Hi All
I’ve received quite a few emails asking when 2.5 is being released. I’m redoing the documentation and so I’m aiming for next week - in the meantime, here’s a quick demo video showing some of the new features.
There’s nothing here that will change the world as we know it, but a few bits and pieces that should make CS easier and quicker to use.
Here’s Demo #1 on Google Video, YouTube and MSN Video.
Video: CamStudio 2.5 Demo Video #1
I’ll do another video showing some of the other new features some point in the next couple of days.
Let me know what you think so far.
Cheers
Nick 
37 responses so far ↓
1 man // May 11, 2007 at 2:52 am
RenderSoftware CamStudio v1.2 it was second Screen Capture software where I found it on download.com and first one off corse was Flash Cam 1.79 from Nexus Concepts(http://www.nexusconcepts.com/flashcam/index.htm)and now I am using Tanida Demo Builder(http://www.demo-builder.com)
I still use RenderSoftware CamStudio v.2.0 but no more Flash Cam 1.79 from Nexus Concepts Both of the programs bough by Macromedia and then now Adobe.
All I want to say is RenderSoftware CamStudio is mother of all screen recorder, if I do not make mistake the first developer was someone from Singapore.
Nick Smith let me thank you for your effort and keep up great work, I have to mention that I like the features you added such as record region > windows and also visual feed back feature.
Regards
Man
2 man // May 11, 2007 at 2:53 am
RenderSoftware CamStudio v1.2 it was second Screen Capture software where I found it on download.com and first one off corse was Flash Cam 1.79 from Nexus Concepts(http://www.nexusconcepts.com/flashcam/index.htm)and now I am using Tanida Demo Builder(http://www.demo-builder.com)
I still use RenderSoftware CamStudio v.2.0 but no more Flash Cam 1.79 from Nexus Concepts Both of the programs bough by Macromedia and then now Adobe.
All I want to say is RenderSoftware CamStudio is mother of all screen recorder, if I do not make mistake the first developer was someone from Singapore.
Nick Smith let me thank you for your effort and keep up great work, I have to mention that I like the features you added such as record region > windows and also visual feed back feature.
3 Dai // May 11, 2007 at 1:53 pm
hi Nick just thought you might like to know of a site to host your videos.
http://videotutes.blip.tv/
I started to host my screencapture videos with them as I can upload 800X600 vids and put them into my blog like you have done here but, when they are double clicked they can be viewed in the full size screen which is better than google or youtube.
my blog is:
http://dai-videotutes.blogspot.com/
to see what I mean. So by having an account with blip.tv you can upload large vids and put them in your blog to be viewd full size. I thought this might interest you and the users of CamStudio.
4 Nick // May 11, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Man: thanks for your comments - hopefully you’ll like the other features and will get some use from V2.5.
Dai: thanks for the link to Blip.tv.
I tried to view your vids but they wouldn’t display for some reason.
I’ll have a play and see if I can get it to work.
I have to say, I’m particularly impressed with Google Video and MSN Video - although I had to re-encode it in VirtualDub using the XViD video codec as MSN Video didn’t like Techsmith or CamStudio’s codec.
Ah, well … I’ll know for next time …
5 Dai // May 11, 2007 at 2:42 pm
If anyone else is having problems viewing my vids on blip.tv let me know as I am not not having problems but that does not mean anyone else is not having problems viewing.
6 JimmyRcom // May 12, 2007 at 2:52 am
New thieves?
http://www.camstudiopro.com/
7 kiran // May 12, 2007 at 4:32 am
Thanks for the preview Nick, and thanks for all your efforts to improve Camstudio. Like many other fans of camstudio I am also looking forward to the release of 2.5
8 sem01 // May 12, 2007 at 11:26 am
hello!
i am a students and i use everyday your camstudio.( i have tried 2.0 and 2.1)
better i USED camstudio because my computer is dead last week. so now i have another computer but i have windows vista-.-.
damned windows vista have some problem i don t know if it’s a vista problem ( i mean problem with the codec) or camstudio problem.
well if i use camestudio only in video mode it works fine.
when i use VIDEO and AUDIO i have problem :
the sound there isn t
the video is not a video xD but noise video.
do you know something about camstudio 2.5 and windows vista?
i hope i can use 2.5 in windows vista so i delete windows media recorder(wmv-.-)
9 Paulo Kiefe // May 14, 2007 at 8:14 am
Just wanted to tell you that I saw your presentation of 2.5 and like it!
Just for the record and to give you more ideas for the future, similarly to the function that highlight when the left or the right mouse button is pressed, it would be great to have a feature that would blend into the screen the keys that are pressed on the keyboard.
When demonstrating a program (specially 3D-graphics) the user uses loads of keyboard short cuts. Both stand-alone and in conjunction with the mouse keys. It would therefore be great to have a feature that lets the video viewer know what key is pressed on the keyboard.
Thank you for making Camstudio such a good software!
10 sem01 // May 14, 2007 at 8:38 am
can it run in windows vista?
i mean with audio and video(because in vista camstudio 2.0 makes bad video if i put audio recording too. instead if i choose only video it records pretty good)
11 MrAttitude // May 15, 2007 at 9:31 am
I’m happy to read this great news about CamStudio 2.5.
The most important thing for me is, that the memory-bug will be fixed, when I creating a swf-file and embed it into my website.
I hope this will be fixed with version 2.5!
Bye,
MrAttitude
12 lomboss // May 20, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Nick and all,
I think it is a good time to publish the v2.5 builds that you demonstrating into the sourceforge. as a beta release. We need to have an open proccess that will allow new developers to contribute and fresh users to report the potential bugs. I might be able to contribute some work in 2.5+ branch, but I want to make sure that the proccess is open and the GPL based source code is openly published as required by the license.
I think one of the very promising branches that I have seen on the net uses mirror video driver that takes the performance of the recorder to the whole new level.
http://forum.ultravnc.info/viewtopic.php?t=4373
BTW, the author did not disclose source code of the Ultra ScreenRecorder, which might be a violation of GPL license.
13 webquest // May 22, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Thanks for the great work, Nick! When will we be able to upgrade to v2.5? I’m excitedly waiting!
14 noksagt // May 22, 2007 at 10:37 pm
They claim in that forum that they’re using the earlier terms–that do not force the GPL. They also point out the conflicting license file that is still shipping with the CamStudio source code.
15 ultravnc // May 23, 2007 at 1:46 pm
If you want to release v2.5 as GPL you should take a look at
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-howto.html
The current source tree fullfill non of the GPL
requirements and everybody who download the zip
can use it like he want. It’s not because you mention GPL on a website, the source is GPL.
The license need to be included in the zip and you best add a header to the .cpp and .h files.
It even wurser, the included license allow to make changes and use it commercial, without the
need to release the changes….Rendersoft only want to be mentioned in the about box.
This is very confusing
The reason ultraVnc screenrecorder wasn’t released as GPL is the bundling of the non GPL
drivers. I wanted to make a nice installer that
include drivers and recorder.. but no time
I have no problems of releasing the made changes, but without the drivers they do nothing.
As 2.5 will be GPL, using the drivers is only possible via a seperate download, people need to download the recorder from your site and the driver from
http://www.uvnc.com
GPL can’t be bundled in a single installer with non GPL code….
Greetings
16 ultravnc // May 24, 2007 at 9:57 am
On request, source code ultravnc screenrecoder
released. (Read comment on GPL!! )
http://www.uvnc.com/screenrecorder/index.html
17 noksagt // May 24, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Despite the fact that their was no infringement, they’ve released the source:
http://www.uvnc.com/screenrecorder/index.html
Perhaps you can incorporate some of those features into CamStudio
18 sharkbate24 // May 26, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Looking good so far, but would be good if there was an Image Watermark feature available, because its always good to watermark your videos so they don’t get stolen.
Cheers.
19 Nick // May 28, 2007 at 11:57 am
UltraVNC:
Thanks for releasing the ScreenRecorder sources. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks good.
Re: GPL - I wasn’t aware that every .h and .cpp source file had to have the GPL text in it.
I also didn’t realise the GPL license needed to be in the zipfile with the binaries, however, I will add this.
I too don’t understand about the other license that Rendersoft included as it conflicts with the GPL.
But as I understand it, the GPL would take priority since that was how CamStudio was released originally.
I’ve even spoke to the GPL licensing contact and he wasn’t sure either.
I don’t want to remove the conflicting document without Rendersoft’s permission but since they don’t answer any emails I send to them, I will leave it in there and add my own comments to it.
20 Nick // May 28, 2007 at 11:58 am
Sharkbate24:
I think you might be pleasantly surprised with v2.5
21 Shimmy // May 28, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Heys Nick, I got your mail (like 20 days ago) and sorry for not replying so long (I needed to change my email to a new one), anyway, the new upcoming version seems to be pretty cool but more important is that I hope it will handle .swf much much better, pretty much like what MrAttitude wrote (11. MrAttitude | May 15th, 2007 at 9:31 am)
btw, do you got your own email for support or to leave suggestions etc. (sometimes I don’t like to comment in public)
Best Regards,
Shimmy
22 noksagt // May 28, 2007 at 7:13 pm
@Nick:
Actually, the original license was the “RenderSoft license” that is currently packaged in the archive. They changed to GPL shortly before they were acquired. I put Internet Archive (waybackmachine) links in the UltraVNC forums above to document this. Furthermore, the order of licensing doesn’t really matter for how it is licensed now.
The old RenderSoft license allows source into GPL programs, but the GPL license doesn’t allow the source to move to a non-GPLed program. The only people this DOESN’T apply to are those who own the copyrights on the code (probably Adobe/Macromedia now)–they can relicense it in anyway they wish & they’re not “licensees” (so can do what they wish to the code). This is why the order doesn’t matter.
Thanks in advance for cleaning up the licensing. I’d strongly discourage inclusion of the older RenderSoft license unless you can remove ALL uncertainty that it is the GPL & only the GPL that applies to what you release.
23 Artem // May 29, 2007 at 5:14 pm
Nick, is there any chance for making SWF producer generate player with the progress bar? So that it was easy for the end user to fast forward and rewind.
Without it videos have to be limited to few minutes only.
24 mushon // May 29, 2007 at 7:30 pm
I’m not sure this is the place for a feature request, but one thing that I find very useful is the option to zoom-in and have the screen follow the mouse - meaning have the screen captured in let’s say 200% or even 300% and focused on the mouse position - like a spotlight. I don’t know if you have it coming in version 2.5, but I think this can be a killer feature, especially for focusing on subtleties, or for publishing small videos that still follow the whole screen. I can have a 360×240 video that does not have to shrink the page but simply browses through it in 100% size. (similar to the mac OSX zoom feature)
What do you say? (let me know if this makes sense)
25 ilox // May 30, 2007 at 12:01 am
Jimmy said: New thieves? http://www.camstudiopro.com/
They don’t think so. I asked for the Source and was told:
”
Here is the source code for CamStudioIM. Technically, Dave is selling the interface to this and giving away the IM for free.
[ Link Removed by Nick ]
Tanis Wahl, Technical Support Staff
http://www.daveguindonsupport.com
”
So he claims he has just wrapped a new interface around the original software so hasn’t broken the GPL requirements. Anybody know if he’s right?
Nick, I hope you have covered all bases in 2.5 or this guy, and others, are just going to grab your code and claim a new interface has been attached. I know the GPL says you can make money out of GPL software but it must always have the Source available, it does go on to say that the way that any interface accesses the GPL software determines if the new software is also GPL’d by default. That really does need looking into by somebody who knows how these programs work, that’s not me
PS: Any news on a release date? A beta we can help test for you?
Cheers, Ian
26 Nick // May 30, 2007 at 1:02 am
@noksagt
Thanks for your advice for what is a difficult and confusing situation.
Maybe I should contactI’ve contacted Adobe’s legal department for their 2p worth, or $200 worth, since we’re talking about lawyers here.27 Nick // May 30, 2007 at 1:51 am
@Shimmy:
As of 2.5, SWF handling is exactly as it was with 2.0 apart from two small changes which I’ll cover in Demo Video #2.
I’ve have been recently contacted by a Flash developer who offered his services but after an initial conversation, I’ve yet to hear back from him (Chris are you reading this? ;))
The best way to contact me is via my helpdesk here: http://www.365admin.com/helpdesk
@Artem:
The aforementioned Chris has shown me a Flash player he has already coded and we left it at he would look into the possibility of optimizing the code and convert it into something that would be CamStudio-compatible.
If he does manage to do it, I guarantee you’ll like it.
@Mushon:
I know exactly the feature you mean. I have it on my $300 desktop video recording software and it’s in my new features wishlist. Hopefully it will be added soon.
@ilox:
I know about CamStudio Pro - I even bought it - and honestly, I like the new interface, even though I thought it would have been better if he’d changed the actual UI rather than wrap it in another app, but fair enough …
I’m not a lawyer (nor do I play one on TV) so I don’t know if what Dave has done breaks the GPL or not - I’ll leave that up to better legal minds than I, which is frankly everyone!
Interesting that his Tech Support says he’s selling the interface and giving away the CamStudioIM, but doesn’t mention that on his sales page or download page …
28 Dai // May 30, 2007 at 6:56 am
Hi Nick just got a reply from Justin Day one of the bigwigs over at blip.tv and he tells me that they are going to have support for CamStudio in the next release of blip. He didn’t say when that would be but it might be a good idea to have a chat with him as he seems recetive to supporting CamStudio, which is more than google or youtube are prepared to do.
here is his reply:
I’m looking into support for camstudio. We’ll probably have support for
it in the next relase or so.
here is his contact details:
Justin Day
co-founder/CTO
blip.tv
AIM: potaton0
GTalk: justin.day@gmail.com
29 Artem // Jun 1, 2007 at 8:52 am
@Nick
> The aforementioned Chris has shown me a Flash player
> he has already coded and we left it at he would look
> into the possibility of optimizing the code and convert it
> into something that would be CamStudio-compatible.
>
> If he does manage to do it, I guarantee you’ll like it.
Actually there could be an alternative way also. I am not quite sure how CamStudio’s SWF Producer works, but if at some point it produces the *.FLV file, could there be an option to leave that *.flv on the disk? Then people could publish the screencast with some tool specifically tuned for producing cool web players. For example, with free Any FLV player
30 Steve // Jun 7, 2007 at 11:19 pm
I would add my voice to Artem’s. If you focus on what Camstudio does best, in my opinion it is a) easy, professional screen capture with annotations, b) a very good compression codec with high customization, and c) easy conversion into a SWF file suitable for very short videos. (If I understand correctly, FLV is the Flash video format which is then compiled together with a player as the SWF generic object, so at some point there is a FLV somewhere inside the machine I think…)
For those (like myself) who would like to use it for longer videos, there is no need for you to try to develop the ideal Flash movie player interface since there is no ideal: it depends on the usage. I would recommend letting others in the OS community mess around with a Flash movie player, concentrate on what Camstudio does best, and add the option to output the FLV so those weirdos who want more or specific features in their player don’t bug you about it.
On the side, I have started recording that class I mentioned. I can replicate the occurrence of Camstudio “forgetting” that it has a video to store after some amount of time (>~40 minutes)or memory has been consumed. This necessitates shorter recording sessions.
31 Open Mind » Blog-Archiv » CamStudio: Screen Recorder für Windows // Jun 9, 2007 at 10:27 am
[...] Etwas verwirrend sind auch die verschiedenen Entwicklungslinien von CamStudio. Was man heute als Open Source Software auf www.camstudio.org herunterladen kann, ist die Version 2.0 aus dem Jahre 2003. Eine später veröffentlichte Version 2.1 verfügt über weniger Funktionen und ist offenbar nicht Open Source. Nick Smith, der das Open Source Projekt leitet, hat in seinem Blog einmmal eine Version 2.2 erwähnt, die aber bisher ebensowenig Realität geworden ist wie die vorschnell angekündigte Version 3. Dafür gibt es seit kurzem erste Video-Demos einer Version 2.5, die offenbar kurz vor der Fertigstellung steht. Ausserdem gibt es mit dem Etrusoft !Quick Screen Recorder ein kommerzielles Produkt, das unter dem Verdacht steht, eine Kopie von CamStudio zu sein. [...]
32 Steve // Jun 18, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Looks to me here is another CamStudio clone being sold:
http://www.free-screen-capture.com/screen-recorder/
Take a look at the screenshot…
33 ianATshowmedo // Jul 3, 2007 at 9:18 am
Hi Nick. I wanted to offer ShowMeDo’s video hosting as an option for you - I see the videos in Google, YouTube (ugh!) and MS (actually rather nice) but in each case the videos are rather small…
We’d be happy to provide bandwidth for you to show your demo videos at 640×480 at a near-lossless quality. We’re setup to use the CamStudio Lossless Codec (or TechSmith’s) which will make publishing real easy for you.
We have close to 300 tutorial screencasts now by 50 authors, we’d be very happy to show CamStudio to a wider audience if you’d like?
Regards,
Ian (co-founder of ShowMeDo)
34 ilox // Jul 3, 2007 at 4:37 pm
Steve, that is a very detailed rip-off of Cam Studio repackaged to make a commercial product, with them claiming full copyright and giving no credit to to GPL’d origins of the product.
Wonder what they have to say for themselves? There isn’t even a hint in their packaging or marketing that the copyright of the product is GPL or anybody else’s work.
What happens now as far as any action taken against them?
35 Coldblade // Aug 9, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Since this program has no option to Record computer sound made from Sound cards, I will try to hunt down the source code and final binaries that may have that function installed in the programming. Besides that this program looks great. The functions for Vista could also be better by fixing Control_XXXXXX ( If the final source still have those functions ).
Ilox is right, there is another program being made from Camstudio and remade into a commercial product. I say they should be sued because in the terms and agreements there should be something about not making commercial product, since Camstudio is a Freeware.
Ian, That would not just make it easyier for the blog owner but for everybody. Showmedo video hosting site would be a Camstudio-do-it website. Great Camstudio fans like me.
Last, I would like to remind everybody that if you need help with Camstudio or have problems please contact me by my helping E-mail address. ( ColdbladeFAQ@gmail.com ) Of course look up a FAQ and search a popular search engine first. The helping service is free
36 imaginationscene // Aug 14, 2007 at 7:18 pm
37 free screen recorders // May 25, 2008 at 6:51 am
[...] using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into lean, mean, bandwidth-friendly Streaminghttp://camstudio.org/blog/general/camstudio-25-demo-video-1Screen Video Recorder - Super Screen Recorder is a video screen …Super screen Recorder is a video [...]
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