 kHz, 16 bit mono was 3.9MB. The same video using CCITT u-
Law, 11.25 kHz, 8 bit mono was 887KB.
To learn more about audio codecs, continue with Audio Codecs Overview on page 16.
Continue with Video Dimensions on page 31.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Video Dimensions
There is a direct relationship between video dimensions and file size—the larger the dimensions of your
video, the larger the video file size. Keeping the dimensions at a minimum will help to reduce the bandwidth
requirements of the final streaming file.
In general, we recommend 800x600 as a maximum size for your recording, but this depends on various
factors.
Playback Environment
With the introduction of new technology such as Ipods, cellular phones with video capabilities, etc., there is
new playback environments to take into account. It is import to consider
Consider the possible playback environment of your video—it may be an 800 x 600 desktop with a player that
needs room for its controls. A video the size of 640 x 480, for example, will allow the viewer to watch the
video at its full resolution and leave enough room for the playback controls.
It is important to consider the following playback factors when selecting your video’s dimensions:
• The playback environment. Is your video going to be played back on a computer monitor, an Ipod,
broadcasted over the Internet, etc.?
• Screen resolution. What is the screen resolution of your target audience?
• Player controls. Are you going to include player controls with your video? If so, you need to reduce
the dimensions of the video to allow the video plus the media player controls to fit on your audience’s
screens.
• Media player. What media players are likely to be installed on your target audience’s computers?
AVI-Distribution
Sometimes video playback on the Web can lead to image distortions and other playback problems due to
scaling. This is where the Camtasia Player can be a valuable tool. The Camtasia Player does not shrink your
videos to fit inside a tiny playback window, thus ensuring a high quality playback, independent of the user's
screen size.
You are free to distribute the Camtasia Player with your AVI videos on CD-ROM. It can be found in your
Camtasia Studio install directory, or at http://www.techsmith.com/products/studio/player.asp from our
Web site.
Defining Size in Camtasia Recorder
You can easily control the size of the capture region in Camtasia Recorder. In your input options, you can
define the video size automatically (full screen or window) or you can do so explicitly (region or fixed
region). Considering the video size and playback environment before capturing means less scaling afterwards
and therefore higher image quality. You can access these settings in Camtasia Recorder from the File menu.
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Scaling Size during Production
Camtasia Studio allows you to scale your video clips during the production process. However, you will
achieve the best results if you use the same dimensions for all clips on the storyboard.
The same overall rules that apply to scaling videos in Camtasia Studio apply to scaling images in your
favorite image editor. Scaling up to a larger video tends to produce images that are "blocky,” while scaling
down in size can eliminate some image information and make text broken and unreadable.
The recommended setting is Largest Video. This means that the finished video will be large enough to
accommodate all clips on the storyboard with no scaling - in this case to 412 x 488 pixels. Smaller clips will
retain their original dimensions, but will appear centered with space around the edges. The color of this blank
space can be changed.
The second setting is Standard Video. This allows you to select video dimensions from a bevy of standard
resolutions. Camtasia Studio will then automatically create a video background in the desired dimensions.
Clips that are smaller than the largest video size are centered in the produced video. Custom Size, the third
option, works in exactly the same way, except that you can manually specify a resolution.
An important option is Stretch to Fit. It allows you to create a final video where all frames have the same
size, and no colored edge will appear. To achieve this result, Camtasia Studio will stretch all clips to the size
you have specified regardless of their individual dimensions. As always, scaling might result in distortions of
various kinds. Therefore, you should use this option only if the size difference between your specified
resolution and the actual size of the image is small and the changes can be neglected.
Video Size Options Description Table
The Video Size screen, located within the Camtasia Studio Production Wizard, allows you to set the size of
the produced video.
The following table describes each of the video size options.
Video Size Option Description
Largest video size Creates the entire video using the size of the largest clip in the Storyboard.
(Recommended) Selecting this option is recommended because Camtasia Studio calculates the
size required to include the largest dimensions encountered in the clips included
in the project.
Click the radio button to enable this option for use.
Preset video size Creates your video using a preset size.
Click the radio button to enable the desired option for use.
Standard video size Creates your video using a standard size.
Click the radio button to enable this option for use. From the dropdown menu,
choose the desired size.
Custom size This option allows you to create your video using dimensions that you set.
Click the radio button to enable this option for use. Type the Width and Height
in the boxes provided.
Stretch to fit This option enlarges small clips and reduces larger ones to fit.
If the image is distorted, recalculate aspect ratios.
Place a checkmark in the Stretch to fit box if you want to create a final movie
that fits the size you have specified regardless of individual clip size.
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Video Size Option Description
Background color This option sets the background color for clips that are smaller than the standard
size specified.
Click the Background Color button to reveal the Color dialog box. Choose the
desired color and choose OK. The color will be updated in the Size tab.
Disable Callout fade Enable this option if you would like to disable the fade in and/or out effects on
effects to reduce file Callouts included in the video in order to reduce your final produced video size.
size
Use Instant Zoom-n-Pan Enable this option if you would like to disable the slow or fast options for Zoom-
n-Pan effects included in the video in order to reduce your final produced video
speed to reduce size
size. When using this option, the Zoom-n-Pan effects will be set to Instant.
Cancel Choose Cancel to exit back to the previous screen without making any changes.
Help Choose Help to access the online help file containing information that is
pertinent to this screen.
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Learning about the File Size
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Video Production & File Formats
This chapter gives you some additional information on possible file formats and options for producing your
video in Camtasia Studio.
See any of the following topics:
Produce your Video on page 35.
Share your Video on page 36.
Help Me Choose a File Format on page 37.
Looking at the Different Media Players on page 48.
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Produce your Video
When you have set the timing and sequence of your video clips, still images, callouts, quizzes, and voice
narration on the Timeline, you are ready to produce your final video into a distributable and sharable format.
This process, also called rendering, assembles all of the audio, video, and images into one video file, based on
the sequence you have established on the Timeline.
To produce your video, within the Task List in Camtasia Studio, click on the Produce video as link. The
Production Wizard Welcome screen appears. Choose Next. The How would you like to produce your video?
screen displays. Overall, there are two different ways to produce your video - both using a wizard format.
• First, the Recommend my Production Settings Wizard takes you through the video production
process based on the distribution method that you choose. With this option, simply answer a few
questions about your Timeline content and distribution channel and you are set to go. It is highly
recommended that you produce your first few videos using this production wizard. See also Share
your Video on page 36.
• The second option uses the Advanced Production Wizard. This option (which is also easy to use),
allows you more flexibility over your final video file format as well as the ability to customize frame
rates, video and audio codecs, etc. See also Help Me Choose a File Format on page 37.
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Produce your Video
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Share your Video
The final step in creating your video is to share it with your viewing audience. Camtasia Studio allows you to
reach a broad audience by giving you several different ways to distribute your videos including: CD-ROM,
Flash Web menu, DVD, e-mail, and more. And, since your video was created as a project file, you can
reproduce your video over and over again using different file formats that lend themselves to a particular
distribution channel.
Publish a Video for Web Distribution
Theater for Camtasia Studio adds DVD-like navigation to your screen videos in Flash format. Using Theater's
menu, your users can quickly navigate between multiple Flash movies or view them all in a pre-defined
sequence. Theater presentations can be viewed online and on CD-ROM.
Create an Interactive CD Menu using Camtasia MenuMaker
Camtasia MenuMaker allows you to create an attractive menu from which to launch your video, document,
graphic, and other multimedia files. Using MenuMaker, you can easily create a CD-ROM that will launch
with the custom menu displayed - a perfect way to distribute information to customers, students, workgroups,
and more.
Create a Pack and Show Self Executing File
Pack and Show creates a Windows-executable file that your viewers can double-click to automatically unpack
the file, install the TSCC codec and Camtasia Player, and then view the video. No special setup or
installation is needed.
Send the Video as an E-mail Attachment
Use the e-mail production option within the Recommend my Production Settings Wizard to produce your
video in an e-mail friendly format. At the end of production process, Camtasia Studio opens a new e-mail for
you with your video contained as an attachment.
Write to a CD-ROM
Use the CD production option within the Recommend my Production Settings Wizard to produce your
video in a CD-ready format. Include an auto-run file so your video will play as soon as it is put in the CD tray
on the viewer’s PC.
Create a DVD-Ready Video File
Use the DVD production option within the Recommend my Production Settings Wizard to produce your
video in a DVD-ready AVI format. This means that Camtasia Studio will properly size and encode your video
with the highest quality options for use with most 3rd party DVD-authoring software applications. Just import
your final AVI video into your DVD project and you are ready to go.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Help Me Choose a File Format
The following are recommendations for file format compressions when producing movies with Camtasia
Studio. Please note that your settings may be different from these depending on what you are producing.
Many times a combination of the settings are best.
How will you share your videos?
This is one of the most important questions you will need to answer before you begin to produce your video
since it directly impacts the type of video format you will choose.
See the recommendations given below and then follow the corresponding link to get specific information on
that video format.
Internet / Intranet CD DVD
Recommended: Macromedia Flash Audio Video Interleave (AVI) Audio Video Interleave
(AVI) & DVD
(SWF/FLV) and CD-ROM Distribution
Productions
Ideal for Web distribution. Ideal for CD-ROM
Most compatible for distribution because it retains Highest quality
viewing on different the highest quality and is recordings which can be
browsers and operating editable with video editing readied for use with
systems. programs. DVD authoring software.
Alternative: Windows Media (WMV - Windows Media (WMV -
Streaming Format) Streaming Format)
Ideal for longer or higher Ideal for longer or higher
motion recordings. motion recordings.
QuickTime (MOV)
Video File Type Table
The following table gives you a comparison of the different file formats available to you in Camtasia Studio.
File Type Description
Audio Video Editable and easily converted into other movie formats. See also Audio Video
Interleave Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution and Audio Video Interleave (AVI) &
(AVI) DVD Productions.
Macromedia Typically used for Web distribution. Plays in most browsers with no additional
Flash software required.
(SWF/FLV)
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Help Me Choose a File Format
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File Type Description
Windows Windows Media Video (WMV) is the current Microsoft streaming file format that
Media Video replaces the legacy ASF files. WMV files can be streamed or played locally from the
(WMV) hard disk.
WMV can produce very small file sizes and if the videos contain real world
photography, dithering or gradient fills, the file size may be significantly smaller than
TSCC-encoded AVI files.
Playing WMV files requires Windows Media Player. Unless the Windows Media
Player is a very current version, Windows Media Player will have to (automatically)
contact Microsoft and download new codecs. As a result, the computer playing the
video will, in most cases, have to have Internet connectivity. While not as perfect
quality as lossless TSCC videos, WMV produces very good image quality.
Creating WMV files has a steeper learning curve than understanding how to create AVI
files. Producing WMV files requires understanding bandwidth. If you don't set the
production bandwidth high enough, during playback the video may turn out black, or
blocky or the image may freeze during playback. It is more difficult to produce WMV
files than it is to make AVIs.
See also:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx.
RM Small file size media. It is not downloadable to the computer. Plays in RealPlayer and
browser with the plug-in. Great audio compression.
CAMV Camtasia Studio for Real Media files require Real Player, and can be streamed or
played back locally from a hard disk. The first time a CAMV file is played, the Real
Player will contact Real Networks and automatically download the CAMV Plug-In for
the player. This means that the user must have Real Player installed and have a
connection to the Internet.
The CAMV Plug-In may be manually installed, but may turn off many members of
your audience from watching your video.
CAMV, like TSCC is lossless and will produce perfect quality, highly compressed
videos with small file sizes. However, if file size is a primary consideration, and your
video contains real world photography, dithered surfaces or gradient fills then CAMV
may not be the best choice.
MOV Requires Apple QuickTime. This is one possible choice if you must produce videos
that will be played on both Windows and Apple operating systems. QuickTime can
also play AVI files, but cannot play AVI files that are TSCC-encoded. We recommend
that you install the latest version of QuickTime:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/win.html
ANIMATED Can be played in image viewing programs, Web browsers, Windows Media Player,
GIF Real Player and other applications. It is not a streaming format.
Animated GIF is highly compressed and lossless. It cannot contain audio and is 8 bit,
256 colors. It is generally not used for long videos, but rather for short clips.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution
The AVI file format is ideal for CD-ROM distribution because it retains the highest quality and is editable by
Camtasia Studio, Camtasia Effects, or other video editing programs.
To ensure playback on any Windows PC, use MenuMaker to create a CD menu which automatically plays
your AVI with a freely distributed Camtasia Player (200k).
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Common and easy to view.
• Editable and easily converted into other movie formats.
• A great vendor-neutral format for your stock footage or for distribution CD-
ROM.
•
Weaknesses: Files can be large with higher motion and complex image recordings.
• Entire file must load to a person's computer before playing.
• TSCC-encoded AVI requires TSCC video codec for playback.
High Quality Settings
• Colors: Automatic (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: Automatic (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Uncheck Encode Audio (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• If audio: 22.050kHz 16 Bit Stereo (AVI Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• Colors: High Color (16-bit) (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: 10 (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Uncheck Encode Audio (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• If audio: 12kHz 16 Bit Stereo (AVI Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• Colors: High Color (16-bit) (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: 5 (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Uncheck Encode Audio (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• If audio: 8kHz 16 Bit Stereo (AVI Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
See also Audio Video Interleave (AVI) & DVD Productions.
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Audio Video Interleave (AVI) & DVD Productions
The AVI file format is ideal for customers who have DVD authoring software. Your AVIs produced with
Camtasia Studio can be converted by most authoring software into a DVD-Ready format.
Note: Camtasia Studio videos do not playback on DVDs. You must publish them to AVI format using
Camtasia Studio and then convert them to appropriate MPEG formats using your DVD authoring
software.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Highest quality recordings possible.
• Can be edited in Camtasia Studio and most non-linear editing
software.
• Includes high quality audio options.
•
Weaknesses: Requires DVD-authoring software to convert to MPEG format
• Files can be large with higher motion and complex image recordings.
• Entire file must load to a person's computer before loading.
High Quality Settings
• Colors: Automatic (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: Automatic (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Uncheck Encode Audio (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• If audio: 22.050kHz 16 Bit Stereo (AVI Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Video Size 720x480.
If your original screen recording is larger than 720x480, you may consider using Zoom-n-Pan to deliver the
best quality productions.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Macromedia Flash (SWF/FLV)
Macromedia Flash is a cross-platform movie file format that plays on any computer that supports the Flash
Player. Camtasia Studio now supports Flash SWF/FLV output. In previous versions of Camtasia Studio, only
SWF output was supported.
The move to a combined Flash SWF/FLV output means that longer PowerPoint presentations, full motion
video, and talking head Picture-in-Picture can all be produced with the Flash quality that you have come to
expect from Camtasia Studio.
This also means that when creating a Flash movie, depending on the content of your Timeline, you may end
up with a SWF or FLV movie file or even both kinds of Flash files in your produced movie project folder.
Flash is ideal for publishing your movies on the Web. The default Flash production settings will give you
excellent results in most every case. Nevertheless, there may be times when you will want to choose your own
custom settings.
About Flash Player Compatibility
The following table will help you choose the correct template and video codec production combination based
on the Flash Player you will be using for playback of your movie.
To get output Use these settings...
compatible
with...
Flash Player 6 Choose the Legacy SWF Output template.
Flash Player 7 Choose any template except the Legacy SWF Output template. If the output includes
FLV video, you must use H.263 as the Video Codec instead of VP6.
Flash Player 8 Choose any template except the Legacy SWF Output template. If the output includes
FLV video, you must use VP6 as the Video Codec instead of H.263.
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
QuickTime (MOV)
QuickTime is a video file format with a wide selection of video and audio compressors. It is a common
Internet file format that requires a free component installed for playback and is often used for distribution to a
more MAC centered audience.
Note: We recommend that you install the latest version of QuickTime from
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/win.html.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Wide selection of video and audio compressors.
• Will play while downloading.
• Multi-platform, industry-standard, multimedia software architecture.
•
Weaknesses: Viewing may appear "jerky" if download is slow.
• Entire file will download to the viewer's computer.
High Quality Settings
• If audio, enable Sound (QuickTime Encoding Options screen >QuickTime Options button >
Movie Settings > Sound Options )
• Size: 16 Bit (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > QuickTime Options button > Movie Settings
> Sound Options > )
• Use: Stereo (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > QuickTime Options button > Movie Settings
> Sound Options)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• If audio, enable Sound (QuickTime Encoding Options screen >QuickTime Options button >
Movie Settings > Sound Options )
• Size: 8 Bit (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > QuickTime Options button > Movie Settings
> Sound Options)
• Use: Mono (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > QuickTime Options button > Movie Settings
> Sound Options)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• If audio, enable Sound (QuickTime Encoding Options screen >QuickTime Options button >
Movie Settings > Sound Options )
• Size: 8 Bit (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Use: Mono (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Windows Media (WMV - Streaming Format)
The WMV file format is the latest Microsoft streaming file format. WMV files play in Microsoft's Windows
Media Player. WMV does a good job of delivering quality recordings with smaller file size. WMV is also
well suited for longer recordings or recordings with higher motion. A variety of audio and video compressors
are available, including the Windows Media Screen video codec which is optimized for screen recordings.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Small file size media.
• It is not downloaded to the computer.
• Plays in recent Microsoft Windows Media Player and browser.
•
Weaknesses: Limited editing options.
• Cannot be converted to another format.
Continue with Recommended Settings for Normal Screen Recordings or Recommended Settings: Higher
Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos.
Recommended Settings for Normal Screen Recordings
Recommendations for Windows Media Video depend on the nature of your recorded videos.
If your video includes normal screen recordings of your PC and does not include full motion video, lots of
scrolling windows, or many transitions, we recommend that you enable the Screen capture profiles only
option in the Production Wizard’s Windows Media Encoding Options screen.
Note: If your recording has no audio, choose the video-only profile such as Camtasia Studio Screen
Video Low (CBR)
High Quality Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video and Audio High (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video High (CBR) (Windows Media Encoding
Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video and Audio Medium (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video Medium (CBR) (Windows Media Encoding
Options screen)
• 800x600 (Video Size screen)
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Smallest Size Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video and Audio Low (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video Low (CBR) (Windows Media Encoding
Options screen)
• 640x480 (Video Size screen)
See also Recommended Settings: Higher Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos.
Recommended Settings: Higher Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos
Recommendations for Windows Media Video depend on the nature of your recorded videos.
If your videos include footage from a camcorder or lots of scrolling windows or animations, we recommend
using non-screen video codecs.
Note: If your recording has no audio, choose the video-only profile such as Camtasia Studio Screen
Video Low (CBR).
High Quality Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Full Motion Video and Audio High (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Full Motion Video and Audio Medium (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• 800x600 (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Full Motion Video and Audio Low (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• 640x480 (Video Size screen)
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
RealMedia Streaming Media (RM)
The RealMedia file format creates video files that are compressed and optimized for Web delivery using the
standard RealVideo and RealAudio codecs. It requires viewers to have the RealPlayer and codec installed.
Quality is often reduced for low bandwidth priority and there are limited editing options.
Note: It is best to also save in AVI format as well if later editing is needed.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Small file size media. It is not downloaded to the computer.
• Plays in RealPlayer and browser with the plug-in.
• Great audio compression.
• Requires streaming server to stream from a Web site.
Weaknesses:
• Lossy video compression.
• Limited editing options.
• Cannot be converted to another format.
High Quality Settings
• File Type: SureStream™ - RealServer G2 Compatible (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Target Audience: Dual ISDN (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If no audio, Audio Format: No Audio (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If audio, Audio Format: Stereo Music (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• File Type: SureStream™ - RealServer G2 Compatible (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Target Audience: 56K Modem (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If no audio, Audio Format: No Audio (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If audio, Audio Format: Voice w/ background music (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• File Type: SureStream™ - RealServer G2 Compatible (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Target Audience: 28K Modem (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If no audio, Audio Format: No Audio (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If audio, Audio Format: Voice Only or Music Only (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Camtasia for RealPlayer (RealPlayer Plug-In(CAMV))
This file format uses the Camtasia for RealPlayer Plug-In to stream video with perfect lossless quality. The
audio stream is encoded with standard Real Audio codecs. Choose this option for content with few color
gradients, low motion, and where the highest video quality is required.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths: Stream files over low bandwidth.
Weaknesses: Requires a streaming server.
Recommended Settings
• Target Audience: Dual ISDN (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• Colors: 12-bit (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: Automatic (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• Key frame every: 40 (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• If no audio, Audio Format: No Audio (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• If audio, Audio Format: Stereo (or other setting depending on your audio type) (Camtasia
RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
GIF Animation File (GIF)
The GIF video format allows you to publish short tutorials and product demonstrations on the Web that
playback in any browser on any computer platform.
GIF is also ideal for adding short animations to your PowerPoint presentation.
Camtasia Studio creates highly optimized animated GIF files that are as small as possible. However, there are
practical limits on the length of GIF animations since they must be downloaded entirely before they can play
in a browser.
GIF animations do not contain audio and are limited to 256 colors.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Supported by nearly all Web browsers. Tend to be smaller than other
animation files.
• Animated GIF files are commonly used on Web pages. Due to their
small size, they are ideal for Web delivery, where the exacting detail of
an AVI file is not necessary.
• Animated GIF files are highly condensed.
• This industry-standard file format allows you to publish short tutorials
and product demonstrations on the Web that play back in any browser
on any computer platform.
•
Weaknesses: Video only.
• Limited to 256 colors.
• Less range and flexibility.
High Quality Settings
• Colors: Automatic (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: Automatic (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• Colors: 256 (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: 10 (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• Colors: 256 (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: 5 (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Looking at the Different Media Players
A media player is a software application that plays multimedia files such as videos, music, and animation. It
is important to consider which media player(s) are installed on your audience’s computers. Some common
issues users face concerning media players include:
• Selecting the correct media player to play a particular file format. The file formats supported differ
across media players.
• Identifying which video and audio codecs are installed on a particular media player.
• Scaling and other playback issues. Some media players, due to their configuration settings may alter
the way the video appears within the player which can sometimes lead to image distortion and scaling
issues.
Unless you distribute Camtasia Player with your videos, you have no control over what application your
viewers will use to watch your video. Instead, playback is entirely dependent on what video player is
currently configured to open video files on each viewer’s computer.
In general, all of the companies that produce media players want you to use their player as the default player.
Typically, each media player, when installed, will automatically set itself as the default application for video
playback.
So, when Microsoft Windows is first installed, Windows Media Player is configured to be the default media
player. If another player is installed, during the installation the new player will reconfigure Windows so that it
is now the default media player. The net effect is that you have no control over which application is
configured to be the default player on a user’s computer, and it might even change over time.
Continue with Comparing Media Players on page 49.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Comparing Media Players
This section lists some commonly used media players and the file formats supported by each media player.
The following chart lists some commonly used media players and the files extensions supported in these
media players.
Media Player AVI WMV MOV SWF RM FLV
Yes Yes
Windows Media Player
Most Windows systems come with
Windows Media Player pre-installed.
Find out more from Microsoft…
Yes Yes
QuickTime Player
QuickTime usually comes pre-
installed on Macintosh computers.
QuickTime also has a Windows
version available.
Find out more from Apple…
Yes Yes Yes Yes
RealPlayer
The RealPlayer plays all major media
formats including RealVideo,
RealAudio, Windows Media and
QuickTime.
Your viewers must download and
install RealPlayer installed on their
system in order to view videos
produced in the RealPlayer file
format.
Get the RealPlayer…
Yes Yes
Flash Player
The Macromedia Flash Player is a
multiple-platform player.
Your viewers must download and
install Macromedia Flash on their
system in order to view movies
produced in the SWF/FLV file
format.
Get the Flash Player…
Yes
Camtasia Player
Camtasia Player is a simple,
standalone video player for Windows.
See About Camtasia Player on page
50 or Making Camtasia Player your
Default Player on page 52.
Find out more from TechSmith...
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Looking at the Different Media Players
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
About Camtasia Player
Camtasia Player is a simple, standalone video player, optimized for playing screen recordings.
• Player always plays back videos at 100 percent of their original size so that they remain readable.
• It runs on any 32-bit Windows platform, with no dependencies on runtime libraries, OS version, or
DirectX.
• Player is a single .EXE file that does not need any setup, nor does it use the registry or any
configuration files.
• Player is designed to be as easy to use as possible. Command line options are provided which allow
Player to be invoked in various ways from CD-ROMs, multimedia authoring tools, and scripting
languages or batch files.
• Player only plays AVI video files. Any audio or video codecs required by the AVI file must be
installed before Player can play the video.
• The basic Windows multimedia support for playing AVI files must be installed.
• Player does not setup any shell associations to become the default AVI player. However, this could
be setup by an install program that you provide or, by the end user.
Opening Camtasia Player
You can open Player in two different ways.
1. Choose Start > All Programs > Camtasia Studio 3 > Applications > Camtasia Player.
2. From within another Camtasia Studio component, choose Tools > Camtasia Player.
Benefits
The TSCC is built into Camtasia Player. The benefits of having a built-in TSCC include:
• The ability to playback videos on the host PC without having to install the TSCC.
• Lossless preservation of 100 percent of the image quality, even through multiple
decompression/recompression cycles that are typical during the production process.
• Optimization for screen capture so that the resulting files are small and highly compressed.
• Exceptional compression speed at all color depths.
• Provides reliable playback that you can control using command line arguments. For example, you can
command the player to exit after playing, or command it to play full screen.
• Always plays back videos at 100 percent of their original size for best readability.
• Player is small and self-contained. It works on any 32-bit Windows platform, even Windows 95.
• There are no extraneous DLLs or DirectX components required.
Note: Camtasia Player supports many command line options that allow complete control over the player
when it is run from CD-ROMs, multimedia authoring tools, help files, and scripting languages or
batch files. See the Camtasia Studio online help for more information on Command Line
Customizations.
50 • www.techsmith.com Looking at the Different Media Players
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Player System Requirements
In order to run Camtasia Player, your system must meet these specifications:
• Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4, 2000, XP or later version
• Windows-compatible sound card and speakers (recommended)
• 360 KB of hard-disk space for program installation
• Basic Windows multimedia and AVI file support must be installed.
• Multimedia and AVI file support is normally installed by default with Windows.
• Any audio or video codecs required by your AVI files must be installed. To check if a codec is
installed, open Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Hardware tab. Scroll through the list
to view codecs.
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Looking at the Different Media Players
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Making Camtasia Player your Default Player
Use these directions to make Camtasia Player your default video player.
For Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP or later:
1. Right-click on an AVI in Windows Explorer.
2. Select Open With > Other Program or Open With > Choose Program. The Open With dialog box
appears.
3. Click on the Browse button to open the standard Browse dialog box.
4. Navigate to and select C:\Program Files\TechSmith\Camtasia Studio 3\CamPlay.exe.
5. Choose Open. You will be back at the Open With dialog box.
6. Check the Always use this program to open these files or Always use the selected program to open
this kind of file option.
7. Choose OK.
For Windows 98, and Windows NT 4:
1. In My Computer or Windows Explorer, click the View menu, and then click Options.
2. Click the File Types tab (or the Folder Options tab on Windows 98).
3. In the list of file types, select the file type for the AVI file extension (e.g. "Video Clip" or "Video Clip
(AVI)"). The settings for that file type are shown in the File Type Details box.
4. Click Edit.
5. In the Actions box, select Open.
6. Click Edit. You may want to note the current setting, in case you want to restore it. Specify the full
pathname for Camtasia Player followed by "/open" (e.g. "C:\Program
Files\TechSmith\Camtasia\CamPlay.exe" /open)
7. Click OK.
52 • www.techsmith.com Looking at the Different Media Players
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Camtasia Player & Pack and Show
Another option to consider when sharing your videos is to use the Pack and Show feature in Camtasia Studio.
This option allows you to package your videos for easy, one-step distribution to your users. Pack and Show
creates a Windows-executable file that users can simply double-click to unpack the file, install the TSCC
codec and Camtasia Player, and play the movie. Pack and Show executable files can be distributed on a CD
or as an e-mail attachment.
You have the options to include the TSCC codec and Camtasia Player in the package, so that they will be
automatically installed on the user's computer. The TSCC codec is built into the Camtasia Player. This means
that you do not need to install the TSCC codec on the host machine in order to view the video with the TSCC
if you are using Player for playback. Plus, distributing your videos with Camtasia Player ensures that your
videos play back in the original size and image quality, just as you recorded it.
There are two advantages to Pack and Show:
• Users get everything they need to view a TSCC-encoded movie.
• The packaging process may reduce the size of files to be distributed without affecting the movie
quality. For example, when the movie contains uncompressed audio, the audio quality will be
unaffected by packaging.
Note: Pack and Show is not a good option for distribution via CD-ROM if the video file size is large.
This is because it takes time to extract and copy the video file to a temporary folder on the hard
drive before playback.
To distribute the video, simply ship the file with the .EXE extension, instructing the recipient to double-click
the file to open and play it.
To distribute your videos using the Pack and Show option in Camtasia Studio, choose File > Pack and Show.
Please refer to the Camtasia Studio help file for more information on how to use this feature.
Continue with Looking at Common Media Player Problems on page 54.
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Looking at the Different Media Players
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Looking at Common Media Player Problems
Scaling
Depending on the media player and its configuration settings, videos may scale when they are played. Scaling
can lead to video image distortion and other playback issues.
The best solution is to record a video that will fit properly on your viewer’s screen taking into account your
viewer’s screen resolution and the need to provide additional space for player controls. For example, if the
viewer has a resolution of 1024x768, it is best to record an 800x600 video. Then the viewer can maximize the
media player and it will play back just fine.
If the media player scales the video, right-click on the video and select Video Size > 100% and also disable
Video Size > Fit Video to Player on Resize. The video should now playback within the media player as it
was originally recorded.
To learn more about quality video playback, continue with:
Preventing Blurry Videos on page 57.
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos on page 58.
Codec is not Installed
Camtasia Studio supports all audio and video codecs installed on your computer. Be aware that some of the
audio codecs Camtasia finds and displays cannot be used when producing new videos due to licensing
restrictions by the owners/authors of the codec. If you try to use one of these restricted audio codecs,
Camtasia displays a dialog saying that you must choose a different codec.
In this situation, you may need to download a particular codec before watching the video file. For example, if
you do not download the TSCC video codec before attempting to watch an AVI video file, you would hear
audio but not see any video. Instead you would only see a blank screen.
If you are unable to view your video within a particular media player because of codec restrictions try
producing the video using another codec, use another media player (such as Camtasia Player) to show your
video, or distribute your videos using Pack and Show.
Selecting settings for your Target Audience
In general, select a media player and file format that best suites your target audience. Each media player plays
a different set of file formats.
Use the following tips to ensure playback of your videos to your target audience:
• Distribute the media player with your video or provide a link to download the appropriate media
player to play your video.
• Produce your video in a couple of different file formats to accommodate members of your target
audience that may use a media player that does not support certain file formats.
• Find a file format and audio codec that is support on the most media players, such as AVI file format.
• Produce your video as a Flash file. With built-in support for Flash 8, you can easily produce Flash
files to post online. You do not need to worry about downloading media players or plug-ins. Due to
the universality of Flash, you can be confident that any user can view your video.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Video Playback Checklist:
The following list gives some things to check if you still cannot play the videos, even after the media player
has been installed:
• Do you have the latest version of the media player installed? Check for updates to your player:
Windows Media Player, QuickTime, RealPlayer, or Flash Player.
• Do you have the correct audio and video codecs installed to play your video?
• Do you have a slow Internet connection? You may want to try downloading and saving individual’s
videos to save and play from your local computer. You can do this by right-clicking on the desired
video link and then click Save Target As. Click Save to save the video file onto your computer.
• Is the sound on the video missing? Check your Windows system settings. Choose Start > Control
Panel > Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices. Click the Sounds and Audio Devices link. Check the
Volume, Sounds, Audio, Voice, and Hardware for possible connection problems, errors, or changed
settings.
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Looking at the Different Media Players
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices
The following chapter gives you some additional information that will help you make professional looking
videos.
Continue with the following topics:
Preventing Blurry Videos on page 57.
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos on page 58.
Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts on page 60.
Tips for Scripting and Audio on page 66.
56 • www.techsmith.com Looking at the Different Media Players
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Preventing Blurry Videos
TechSmith knows how important it is to be able to produce and share crystal clear videos. The people you are
sharing your videos with expect high-resolution, smooth-action videos that play back perfect every time. This
is where Camtasia Studio excels. Use the following guidelines to record, produce, play, and share high-
resolution, smooth-action Camtasia Studio videos.
Choose Reasonable Screen Resolution Dimensions for your Video.
Consider the resolution of the desktop that the video is going to be played on. If a video is 1024x768 and it is
played back on an 800x600 desktop, the video will be too big dimensionally to fit on the screen.
If an 800x600 video is played back on an 800x600 screen, then the video must be played back in full screen
mode because there will not be enough room for the title bar, border, etc. of the application that is playing the
video. Therefore it is always better to create videos that are smaller than the resolution of the screen that they
will be viewed on.
Use a Lossless Video Codec when Recording your Video.
Computer videos are compressed using various compression algorithms. These compression algorithms are
implemented using codecs. Some codecs sacrifice image quality when they compress the video, such as
Microsoft Video 1. Lossless codecs will not degrade the image quality when they compress the video.
By default Camtasia uses the TechSmith TSCC video codec. Both TSCC and Microsoft RLE are lossless
codecs. TSCC is lossless at any color depth, while RLE is limited to 256 colors. RLE will also produce video
file sizes that are up to 6 times larger than TSCC encoded videos.
Do Not Scale your Videos When Producing.
If the video is scaled to fit on a smaller desktop, image quality degradation will occur because of the scaling.
By default the Camtasia Studio will not scale the video. To produce a video without scaling, select Produce
video as from the Task List to open the Production Wizard. When you get to the Video Size screen, choose
Largest video size (recommended).
Make Sure your Video Plays Back at 100% of its Original Size.
During recording, if you use the default setup of Camtasia Recorder and produce videos with the TSCC
codec, the playback should be lossless, of perfect quality and it should look exactly like the screen that you
recorded.
If this is the case, and upon playback in your video player your videos still look blurry, then the problem is
probably is that the video is not being played back at 100% the original size at which it was recorded. In most
video players you can select View > Size > 100%.
It is important to note that in its default “skins” mode, Windows Media Player 7 has problems playing files at
100% their original size. Most of the time it scales them to a smaller size resulting in image quality
degradation. Many time selecting View > Zoom > 100% has no effect.
The best and most reliable fix is to distribute your videos with Camtasia Player. You can guarantee that your
videos will play back at 100% their original size by distributing them with Camtasia Player. It is free to
download and distribute with your Camtasia Studio videos. TechSmith’s Camtasia Player will always play
AVI files correctly with no scaling. It is available on our Web site at:
http://www.techsmith.com/download/studiodefault.asp.
Continue with Preventing Blank (Black) Videos on page 58.
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Preventing Blurry Videos
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos
Have you ever tried to record with Camtasia Recorder, but when you went to watch your video all you got
was a blank screen or a black recording?
While recording, Camtasia Studio sometimes grabs a solid block of color instead of an image. The preview
screen may appear to be recording fine, but the result may be a blank video. This problem is usually due to
graphics hardware acceleration being used to display the image. The resulting "blank screen" affects all
screen capture programs—even images captured using the Print Screen key.
This type of problem usually occurs if you are trying to record a streaming media player or DVD player that
is playing a movie. These players all use hardware acceleration to display images. For streaming media
players, the solution to your recording problem is to turn off hardware acceleration in the player before you
try to record it.
DVD players, however, usually require hardware acceleration. So although disabling hardware acceleration
might end up disabling your DVD player as well, you might try disabling hardware acceleration on your
system in order to record your DVD player.
Frame Rates
Making a video of your screen is very demanding on system resources. This can result in low frame rates or
sluggish system performance. Too low of a frame rate makes videos appear jerky. If system resources are
exhausted, even just moving the mouse can be difficult and background applications may run slowly. This is
especially evident on slower systems, when running CPU intensive applications, recording large areas of the
screen, or recording at higher screen color depths.
The key to resolve these problems is hardware acceleration. By disabling hardware acceleration, users can
dramatically increase frame capture rates on Microsoft® Windows 2000 and Windows XP. This increase in
frame capture rates results in the production of smooth, high quality videos using fewer system resources.
The following table illustrates the different frame rates with and without hardware acceleration.
Frame Rate per second Frame Rate per second
Video Capture Settings
with Hardware Acceleration without Hardware Acceleration
32 bit color, 1280x1024 9 fps 12 fps
16 bit color, 1280x1024 2 fps 20 fps
16 bit color, 800x600 6 fps 50 fps
However, there are applications that need hardware acceleration to run properly, for example many DVD-
Players, 3-dimensional CAD-displays, and video games. In this case, you would want to use other methods to
improve the video quality such as reducing the capture area, limiting Zoom-n-Pan, or using a decreased color
resolution.
Note: Disabling the hardware acceleration is crucial if you want to record videos from a media player
such as Windows Media player, RealPlayer, or QuickTime. Otherwise you are likely to get a blank
screen on your recording.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
There are two places where you can turn off the hardware acceleration.
1. Turn Off in Camtasia Recorder
With this first option, the hardware acceleration will only be disabled while recording. As soon as you stop
Camtasia Recorder, the acceleration will be turned on again.
Note: Disabling the acceleration using this method causes a black screen to appear when starting and
stopping the recording process.
In Camtasia Recorder, choose Tools > Options > Capture tab. Enable the Disable display acceleration
during capture option.
Choose OK. Begin recording as usual.
2. Turn Off System-Wide
With the second option, you will disable the hardware acceleration system wide in the system settings. With
this option, you can repeatedly record the screen without being interrupted by black screens.
1. From the system tray, choose Start > Control Panel > Display > Settings tab.
2. Click the Advanced button. The Advanced settings properties dialog appears.
3. Select the Troubleshoot tab.
4. On the Hardware Acceleration slider, move the slider control from Full to None. This disables all
accelerations.
5. Click the Apply button to apply the settings to your desktop. Click OK to save your changes.
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Preventing Blank (Black) Videos
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
The following tables contain many of the default keyboard hotkeys or shortcuts found within Camtasia
Studio and Camtasia Studio's companion applications.
See the following topics:
Camtasia Studio's Main Interface on page 61.
Camtasia Audio Editor on page 62.
Camtasia MenuMaker on page 63.
Camtasia Player on page 64.
Camtasia Theater on page 65.
60 • www.techsmith.com Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Camtasia Studio's Main Interface
The following table contains many of the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia Studio's main interface.
These keyboard shortcuts are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
Create a new project CTRL + N
Open a project CTRL + O
Save a project CTRL + S
Record the Screen CTRL + R
Import Media CTRL + I
Product Video As CTRL + P
Save Audio As CTRL + U
Save Frame As CTRL + F
Undo CTRL + Z
Redo CTRL + Y
Split CTRL + D
Cut Selection CTRL + X
Extend Frame CTRL + E
Add a Marker CTRL + M
Storyboard CTRL + G
Timeline CTRL + T
Toggle PIP Preview Placement CTRL + F8
Full Screen ALT + Enter
Zoom In CTRL + Plus
Zoom Out CTRL + Minus
Zoom to Fit CTRL + F9
Zoom to Selection CRTL + F10
Play/Pause CTRL + Space
Stop CTRL + ALT + Space
Beginning CTRL + Home
End CTRL + End
Previous Clip CTRL + ALT + Left Arrow
Next Clip CTRL + ALT + Right Arrow
Step Backward CTRL + Left Arrow
Step Forward CTRL + Right Arrow
Previous Marker CTRL + [
Next Marker CTRL + ]
Open Camtasia Studio Help F1
Exit Camtasia Studio ALT + F4
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Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Camtasia Audio Editor
The following table contains the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia Audio Editor. These keyboard
shortcuts are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
New CTRL + N
Open CTRL + O
Save CTRL + S
Undo CTRL + Z
Redo CTRL + Y
Cut CTRL + X
Copy CTRL + C
Paste (Extend) CTRL + V
Zoom In CTRL + Plus
Zoom Out CTRL + Minus
Play Space
Beginning Home
Previous Frame Left Arrow
Next Frame Right Arrow
End End
Open Help F1
Exit Audio Editor ALT+ F4
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Camtasia MenuMaker
The following table contains the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia MenuMaker. These keyboard
shortcuts are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
Create a New Project CTRL + N
Open Project CTRL + O
Test the Menu CTRL + T
Save the Project CTRL + S
Undo CTRL + Z
Redo CTRL + Y
Zoom In CTRL + Plus
Zoom Out CTRL + Minus
Zoom to Fit CTRL + F9
Open Help F1
Exit MenuMaker ALT + F4
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Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Camtasia Player
The following table contains the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia Player. These keyboard shortcuts
are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
Open CTRL + O
Play/Pause Space
Stop CTRL + S
Beginning Home
Rewind Page Up
Forward Page Down
End End
Full Screen ALT + Enter
Repeat CTRL + R
Increase Volume CTRL + Up arrow
Decrease Volume CTRL + Down arrow
Mute Volume CTRL + M
Exit Player ALT + F4
64 • www.techsmith.com Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Camtasia Theater
The following table contains the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia Theater. These keyboard shortcuts
are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
New CTRL + N
Open CTRL + O
Save CTRL + S
Export Flash Menu CTRL + E
Open Help F1
Exit Theater ALT + F4
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Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Tips for Scripting and Audio
When actually going through the process of making your video, there are several scripting and audio tips that
you might find helpful in making your video appear as professional as possible. These tips are listed in the
table below.
Scripting & Audio Tips
Make multiple short clips using Camtasia Recorder. Use Camtasia Studio to join those short clips together
into a longer video production.
Use the same dimensions for each clip if possible.
Rehearse video capture sequences to get the best results.
Perform several "takes," replaying them after production to see ways of improving the video.
For lengthy or involved sequences of action, write a script before recording.
• Print the script in large type to make it easy to read while recording.
• Think through the actions, in detail, that you want to capture, and then write them down in sequential
steps.
• The script should contain the exact words that you will record.
• Make sure that the script reflects what's currently happening on the screen.
• Include an overview of the recording in the first line or two of the script.
• Be as concise as possible.
• Avoid long pauses or hesitations in the narration.
• Avoid narration filler by using words such as “umm” or “ahh.”
• Avoid using repetitive statements or words.
To eliminate the sound of paper shuffling, you can tape script pages together and hang them near the
monitor so they are easy to read.
Normal mouse and cursor movement can be jerky, hesitant, or too fast for the capture to pick up.
The cursor appears to jump and the program reacts before the viewer can see where the mouse is.
To eliminate some of these problems, practice the sequence slowly, then build up speed as you go.
When showing cursor movement, pause a fraction of a second over the element, then click. This will allow
cursor position to be established in the video before the next action takes place.
By viewing glitches and correcting them in succeeding takes, you will eventually come up with a
professional-looking video sequence that you can save.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Before you Record Worksheets
The following pages contain worksheets for you to fill out prior to making a video. It is recommended that
you make copies of this worksheet and fill one out each time you want to create a new video.
The purpose of these worksheets is to help you organize your thoughts and to give you a method for gathering
the necessary requirements concerning the screen resolution, hardware, file size, etc. Using these worksheets
is also a good way for you to keep a technical record of your video projects in case you ever need to go back
and look at the requirements used for a particular video.
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Before you Record Worksheets
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Screen Resolution Checklist
To ensure the best playback screen resolution, you need to determine what dimensions of the video will easily
fit on the screen for your entire viewing audience.
The following table will help you gather your screen resolution requirements.
Requirement Decision Decision
________ x ________
Your monitor’s screen resolution.
Lowest Screen Resolution of target audience.
Note: It is a fairly safe assumption that most people are
now running at 800x600 or better. ________ x ________
Are you going to record a fixed region of your screen? Yes No
________ x _______
If recording a fixed region, region dimensions.
No
Is your screen resolution greater than the lowest screen Yes
resolution of target audience? If yes, you need to
decrease your screen
resolution settings (or
the size of your fixed
region) before
recording.
No
Will Player display the window frame and player Yes
controls on playback? It will play back in
If yes, you may need to
decrease your screen full screen mode.
resolution settings
before recording.
If your player is not going to play back in full screen Yes No
mode, will the player plus your video fit on the screen? If not, you need to
decrease your screen
resolution settings
before recording.
68 • www.techsmith.com Before you Record Worksheets
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Video Quality and File Size Checklist
The following checklist will help you gather your recording requirements and minimize final video file sizes.
Requirement Decision Decision
If running Windows 2000 or XP, is hardware Yes No
acceleration disabled in Camtasia Recorder?
If running Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP, disabling
hardware acceleration can increase capture frame rates
and/or decrease CPU utilization. The result will be
better videos.
If running Windows 2000 or XP, is hardware Yes No
acceleration disable system-wide?
Yes No
Is the TSCC video codec turned on?
For creating the best possible master video screen
recording, Camtasia Recorder should be configured
with its default setting, using the TSCC codec for
lossless video compression, and PCM uncompressed
mono audio. When the default setting is being used,
Auto Configure is checked in Recorder: Tools >
Options > Streams tab > Auto Configure.
Is PCM (22.050 kHz, 16 bit) uncompressed mono Yes No
audio selected?
What is the Capture frame rate (fps) set at? For most
screen recordings, 5-10 fps is acceptable. ________ fps
Have you closed all unnecessary applications? Yes No
If no, close the
unneeded applications
during your capture to
reduce the system
load.
What portion of the screen would you like to record? Dimensions:
Region of the Screen
Note: As a general rule, never record a larger area of Width:
Specific Window
the screen than necessary. ________pixels
Entire Screen
Height:
________pixels
Top Left:
X: ________pixels
Y: ________pixels
Approximate length of the video:
Camtasia Studio captures sequences in real-time
seconds and minutes. In general, the shorter the _______Hours _______Minutes _______Seconds
sequence, the smaller the resulting video file will be.
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Before you Record Worksheets
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Video Compression Checklist
The following checklist will help you gather your file type and compression requirements.
Requirement Decision Decision
How will you distribute your video?
Web, E-mail, CD, DVD-ready, Hard Drive or other
What is the file size of your master video? ________bytes
Does this seem like a reasonable size to share with your target Yes No
audience?
What Capture frame rate (fps) did you record your video at?
For most recordings, 5-10 fps is acceptable. ________fps
What frame rate is Camtasia set to produce at?
Note: The Automatic option will preserve the frame rate of a
single clip on the storyboard. ________fps
Does your video include real world photography and/or gradient Yes No
fills?
Is your audience likely to include viewers that use both Microsoft Yes No
Windows and Apple operating systems?
What media player(s) are likely to be installed on your viewers’ 1. ______________ 2. ____________
desktops? ________________ ______________
Will your audience members have the rights to install new video Yes No
codec on their desktops, if necessary for proper playback?
Do you need a player you can configure to playback in full screen Yes No
mode?
Are you going to Pack and Show your video? Yes No
Your Pack and Show video (.EXE) will include: TSCC Codec Camtasia Player
Are viewers likely to be connected to the Internet when they Yes No
playback your video?
If viewers are likely to be connected to the Internet, are your Yes No
audience members going to have high bandwidth connections to
the Internet?
70 • www.techsmith.com Before you Record Worksheets
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Video Type & Playback Checklist
The following checklist will help you decide which video type and file format is appropriate for your intended
audience.
Important Note: The TSCC is now built into the Camtasia Player. The benefits of having a built-in TSCC
include:
• The ability to playback videos on the host PC without having to install the TSCC.
• Lossless preservation of 100% of the image quality, even through multiple
decompression/recompression cycles that are typical during the production process.
• Optimization for screen capture so that the resulting files are small and highly compressed.
• Exceptional compression speed at all color depths.
File Type File Distribution Strengths Weaknesses
Extension
•
Common and easy to
Audio Video AVI CD-ROM, Entire file must load to a
Interleave and network view. person's computer before
CD directory or loading.
Editable and easily
downloaded from
Productions converted into other • Audio compression not as
a Web site. movie formats. good as with streaming
formats.
A great vendor-neutral
format for your stock • TSCC-encoded AVI
footage or for requires TSCC video
distribution on CD- codec for playback. The
ROM. TSCC is now built into
the Camtasia Player.
• TSCC does not compress
real world photography or
gradient fills.
•
Audio Video AVI DVD Highest quality Requires DVD-authoring
Interleave and recordings possible. software to convert to
DVD MPEG format.
Can be edited in
Productions Camtasia Studio and • Files can be large with
most non-linear editing higher motion and
software. complex image
recordings.
Includes high quality
audio options. • Entire file must download
to a person’s computer
before loading.
• TSCC does not compress
real world photography or
gradient fills.
•
Macromedia SWF/FLV Embed in Web Plays in 95% of most Requires Macromedia
browsers with no
Flash page. Flash Plug-In which is
additional software normally installed by
required. default.
Cross platform.
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Before you Record Worksheets
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
File Type File Distribution Strengths Weaknesses
Extension
• •
Windows WMV Streamed or Well-suited for Requires streaming server
Media (WMV played locally longer recordings for Internet access to
- Streaming from the hard or recordings with stream from a Web site.
Format) disk. higher motion. • The computer playing the
• Small file size video will, in most cases,
have to have Internet
media.
connectivity.
• It is not
•
downloaded to the Limited editing options
Cannot be converted to
computer.
another format
• Will play while
downloading.
• Plays in Microsoft
Windows Media
Player and
browser.
• •
QuickTime MOV Streamed from Wide selection of Viewing may appear
Web site or video and audio "jerky" if download is
attached to e- compressors. slow.
mail. • •
Will play while Entire file will download
downloading. to the viewer's computer.
• •
Multi-platform, Requires Apple
industry-standard, QuickTime.
multimedia
software
architecture.
• •
RealMedia RM Streamed from Small file size Requires streaming server
Streaming Web site. media. It is not to stream from a Web site.
Media downloadable to • Lossy video compression.
the computer.
• Limited editing options.
• Plays in
• Cannot be converted to
RealPlayer and
another format.
browser with Plug-
In.
• Great audio
compression.
• •
Camtasia for CAMV Streamed from Lossless video Difficult to send as an e-
RealPlayer Web site. compression and mail attachment, since
(RealPlayer lossless streaming audio and video are joined
Plug-In) video. via a SMIL file.
• •
Stream files over Requires a streaming
low bandwidth server.
except for real • Requires RealPlayer to be
world or high installed and have a
motion videos. connection to the Internet.
72 • www.techsmith.com Before you Record Worksheets
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
File Type File Distribution Strengths Weaknesses
Extension
•
•
GIF GIF Embed in any Cannot include audio.
Supported by
Animation Web page. Plays nearly all web • Limited to 256 colors.
File in any browser. browsers. Tend to
• Less range and flexibility.
be smaller than
• Limited to short durations.
other animation
files.
• Animated GIF files
are commonly
used on web pages.
Due to their small
size, they are ideal
for web delivery,
where the exacting
detail of an AVI
file is not
necessary.
• Animated GIF files
are highly
condensed.
• This industry-
standard file
format allows you
to publish short
tutorials and
product
demonstrations on
the web that play
back in any
browser on any
computer platform.
• •
Pack and EXE E-mail or embed Makes movies Some people may not be
Show in a Web page. easily accessible to able to receive e-mail
executable file
your viewers.
attachments.
• Converts Camtasia
• Long extraction times for
video into an
executable file large files.
(EXE) so users can
install Camtasia
Player to view
videos.
• Retains high
resolution and
quality.
• No special
software required.
www.techsmith.com • 73
Before you Record Worksheets
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Audio Compression Checklist
Audio data in a video file can contribute more to the total file size than the video portion. By compressing
your video’s audio with a standard audio codec, video file size can be reduced. By default, Recorder is
configured to use the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) for lossless video compression and PCM
uncompressed mono audio. The default audio setting is PCM, 22.050 kHz, 16 bit mono. Because TSCC is
lossless and PCM is uncompressed you can edit the video and create reproductions indefinitely and not lose
quality.
To find the best audio codec for your video, experiment by making a short video using PCM at the Camtasia
Recorder's default configuration. Then in Camtasia Studio, try saving your video using various audio codecs
at different sample rates.
The following checklist will help you gather your audio compression requirements.
Requirement Decision Decision
What is the file size of your master video? ________bytes
Does your video include audio? Yes No
Do you want to compress your video’s audio? Yes No
What codec will you use to compress your audio?
Will your audience have the necessary audio codec already Yes No
installed for proper playback?
74 • www.techsmith.com Before you Record Worksheets
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Contact TechSmith Technical Support
If you have a question pertaining to Camtasia Studio, we recommend that you first search the built-in help file
to find the information that you need.
If you still need technical support help, you can get free support by searching our Web site’s support database
1. Make sure that you are logged on to the Internet.
2. From within Camtasia Studio, choose Help > Support.
3. Select the TechSmith Support Website link.
Diagnostic Information
When working with technical support, you could be asked to e-mail or fax Camtasia Studio diagnostics.
If so:
Select Help > Support.
The diagnostic information will be highlighted. Choose Copy to Clipboard and then paste the information
into an e-mail message, along with any other information requested by the Technical Support team.
Alternatively, save the diagnostic information to a file by clicking Save to File, then attach the file to your e-
mail or print the data and fax (+1 517.913.6121) it to Camtasia Studio support, along with any other
information requested by the Technical Support team.
Click OK to close the Camtasia Studio Support window.
Mailing Address
TechSmith Corporation
2405 Woodlake Drive
Okemos, MI 48864 USA
Telephone
• Toll free: 800.517.3001 (USA Only)
• Voice: 517.381.2300
• Fax: 517.381.2336
TechSmith Support Links
• For more information on Camtasia Studio, visit our homepage at
http://www.techsmith.com/products/studio/default.asp.
• For information on TechSmith's upgrade policy, visit
http://www.techsmith.com/products/upgrade/default.asp.
• To find out about TechSmith's products, visit http://www.techsmith.com.
• For Frequently Asked Questions, visit http://www.techsmith.com/products/studio/faqs.asp.
• Download a free evaluation copy of Camtasia Studio at
http://www.techsmith.com/Camtasiastudiofreetrial.
www.techsmith.com • 75
Contact TechSmith Technical Support
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Index
Adjusting your Audio Level, 33 Video File Type/Compression, 82
Advanced Production Wizard, 10 Video Type & Playback, 83
Audio, 42 Close-Up Look
Scripting Tips, 78 Player, 63
Audio and Bandwidth, 22 Codec, 23
Audio Bandwidth, 16 Installation, 67
Audio Codec Tips Lossless, 23, 70
MPEG Layer 3, 28 Lossy, 23
Windows Media Player, 28 Codecs, 41
Audio Codecs Audio Codec Tips, 28
Audio Setting Table, 28 Audio Codecs Comparison, 28
Audio Codecs Overview, 28 Changing Audio Codecs, 30
Audio Compression, 86 Changing Video Codecs, 30
Audio Editor Common Sound Problems, 34
Hotkeys and Shortcuts, 75 Conference Recording, 39
Audio is out of Sync with the Video, 35 Create a DVD-Ready Video File, 15
Audio Levels, 33 Create a Pack and Show Self Executing File, 13
Audio Recording Error Message, 34 Create an Interactive CD Menu using Camtasia MenuMaker,
Audio Video Interleave, 83 13
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) Data Transmission, 17
DVD Productions, 52 Defining Size in Camtasia Recorder
AVI Video Checklist, 81 Video Size versus File Size, 43
AVI-Distribution Delta Frames, 19
Video Size versus File Size, 43 Desktop Microphone, 38
Bandwidth, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22 Diagnostic Information, 87
Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission, 18 Distributing a Video, 12
Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production, 16 DVD-Ready Video File, 15
Bandwidth Spikes, 16, 19, 20 Edit your Video, 8
Barely Audible Recordings, 32 E-mail Attachment, 14
Before you Record Worksheets, 79 External Noise can be Heard, 34
Bit Rate, 16, 17 File Formats, 46
Blank Videos, 71 Audio Video Interleave (AVI) & DVD Productions, 52
Blurry Videos, 70 Audio Video Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution,
Buffering, 20 51
Camtasia for RealPlayer, 84 GIF Animation File (GIF), 60
Camtasia for RealPlayer (RealPlayer Plug-In) (CAMV), 59 Macromedia Flash (SWF/FLV), 53
Camtasia Player, 63 QuickTime (MOV), 54
Camtasia Studio Windows Media (WMV), 55
Applications, 5 File Size Conversion, 17
Making Camtasia Player your Default Player, 65 File Size, Bit Rate, Bandwidth and Data Transmission, 17
Camtasia Studio's Main Interface, 74 First Recording, 6
CAMV, 59 Flash Player, 62
Cardioid (Unidirectional) Microphones, 37 Flash Player 6, 53
Flash Player 7, 53
CD Menu using Camtasia MenuMaker, 13
Flash Player 8, 53
CD- ROM, 14
Frame Rate, 41
Checklist
Frame Rate and Bandwidth, 19
Audio Compression Checklist, 86
Frame Rates, 71
AVI Video, 81
General Microphone Tips, 37
Screen Resolution, 80
76 • www.techsmith.com Contact TechSmith Technical Support
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Getting Great Sound in your Recordings, 31 Producing
GIF Animation File, 85 Advanced Production Wizard, 10
About, 60 Recommend my Production Settings Wizard, 10
Strengths and Weaknesses, 60 Production, 46
Hardware Acceleration, 72 Production Options
Preventing Blank Videos, 71 Audio Video Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution,
51
Headset Microphone, 38
Higher Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos, 57 CD-ROM Distribution, 51
Hotkeys & Shortcuts, 73 DVD and AVI, 52
Camtasia Studio Main Interface, 74 Macromedia Flash, 53
MenuMaker, 76 QuickTime (MOV), 54
Player, 76 SWF/FLV, 53
Theater, 77 Publish a Video for Web Distribution, 12
Hotkeys and Shortcuts QuickTime, 84
Audio Editor, 75 QuickTime (MOV), 54
How Camtasia Studio’s Applications Work Together, 5 QuickTime Player, 62
I can't hear my audio, 32 RealMedia, 58
Interactive CD Menu using Camtasia MenuMaker, 13 RealMedia Streaming Media, 84
Key Frames, 19 RealMedia Streaming Media (RM), 58
Lapel Microphone, 38 RealPlayer, 62
Large File Size when Recording with Audio, 34 RealPlayer Plug-In, 59
Lavaliere or Lapel Microphone, 38 Recommend my Production Settings Wizard, 10
Learning about the File Size, 40 Recommended Settings for Normal Screen Recordings, 56
Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones, 37 Recommended Settings: Higher Motion Screen Recordings &
Camcorder Videos, 57
Looking at the Different Media Players, 61
Low Quality Recordings, 34 Record
Macromedia Flash, 83 Overview, 6
Macromedia Flash (SWF/FLV), 53 Recording
Making your First Recording, 6 Conference, 39
Media Players, 61 Teleconference, 39
Common Problems, 67 Telephone Audio, 39
Comparison, 62 Web Conference using Voiceover IP Audio, 39
MenuMaker Recording Audio from Other Applications, 36
Hotkeys & Shortcuts, 76 Recording Audio in Various Scenarios, 39
Microphone Recording Error Message, 34
Description Table, 37 RM, 58
General Tips, 37 Scaling, 67, 70
Microphones Screen Movement, 40
Cardioid (Unidirectional), 37 Screen Resolution, 40, 70
Looking at Several Different Kinds, 37 Screen Resolution Checklist, 80
Omnidirectional, 37 Scripting and Audio Tip List, 78
Microphones Description Table, 37 Self Executing File, 13
Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record, 33 Send the Video as an E-mail Attachment, 14
Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes and Buffering, 20 Settings for Normal Screen Recordings, 56
No Sound?, 31 Share
Omnidirectional Microphones, 37 Videos, 49
Overview Share your Video, 12
Edit your Video, 8 Silent Recordings, 31
Produce your Video, 10, 12, 48 Solving Common Sound Problems, 34
Record your Video, 5, 6 Sound & your Recordings, 31
Video Sharing Options, 12, 48 sound card’s recording volume, 32
Pack and Show, 66, 85 Sound Problems
Pack and Show Self Executing File, 13 Common Issues, 34
Pickup Patterns, 37 Streaming Media File Transmission, 18
Playback Environment Streaming Media Production, 16
Video Size versus File Size, 43 Support, 87
Player Contact TechSmith, 87
Hotkeys & Shortcuts, 76 Support Links, 87
Making Camtasia Studio your Default Media Player, 65 TechSmith Contact Information
Opening, 63 Mailing Address, 87
System Requirements, 63 Telephone, 87
Produce your Video, 47 TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC), 25
www.techsmith.com • 77
Contact TechSmith Technical Support
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
TechSmith Support Links, 87 Preventing Black, Blank, and Blurry Videos, 70, 71
TechSmith Technical Support, 87 Video as an E-mail Attachment, 14
Telecom Adapter, 38 Video Capture Settings, 71
Teleconference Recording, 39 Video Codecs, 23
Telephone Audio Recording, 39 Video Compression and Key Frames, 19
Theater Video Dimensions, 43, 70
Hotkeys & Shortcuts, 77 Video File Type/Compression Checklist, 82
Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios, 39 Video for Web Distribution, 12
Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices, 69 Video Length, 41
TSCC, 25 Video Playback Checklist:, 67
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production, Video Production & File Formats, 46
Video Quality and File Size Checklist, 81
16
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs, 23 Video Size Options
Video Video Size versus File Size, 44
Edit, 8 Video Type & Playback Checklist, 83
File Formats, 10 Web Conference Recording using Voiceover IP Audio, 39
File Size, 40 Windows 98, 65
How to Produce, 12, 48 Windows Media, 84
Produce, 10 Windows Media (WMV - Streaming Format), 55
Recording Overview, 6 Windows Media Player, 62
Share, 10, 49 Windows NT 4, 65
Troubleshooting Write to a CD- ROM, 14
78 • www.techsmith.com Contact TechSmith Technical Support
Camtasia Studio
The Fundamentals of
Screen Recording
By TechSmith Corp.
TechSmith License Agreement
TechSmith Corporation provides this manual "as is", makes no
representations or warranties with respect to its contents or use, and
specifically disclaims any expressed or implied warranties of
merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose. TechSmith
Corporation reserves the right to make changes to the content of this
manual, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or entity of
such changes.
The software described in this document is furnished under a license
agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with
the terms of the agreement. It is against the law to copy the software on
any medium except as specifically allowed in the license agreement.
No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or
by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or information storage and retrieval systems, for any purpose
other than the purchaser’s personal use, without the express written
permission of TechSmith Corporation.
TechSmith Corporation reserves the right to make changes to the content
of this manual, at any time, without obligation to notify any person or
entity of such changes.
Copyright © 1990-2007 TechSmith Corporation.
All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America.
Trademarks
TechSmith, SnagIt, Camtasia Studio and Morae are registered
trademarks. EnSharpen and DubIt are trademarks of TechSmith
Corporation.
All other registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of their
respective companies. All rights reserved.
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Getting Started: The Fundamentals of Screen Recording 4
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production............................................5
File Size, Bit Rate, Bandwidth and Data Transmission ...................................................6
Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission .......................................................7
Video Compression and Key Frames...............................................................................8
Key Frames versus Delta Frames ....................................................................................................... 8
Frame Rate and Bandwidth ................................................................................................................ 8
Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes, and Buffering .................................................9
Audio and Bandwidth.....................................................................................................10
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs.............................................................................11
What is a Codec?.............................................................................................................................. 11
How do Codecs work? ..................................................................................................................... 11
Lossless vs. Lossy Codecs................................................................................................................ 11
Identifying the Codecs that are Installed on your System ................................................................ 12
Determining the Codec a Video is Compressed With ...................................................................... 12
About the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) ...................................................13
About the Microsoft Video 1 Codec ..............................................................................14
Audio Codecs Overview ................................................................................................16
The Best Overall Codec Options While Recording .......................................................18
Getting Great Sound in your Recordings ............................................................................19
Barely Audible Recordings ............................................................................................20
Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record ...............................................................21
Solving Common Sound Problems ................................................................................22
Recording Audio from Other Applications ....................................................................24
Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones.....................................................25
Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios ............................................................27
Learning about the File Size .................................................................................................28
Video Dimensions ..........................................................................................................31
Video Production & File Formats 34
Produce your Video ...............................................................................................................35
Share your Video............................................................................................................36
www.techsmith.com • 1
Table of Contents
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Help Me Choose a File Format .............................................................................................37
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution ...........................................39
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) & DVD Productions .....................................................40
Macromedia Flash (SWF/FLV) .....................................................................................41
QuickTime (MOV).........................................................................................................42
Windows Media (WMV - Streaming Format) ...............................................................43
Recommended Settings for Normal Screen Recordings .................................................................. 43
Recommended Settings: Higher Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos ........................ 44
RealMedia Streaming Media (RM)................................................................................45
Camtasia for RealPlayer (RealPlayer Plug-In(CAMV)) ................................................46
GIF Animation File (GIF) ..............................................................................................47
Looking at the Different Media Players...............................................................................48
Comparing Media Players ..............................................................................................49
About Camtasia Player...................................................................................................50
Making Camtasia Player your Default Player................................................................52
Camtasia Player & Pack and Show ................................................................................53
Looking at Common Media Player Problems ................................................................54
Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices 56
Preventing Blurry Videos......................................................................................................57
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos..........................................................................................58
Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts .......................................................................60
Camtasia Studio's Main Interface...................................................................................61
Camtasia Audio Editor ...................................................................................................62
Camtasia MenuMaker ....................................................................................................63
Camtasia Player..............................................................................................................64
Camtasia Theater............................................................................................................65
Tips for Scripting and Audio ................................................................................................66
Before you Record Worksheets ............................................................................................67
Screen Resolution Checklist...........................................................................................68
Video Quality and File Size Checklist ...........................................................................69
Video Compression Checklist........................................................................................70
2 • www.techsmith.com Table of Contents
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Video Type & Playback Checklist .................................................................................71
Audio Compression Checklist........................................................................................74
Contact TechSmith Technical Support................................................................................75
Index 76
www.techsmith.com • 3
Table of Contents
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Getting Started: The
Fundamentals of Screen
Recording
The information contained within this guide will help you understand the guiding principles behind successful
screen recording.
Before you begin working with Camtasia Studio, we recommend that you read through this guide to become
familiar with some of the terms and concepts that you will come across when making your videos. Please
refer to the Camtasia Studio Help file for a comprehensive explanation of all Camtasia Studio’s features and
options.
You will find the following topics included within the scope of this guide.
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production on page 5.
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs on page 11.
Getting Great Sound in your Recordings on page 19.
Learning about the File Size on page 28.
Produce your Video on page 35.
Help Me Choose a File Format on page 37.
Looking at the Different Media Players on page 48.
Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices on page 56.
Preventing Blurry Videos on page 57.
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos on page 58.
Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts on page 60.
Tips for Scripting and Audio on page 66.
Before you Record Worksheets on page 67.
4 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media
Production
Bandwidth is simply a measure of the amount of data that can be transmitted through a connection over a
given amount of time. Bandwidth, also called data transfer rate, is usually expressed in bits per second (bps).
Bandwidth is synonymous with capacity. Every machine on the Internet is connected by a cable or another
type of connection. This cable has a capacity; it can carry a certain amount of information through it, similar
to a hose. This cable may have a high or low capacity. If you compare a garden hose to a fire hose, more
water can pass through the fire hose in a minute than a garden
hose.
The slowest of these capacities is the bandwidth of the line; it’s
the fastest you can communicate between the ends. Think of the
cable as a long tube with someone pouring water into it on one
end, and someone draining it out the other. You cannot take out
more than was put in, and if you pour it in too fast the water will
spill (losing data).
For example, a 28.8 kbps dialup modem connection is much
slower than a cable modem connection. The cable modem
connection can download more data than the 28.8 kbps dialup
modem connection can over the same period of time. The cable
modem has a higher bandwidth connection than the 28.8 kbps
dialup connection does. High bandwidth allows fast transmission
of data or high volume transmission just like the fire hose.
Continue with the following topics:
File Size, Bit Rate, Bandwidth and Data Transmission on page 6.
Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission on page 7.
Video Compression and Key Frames on page 8.
Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes, and Buffering on page 9.
Audio and Bandwidth on page 10.
www.techsmith.com • 5
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
File Size, Bit Rate, Bandwidth and Data Transmission
This section describes the measurements used for file size and bandwidth and describes how these
measurements relate to data transmission.
File Size
File size is measured in bytes. One kilobyte (K or KB) equals about 1,000 bytes. For example, a small image
file might be 20K or about 20,000 bytes in size.
To learn more about file size, continue with Learning about the File Size on page 28.
Measurements and Conversions
The following chart describes the units, measurements, and conversions for data transmission.
Usage Measurement Equivalence (Abbreviation)
(Abbreviation)
File Size 1 kilobyte (K or KB) 1000 bytes
Conversion 1 byte 8 bits
Bit Rate 1000 bits per second (bps) 1 kilobit per second (kbps)
(Bandwidth)
Data Transmission
Data transmission measured in bits per second (bps) is called the baud rate or bit rate—it is the measure of
bandwidth. If a computer can receive 5KB (5,000 bytes) in a second, it would take 4 seconds for it to receive
a file 20K in length.
But bandwidth is not measured in bytes—it is measured in bits. 1 byte contains 8 bits. So, if a computer can
receive 5K (5,000 bytes) in one second, it can receive 40,000 bits per second. 5,000 bytes x 8 bits = 40,000
bits per second or 40 kbps.
Data transmission measured in bits per second is called the baud rate or bit rate and is the measure of
bandwidth. It is commonly measured in thousands of bits per second or kilobits per second. The abbreviation
for kilobits per second is kbps or simply k. One kilobit equals about 1,000 bits.
If a computer connects to the Internet using a 56 kbps dialup modem, in theory, it means that the computer
could receive 56,000 bits per second (56 kbps). That would mean that the computer could receive about 7,000
bytes per second. Remember that a byte equals 8 bits, so 56,000 bps/ 8 bits = 7,000 bytes.
So, to receive the 20K image file, the 56 kbps dialup connection would require slightly less than 3 seconds to
receive the file (20K/7,000 bytes=2.85 seconds).
Data transmission measured in bits per second is the bandwidth of the connection. In this case the bandwidth
is 56 kbps.
Note: A 56 kbps modem cannot actually communicate at 56 kbps. In reality it’s more like 35-45 kbps. A
56 kbps modem connection generally only provides 35-45 kbps of bandwidth.
Continue with Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission on page 7.
6 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission
Computer video files are basically a number of still images called frames that are combined sequentially into
one file. When the file is played on a player such as Windows Media Player, it goes through the video file and
displays each frame sequentially in quick succession to create the illusion of motion similar to a video film
rolling through a movie projector.
When a file is streamed, frames are continuously delivered from the computer that is streaming the video to
the computer that is playing it. Each frame is displayed as it is received.
For example, consider a computer connected to the Internet using a dialup modem. If the modem is connected
at 40 kbps, that would mean that it could receive 5,000 bytes (5 KB) of data per second. If each frame of the
video was only 5K then the modem could only receive 1 frame per second.
Commercial motion pictures are 24 fps (frames per second), television is 30 frames per second. The more
frames per second (fps), the smother the video playback appears
to the viewer. So, a 1 fps video is a very slow and choppy video.
The number of frames per second (fps) is also called the frame
rate.
With a higher bandwidth connection, more frames per second
could be received. With a 128 kbps ISDN connection for
example, 32 5K frames could be delivered per second.
But, a 5K image or frame is not very big. A small 320x200, 16
bit JPEG file can easily be 20K in size. So, for the modem
connected with only 40 kbps of bandwidth, it would take 4
seconds to receive only one frame of the video! At that rate, the
video would degrade into a slide show, and not be a video at all.
This is the reason why many videos that you see online or on
news sites are very small, and why a dialup Internet connection
just does not have enough bandwidth to enjoy a very rich
multimedia experience.
Continue with Video Compression and Key Frames on page 8.
www.techsmith.com • 7
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Video Compression and Key Frames
As static image files are compressed using various compression algorithms the video and audio data in
streaming media files is compressed. This reduces the number of bytes in each frame thus reducing the
bandwidth requirement to deliver the video. While data compression helps considerably, another step is taken
to reduce bandwidth requirements.
Video files are simply a number of still images called frames that are combined sequentially into one file.
Each frame is displayed at some given number of frames per second (fps) to create the illusion of movement.
But many times there is no movement or change in the video between one frame and the next.
For example, a video demonstration of an application may show the opening of a new window and then not
change for several minutes while the audio narration explains the application. If nothing changes, there is no
reason to send a new frame of video data. The player can just sit there and display the same frame. This
hugely reduces bandwidth requirements.
Consider a video that is a demonstration of an application. Perhaps, all that is changing in the video is that the
cursor moves around the application as the author of the video points out different areas in the application.
Instead of sending the entire frame, only the changes to the new frame are sent. If the only change between
one frame and the next is that the cursor is in a different position, then the only change to the image is
drawing the area where the cursor was to the cursor in its new position. The mouse pointer is very small and
the number of bytes of video data that represents it is minimal, so very little video data needs to be
transmitted to reflect the change between frames. Sending only the part of the frame that has changed can also
greatly reduce bandwidth requirements.
Changes from one frame to the next, increases the bandwidth requirements of the video. The more movement
occurs, the more area of the screen is changed, resulting in larger amounts of video data that must be sent to
update to the next frame. If the entire screen changed from one frame to the next, the entire frame would have
to be sent.
Key Frames versus Delta Frames
There are two types of video frames: key frames and delta frames. Key frames contain all of the pixels that
comprise the complete frame. Delta frames only contain what has changed from the previous frame. Key
frames are placed in the video at regular intervals, either every so many seconds or so many frames. Windows
Media Encoder, for example, defaults to 1 key frame every 10 frames. It looks something like this:
Key frame | delta frame | delta | delta | delta | key | etc…
If there is no change from one frame to the next, delta frames can contain 0 bytes of data. If the only change
from one frame to the next is the movement of the mouse pointer, the delta frame would contain very little
data. If the entire screen had changed, the delta frame would be as large as a key frame, as it would have to
contain bytes of data representing every pixel in the frame. Although high key frame rates increase file size,
they improve seeking.
Frame Rate and Bandwidth
Frame rate may or may not have much effect on the bandwidth requirements of the video. If there is a lot of
change between frames, then the size of each frame is larger and more data must be transmitted for each
frame. In this case, higher capture frame rates require increased bandwidth. But, if there is little or no change
between frames, then little or no video data is transmitted for each frame. So, depending on the content of the
video, increasing the frame rate may have little or great effect on how much bandwidth is required.
Continue with Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes, and Buffering on page 9.
8 • www.techsmith.com Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes, and Buffering
Streamed video is displayed as it is received. With streaming video, the video can start to display the data
before the entire file has been transmitted. If for some reason the data stream is slowed or interrupted, the
video will stop playing. Network congestion and other problems are fairly common, and to help ameliorate
the interruption of the data stream, buffering is implemented.
Buffering works by storing a portion of the video locally, and then playing the video by retrieving data from
the local buffer. Before the video starts playing, the player downloads some amount of the video and stores it
locally. Generally this is not a large portion of the video, usually 10 seconds or so. It then plays the video
from this local buffer while continually downloading more of the video to keep the buffer full.
If the network becomes congested, or if the stream is interrupted for some reason, the player can continue
playing from the buffer, and hopefully the interruption will be corrected before the buffer is depleted and the
video stops playing.
Buffering can also help with encoding videos that contain spikes of high bandwidth. This can occur if
something in the video suddenly requires more bandwidth. For example, in a video demonstrating an
application, the only movement might be the mouse pointer moving across the screen for many frames. If the
author of the video clicks a button in the
application that causes a new window to open,
the entire frame might change, requiring a large
block of data needing to be transmitted to
update the next frame. This causes a spike in
the required bandwidth.
Modern media encoders take into account the
extra time afforded by the buffer. While the
extra data caused by the increase in bandwidth
is being delivered, the video can be played from
the buffer, thereby not interrupting playback.
Increasing the amount of buffering time can
make the difference between a failed or a
successful encoding process.
Continue with Audio and Bandwidth on page 10.
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Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Audio and Bandwidth
Audio is a very important factor when considering streaming content and bandwidth. Audio requires
bandwidth just as video does. The higher the quality of the audio, the more bandwidth it will consume.
That is why streaming media encoders such as
Media Encoder always use compressed audio.
Uncompressed audio gobbles up bandwidth.
PCM uncompressed audio, 22.050 kHz, 16 bit
mono for instance requires 43 kbps of
bandwidth. If you consider a dialup modem
connected at 40 kbps, it is evident that any
attempt to stream this is doomed to fail. Highly
compressed, lower quality audio such as
ACELP.net 8 kHz, mono, for example, requires
only 5 kbps of bandwidth.
Continue with the following topics:
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs on page 11.
Audio Codecs Overview on page 16.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
What is a Codec?
The term codec is an abbreviation for compressor/decompressor. A codec is an algorithm that compresses
data when you are recording and producing a movie and decompresses the data when the video is being
viewed. Codecs affect both the image quality and the file size of videos. Certain codecs are better to use than
others in certain situations, because of the way they compress content.
How do Codecs work?
A codec is encoded to a file when a video is recorded. The codec compresses the data to make the bit rate and
file size smaller. This allows for the video to be easily stored and streamed over a network. When the video is
played on a media player, such as Microsoft Windows Media Player, the player decompresses the video file
for playback.
When a video is compressed with any particular codec, that same codec must be installed on the computer
that is going to view the video, because the video must be decompressed with the same codec that it was
compressed with. If the codec is not installed on the computer playing the file, then the media player will try
to download the codec so that it can understand how to decompress the file.
There are two main advantages of using a codec for your video file:
• Storage space – A compressed file takes up less storage space than an uncompressed file. This also
allows you to store more files on your computer, add more content onto CD-ROMs, etc.
• Transfer time – Compressed file sizes are smaller than uncompressed file sizes. With smaller file
sizes and lower bit rates, video files can be stored and streamed over a network more quickly and
easily.
Lossless vs. Lossy Codecs
Video codecs can be divided into two categories: lossless and lossy. Lossless codecs maintain perfect image
quality when the video is compressed, while lossy codecs sacrifice image quality for compression. Many
video codecs such as Microsoft Video 1 are lossy codecs, but the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) is
lossless.
If you start out with a video made using either a lossy audio or video codec, each time you reproduce the
video the quality will degrade. It is similar to making a copy of a videotape and then proceeding to make a
copy from that copy. The video quality of each copy is severely degraded, and eventually will become too
difficult to view.
We recommend using the default codec options (TSCC and PCM uncompressed mono audio) to record your
video. Since the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) is lossless, it does not sacrifice image quality for
compression, making TSCC an excellent choice for recording your master video.
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Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Identifying the Codecs that are Installed on your System
• In Windows 2000:
Select Windows Start > Settings > Control Panel > Hardware > Device Manger > Sound, Video
and Game Controllers > Video Codecs or Audio Codecs.
• In Windows XP:
Select Windows Start > Control Panel > Sounds, Speech, and Audio Device Properties > Sounds
and Audio Devices > Hardware tab > Choose Video Codecs or Audio Codecs from the list >
Properties.
Determining the Codec a Video is Compressed With
Within Windows Explorer, right-click the video file name, and then select Properties > Summary tab >
Advanced.
The codec is listed in the Video Compression entry. You can also right-click on a thumbnail within Camtasia
Studio and select Properties to see both audio and video codec information.
Continue with:
About the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) on page 13.
About the Microsoft Video 1 Codec on page 14.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
About the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC)
By default, Camtasia Recorder uses the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) for video compression
during recording. This codec was created by TechSmith specifically for screen recordings of standard
Windows and desktop content. A big advantage to using the TSCC is that is provides lossless compression.
This means that any recordings made with TSCC will always be 100% perfect quality - even through multiple
decompression/recompression cycles that are typical during the production process.
Other advantages to using the TSCC are:
• It’s built into the Camtasia Player.
• The ability to playback videos on the host PC without having to install the TSCC. There are no
charges, royalties, or licensing requirements involved in distributing videos encoded with TSCC or
with distributing the codec to others for viewing.
• Lossless preservation of 100% of the image quality, even through multiple
decompression/recompression cycles that are typical during the production process.
• Optimization for screen captures so that the resulting files are small and highly compressed.
• Exceptional compression speed at all color depths.
Overall, TSCC is really designed for content that consists mostly of solid blocks of color such as that found in
most Windows and other desktop PC applications.
The TSCC video codec does not compress well for real-world video, camera video, music videos, video
conference windows, video with high motion, gradients, and dithered images, or any other content that does
not contain a proportionately higher number of areas containing solid blocks of color. In fact, you may find
that if the TSCC is used with one of these kinds of recordings, the final file size of that recording may be
close to that of a totally uncompressed video.
It is very important to only use TSCC to compress the content that it is intended for. The images below
illustrate the type of content that is best for TSCC compression.
Sample #1
In sample number one on the left, you can easily see solid blocks of color within this image. This makes it an
ideal candidate for TSCC compression.
Sample #2
In sample number two on the right, it is easy to see that there are no solid blocks of color within this image.
Therefore, the TSCC codec would not be a good choice for compression.
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Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
About the Microsoft Video 1 Codec
Microsoft Video 1 is a standard video codec that comes with Windows and provides mid-range compression,
with a relatively small amount of quality loss.
The benefits of using the Microsoft Video 1 codec include:
• Standard video codec that comes with Windows.
• Provides mid-range compression.
• Relatively small amount of quality loss (lossy).
• Good when real world video, gradients, or dithered images are being recorded.
It is very important to only use the Microsoft Video 1 codec to compress the content that it is intended for.
When creating a ten second video with the following images using both the TSCC and the Microsoft Video 1
codecs, the subsequent results were achieved:
Image #1 Video Sample
Using image number one, the final TSCC compressed video was almost half the size of the same video
compressed using the Microsoft Video 1 codec. This is because the TSCC is designed specifically for the type
of content shown in image one, that is, mostly large, solid blocks of color.
Image #2 Video Sample
On the other hand, when using image number two, the final TSCC compressed video was nearly 60 percent
larger than the video compressed with the Microsoft Video 1 codec. This makes Microsoft Video 1 a good
alternative to TSCC when real-world video, photos, gradients, or dithered images are being recorded.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Looking at the Lossy Attributes
It is important to note that the Microsoft Video 1 is a lossy codec and does not compress videos nearly as well
as some of the more modern video codecs, such as Microsoft MPEG-4 V2 or, in some situations, TSCC. This
means that some color banding and degradation of antialiased objects can occur.
This quality loss is illustrated in the following two images.
Sample #1
In sample number one on the left, the image was compressed using TSCC. All of the aspects of the original
image are preserved perfectly, including all of the antialiased objects and the color gradients.
Sample #2
In sample number two on the right, the image was compressed using Microsoft Video 1.
Note the blocky distortions around the antialiased objects such as the rune in the title bar and the folder icon.
Also, many of the gradient colors are now noticeably banded.
Continue with Audio Codecs Overview on page 16.
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Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Audio Codecs Overview
Depending on the audio configuration, the audio portion of your recording file may be 150 or more times
larger than the video portion. For example, a 464x412, 62 second video compressed with TSCC and
containing no audio was 64K. The same video with PCM uncompressed audio, 48 kHz 16 bit stereo was
11.6MB!
In the same way that video files are compressed with various video codecs, audio is compressed using audio
codecs. The choice of an audio codec will not only be a major determining factor in the size of the video, but
also affect the audio quality.
Note: For voice recordings, stereo is generally not needed and will double the size of the audio portion
of the file.
Consider the following AVI video file. The only difference is the audio compression used. Note how the file
size varies when the file is compressed with various audio codecs.
Audio Setting File Size
No Audio 300 KB
PCM 22.050kHz, 16 bit, Mono Uncompressed Audio (Camtasia Recorder's 2.7 MB
default settings)
CCITT u-Law 11.25kHz, 8 bit, Mono Compressed Audio 911 KB
Mpeg Layer-3 24.00 kHz, Mono Compressed Audio 471 KB
To get the best quality audio, use the uncompressed PCM codec in your Camtasia Studio project. Continue
using PCM throughout the entire production and editing process. Then, when your project is finished, make
copies of the original using another audio compressor, if you so desire.
Comparing Audio Codecs
When using audio, keep these tips in mind:
• MPEG Layer 3 is an excellent audio codec. It produces small files sizes and maintains good audio
quality. MPEG Layer 3 does have some drawbacks. It may not be installed on all computers. The
only way to ensure it is installed is to install Media Encoder from Microsoft.
• Windows Media Player 8 on XP cannot play MPEG Layer 3 encoded AVIs. It thinks that the AVI is a
MP3 file and only plays the audio. One workaround for this problem is to distribute the Camtasia
Player with your videos.
• GCM 6.10 is good for voice compression.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Audio Codec Tips
Be careful in selecting audio codecs. Some audio codecs produce horrible sounding audio—from scratchy
static noise to sounding like the Tin Man talking into a drain pipe. You will want to select the best codec that
meets your compression and viewing needs.
• To find the best audio codec for your video, experiment by making a short video using Camtasia
Recorder's default configuration (PCM uncompressed audio, 16 bit, 20.050kHz). Then in Camtasia
Studio, try saving your video using various audio codecs at different sample rates.
• For voice, stereo is generally not necessary and will double the size of the file. If you need higher
quality audio you can increase the sample rate, but keep in mind that it will dramatically increase the
file size.
• Camtasia Studio supports all audio codecs installed on your computer. Be aware that some of the
audio codecs Camtasia finds and displays cannot be used when producing new videos due to
licensing restrictions by the owners/authors of the codec. If you try to use one of these restricted
audio codecs, Camtasia displays a dialog saying that you must choose a different codec.
Continue with The Best Overall Codec Options While Recording on page 18.
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Understanding Video and Audio Codecs
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
The Best Overall Codec Options While Recording
If you want to distribute your video with a codec other than the TechSmith Screen Capture codec (TSCC), we
recommend you still use TSCC and uncompressed, PCM audio format to record your master video. When the
video is produced in Camtasia Studio, select another video and/or audio codec for distribution (such as a
standard Windows video codec, compressed audio, or a streaming file format) to suite your compression
needs.
TSCC and PCM audio are the default options for recording videos within Camtasia Recorder. However, if
these settings have been changed, you can change the codecs back by following the steps below.
To Change Video Codecs in Recorder
1. In Camtasia Recorder, click the Tools Options button or choose Tools > Options from the menu bar.
2. In the Streams tab, disable the Auto configure option.
3. Click the Video setup button. The Video Compression Setup dialog appears.
4. Select the desired video codec from the Compressor dropdown menu.
5. Click OK.
To Change Audio Codecs in Recorder
1. In Camtasia Recorder, click the Tools Options button or choose Tools > Options from the menu bar.
2. In the Streams tab, click the Audio setup button. The Audio Format dialog appears.
3. Select the desired audio codec and attributes from the Format and Attributes dropdown menus.
4. Click OK.
To Change Codecs after Recording
The Encoding Options screen in the Production Wizard allows you to set the audio and video codecs for the
video you are producing.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
This section contains some hints to make better quality audio recordings and to help you avoid audio
problems before they occur.
However, before you begin recording, make sure that Camtasia Recorder is enabled for audio recording:
1. Open Camtasia Recorder. Choose Start > All Programs > Camtasia Studio 3 > Applications >
Camtasia Recorder. Or, from within Camtasia Studio, choose
Tools > Camtasia Recorder.
2. Activate the Audio toolbar by selecting View > Audio Toolbar.
3. Click the Record Audio button on the Audio toolbar.
Still No Sound?
If you have enabled Camtasia Recorder for audio recording but you are
still are not getting any sound, check the following audio settings within
Recorder.
1. Click the Options button on the toolbar and choose the
Volume button under the Streams tab. This will open up the
Windows Record Control dialog box.
2. Verify that the Microphone is selected as the input within the Microphone section, and that the
Microphone Volume slider is not at its lowest setting.
I Still Have a Silent Recording
If you have enabled audio recording in Camtasia Recorder and checked the microphone settings, and you are
still unable to record any sound at all, do the following:
• Check that your microphone is properly connected to the sound card in your computer. It needs to be
plugged into the microphone jack, not the line in jack, etc.
• Check to see if you can record with Windows Sound Recorder. Select Start > All Programs >
Accessories > Entertainment > Sound Recorder.
• Try a different microphone.
• Test to see if sound recording is working in another audio application.
• Try updating/reinstalling the sound card drivers.
• Try a different sound card.
Continue with the following topics:
Barely Audible Recordings on page 20.
Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record on page 21.
Solving Common Sound Problems on page 22.
Recording Audio from Other Applications on page 24.
Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones on page 25.
Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios on page 27.
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Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Barely Audible Recordings
If you are getting some sound, but your audio recordings are too low in volume, there may be a number of
causes. Some of the most common include the following.
Is your sound card’s recording volume set too low?
You need to adjust the audio level before recording.
1. Open Camtasia Recorder. Choose Start > All Programs > Camtasia Studio 3 > Applications >
Camtasia Recorder. Or, from within Camtasia Studio, choose Tools > Camtasia Recorder.
2. Click the Options button on the toolbar to open the Tools Options dialog box.
On the Streams tab, under the Audio Options section, click the Volume button. This will open up the
Windows Record Control dialog box.
Make sure that the Microphone option is selected and that the Microphone Volume slider is up enough to
allow for sufficient sound.
Are you too far from the microphone?
Try several recordings allowing different distances from the
microphone to choose the right one. You should probably be about six
inches from the microphone—close enough to record full tones but
not so close that other noises interfere.
Are you speaking distinctly and clearly?
To make a good recording, you need to project and enunciate, so that
your voice recording sounds clear and crisp on replay. As an aid in
determining a good vocal level and tone, imagine you are addressing a
small audience in a large room.
Continue with Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record on page 21.
20 • www.techsmith.com Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record
While you record audio with Camtasia Recorder, you can monitor the Audio Level to be sure you are
encoding the optimal dynamic range.
• The green to yellow range indicate a normal reading.
• Orange to red warns that you are close to an over-modulated input.
The best sound quality will occur when the audio level bar is kept in the green to light orange range and only
occasionally enter the red range. That is, try to keep the level bar from filling the entire audio level meter all
the time.
The goal is to keep your input levels as high as possible without exceeding the range of values which can be
stored digitally when encoded. When the Audio Level meter is frequently in the red range, your input level is
too high and the peaks of your waveform become clipped off, resulting in distortion.
The input level also depends on your particular microphone, how close you are to the microphone and how
loudly you speak while recording. By keeping your input levels steady and as high as possible, you will be
encoding the optimal dynamic range.
It is particularly important to record sounds within the green to light orange range if possible if you plan to
later convert 16 bit audio data to 8 bit, or if you plan to compress your audio in a streaming media file. This
assures that you will use the greatest dynamic range possible in the converted file.
Adjusting your Audio Level
To adjust your audio levels, click the Options button on the toolbar to open the Tools Options dialog
box.
On the Streams tab, under the Audio Options section, click the Volume button. This will open up the
Windows Record Control dialog box. Adjust the volume setting up or down.
Continue with Solving Common Sound Problems on page 22.
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Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Solving Common Sound Problems
The following gives some information on resolving issues concerning external noise, low quality sound, and
recording conflicts.
Too much External Noise can be Heard
Some audio noise is caused by environmental elements. Background sounds you may not have noticed before
may suddenly show up in your audio of your recording. You can
eliminate most problems by relocating your recording "studio" to a
quieter location. Also, do not forget that most computers make some
noise that your microphone might be picking up. The disk drives and
fan are potential sources of a low-level noise in your recordings.
Hum and whine can also be caused by a “ground loop.” Ground loop
occurs where there is more than one electrical path to “ground” for
electrical/electronic equipment. Tracing and eliminating the exact
source of ground loop can be complicated, but light dimmer switches,
motorized appliances, and cable TV outlets are prime culprits.
First try disconnecting any unnecessary electrical equipment sharing
the same circuit as your computer. Also, disconnect the coaxial cable
running to any nearby TVs. If these methods do not help, consult an
expert at your local Radio Shack or other electronics retailer. They can
offer solutions to help you isolate ground loop interference.
Low Quality Recordings
The default audio setup for the Recorder is PCM (uncompressed audio)
22.050 kHz, 16 bit mono. That should give you good quality audio. If
the audio is still low quality, try a different microphone.
Additionally, most consumer-quality recording equipment shipped with
computers is relatively low quality (unless you have purchased upgrade accessories). Studio-quality
recordings cannot be made on inexpensive equipment. To improve the quality of recordings, you can upgrade
the components responsible for audio on your computer: microphone, sound card, and speakers.
Better sound comes with a tradeoff, however, as higher quality audio results in a larger Camtasia Studio video
file size. The audio format you specify determines the quality of the video audio track and also affects video
file size.
Large File Size when Recording with Audio
By default, Recorder uses uncompressed PCM audio. That is a good selection for your original recording
because you can later edit the video within Camtasia Studio and not lose audio quality.
It is recommended that you compress the audio during production in Camtasia Studio after you have finished
recording in Camtasia Recorder and have made all your edits.
Within Camtasia Studio, there are many different video file formats to choose from that will allow you to
effectively compress you video. For example, if you produce your video in SWF it will typically be smaller in
size than an AVI. You can try producing in a couple of different formats to find the right size and quality that
you desire.
22 • www.techsmith.com Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Audio Recording Error Message
If you receive an error message relating to audio recording, it might be that another application is using the
sound card to play and/or record audio. Only one application can record audio at a time on your computer.
Some computers with "Full Duplex" sound cards allow one application (for example, Camtasia Recorder) to
record from the microphone, while another application plays sound. In this case, you can even hold the
microphone up to your computer speakers and record what another application is playing. However, many
computers do not have this capability and allow recording only when no other application is playing sound.
The Audio is out of Sync with the Video
Your audio could be out of sync for two reasons.
First, your on-board audio subsystem is not functioning properly. Many Sony VIO notebooks and systems
that have ESS audio may have this problem. The current version of Camtasia Studio will compensate for this
hardware failure. In most cases this problem crops up when the audio stream is longer than the video. To
correct this situation, please download the current version of Camtasia Studio.
Additionally, you can verify this problem by using another application to record audio on the system. Start
recording and note the exact time you start recording. Let it record for 20-30 seconds and then stop recording
and note the exact time that you stopped.
Calculate the time that you recorded for
and then right-click on the WAV file and
select Properties. If the amount of time
that you recorded for does not match the
actual time of the recording session, then
you might be having this problem on your
system.
Second, if the computer is overloaded and
has no resources left, Camtasia Studio can
drop audio. In this case the audio stream
will be shorter than the video.
Continue with Recording Audio from Other Applications on page 24.
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Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Recording Audio from Other Applications
Camtasia Studio records audio only from the microphone source. If you want to record other audio sources,
such as sound generated by games or other applications, try the following:
• Check the sound card in your computer. Some sound cards may also have a mixer control that allows
you to map the audio to the microphone input.
• Install a sound card that maps the audio to the microphone internally. One such sound card is Sound
Blaster® Live!, manufactured by Creative®. It places a "What You Hear" input in the Recording
section of the Windows Volume Control dialog box, allowing for direct recording of audio generated
by applications. Then all you would need to do is enable audio recording in Camtasia Studio.
• Record the sound coming from your speakers. Position your microphone about 12 inches at the
midway point between your computer’s stereo speakers. Test the recording level, and then adjust the
speaker volume as necessary.
• Insert a jumper wire in the Line Out and Mic In jacks on your computer’s sound card. If you do, you
may wish to adjust the microphone again in the Windows Volume Control if the audio is overamped
or sounds distorted. From within Recorder, click the Options button on the toolbar to open
the Tools Options dialog box. On the Streams tab, under the Audio Options section, click the Volume
button. This will open up the Windows Record Control dialog box. Adjust the volume setting up or
down.
• Camtasia Studio can record sound directly from the sound card, using an application such as Total
Recorder®, made by High Criteria, Inc. (www.totalrecorder.com). Please note that Total Recorder®
is not a TechSmith product, and we do not support it or otherwise make any guarantees.
Continue with Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones on page 25.
24 • www.techsmith.com Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones
Choosing the correct microphone for your recording needs can be a time consuming process. Certain types of
microphones produce good recordings in some environments while produce poor recordings in others. It is
important to select the correct microphone to meet your recording needs.
General Microphone Tips
The most expensive microphone will not necessarily produce better quality recordings. It is important to
select the right microphone to complement your hardware and recording situational needs.
Choose a microphone with lower output impedance. For acceptable results, the output impedance of the
microphone must be less than the input impedance of the sound card, which is in the range of 600-1500. Look
for a microphone with output impedance of about 1000 ohms.
A Word about Pickup Patterns
The microphone pickup pattern determines from which direction the microphone picks up the sound the best.
Microphones can be designed to be sensitive to sounds from given directions, while they reject sounds from
others. The directional characteristics, or pickup pattern of a microphone, are defined by noting the direction
from which a microphone is optimally sensitive to sound waves.
Microphones can only pick up the sound waves which strike it. This means that proper placement of the
microphone is critical to good sound. For example, a pickup pattern can be selected for its ability to reject
unwanted sound coming from a particular direction and to help reduce feedback. A microphone pickup
pattern should be based on the application. For example, most lavaliere microphones are omnidirectional, so
that no matter which way the speaker’s head turns, it will pick up their voice.
Omnidirectional Microphones
Omnidirectional microphones pick up sound equally from all directions with a slight preference for sounds
coming from the direction in which they are pointed. Omnidirectional microphones are typically used for
recording with group pick-up. The level and sound quality will be identical whether you speak from the front
or the back of the microphone.
Omnidirectional microphones are:
• Effective for recording a meeting or panel discussion where all speakers are near each other.
• Not well-suited for noisy environments.
Cardioid (Unidirectional) Microphones
Cardioid microphones have a heart-shaped pickup pattern and are sensitive to sounds predominantly from the
front of the microphone diaphragm. They pickup sounds which come from the direction in which they are
pointed and reject sound coming from the sides and the rear. The ability to reject unwanted sounds is the
primary reason carioid microphones are the most-used for presentations and recording.
www.techsmith.com • 25
Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Microphone Description Table
The following describes several different types of microphones along with some tips for their use.
Example Microphone Type Strengths / Tips
Desktop Microphone Inexpensive.
Basic computer microphone for Typically comes with your computer.
recording audio. Desktop microphones that have a battery at the
This microphone sits on the desk or base amplifies the signal and produces a little
better quality than microphones without
is attached to the monitor.
batteries.
Note: May often pick up unwanted
ambient noises produced from your
PC.
Headset Microphone Provides the best audio quality because it
maintains a consistent position near the mouth.
Preferable in recording situations
where the person talking needs to Adjust the headset so the microphone is about
listen as well as speak. one inch from the corner of your mouth.
This microphone set is worn on the A microphone with a foam cover helps
minimize breathing sounds. Position the
head by the speaker.
microphone so that it is level with your nose to
keep it out of the breathing air stream.
Lavaliere or Lapel Microphone Small, lightweight, and easy to conceal.
Preferable for recording a conference Attaches to the speaker’s clothing.
session for just one speaker. Will not produce rustling noises when wearer
This microphone set is worn on a moves around.
shirt lapel by the speaker. Often wireless.
Allows you to record both sides of the
Telecom Adapter
conversation without the cutout of typical
Used in telephone audio recordings
speakerphone conversations
to send the audio to the computer
microphone input jack.
This microphone adaptor hooks into
the phone system and is directly
linked to the PC input jack.
Continue with Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios on page 27.
26 • www.techsmith.com Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios
Camtasia Studio allows you to record in a variety of different environments. However, each environment
might require a different microphone in order to capture good audio quality.
The following gives some general overview information on the different kinds of recording settings.
However, as with all recordings, you will want to try out your audio equipment and Camtasia Studio settings
before making the final recording to ensure the best results.
Telephone Audio Recording
To make a telephone audio recording, you will need to buy an adapter to send the audio to the computer
microphone input jack. The adapter allows you to record both sides of the conversation without the cutout of
typical speakerphone conversations.
Teleconference Recording
One common problem that occurs in recording teleconferences is that people speak at different levels. It is
difficult to adjust the recording audio level during a teleconference session. One solution is to use a telephone
with a handset volume control. Increase the volume for a quiet speaker or decrease the volume for a loud
speaker with the level control on the telephone.
Conference Recording
A lapel or lavaliere microphone may be preferable for recording a conference session for just one speaker.
The lapel microphone clips on the speaker’s clothing and has a cord that plugs into the computer microphone
input jack. Most are powered by a button battery and
have an on/off switch.
Web Conference Recording using Voiceover IP
Audio
Web conference recordings typically use traditional
teleconferencing services. To record web conference
audio or any phone conversation, simply place your
microphone close to a speaker phone. Or alternatively,
you can purchase an adapter which will connect
your phone directly to your computer.
Some web conferences deliver audio via Voice Over IP.
In the web conference services that use voiceover IP
audio, the participants talk through microphone headsets
connected to their computers and the audio comes across
the Internet. No special type of hardware is required to
record for this type of web conference.
To record audio in Camtasia Recorder using voiceover IP audio:
In Camtasia Recorder, select Capture > Wizard. In the 4th Wizard window, select Speaker Audio (what you
hear).
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Getting Great Sound in your Recordings
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Learning about the File Size
When recording videos in Camtasia Studio, it is important to consider the file size of your video. Video file
sizes can become quite large. AVIs over one megabyte are not uncommon. It is essential to understand the
factors that affect file sizes and how to keep file sizes to a minimum. The following are factors that affect the
file size of a video.
Screen Resolution
The first question to consider before recording a video of your computer screen is, will the dimensions of the
video easily fit on the screen for my entire viewing audience? If, for example, you create a video that is
1024x768, people who have a lower screen resolution such as 640x480 will not be able to view your videos
very well.
They could scale the video down in Windows Media Player, but scaling videos results in image quality
degradation that makes characters unreadable and your video may look like a blurry mess.
To ensure the best playback screen resolution, follow these tips:
• Determine the lowest screen resolution that your video will be played back on, and then, to save room
for the player window frame and controls, record your video at slightly less than that lowest screen
resolution.
• When recording your video, you will
need to consider the player window, the
area of the screen used to display
controls, and the actual window frame
into consideration when determining the
final size.
• If the video dimensions equal the
resolution of the monitor, then the player
will have to be configured to play in full
screen mode in order to play the video
without scaling. In full screen mode, the
player will have no visible controls to start, stop, pause the video or exit the player.
• It's a fairly safe assumption that most people are now running at 800x600 or better. The video should
be small enough to be completely displayed on the screen without scaling, and still have room for the
player window frame and controls.
• As a general rule, never record a larger area of the screen than necessary. If you are recording an
application, record just the application window and not the entire desktop. Recording unnecessary
screen area, aside from the aforementioned considerations, also results in larger file sizes, reduced
capture frame rates, and in some cases can cause playback problems on slower systems.
• If you need to record the entire screen, try setting your monitor resolution to a lower resolution than
the target audience screen. If your audience is using 800x600, set your screen to 640x480 for the
recording.
• For example, if you are recording a fixed region of 640x480, it does not make any difference what the
overall screen resolution is set to. Recording a fixed region of 640x480 will create a video that is
640x480, whether the screen resolution is set to 640x480 or set to 1280x1024. If a 640x480 video is
played back on a monitor set to 640x480, it would have to be played in full screen mode. If it is
played back on a 1024x768 or higher monitor resolution, the video could be played in a player
window without scaling.
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Movement or Screen Activity
Changes from one frame to the next, increases the bandwidth requirements of the video. The more movement
occurs, the more area of the screen is changed, resulting in larger amounts of video data that must be sent to
update the next frame. If the entire screen changed from one frame to the next, the entire frame would have to
be sent. Transitions, zooming, and panning are a few examples of movements on the screen that will produce
larger file sizes.
One method to minimize file size is to limit the size of the application window being captured. Do not bother
including extraneous information in your video. You can use Camtasia Recorder's Region Input option to
select a smaller area to capture and then "pan" across the screen while capturing, thereby making a much
smaller video file.
Frame Rate
The frame rate is the number of frames or images
that are displayed per second on the screen. Frame
rates are measured in frames per second (fps). The
more frames per second (fps), the smother the video
playback appears to the viewer. So, a 1 fps video is a
very slow and choppy video. However, faster frame
rates result in larger video file size, increased
bandwidth requirements, and can cause slower
computers to have playback problems.
• There are a few ways to create smooth
videos in Camtasia Studio without
producing extremely large file sizes. To
control the frame rate your video is recorded
at, try disabling Auto Configure in
Camtasia Recorder. If Auto Configure is
enabled it will attempt to record at the
fastest frame rate possible up to 15fps or
90% CPU utilization. For most software
demos and/or training videos, 5-10 fps is perfectly adequate.
To disable Auto Configure, in Camtasia Recorder, choose Options > Streams Tab > Disable Auto
Configure.
Video Length
Try to limiting the length of the video capture sequence. The shorter your video sequence, the smaller the
resulting file size will be. Try making multiple clips using Camtasia Recorder. Use Camtasia Studio to join
those short clips together into a longer video production.
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Learning about the File Size
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Codecs
Video files can contain thousands of frames; all of that picture information can produce very large file sizes.
To reduce the file size, the video data can be compressed using various compression algorithms called codecs.
A codec is an algorithm computer program that compresses data when you are recording and producing a
movie and then decompresses the data when the movie is being viewed. While it is possible to create an
uncompressed video, the file size is enormous. To keep file sizes more reasonable, you should use a codec to
compress your video.
To learn more about codecs and selecting the appropriate codec for your recording needs, continue with the
following topics:
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs on page 11.
The Best Overall Codec Options While Recording on page 18.
Audio
By default, Recorder is configured to use the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) for lossless video
compression, and PCM uncompressed mono audio. The default audio setting is PCM, 22.050 kHz, 16 bit
mono. For general voice recording, this is a good setting. PCM uncompressed audio creates large file sizes.
However, it is the best quality and should be used for making the master video. For the final distribution
video, a copy of the master video can be created in Camtasia Studio with compressed audio.
Avoid using Stereo; the file size of the audio will double. For voice, stereo is generally not necessary and will
double the size of the file. If you need higher quality audio, you can increase the sample rate, but keep in
mind that it will dramatically increase the file size. Unless you have a compelling reason not to, always record
using the TSCC codec and uncompressed (PCM) audio. Because TSCC is lossless and PCM is uncompressed
you can edit the video and create reproductions indefinitely and not lose quality.
Compressing the audio can drastically reduce the overall file size of the video. For example a one minute
video with PCM uncompressed audio, 22.050 kHz, 16 bit mono was 3.9MB. The same video using CCITT u-
Law, 11.25 kHz, 8 bit mono was 887KB.
To learn more about audio codecs, continue with Audio Codecs Overview on page 16.
Continue with Video Dimensions on page 31.
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Video Dimensions
There is a direct relationship between video dimensions and file size—the larger the dimensions of your
video, the larger the video file size. Keeping the dimensions at a minimum will help to reduce the bandwidth
requirements of the final streaming file.
In general, we recommend 800x600 as a maximum size for your recording, but this depends on various
factors.
Playback Environment
With the introduction of new technology such as Ipods, cellular phones with video capabilities, etc., there is
new playback environments to take into account. It is import to consider
Consider the possible playback environment of your video—it may be an 800 x 600 desktop with a player that
needs room for its controls. A video the size of 640 x 480, for example, will allow the viewer to watch the
video at its full resolution and leave enough room for the playback controls.
It is important to consider the following playback factors when selecting your video’s dimensions:
• The playback environment. Is your video going to be played back on a computer monitor, an Ipod,
broadcasted over the Internet, etc.?
• Screen resolution. What is the screen resolution of your target audience?
• Player controls. Are you going to include player controls with your video? If so, you need to reduce
the dimensions of the video to allow the video plus the media player controls to fit on your audience’s
screens.
• Media player. What media players are likely to be installed on your target audience’s computers?
AVI-Distribution
Sometimes video playback on the Web can lead to image distortions and other playback problems due to
scaling. This is where the Camtasia Player can be a valuable tool. The Camtasia Player does not shrink your
videos to fit inside a tiny playback window, thus ensuring a high quality playback, independent of the user's
screen size.
You are free to distribute the Camtasia Player with your AVI videos on CD-ROM. It can be found in your
Camtasia Studio install directory, or at http://www.techsmith.com/products/studio/player.asp from our
Web site.
Defining Size in Camtasia Recorder
You can easily control the size of the capture region in Camtasia Recorder. In your input options, you can
define the video size automatically (full screen or window) or you can do so explicitly (region or fixed
region). Considering the video size and playback environment before capturing means less scaling afterwards
and therefore higher image quality. You can access these settings in Camtasia Recorder from the File menu.
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Learning about the File Size
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Scaling Size during Production
Camtasia Studio allows you to scale your video clips during the production process. However, you will
achieve the best results if you use the same dimensions for all clips on the storyboard.
The same overall rules that apply to scaling videos in Camtasia Studio apply to scaling images in your
favorite image editor. Scaling up to a larger video tends to produce images that are "blocky,” while scaling
down in size can eliminate some image information and make text broken and unreadable.
The recommended setting is Largest Video. This means that the finished video will be large enough to
accommodate all clips on the storyboard with no scaling - in this case to 412 x 488 pixels. Smaller clips will
retain their original dimensions, but will appear centered with space around the edges. The color of this blank
space can be changed.
The second setting is Standard Video. This allows you to select video dimensions from a bevy of standard
resolutions. Camtasia Studio will then automatically create a video background in the desired dimensions.
Clips that are smaller than the largest video size are centered in the produced video. Custom Size, the third
option, works in exactly the same way, except that you can manually specify a resolution.
An important option is Stretch to Fit. It allows you to create a final video where all frames have the same
size, and no colored edge will appear. To achieve this result, Camtasia Studio will stretch all clips to the size
you have specified regardless of their individual dimensions. As always, scaling might result in distortions of
various kinds. Therefore, you should use this option only if the size difference between your specified
resolution and the actual size of the image is small and the changes can be neglected.
Video Size Options Description Table
The Video Size screen, located within the Camtasia Studio Production Wizard, allows you to set the size of
the produced video.
The following table describes each of the video size options.
Video Size Option Description
Largest video size Creates the entire video using the size of the largest clip in the Storyboard.
(Recommended) Selecting this option is recommended because Camtasia Studio calculates the
size required to include the largest dimensions encountered in the clips included
in the project.
Click the radio button to enable this option for use.
Preset video size Creates your video using a preset size.
Click the radio button to enable the desired option for use.
Standard video size Creates your video using a standard size.
Click the radio button to enable this option for use. From the dropdown menu,
choose the desired size.
Custom size This option allows you to create your video using dimensions that you set.
Click the radio button to enable this option for use. Type the Width and Height
in the boxes provided.
Stretch to fit This option enlarges small clips and reduces larger ones to fit.
If the image is distorted, recalculate aspect ratios.
Place a checkmark in the Stretch to fit box if you want to create a final movie
that fits the size you have specified regardless of individual clip size.
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Video Size Option Description
Background color This option sets the background color for clips that are smaller than the standard
size specified.
Click the Background Color button to reveal the Color dialog box. Choose the
desired color and choose OK. The color will be updated in the Size tab.
Disable Callout fade Enable this option if you would like to disable the fade in and/or out effects on
effects to reduce file Callouts included in the video in order to reduce your final produced video size.
size
Use Instant Zoom-n-Pan Enable this option if you would like to disable the slow or fast options for Zoom-
n-Pan effects included in the video in order to reduce your final produced video
speed to reduce size
size. When using this option, the Zoom-n-Pan effects will be set to Instant.
Cancel Choose Cancel to exit back to the previous screen without making any changes.
Help Choose Help to access the online help file containing information that is
pertinent to this screen.
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Video Production & File Formats
This chapter gives you some additional information on possible file formats and options for producing your
video in Camtasia Studio.
See any of the following topics:
Produce your Video on page 35.
Share your Video on page 36.
Help Me Choose a File Format on page 37.
Looking at the Different Media Players on page 48.
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Produce your Video
When you have set the timing and sequence of your video clips, still images, callouts, quizzes, and voice
narration on the Timeline, you are ready to produce your final video into a distributable and sharable format.
This process, also called rendering, assembles all of the audio, video, and images into one video file, based on
the sequence you have established on the Timeline.
To produce your video, within the Task List in Camtasia Studio, click on the Produce video as link. The
Production Wizard Welcome screen appears. Choose Next. The How would you like to produce your video?
screen displays. Overall, there are two different ways to produce your video - both using a wizard format.
• First, the Recommend my Production Settings Wizard takes you through the video production
process based on the distribution method that you choose. With this option, simply answer a few
questions about your Timeline content and distribution channel and you are set to go. It is highly
recommended that you produce your first few videos using this production wizard. See also Share
your Video on page 36.
• The second option uses the Advanced Production Wizard. This option (which is also easy to use),
allows you more flexibility over your final video file format as well as the ability to customize frame
rates, video and audio codecs, etc. See also Help Me Choose a File Format on page 37.
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Produce your Video
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Share your Video
The final step in creating your video is to share it with your viewing audience. Camtasia Studio allows you to
reach a broad audience by giving you several different ways to distribute your videos including: CD-ROM,
Flash Web menu, DVD, e-mail, and more. And, since your video was created as a project file, you can
reproduce your video over and over again using different file formats that lend themselves to a particular
distribution channel.
Publish a Video for Web Distribution
Theater for Camtasia Studio adds DVD-like navigation to your screen videos in Flash format. Using Theater's
menu, your users can quickly navigate between multiple Flash movies or view them all in a pre-defined
sequence. Theater presentations can be viewed online and on CD-ROM.
Create an Interactive CD Menu using Camtasia MenuMaker
Camtasia MenuMaker allows you to create an attractive menu from which to launch your video, document,
graphic, and other multimedia files. Using MenuMaker, you can easily create a CD-ROM that will launch
with the custom menu displayed - a perfect way to distribute information to customers, students, workgroups,
and more.
Create a Pack and Show Self Executing File
Pack and Show creates a Windows-executable file that your viewers can double-click to automatically unpack
the file, install the TSCC codec and Camtasia Player, and then view the video. No special setup or
installation is needed.
Send the Video as an E-mail Attachment
Use the e-mail production option within the Recommend my Production Settings Wizard to produce your
video in an e-mail friendly format. At the end of production process, Camtasia Studio opens a new e-mail for
you with your video contained as an attachment.
Write to a CD-ROM
Use the CD production option within the Recommend my Production Settings Wizard to produce your
video in a CD-ready format. Include an auto-run file so your video will play as soon as it is put in the CD tray
on the viewer’s PC.
Create a DVD-Ready Video File
Use the DVD production option within the Recommend my Production Settings Wizard to produce your
video in a DVD-ready AVI format. This means that Camtasia Studio will properly size and encode your video
with the highest quality options for use with most 3rd party DVD-authoring software applications. Just import
your final AVI video into your DVD project and you are ready to go.
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Help Me Choose a File Format
The following are recommendations for file format compressions when producing movies with Camtasia
Studio. Please note that your settings may be different from these depending on what you are producing.
Many times a combination of the settings are best.
How will you share your videos?
This is one of the most important questions you will need to answer before you begin to produce your video
since it directly impacts the type of video format you will choose.
See the recommendations given below and then follow the corresponding link to get specific information on
that video format.
Internet / Intranet CD DVD
Recommended: Macromedia Flash Audio Video Interleave (AVI) Audio Video Interleave
(AVI) & DVD
(SWF/FLV) and CD-ROM Distribution
Productions
Ideal for Web distribution. Ideal for CD-ROM
Most compatible for distribution because it retains Highest quality
viewing on different the highest quality and is recordings which can be
browsers and operating editable with video editing readied for use with
systems. programs. DVD authoring software.
Alternative: Windows Media (WMV - Windows Media (WMV -
Streaming Format) Streaming Format)
Ideal for longer or higher Ideal for longer or higher
motion recordings. motion recordings.
QuickTime (MOV)
Video File Type Table
The following table gives you a comparison of the different file formats available to you in Camtasia Studio.
File Type Description
Audio Video Editable and easily converted into other movie formats. See also Audio Video
Interleave Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution and Audio Video Interleave (AVI) &
(AVI) DVD Productions.
Macromedia Typically used for Web distribution. Plays in most browsers with no additional
Flash software required.
(SWF/FLV)
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Help Me Choose a File Format
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
File Type Description
Windows Windows Media Video (WMV) is the current Microsoft streaming file format that
Media Video replaces the legacy ASF files. WMV files can be streamed or played locally from the
(WMV) hard disk.
WMV can produce very small file sizes and if the videos contain real world
photography, dithering or gradient fills, the file size may be significantly smaller than
TSCC-encoded AVI files.
Playing WMV files requires Windows Media Player. Unless the Windows Media
Player is a very current version, Windows Media Player will have to (automatically)
contact Microsoft and download new codecs. As a result, the computer playing the
video will, in most cases, have to have Internet connectivity. While not as perfect
quality as lossless TSCC videos, WMV produces very good image quality.
Creating WMV files has a steeper learning curve than understanding how to create AVI
files. Producing WMV files requires understanding bandwidth. If you don't set the
production bandwidth high enough, during playback the video may turn out black, or
blocky or the image may freeze during playback. It is more difficult to produce WMV
files than it is to make AVIs.
See also:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/9series/encoder/default.aspx.
RM Small file size media. It is not downloadable to the computer. Plays in RealPlayer and
browser with the plug-in. Great audio compression.
CAMV Camtasia Studio for Real Media files require Real Player, and can be streamed or
played back locally from a hard disk. The first time a CAMV file is played, the Real
Player will contact Real Networks and automatically download the CAMV Plug-In for
the player. This means that the user must have Real Player installed and have a
connection to the Internet.
The CAMV Plug-In may be manually installed, but may turn off many members of
your audience from watching your video.
CAMV, like TSCC is lossless and will produce perfect quality, highly compressed
videos with small file sizes. However, if file size is a primary consideration, and your
video contains real world photography, dithered surfaces or gradient fills then CAMV
may not be the best choice.
MOV Requires Apple QuickTime. This is one possible choice if you must produce videos
that will be played on both Windows and Apple operating systems. QuickTime can
also play AVI files, but cannot play AVI files that are TSCC-encoded. We recommend
that you install the latest version of QuickTime:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/win.html
ANIMATED Can be played in image viewing programs, Web browsers, Windows Media Player,
GIF Real Player and other applications. It is not a streaming format.
Animated GIF is highly compressed and lossless. It cannot contain audio and is 8 bit,
256 colors. It is generally not used for long videos, but rather for short clips.
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Audio Video Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution
The AVI file format is ideal for CD-ROM distribution because it retains the highest quality and is editable by
Camtasia Studio, Camtasia Effects, or other video editing programs.
To ensure playback on any Windows PC, use MenuMaker to create a CD menu which automatically plays
your AVI with a freely distributed Camtasia Player (200k).
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Common and easy to view.
• Editable and easily converted into other movie formats.
• A great vendor-neutral format for your stock footage or for distribution CD-
ROM.
•
Weaknesses: Files can be large with higher motion and complex image recordings.
• Entire file must load to a person's computer before playing.
• TSCC-encoded AVI requires TSCC video codec for playback.
High Quality Settings
• Colors: Automatic (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: Automatic (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Uncheck Encode Audio (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• If audio: 22.050kHz 16 Bit Stereo (AVI Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• Colors: High Color (16-bit) (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: 10 (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Uncheck Encode Audio (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• If audio: 12kHz 16 Bit Stereo (AVI Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• Colors: High Color (16-bit) (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: 5 (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Uncheck Encode Audio (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• If audio: 8kHz 16 Bit Stereo (AVI Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
See also Audio Video Interleave (AVI) & DVD Productions.
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Help Me Choose a File Format
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) & DVD Productions
The AVI file format is ideal for customers who have DVD authoring software. Your AVIs produced with
Camtasia Studio can be converted by most authoring software into a DVD-Ready format.
Note: Camtasia Studio videos do not playback on DVDs. You must publish them to AVI format using
Camtasia Studio and then convert them to appropriate MPEG formats using your DVD authoring
software.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Highest quality recordings possible.
• Can be edited in Camtasia Studio and most non-linear editing
software.
• Includes high quality audio options.
•
Weaknesses: Requires DVD-authoring software to convert to MPEG format
• Files can be large with higher motion and complex image recordings.
• Entire file must load to a person's computer before loading.
High Quality Settings
• Colors: Automatic (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: Automatic (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Uncheck Encode Audio (AVI Encoding Options screen)
• If audio: 22.050kHz 16 Bit Stereo (AVI Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Video Size 720x480.
If your original screen recording is larger than 720x480, you may consider using Zoom-n-Pan to deliver the
best quality productions.
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Macromedia Flash (SWF/FLV)
Macromedia Flash is a cross-platform movie file format that plays on any computer that supports the Flash
Player. Camtasia Studio now supports Flash SWF/FLV output. In previous versions of Camtasia Studio, only
SWF output was supported.
The move to a combined Flash SWF/FLV output means that longer PowerPoint presentations, full motion
video, and talking head Picture-in-Picture can all be produced with the Flash quality that you have come to
expect from Camtasia Studio.
This also means that when creating a Flash movie, depending on the content of your Timeline, you may end
up with a SWF or FLV movie file or even both kinds of Flash files in your produced movie project folder.
Flash is ideal for publishing your movies on the Web. The default Flash production settings will give you
excellent results in most every case. Nevertheless, there may be times when you will want to choose your own
custom settings.
About Flash Player Compatibility
The following table will help you choose the correct template and video codec production combination based
on the Flash Player you will be using for playback of your movie.
To get output Use these settings...
compatible
with...
Flash Player 6 Choose the Legacy SWF Output template.
Flash Player 7 Choose any template except the Legacy SWF Output template. If the output includes
FLV video, you must use H.263 as the Video Codec instead of VP6.
Flash Player 8 Choose any template except the Legacy SWF Output template. If the output includes
FLV video, you must use VP6 as the Video Codec instead of H.263.
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QuickTime (MOV)
QuickTime is a video file format with a wide selection of video and audio compressors. It is a common
Internet file format that requires a free component installed for playback and is often used for distribution to a
more MAC centered audience.
Note: We recommend that you install the latest version of QuickTime from
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/win.html.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Wide selection of video and audio compressors.
• Will play while downloading.
• Multi-platform, industry-standard, multimedia software architecture.
•
Weaknesses: Viewing may appear "jerky" if download is slow.
• Entire file will download to the viewer's computer.
High Quality Settings
• If audio, enable Sound (QuickTime Encoding Options screen >QuickTime Options button >
Movie Settings > Sound Options )
• Size: 16 Bit (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > QuickTime Options button > Movie Settings
> Sound Options > )
• Use: Stereo (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > QuickTime Options button > Movie Settings
> Sound Options)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• If audio, enable Sound (QuickTime Encoding Options screen >QuickTime Options button >
Movie Settings > Sound Options )
• Size: 8 Bit (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > QuickTime Options button > Movie Settings
> Sound Options)
• Use: Mono (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > QuickTime Options button > Movie Settings
> Sound Options)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• If audio, enable Sound (QuickTime Encoding Options screen >QuickTime Options button >
Movie Settings > Sound Options )
• Size: 8 Bit (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Use: Mono (QuickTime Encoding Options screen > Audio Setup button)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
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Windows Media (WMV - Streaming Format)
The WMV file format is the latest Microsoft streaming file format. WMV files play in Microsoft's Windows
Media Player. WMV does a good job of delivering quality recordings with smaller file size. WMV is also
well suited for longer recordings or recordings with higher motion. A variety of audio and video compressors
are available, including the Windows Media Screen video codec which is optimized for screen recordings.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Small file size media.
• It is not downloaded to the computer.
• Plays in recent Microsoft Windows Media Player and browser.
•
Weaknesses: Limited editing options.
• Cannot be converted to another format.
Continue with Recommended Settings for Normal Screen Recordings or Recommended Settings: Higher
Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos.
Recommended Settings for Normal Screen Recordings
Recommendations for Windows Media Video depend on the nature of your recorded videos.
If your video includes normal screen recordings of your PC and does not include full motion video, lots of
scrolling windows, or many transitions, we recommend that you enable the Screen capture profiles only
option in the Production Wizard’s Windows Media Encoding Options screen.
Note: If your recording has no audio, choose the video-only profile such as Camtasia Studio Screen
Video Low (CBR)
High Quality Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video and Audio High (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video High (CBR) (Windows Media Encoding
Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video and Audio Medium (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video Medium (CBR) (Windows Media Encoding
Options screen)
• 800x600 (Video Size screen)
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Help Me Choose a File Format
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Smallest Size Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video and Audio Low (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• No audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Screen Video Low (CBR) (Windows Media Encoding
Options screen)
• 640x480 (Video Size screen)
See also Recommended Settings: Higher Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos.
Recommended Settings: Higher Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos
Recommendations for Windows Media Video depend on the nature of your recorded videos.
If your videos include footage from a camcorder or lots of scrolling windows or animations, we recommend
using non-screen video codecs.
Note: If your recording has no audio, choose the video-only profile such as Camtasia Studio Screen
Video Low (CBR).
High Quality Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Full Motion Video and Audio High (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Full Motion Video and Audio Medium (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• 800x600 (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• Audio? Profile: Camtasia Studio Full Motion Video and Audio Low (CBR) (Windows Media
Encoding Options screen)
• 640x480 (Video Size screen)
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
RealMedia Streaming Media (RM)
The RealMedia file format creates video files that are compressed and optimized for Web delivery using the
standard RealVideo and RealAudio codecs. It requires viewers to have the RealPlayer and codec installed.
Quality is often reduced for low bandwidth priority and there are limited editing options.
Note: It is best to also save in AVI format as well if later editing is needed.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Small file size media. It is not downloaded to the computer.
• Plays in RealPlayer and browser with the plug-in.
• Great audio compression.
• Requires streaming server to stream from a Web site.
Weaknesses:
• Lossy video compression.
• Limited editing options.
• Cannot be converted to another format.
High Quality Settings
• File Type: SureStream™ - RealServer G2 Compatible (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Target Audience: Dual ISDN (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If no audio, Audio Format: No Audio (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If audio, Audio Format: Stereo Music (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• File Type: SureStream™ - RealServer G2 Compatible (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Target Audience: 56K Modem (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If no audio, Audio Format: No Audio (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If audio, Audio Format: Voice w/ background music (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• File Type: SureStream™ - RealServer G2 Compatible (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Target Audience: 28K Modem (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If no audio, Audio Format: No Audio (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• If audio, Audio Format: Voice Only or Music Only (RealMedia Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Camtasia for RealPlayer (RealPlayer Plug-In(CAMV))
This file format uses the Camtasia for RealPlayer Plug-In to stream video with perfect lossless quality. The
audio stream is encoded with standard Real Audio codecs. Choose this option for content with few color
gradients, low motion, and where the highest video quality is required.
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths: Stream files over low bandwidth.
Weaknesses: Requires a streaming server.
Recommended Settings
• Target Audience: Dual ISDN (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• Colors: 12-bit (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: Automatic (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• Key frame every: 40 (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• If no audio, Audio Format: No Audio (Camtasia RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• If audio, Audio Format: Stereo (or other setting depending on your audio type) (Camtasia
RealPlayer Plug-In Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
GIF Animation File (GIF)
The GIF video format allows you to publish short tutorials and product demonstrations on the Web that
playback in any browser on any computer platform.
GIF is also ideal for adding short animations to your PowerPoint presentation.
Camtasia Studio creates highly optimized animated GIF files that are as small as possible. However, there are
practical limits on the length of GIF animations since they must be downloaded entirely before they can play
in a browser.
GIF animations do not contain audio and are limited to 256 colors.
Strengths & Weaknesses
•
Strengths: Supported by nearly all Web browsers. Tend to be smaller than other
animation files.
• Animated GIF files are commonly used on Web pages. Due to their
small size, they are ideal for Web delivery, where the exacting detail of
an AVI file is not necessary.
• Animated GIF files are highly condensed.
• This industry-standard file format allows you to publish short tutorials
and product demonstrations on the Web that play back in any browser
on any computer platform.
•
Weaknesses: Video only.
• Limited to 256 colors.
• Less range and flexibility.
High Quality Settings
• Colors: Automatic (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: Automatic (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Medium Quality Settings
• Colors: 256 (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: 10 (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
Smallest Size Settings
• Colors: 256 (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Frame Rate: 5 (Animated GIF Encoding Options screen)
• Largest Video Size (Video Size screen)
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Looking at the Different Media Players
A media player is a software application that plays multimedia files such as videos, music, and animation. It
is important to consider which media player(s) are installed on your audience’s computers. Some common
issues users face concerning media players include:
• Selecting the correct media player to play a particular file format. The file formats supported differ
across media players.
• Identifying which video and audio codecs are installed on a particular media player.
• Scaling and other playback issues. Some media players, due to their configuration settings may alter
the way the video appears within the player which can sometimes lead to image distortion and scaling
issues.
Unless you distribute Camtasia Player with your videos, you have no control over what application your
viewers will use to watch your video. Instead, playback is entirely dependent on what video player is
currently configured to open video files on each viewer’s computer.
In general, all of the companies that produce media players want you to use their player as the default player.
Typically, each media player, when installed, will automatically set itself as the default application for video
playback.
So, when Microsoft Windows is first installed, Windows Media Player is configured to be the default media
player. If another player is installed, during the installation the new player will reconfigure Windows so that it
is now the default media player. The net effect is that you have no control over which application is
configured to be the default player on a user’s computer, and it might even change over time.
Continue with Comparing Media Players on page 49.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Comparing Media Players
This section lists some commonly used media players and the file formats supported by each media player.
The following chart lists some commonly used media players and the files extensions supported in these
media players.
Media Player AVI WMV MOV SWF RM FLV
Yes Yes
Windows Media Player
Most Windows systems come with
Windows Media Player pre-installed.
Find out more from Microsoft…
Yes Yes
QuickTime Player
QuickTime usually comes pre-
installed on Macintosh computers.
QuickTime also has a Windows
version available.
Find out more from Apple…
Yes Yes Yes Yes
RealPlayer
The RealPlayer plays all major media
formats including RealVideo,
RealAudio, Windows Media and
QuickTime.
Your viewers must download and
install RealPlayer installed on their
system in order to view videos
produced in the RealPlayer file
format.
Get the RealPlayer…
Yes Yes
Flash Player
The Macromedia Flash Player is a
multiple-platform player.
Your viewers must download and
install Macromedia Flash on their
system in order to view movies
produced in the SWF/FLV file
format.
Get the Flash Player…
Yes
Camtasia Player
Camtasia Player is a simple,
standalone video player for Windows.
See About Camtasia Player on page
50 or Making Camtasia Player your
Default Player on page 52.
Find out more from TechSmith...
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
About Camtasia Player
Camtasia Player is a simple, standalone video player, optimized for playing screen recordings.
• Player always plays back videos at 100 percent of their original size so that they remain readable.
• It runs on any 32-bit Windows platform, with no dependencies on runtime libraries, OS version, or
DirectX.
• Player is a single .EXE file that does not need any setup, nor does it use the registry or any
configuration files.
• Player is designed to be as easy to use as possible. Command line options are provided which allow
Player to be invoked in various ways from CD-ROMs, multimedia authoring tools, and scripting
languages or batch files.
• Player only plays AVI video files. Any audio or video codecs required by the AVI file must be
installed before Player can play the video.
• The basic Windows multimedia support for playing AVI files must be installed.
• Player does not setup any shell associations to become the default AVI player. However, this could
be setup by an install program that you provide or, by the end user.
Opening Camtasia Player
You can open Player in two different ways.
1. Choose Start > All Programs > Camtasia Studio 3 > Applications > Camtasia Player.
2. From within another Camtasia Studio component, choose Tools > Camtasia Player.
Benefits
The TSCC is built into Camtasia Player. The benefits of having a built-in TSCC include:
• The ability to playback videos on the host PC without having to install the TSCC.
• Lossless preservation of 100 percent of the image quality, even through multiple
decompression/recompression cycles that are typical during the production process.
• Optimization for screen capture so that the resulting files are small and highly compressed.
• Exceptional compression speed at all color depths.
• Provides reliable playback that you can control using command line arguments. For example, you can
command the player to exit after playing, or command it to play full screen.
• Always plays back videos at 100 percent of their original size for best readability.
• Player is small and self-contained. It works on any 32-bit Windows platform, even Windows 95.
• There are no extraneous DLLs or DirectX components required.
Note: Camtasia Player supports many command line options that allow complete control over the player
when it is run from CD-ROMs, multimedia authoring tools, help files, and scripting languages or
batch files. See the Camtasia Studio online help for more information on Command Line
Customizations.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Player System Requirements
In order to run Camtasia Player, your system must meet these specifications:
• Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Me, NT 4, 2000, XP or later version
• Windows-compatible sound card and speakers (recommended)
• 360 KB of hard-disk space for program installation
• Basic Windows multimedia and AVI file support must be installed.
• Multimedia and AVI file support is normally installed by default with Windows.
• Any audio or video codecs required by your AVI files must be installed. To check if a codec is
installed, open Control Panel > Sounds and Audio Devices > Hardware tab. Scroll through the list
to view codecs.
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Making Camtasia Player your Default Player
Use these directions to make Camtasia Player your default video player.
For Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP or later:
1. Right-click on an AVI in Windows Explorer.
2. Select Open With > Other Program or Open With > Choose Program. The Open With dialog box
appears.
3. Click on the Browse button to open the standard Browse dialog box.
4. Navigate to and select C:\Program Files\TechSmith\Camtasia Studio 3\CamPlay.exe.
5. Choose Open. You will be back at the Open With dialog box.
6. Check the Always use this program to open these files or Always use the selected program to open
this kind of file option.
7. Choose OK.
For Windows 98, and Windows NT 4:
1. In My Computer or Windows Explorer, click the View menu, and then click Options.
2. Click the File Types tab (or the Folder Options tab on Windows 98).
3. In the list of file types, select the file type for the AVI file extension (e.g. "Video Clip" or "Video Clip
(AVI)"). The settings for that file type are shown in the File Type Details box.
4. Click Edit.
5. In the Actions box, select Open.
6. Click Edit. You may want to note the current setting, in case you want to restore it. Specify the full
pathname for Camtasia Player followed by "/open" (e.g. "C:\Program
Files\TechSmith\Camtasia\CamPlay.exe" /open)
7. Click OK.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Camtasia Player & Pack and Show
Another option to consider when sharing your videos is to use the Pack and Show feature in Camtasia Studio.
This option allows you to package your videos for easy, one-step distribution to your users. Pack and Show
creates a Windows-executable file that users can simply double-click to unpack the file, install the TSCC
codec and Camtasia Player, and play the movie. Pack and Show executable files can be distributed on a CD
or as an e-mail attachment.
You have the options to include the TSCC codec and Camtasia Player in the package, so that they will be
automatically installed on the user's computer. The TSCC codec is built into the Camtasia Player. This means
that you do not need to install the TSCC codec on the host machine in order to view the video with the TSCC
if you are using Player for playback. Plus, distributing your videos with Camtasia Player ensures that your
videos play back in the original size and image quality, just as you recorded it.
There are two advantages to Pack and Show:
• Users get everything they need to view a TSCC-encoded movie.
• The packaging process may reduce the size of files to be distributed without affecting the movie
quality. For example, when the movie contains uncompressed audio, the audio quality will be
unaffected by packaging.
Note: Pack and Show is not a good option for distribution via CD-ROM if the video file size is large.
This is because it takes time to extract and copy the video file to a temporary folder on the hard
drive before playback.
To distribute the video, simply ship the file with the .EXE extension, instructing the recipient to double-click
the file to open and play it.
To distribute your videos using the Pack and Show option in Camtasia Studio, choose File > Pack and Show.
Please refer to the Camtasia Studio help file for more information on how to use this feature.
Continue with Looking at Common Media Player Problems on page 54.
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Looking at Common Media Player Problems
Scaling
Depending on the media player and its configuration settings, videos may scale when they are played. Scaling
can lead to video image distortion and other playback issues.
The best solution is to record a video that will fit properly on your viewer’s screen taking into account your
viewer’s screen resolution and the need to provide additional space for player controls. For example, if the
viewer has a resolution of 1024x768, it is best to record an 800x600 video. Then the viewer can maximize the
media player and it will play back just fine.
If the media player scales the video, right-click on the video and select Video Size > 100% and also disable
Video Size > Fit Video to Player on Resize. The video should now playback within the media player as it
was originally recorded.
To learn more about quality video playback, continue with:
Preventing Blurry Videos on page 57.
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos on page 58.
Codec is not Installed
Camtasia Studio supports all audio and video codecs installed on your computer. Be aware that some of the
audio codecs Camtasia finds and displays cannot be used when producing new videos due to licensing
restrictions by the owners/authors of the codec. If you try to use one of these restricted audio codecs,
Camtasia displays a dialog saying that you must choose a different codec.
In this situation, you may need to download a particular codec before watching the video file. For example, if
you do not download the TSCC video codec before attempting to watch an AVI video file, you would hear
audio but not see any video. Instead you would only see a blank screen.
If you are unable to view your video within a particular media player because of codec restrictions try
producing the video using another codec, use another media player (such as Camtasia Player) to show your
video, or distribute your videos using Pack and Show.
Selecting settings for your Target Audience
In general, select a media player and file format that best suites your target audience. Each media player plays
a different set of file formats.
Use the following tips to ensure playback of your videos to your target audience:
• Distribute the media player with your video or provide a link to download the appropriate media
player to play your video.
• Produce your video in a couple of different file formats to accommodate members of your target
audience that may use a media player that does not support certain file formats.
• Find a file format and audio codec that is support on the most media players, such as AVI file format.
• Produce your video as a Flash file. With built-in support for Flash 8, you can easily produce Flash
files to post online. You do not need to worry about downloading media players or plug-ins. Due to
the universality of Flash, you can be confident that any user can view your video.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Video Playback Checklist:
The following list gives some things to check if you still cannot play the videos, even after the media player
has been installed:
• Do you have the latest version of the media player installed? Check for updates to your player:
Windows Media Player, QuickTime, RealPlayer, or Flash Player.
• Do you have the correct audio and video codecs installed to play your video?
• Do you have a slow Internet connection? You may want to try downloading and saving individual’s
videos to save and play from your local computer. You can do this by right-clicking on the desired
video link and then click Save Target As. Click Save to save the video file onto your computer.
• Is the sound on the video missing? Check your Windows system settings. Choose Start > Control
Panel > Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices. Click the Sounds and Audio Devices link. Check the
Volume, Sounds, Audio, Voice, and Hardware for possible connection problems, errors, or changed
settings.
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices
The following chapter gives you some additional information that will help you make professional looking
videos.
Continue with the following topics:
Preventing Blurry Videos on page 57.
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos on page 58.
Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts on page 60.
Tips for Scripting and Audio on page 66.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Preventing Blurry Videos
TechSmith knows how important it is to be able to produce and share crystal clear videos. The people you are
sharing your videos with expect high-resolution, smooth-action videos that play back perfect every time. This
is where Camtasia Studio excels. Use the following guidelines to record, produce, play, and share high-
resolution, smooth-action Camtasia Studio videos.
Choose Reasonable Screen Resolution Dimensions for your Video.
Consider the resolution of the desktop that the video is going to be played on. If a video is 1024x768 and it is
played back on an 800x600 desktop, the video will be too big dimensionally to fit on the screen.
If an 800x600 video is played back on an 800x600 screen, then the video must be played back in full screen
mode because there will not be enough room for the title bar, border, etc. of the application that is playing the
video. Therefore it is always better to create videos that are smaller than the resolution of the screen that they
will be viewed on.
Use a Lossless Video Codec when Recording your Video.
Computer videos are compressed using various compression algorithms. These compression algorithms are
implemented using codecs. Some codecs sacrifice image quality when they compress the video, such as
Microsoft Video 1. Lossless codecs will not degrade the image quality when they compress the video.
By default Camtasia uses the TechSmith TSCC video codec. Both TSCC and Microsoft RLE are lossless
codecs. TSCC is lossless at any color depth, while RLE is limited to 256 colors. RLE will also produce video
file sizes that are up to 6 times larger than TSCC encoded videos.
Do Not Scale your Videos When Producing.
If the video is scaled to fit on a smaller desktop, image quality degradation will occur because of the scaling.
By default the Camtasia Studio will not scale the video. To produce a video without scaling, select Produce
video as from the Task List to open the Production Wizard. When you get to the Video Size screen, choose
Largest video size (recommended).
Make Sure your Video Plays Back at 100% of its Original Size.
During recording, if you use the default setup of Camtasia Recorder and produce videos with the TSCC
codec, the playback should be lossless, of perfect quality and it should look exactly like the screen that you
recorded.
If this is the case, and upon playback in your video player your videos still look blurry, then the problem is
probably is that the video is not being played back at 100% the original size at which it was recorded. In most
video players you can select View > Size > 100%.
It is important to note that in its default “skins” mode, Windows Media Player 7 has problems playing files at
100% their original size. Most of the time it scales them to a smaller size resulting in image quality
degradation. Many time selecting View > Zoom > 100% has no effect.
The best and most reliable fix is to distribute your videos with Camtasia Player. You can guarantee that your
videos will play back at 100% their original size by distributing them with Camtasia Player. It is free to
download and distribute with your Camtasia Studio videos. TechSmith’s Camtasia Player will always play
AVI files correctly with no scaling. It is available on our Web site at:
http://www.techsmith.com/download/studiodefault.asp.
Continue with Preventing Blank (Black) Videos on page 58.
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Preventing Blank (Black) Videos
Have you ever tried to record with Camtasia Recorder, but when you went to watch your video all you got
was a blank screen or a black recording?
While recording, Camtasia Studio sometimes grabs a solid block of color instead of an image. The preview
screen may appear to be recording fine, but the result may be a blank video. This problem is usually due to
graphics hardware acceleration being used to display the image. The resulting "blank screen" affects all
screen capture programs—even images captured using the Print Screen key.
This type of problem usually occurs if you are trying to record a streaming media player or DVD player that
is playing a movie. These players all use hardware acceleration to display images. For streaming media
players, the solution to your recording problem is to turn off hardware acceleration in the player before you
try to record it.
DVD players, however, usually require hardware acceleration. So although disabling hardware acceleration
might end up disabling your DVD player as well, you might try disabling hardware acceleration on your
system in order to record your DVD player.
Frame Rates
Making a video of your screen is very demanding on system resources. This can result in low frame rates or
sluggish system performance. Too low of a frame rate makes videos appear jerky. If system resources are
exhausted, even just moving the mouse can be difficult and background applications may run slowly. This is
especially evident on slower systems, when running CPU intensive applications, recording large areas of the
screen, or recording at higher screen color depths.
The key to resolve these problems is hardware acceleration. By disabling hardware acceleration, users can
dramatically increase frame capture rates on Microsoft® Windows 2000 and Windows XP. This increase in
frame capture rates results in the production of smooth, high quality videos using fewer system resources.
The following table illustrates the different frame rates with and without hardware acceleration.
Frame Rate per second Frame Rate per second
Video Capture Settings
with Hardware Acceleration without Hardware Acceleration
32 bit color, 1280x1024 9 fps 12 fps
16 bit color, 1280x1024 2 fps 20 fps
16 bit color, 800x600 6 fps 50 fps
However, there are applications that need hardware acceleration to run properly, for example many DVD-
Players, 3-dimensional CAD-displays, and video games. In this case, you would want to use other methods to
improve the video quality such as reducing the capture area, limiting Zoom-n-Pan, or using a decreased color
resolution.
Note: Disabling the hardware acceleration is crucial if you want to record videos from a media player
such as Windows Media player, RealPlayer, or QuickTime. Otherwise you are likely to get a blank
screen on your recording.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
There are two places where you can turn off the hardware acceleration.
1. Turn Off in Camtasia Recorder
With this first option, the hardware acceleration will only be disabled while recording. As soon as you stop
Camtasia Recorder, the acceleration will be turned on again.
Note: Disabling the acceleration using this method causes a black screen to appear when starting and
stopping the recording process.
In Camtasia Recorder, choose Tools > Options > Capture tab. Enable the Disable display acceleration
during capture option.
Choose OK. Begin recording as usual.
2. Turn Off System-Wide
With the second option, you will disable the hardware acceleration system wide in the system settings. With
this option, you can repeatedly record the screen without being interrupted by black screens.
1. From the system tray, choose Start > Control Panel > Display > Settings tab.
2. Click the Advanced button. The Advanced settings properties dialog appears.
3. Select the Troubleshoot tab.
4. On the Hardware Acceleration slider, move the slider control from Full to None. This disables all
accelerations.
5. Click the Apply button to apply the settings to your desktop. Click OK to save your changes.
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Preventing Blank (Black) Videos
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
The following tables contain many of the default keyboard hotkeys or shortcuts found within Camtasia
Studio and Camtasia Studio's companion applications.
See the following topics:
Camtasia Studio's Main Interface on page 61.
Camtasia Audio Editor on page 62.
Camtasia MenuMaker on page 63.
Camtasia Player on page 64.
Camtasia Theater on page 65.
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Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Camtasia Studio's Main Interface
The following table contains many of the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia Studio's main interface.
These keyboard shortcuts are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
Create a new project CTRL + N
Open a project CTRL + O
Save a project CTRL + S
Record the Screen CTRL + R
Import Media CTRL + I
Product Video As CTRL + P
Save Audio As CTRL + U
Save Frame As CTRL + F
Undo CTRL + Z
Redo CTRL + Y
Split CTRL + D
Cut Selection CTRL + X
Extend Frame CTRL + E
Add a Marker CTRL + M
Storyboard CTRL + G
Timeline CTRL + T
Toggle PIP Preview Placement CTRL + F8
Full Screen ALT + Enter
Zoom In CTRL + Plus
Zoom Out CTRL + Minus
Zoom to Fit CTRL + F9
Zoom to Selection CRTL + F10
Play/Pause CTRL + Space
Stop CTRL + ALT + Space
Beginning CTRL + Home
End CTRL + End
Previous Clip CTRL + ALT + Left Arrow
Next Clip CTRL + ALT + Right Arrow
Step Backward CTRL + Left Arrow
Step Forward CTRL + Right Arrow
Previous Marker CTRL + [
Next Marker CTRL + ]
Open Camtasia Studio Help F1
Exit Camtasia Studio ALT + F4
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The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Camtasia Audio Editor
The following table contains the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia Audio Editor. These keyboard
shortcuts are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
New CTRL + N
Open CTRL + O
Save CTRL + S
Undo CTRL + Z
Redo CTRL + Y
Cut CTRL + X
Copy CTRL + C
Paste (Extend) CTRL + V
Zoom In CTRL + Plus
Zoom Out CTRL + Minus
Play Space
Beginning Home
Previous Frame Left Arrow
Next Frame Right Arrow
End End
Open Help F1
Exit Audio Editor ALT+ F4
62 • www.techsmith.com Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Camtasia MenuMaker
The following table contains the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia MenuMaker. These keyboard
shortcuts are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
Create a New Project CTRL + N
Open Project CTRL + O
Test the Menu CTRL + T
Save the Project CTRL + S
Undo CTRL + Z
Redo CTRL + Y
Zoom In CTRL + Plus
Zoom Out CTRL + Minus
Zoom to Fit CTRL + F9
Open Help F1
Exit MenuMaker ALT + F4
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Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Camtasia Player
The following table contains the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia Player. These keyboard shortcuts
are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
Open CTRL + O
Play/Pause Space
Stop CTRL + S
Beginning Home
Rewind Page Up
Forward Page Down
End End
Full Screen ALT + Enter
Repeat CTRL + R
Increase Volume CTRL + Up arrow
Decrease Volume CTRL + Down arrow
Mute Volume CTRL + M
Exit Player ALT + F4
64 • www.techsmith.com Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Camtasia Theater
The following table contains the keyboard shortcuts available in Camtasia Theater. These keyboard shortcuts
are not customizable.
To Do This: Press this Key Combination:
New CTRL + N
Open CTRL + O
Save CTRL + S
Export Flash Menu CTRL + E
Open Help F1
Exit Theater ALT + F4
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Using the Hotkeys and Keyboard Shortcuts
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Tips for Scripting and Audio
When actually going through the process of making your video, there are several scripting and audio tips that
you might find helpful in making your video appear as professional as possible. These tips are listed in the
table below.
Scripting & Audio Tips
Make multiple short clips using Camtasia Recorder. Use Camtasia Studio to join those short clips together
into a longer video production.
Use the same dimensions for each clip if possible.
Rehearse video capture sequences to get the best results.
Perform several "takes," replaying them after production to see ways of improving the video.
For lengthy or involved sequences of action, write a script before recording.
• Print the script in large type to make it easy to read while recording.
• Think through the actions, in detail, that you want to capture, and then write them down in sequential
steps.
• The script should contain the exact words that you will record.
• Make sure that the script reflects what's currently happening on the screen.
• Include an overview of the recording in the first line or two of the script.
• Be as concise as possible.
• Avoid long pauses or hesitations in the narration.
• Avoid narration filler by using words such as “umm” or “ahh.”
• Avoid using repetitive statements or words.
To eliminate the sound of paper shuffling, you can tape script pages together and hang them near the
monitor so they are easy to read.
Normal mouse and cursor movement can be jerky, hesitant, or too fast for the capture to pick up.
The cursor appears to jump and the program reacts before the viewer can see where the mouse is.
To eliminate some of these problems, practice the sequence slowly, then build up speed as you go.
When showing cursor movement, pause a fraction of a second over the element, then click. This will allow
cursor position to be established in the video before the next action takes place.
By viewing glitches and correcting them in succeeding takes, you will eventually come up with a
professional-looking video sequence that you can save.
66 • www.techsmith.com Tips for Scripting and Audio
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Before you Record Worksheets
The following pages contain worksheets for you to fill out prior to making a video. It is recommended that
you make copies of this worksheet and fill one out each time you want to create a new video.
The purpose of these worksheets is to help you organize your thoughts and to give you a method for gathering
the necessary requirements concerning the screen resolution, hardware, file size, etc. Using these worksheets
is also a good way for you to keep a technical record of your video projects in case you ever need to go back
and look at the requirements used for a particular video.
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Before you Record Worksheets
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Screen Resolution Checklist
To ensure the best playback screen resolution, you need to determine what dimensions of the video will easily
fit on the screen for your entire viewing audience.
The following table will help you gather your screen resolution requirements.
Requirement Decision Decision
________ x ________
Your monitor’s screen resolution.
Lowest Screen Resolution of target audience.
Note: It is a fairly safe assumption that most people are
now running at 800x600 or better. ________ x ________
Are you going to record a fixed region of your screen? Yes No
________ x _______
If recording a fixed region, region dimensions.
No
Is your screen resolution greater than the lowest screen Yes
resolution of target audience? If yes, you need to
decrease your screen
resolution settings (or
the size of your fixed
region) before
recording.
No
Will Player display the window frame and player Yes
controls on playback? It will play back in
If yes, you may need to
decrease your screen full screen mode.
resolution settings
before recording.
If your player is not going to play back in full screen Yes No
mode, will the player plus your video fit on the screen? If not, you need to
decrease your screen
resolution settings
before recording.
68 • www.techsmith.com Before you Record Worksheets
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Video Quality and File Size Checklist
The following checklist will help you gather your recording requirements and minimize final video file sizes.
Requirement Decision Decision
If running Windows 2000 or XP, is hardware Yes No
acceleration disabled in Camtasia Recorder?
If running Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP, disabling
hardware acceleration can increase capture frame rates
and/or decrease CPU utilization. The result will be
better videos.
If running Windows 2000 or XP, is hardware Yes No
acceleration disable system-wide?
Yes No
Is the TSCC video codec turned on?
For creating the best possible master video screen
recording, Camtasia Recorder should be configured
with its default setting, using the TSCC codec for
lossless video compression, and PCM uncompressed
mono audio. When the default setting is being used,
Auto Configure is checked in Recorder: Tools >
Options > Streams tab > Auto Configure.
Is PCM (22.050 kHz, 16 bit) uncompressed mono Yes No
audio selected?
What is the Capture frame rate (fps) set at? For most
screen recordings, 5-10 fps is acceptable. ________ fps
Have you closed all unnecessary applications? Yes No
If no, close the
unneeded applications
during your capture to
reduce the system
load.
What portion of the screen would you like to record? Dimensions:
Region of the Screen
Note: As a general rule, never record a larger area of Width:
Specific Window
the screen than necessary. ________pixels
Entire Screen
Height:
________pixels
Top Left:
X: ________pixels
Y: ________pixels
Approximate length of the video:
Camtasia Studio captures sequences in real-time
seconds and minutes. In general, the shorter the _______Hours _______Minutes _______Seconds
sequence, the smaller the resulting video file will be.
www.techsmith.com • 69
Before you Record Worksheets
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Video Compression Checklist
The following checklist will help you gather your file type and compression requirements.
Requirement Decision Decision
How will you distribute your video?
Web, E-mail, CD, DVD-ready, Hard Drive or other
What is the file size of your master video? ________bytes
Does this seem like a reasonable size to share with your target Yes No
audience?
What Capture frame rate (fps) did you record your video at?
For most recordings, 5-10 fps is acceptable. ________fps
What frame rate is Camtasia set to produce at?
Note: The Automatic option will preserve the frame rate of a
single clip on the storyboard. ________fps
Does your video include real world photography and/or gradient Yes No
fills?
Is your audience likely to include viewers that use both Microsoft Yes No
Windows and Apple operating systems?
What media player(s) are likely to be installed on your viewers’ 1. ______________ 2. ____________
desktops? ________________ ______________
Will your audience members have the rights to install new video Yes No
codec on their desktops, if necessary for proper playback?
Do you need a player you can configure to playback in full screen Yes No
mode?
Are you going to Pack and Show your video? Yes No
Your Pack and Show video (.EXE) will include: TSCC Codec Camtasia Player
Are viewers likely to be connected to the Internet when they Yes No
playback your video?
If viewers are likely to be connected to the Internet, are your Yes No
audience members going to have high bandwidth connections to
the Internet?
70 • www.techsmith.com Before you Record Worksheets
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Video Type & Playback Checklist
The following checklist will help you decide which video type and file format is appropriate for your intended
audience.
Important Note: The TSCC is now built into the Camtasia Player. The benefits of having a built-in TSCC
include:
• The ability to playback videos on the host PC without having to install the TSCC.
• Lossless preservation of 100% of the image quality, even through multiple
decompression/recompression cycles that are typical during the production process.
• Optimization for screen capture so that the resulting files are small and highly compressed.
• Exceptional compression speed at all color depths.
File Type File Distribution Strengths Weaknesses
Extension
•
Common and easy to
Audio Video AVI CD-ROM, Entire file must load to a
Interleave and network view. person's computer before
CD directory or loading.
Editable and easily
downloaded from
Productions converted into other • Audio compression not as
a Web site. movie formats. good as with streaming
formats.
A great vendor-neutral
format for your stock • TSCC-encoded AVI
footage or for requires TSCC video
distribution on CD- codec for playback. The
ROM. TSCC is now built into
the Camtasia Player.
• TSCC does not compress
real world photography or
gradient fills.
•
Audio Video AVI DVD Highest quality Requires DVD-authoring
Interleave and recordings possible. software to convert to
DVD MPEG format.
Can be edited in
Productions Camtasia Studio and • Files can be large with
most non-linear editing higher motion and
software. complex image
recordings.
Includes high quality
audio options. • Entire file must download
to a person’s computer
before loading.
• TSCC does not compress
real world photography or
gradient fills.
•
Macromedia SWF/FLV Embed in Web Plays in 95% of most Requires Macromedia
browsers with no
Flash page. Flash Plug-In which is
additional software normally installed by
required. default.
Cross platform.
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Before you Record Worksheets
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
File Type File Distribution Strengths Weaknesses
Extension
• •
Windows WMV Streamed or Well-suited for Requires streaming server
Media (WMV played locally longer recordings for Internet access to
- Streaming from the hard or recordings with stream from a Web site.
Format) disk. higher motion. • The computer playing the
• Small file size video will, in most cases,
have to have Internet
media.
connectivity.
• It is not
•
downloaded to the Limited editing options
Cannot be converted to
computer.
another format
• Will play while
downloading.
• Plays in Microsoft
Windows Media
Player and
browser.
• •
QuickTime MOV Streamed from Wide selection of Viewing may appear
Web site or video and audio "jerky" if download is
attached to e- compressors. slow.
mail. • •
Will play while Entire file will download
downloading. to the viewer's computer.
• •
Multi-platform, Requires Apple
industry-standard, QuickTime.
multimedia
software
architecture.
• •
RealMedia RM Streamed from Small file size Requires streaming server
Streaming Web site. media. It is not to stream from a Web site.
Media downloadable to • Lossy video compression.
the computer.
• Limited editing options.
• Plays in
• Cannot be converted to
RealPlayer and
another format.
browser with Plug-
In.
• Great audio
compression.
• •
Camtasia for CAMV Streamed from Lossless video Difficult to send as an e-
RealPlayer Web site. compression and mail attachment, since
(RealPlayer lossless streaming audio and video are joined
Plug-In) video. via a SMIL file.
• •
Stream files over Requires a streaming
low bandwidth server.
except for real • Requires RealPlayer to be
world or high installed and have a
motion videos. connection to the Internet.
72 • www.techsmith.com Before you Record Worksheets
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
File Type File Distribution Strengths Weaknesses
Extension
•
•
GIF GIF Embed in any Cannot include audio.
Supported by
Animation Web page. Plays nearly all web • Limited to 256 colors.
File in any browser. browsers. Tend to
• Less range and flexibility.
be smaller than
• Limited to short durations.
other animation
files.
• Animated GIF files
are commonly
used on web pages.
Due to their small
size, they are ideal
for web delivery,
where the exacting
detail of an AVI
file is not
necessary.
• Animated GIF files
are highly
condensed.
• This industry-
standard file
format allows you
to publish short
tutorials and
product
demonstrations on
the web that play
back in any
browser on any
computer platform.
• •
Pack and EXE E-mail or embed Makes movies Some people may not be
Show in a Web page. easily accessible to able to receive e-mail
executable file
your viewers.
attachments.
• Converts Camtasia
• Long extraction times for
video into an
executable file large files.
(EXE) so users can
install Camtasia
Player to view
videos.
• Retains high
resolution and
quality.
• No special
software required.
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Before you Record Worksheets
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Audio Compression Checklist
Audio data in a video file can contribute more to the total file size than the video portion. By compressing
your video’s audio with a standard audio codec, video file size can be reduced. By default, Recorder is
configured to use the TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC) for lossless video compression and PCM
uncompressed mono audio. The default audio setting is PCM, 22.050 kHz, 16 bit mono. Because TSCC is
lossless and PCM is uncompressed you can edit the video and create reproductions indefinitely and not lose
quality.
To find the best audio codec for your video, experiment by making a short video using PCM at the Camtasia
Recorder's default configuration. Then in Camtasia Studio, try saving your video using various audio codecs
at different sample rates.
The following checklist will help you gather your audio compression requirements.
Requirement Decision Decision
What is the file size of your master video? ________bytes
Does your video include audio? Yes No
Do you want to compress your video’s audio? Yes No
What codec will you use to compress your audio?
Will your audience have the necessary audio codec already Yes No
installed for proper playback?
74 • www.techsmith.com Before you Record Worksheets
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Contact TechSmith Technical Support
If you have a question pertaining to Camtasia Studio, we recommend that you first search the built-in help file
to find the information that you need.
If you still need technical support help, you can get free support by searching our Web site’s support database
1. Make sure that you are logged on to the Internet.
2. From within Camtasia Studio, choose Help > Support.
3. Select the TechSmith Support Website link.
Diagnostic Information
When working with technical support, you could be asked to e-mail or fax Camtasia Studio diagnostics.
If so:
Select Help > Support.
The diagnostic information will be highlighted. Choose Copy to Clipboard and then paste the information
into an e-mail message, along with any other information requested by the Technical Support team.
Alternatively, save the diagnostic information to a file by clicking Save to File, then attach the file to your e-
mail or print the data and fax (+1 517.913.6121) it to Camtasia Studio support, along with any other
information requested by the Technical Support team.
Click OK to close the Camtasia Studio Support window.
Mailing Address
TechSmith Corporation
2405 Woodlake Drive
Okemos, MI 48864 USA
Telephone
• Toll free: 800.517.3001 (USA Only)
• Voice: 517.381.2300
• Fax: 517.381.2336
TechSmith Support Links
• For more information on Camtasia Studio, visit our homepage at
http://www.techsmith.com/products/studio/default.asp.
• For information on TechSmith's upgrade policy, visit
http://www.techsmith.com/products/upgrade/default.asp.
• To find out about TechSmith's products, visit http://www.techsmith.com.
• For Frequently Asked Questions, visit http://www.techsmith.com/products/studio/faqs.asp.
• Download a free evaluation copy of Camtasia Studio at
http://www.techsmith.com/Camtasiastudiofreetrial.
www.techsmith.com • 75
Contact TechSmith Technical Support
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
Index
Adjusting your Audio Level, 33 Video File Type/Compression, 82
Advanced Production Wizard, 10 Video Type & Playback, 83
Audio, 42 Close-Up Look
Scripting Tips, 78 Player, 63
Audio and Bandwidth, 22 Codec, 23
Audio Bandwidth, 16 Installation, 67
Audio Codec Tips Lossless, 23, 70
MPEG Layer 3, 28 Lossy, 23
Windows Media Player, 28 Codecs, 41
Audio Codecs Audio Codec Tips, 28
Audio Setting Table, 28 Audio Codecs Comparison, 28
Audio Codecs Overview, 28 Changing Audio Codecs, 30
Audio Compression, 86 Changing Video Codecs, 30
Audio Editor Common Sound Problems, 34
Hotkeys and Shortcuts, 75 Conference Recording, 39
Audio is out of Sync with the Video, 35 Create a DVD-Ready Video File, 15
Audio Levels, 33 Create a Pack and Show Self Executing File, 13
Audio Recording Error Message, 34 Create an Interactive CD Menu using Camtasia MenuMaker,
Audio Video Interleave, 83 13
Audio Video Interleave (AVI) Data Transmission, 17
DVD Productions, 52 Defining Size in Camtasia Recorder
AVI Video Checklist, 81 Video Size versus File Size, 43
AVI-Distribution Delta Frames, 19
Video Size versus File Size, 43 Desktop Microphone, 38
Bandwidth, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22 Diagnostic Information, 87
Bandwidth and Streaming Media File Transmission, 18 Distributing a Video, 12
Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production, 16 DVD-Ready Video File, 15
Bandwidth Spikes, 16, 19, 20 Edit your Video, 8
Barely Audible Recordings, 32 E-mail Attachment, 14
Before you Record Worksheets, 79 External Noise can be Heard, 34
Bit Rate, 16, 17 File Formats, 46
Blank Videos, 71 Audio Video Interleave (AVI) & DVD Productions, 52
Blurry Videos, 70 Audio Video Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution,
Buffering, 20 51
Camtasia for RealPlayer, 84 GIF Animation File (GIF), 60
Camtasia for RealPlayer (RealPlayer Plug-In) (CAMV), 59 Macromedia Flash (SWF/FLV), 53
Camtasia Player, 63 QuickTime (MOV), 54
Camtasia Studio Windows Media (WMV), 55
Applications, 5 File Size Conversion, 17
Making Camtasia Player your Default Player, 65 File Size, Bit Rate, Bandwidth and Data Transmission, 17
Camtasia Studio's Main Interface, 74 First Recording, 6
CAMV, 59 Flash Player, 62
Cardioid (Unidirectional) Microphones, 37 Flash Player 6, 53
Flash Player 7, 53
CD Menu using Camtasia MenuMaker, 13
Flash Player 8, 53
CD- ROM, 14
Frame Rate, 41
Checklist
Frame Rate and Bandwidth, 19
Audio Compression Checklist, 86
Frame Rates, 71
AVI Video, 81
General Microphone Tips, 37
Screen Resolution, 80
76 • www.techsmith.com Contact TechSmith Technical Support
Camtasia Studio 3.1 The Fundamentals of Screen Recording
Getting Great Sound in your Recordings, 31 Producing
GIF Animation File, 85 Advanced Production Wizard, 10
About, 60 Recommend my Production Settings Wizard, 10
Strengths and Weaknesses, 60 Production, 46
Hardware Acceleration, 72 Production Options
Preventing Blank Videos, 71 Audio Video Interleave (AVI) and CD-ROM Distribution,
51
Headset Microphone, 38
Higher Motion Screen Recordings & Camcorder Videos, 57 CD-ROM Distribution, 51
Hotkeys & Shortcuts, 73 DVD and AVI, 52
Camtasia Studio Main Interface, 74 Macromedia Flash, 53
MenuMaker, 76 QuickTime (MOV), 54
Player, 76 SWF/FLV, 53
Theater, 77 Publish a Video for Web Distribution, 12
Hotkeys and Shortcuts QuickTime, 84
Audio Editor, 75 QuickTime (MOV), 54
How Camtasia Studio’s Applications Work Together, 5 QuickTime Player, 62
I can't hear my audio, 32 RealMedia, 58
Interactive CD Menu using Camtasia MenuMaker, 13 RealMedia Streaming Media, 84
Key Frames, 19 RealMedia Streaming Media (RM), 58
Lapel Microphone, 38 RealPlayer, 62
Large File Size when Recording with Audio, 34 RealPlayer Plug-In, 59
Lavaliere or Lapel Microphone, 38 Recommend my Production Settings Wizard, 10
Learning about the File Size, 40 Recommended Settings for Normal Screen Recordings, 56
Looking at Several Different Kinds of Microphones, 37 Recommended Settings: Higher Motion Screen Recordings &
Camcorder Videos, 57
Looking at the Different Media Players, 61
Low Quality Recordings, 34 Record
Macromedia Flash, 83 Overview, 6
Macromedia Flash (SWF/FLV), 53 Recording
Making your First Recording, 6 Conference, 39
Media Players, 61 Teleconference, 39
Common Problems, 67 Telephone Audio, 39
Comparison, 62 Web Conference using Voiceover IP Audio, 39
MenuMaker Recording Audio from Other Applications, 36
Hotkeys & Shortcuts, 76 Recording Audio in Various Scenarios, 39
Microphone Recording Error Message, 34
Description Table, 37 RM, 58
General Tips, 37 Scaling, 67, 70
Microphones Screen Movement, 40
Cardioid (Unidirectional), 37 Screen Resolution, 40, 70
Looking at Several Different Kinds, 37 Screen Resolution Checklist, 80
Omnidirectional, 37 Scripting and Audio Tip List, 78
Microphones Description Table, 37 Self Executing File, 13
Monitoring your Audio Level as You Record, 33 Send the Video as an E-mail Attachment, 14
Network Congestion, Bandwidth Spikes and Buffering, 20 Settings for Normal Screen Recordings, 56
No Sound?, 31 Share
Omnidirectional Microphones, 37 Videos, 49
Overview Share your Video, 12
Edit your Video, 8 Silent Recordings, 31
Produce your Video, 10, 12, 48 Solving Common Sound Problems, 34
Record your Video, 5, 6 Sound & your Recordings, 31
Video Sharing Options, 12, 48 sound card’s recording volume, 32
Pack and Show, 66, 85 Sound Problems
Pack and Show Self Executing File, 13 Common Issues, 34
Pickup Patterns, 37 Streaming Media File Transmission, 18
Playback Environment Streaming Media Production, 16
Video Size versus File Size, 43 Support, 87
Player Contact TechSmith, 87
Hotkeys & Shortcuts, 76 Support Links, 87
Making Camtasia Studio your Default Media Player, 65 TechSmith Contact Information
Opening, 63 Mailing Address, 87
System Requirements, 63 Telephone, 87
Produce your Video, 47 TechSmith Screen Capture Codec (TSCC), 25
www.techsmith.com • 77
Contact TechSmith Technical Support
The Fundamentals of Screen Recording Camtasia Studio 3.1
TechSmith Support Links, 87 Preventing Black, Blank, and Blurry Videos, 70, 71
TechSmith Technical Support, 87 Video as an E-mail Attachment, 14
Telecom Adapter, 38 Video Capture Settings, 71
Teleconference Recording, 39 Video Codecs, 23
Telephone Audio Recording, 39 Video Compression and Key Frames, 19
Theater Video Dimensions, 43, 70
Hotkeys & Shortcuts, 77 Video File Type/Compression Checklist, 82
Tips for Recording Audio in Various Scenarios, 39 Video for Web Distribution, 12
Tips, Tricks, & Best Practices, 69 Video Length, 41
TSCC, 25 Video Playback Checklist:, 67
Understanding Bandwidth and Streaming Media Production, Video Production & File Formats, 46
Video Quality and File Size Checklist, 81
16
Understanding Video and Audio Codecs, 23 Video Size Options
Video Video Size versus File Size, 44
Edit, 8 Video Type & Playback Checklist, 83
File Formats, 10 Web Conference Recording using Voiceover IP Audio, 39
File Size, 40 Windows 98, 65
How to Produce, 12, 48 Windows Media, 84
Produce, 10 Windows Media (WMV - Streaming Format), 55
Recording Overview, 6 Windows Media Player, 62
Share, 10, 49 Windows NT 4, 65
Troubleshooting Write to a CD- ROM, 14
78 • www.techsmith.com Contact TechSmith Technical Support
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