Filed under: Multimedia, Software
ScreenFlow 1.5, now with 100% more text annotation
For semi-pro and professional screencasters working on Macs, Screenflow has reigned for a year as the closest thing available to the Windows-only category leader Camtasia Studio. It not only records your screen, your video camera or iSight, your audio input and system audio simultaneously, it provides a full editing suite and allows callouts, edits and cuts to be made in post, within the application.
It's been one year since the initial release, and the development of Screenflow has continued steadily ... despite company acquisitions. On the mutli-talented application's first birthday, parent company Telestream has announced version 1.5 with custom mouse cursors, WMV export, new audio effects, automatic stereo mixing of single-channel microphones and ... titling.
I quickly discovered that the background image capability meant I could insert entire screenshots or pictures into an edit, and the text layer becomes a floating image, complete with a title floating above it, which could be zoomed and manipulated onscreen. If you can't make the array of existing tools do what you want ... you can do it in Photoshop and use it in ScreenFlow.
The custom mouse cursors include a fingertip cursor designed specifically for iPhone developers presenting screencasts on the simulator. You can have some fun with the cursors no matter what your game, though; they're treated as events and can be changed at will throughout the edit.
Earlier this year I received a very polite letter from the Camtasia Mac crew, informing me that I had not been entered into the limited beta. Crestfallen though I am, I wouldn't have been able to draw comparisons while it was in private beta anyway, and ScreenFlow is rapidly taking on features which I was hoping for in Camtasia Mac, making it a moot point -- for now. I look forward with great anticipation to the future development of ScreenFlow, and the rising level of coolness in the screecasts it's powered. The upgrade is free for existing users, new users can download a free trial and purchase for $99US.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Petar Smilajkov said 10:31AM on 2-19-2009
I LOVE ScreenFlow. It's the BEST and EASIEST to use screencasting software out there.
I tried every single thing until I finally decided to give it a try. The reason for leaving it for last is it's price of $99 USD, but once you try it you realize there's NOTHING like ScreenFlow.
This is my personal opinion, even though they are the main Sponsor of iBetaTest.com's How To videos page! All our how-to videos are made using ScreenFlow and sincerely, I wouldn't even do it if it wasn't for it. It would simply take too much work otherwise. Tried SnapzX, ScreenIt, and what not. This is the mother of it all :)
1.5 - Just what was missing in the most complete app.
Peconi
Check out the how-to videos I am making with it:
- http://ibetatest.com/iphone/controllers/how-to-videos/
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Richard. said 11:45AM on 2-19-2009
Apparently my serial number has expired already for this software??? I've not even owned it a full year... There is no documentation on their website to upgrade serials or information either.
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Jonah said 11:54AM on 2-19-2009
@Richard - when Telestream bought ScreenFlow from Vara Software a while back, their licensing changed. All you have to do is contact Telestream support. Check out this link based on when you purchased the software:
http://www.telestream.net/telestream-support/screen-flow/support.htm
In other news, the 1.5 download link still downloads 1.2.1 for me. Anyone else?
Petar Smilajkov said 12:38PM on 2-19-2009
Yea, they fixed the download link :)
Barbd@telestream.net said 12:32PM on 2-19-2009
Hello from Telestream:
The two posts above are correct. If you have a serial number that is not being recognized, we just need to issue you an updated license. If you go to http://www.telestream.net/telestream-support/screen-flow/support.htm and make a request, you'll get your updated serial # right away.
Also the 1.5 download should be available now. Our apologies for the staggered availability.
We'd love to hear more about how you are using ScreenFlow. Please let us know. Thanks for all of your feedback and support.
Barb D.
Telestream
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Murphy Mac said 1:51PM on 2-19-2009
Questions to Screenflow users:
Can you make your screencast pause on a particular frame -
or insert a still frame for a set duration?
I want to use this, but it seems like it would be a little tricky to control the pacing if the initial recording wasn't exactly what you wanted...
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Adam Jury said 7:24PM on 2-19-2009
Unless this was very quietly added in 1.5 or 1.5.1, I don't believe it's possible to do this yet without some "creative" work ... I think it's fakable, but I don't want to say so without actually testing it.
guyute119 said 8:22AM on 2-20-2009
woohoo! Finally! Now I don't have to export from screenflow > imovie just to add crappy titles.
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Harvey said 4:49PM on 2-20-2009
ScreenFlow has been tremendously helpful for me. I've used it for internal tutorial videos just so I wouldn't have to teach each new person how to do something (or when they'd forget).
The guys at Vara Software were really responsive to some early bugs I found and they were pleasantly surprised that I had submitted my bug reports my recording them with ScreenFlow.
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Scott Waz said 8:54PM on 4-16-2009
I want to be able to draw lines with my mouse in different colors while I'm narrating and working through videos or other presentational materials. Like when a sports caster circles players and draws arrows to where they are going to go. Or if I want to underline something in a presentation and make it all part of the screenflow capture. Can a keyboard option in preferences turn my mouse into a pencil/sharpie type tool? So that when I release the key it goes back to being a mouse. Press it again and it becomes a drawing tool. Something like that would be awesome!
-scott
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