ScreenToaster: Simple, Free, No-Download Screencasting

Filed Under CamStudio, Locations & Services, Screencasts, Software Apps, VA, blog, new, screencast, screencasting, screentoaster, software, tools, video, web, work, youtube |

Written by Simon Mackie.

logo2 If you need to create a screencast, perhaps to demonstrate an app, there are many tools out there that can help you get the job done. We’ve covered Jing and CamStudio previously here on WebWorkerDaily. If you want a really simple free solution that you can use from any browser, though, you might like to check out ScreenToaster — especially in the light of some great new features that have been announced today.

ScreenToaster is an eay-to-use application that runs as a Java applet; it works in pretty much any browser on any operating system. It can record audio from a microphone and video from a webcam, as well simultaneously recording the action on the screen. The results are high quality and you can add subtitles after you’ve finished recording. Here’s a quick screencast of ScreenToaster in action (made using ScreenToaster, naturally!)

WWD Screencast: ScreenToaster from WebWorkerDaily on Vimeo.

ScreenToaster announced some nice new features officially today, although I believe they may have actually been available for a little while. You can now choose to upload your screencast to YouTube in HD, or download your video in .mov format. This greatly increases your flexibility: it means that you’re not stuck with hosting your screencasts at the ScreenToaster site, and you can also edit your screencast videos. Choosing one of these options has a few drawbacks though: you’re left with a ScreenToaster logo on your videos, and you lose your subtitles and webcam footage (as you can see in my video). The other new feature is a beta test of the Recorder API, which might be interesting if you’re a web developer looking to add screencasting into your app.

What do you use for recording screencasts?