Screencast-O-Matic Review

Detailed Reviews

Looking for something that can make screen recording easy for you? Want a perfect mate for recording screens, video calls, and audio? Screencast-o-Matic screen recorder is the software you are longing for.

Screencast-o-Matic screen recorder is a simple and easy to use screen recorder that allows you to record screen, video calls, and audios. It helps create video tutorials for your students.    

Pros

• Facile screen and video recording.
• You get several editing tools.
• You get various platforms to share your files.
• It is safe to save and share your files.
• It also provides a back-up of the files.
• It has a rich stock library that contains several images and videos.

Cons

• You are required to launch the software through a web browser every time.
• You cannot record videos more than fifteen minutes in a trial version.
• It does not allow to capture a screenshot.
• In a trial version, a watermark appears on the videos in some file formats.

Introduction

If you are looking for some screen recorder that can help you record videos for professional purposes, that too a handy and facile one then Screencast-o-Matic can be the end of your search.

The screen recorder has features like screen recording, audio recording, webcam recording, recording narration, and a few more.

There are a few more features in this software that we shall discuss in this review. Beginning with the pros and cons, we shall discuss some standard features followed by additional features. We shall also look at extensions of the basic features.

In the end, we shall conclude and shall try to generate a verdict.

Recording screen

Recording screen is one of the typical features a software should possess to stand in the queue of screen recording software. Screen recording in Screen-o-Matic is easy as compared to other screen recording software.

When you choose the screen icon to record a screen, it introduces a frame that can be dragged to adjust the recording region.

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By dragging, you can select from a small portion to the full screen as your capture area. Alternatively, you can choose the resolution manually by choosing from the resolutions that are already available in the software.

You cannot change the resolution once the software starts the recording. If you want to change the selected resolution to a new one, you are required to begin with the recording again. You can also choose the active window as your recording region. An active window is generally categorized as the area where the cursor movements are taking place. You can also choose the full-screen resolution without dragging the frame.

If you do not like to drag, the software allows you to choose the area of resolution you wish to have for your recording region.  

In a trial version, you cannot record videos longer than fifteen minutes. To record video longer than this, you are required to have an upgraded version.

If you have an upgraded version of the software, you can stop the recording by clicking on the stop button at the time you wish to end the recording. Alternatively, you also have the choice to set the maximum time limit. The software automatically stops the recording at the specified time.

When you save the recorded video, the software allows for editing the video and provides a few editing features. We shall discuss these features in upcoming sections.

Recording audio

Audio is a significant part of a video. Screencast-o-Matic provides various mediums for an audio feed.

If you make a tutorial or say explain some process to the students, it requires the process appearing at the screen and your voice in the background. In the software, this playback voice is termed as Narration.

The software provides you various input methods to feed the narration to the video.

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The software allows you to feed audio by different mediums. You can feed audio by some virtual microphone. If you record a video, particularly webcam video, the software allows you to input the audio through the microphone of some other webcam video. If there is only one webcam software, then the software takes the audio feed from the virtual microphone of that software by default. In case, there is more than one such software; the software allows you to choose one of them. We shall discuss webcam recording distinctly in upcoming sections.

Moreover, you can also choose a Line In audio feed for the video. It is generally called high definition audio. Besides, there is a distinct feature of the software that allows you to have high definition audio.

Default Microphone is another audio feed medium that the software supports. Through this medium, you can feed the audio by setting up a microphone with your PC.

If you do not want to record any audio, you can select none and can record merely the video.

Every audio input method provides you settings for volume. It provides a slider to manage the volume. The slider ranges from 0 to 100. If you do not want to adjust the volume manually, you can choose to auto-adjust and allow the software to adjust it accordingly.

Moreover, the software also allows you to have a test playback. Test playback is a trial of the recording. It is done to make sure that the connected audio feed device works accurately. It is a noteworthy feature because you do not encounter many screen recorders with this feature. Allowing to test the audio feed device is crucial as it reduces chances of generation of any unwanted issue after you complete the recording.

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You get these volume adjustments and playback setting features with every audio feed method. You can adjust the volume and have a test playback with every input feed method. Once you choose an audio feed medium for a video, you cannot change it. If you wish to change the feed medium, you are required to begin with the recording all over again. Similarly, you cannot have more than one medium for a single recording.

In addition to the above-mentioned audio feed methods, you can also choose computer audio. Besides the conventional audio recording, it also allows you to record the ‘computer audio,’ which means with this audio feed you can record the keystrokes, mouse click, and other audios of the system.

If you use a trial version, you cannot access the computer audio feature. You ought to have an upgraded version of the software to use this feature.

Recording through Webcam

You had a video call with someone, and some other person was also supposed to be a part of it from either of the sides. The person can still watch and listen to the call even it is over. It is possible if you record the video call and share it with that person.

The webcam feature allows you to record the video call. The only requirement is a webcam set up with your PC.  You can record the video call through any of the video call or webcam software available at your computer. If there is only one webcam software on the computer, Screencast-o-Matic Screen recorder launches it automatically. In case there is more than one such software; it allows you to choose any one of them.

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The webcam icon at the bottom right allows you to select a webcam software from multiple webcam software. The webcam recording involves only recording the activities of the webcam. It means if you choose ‘webcam recording’ for a video call, it only records the activities going on either side. You cannot record your screen.

There are limitations regarding the webcam recording in a trial version.

Like the screen recording, the software allows you to edit your webcam recordings also before saving them. You can also upload the video. We shall discuss these features in a while.

Record your screen with webcam

We saw that the webcam allows only recording the webcam. You might wish to record your side of the screen also. That is what the option “webcam and screen recorder” provides you.

Through this option, the software allows you to record the webcam and the screen of your computer simultaneously. Recording video call is not uncommon for a screen recording software but allowing to record our screen simultaneously is unheard.

While recording the screen with the webcam, you can select the capture region as you usually do. Similarly, once you select a capture region, you do not have the alternative to change it.

It also stands for the webcam capture region. In fact, in webcam, you do not have a choice at all.   The software automatically selects the entire webcam window as the capture area and records it without gathering any consent from the user.

In the trial version, you might encounter a few limitations regarding the feature, but with an upgraded version of the software, you can access this feature completely.

It is indeed a smart move and makes the software more utilitarian.

Like other videos, you get editing options with this feature while you save or upload the video. There are few other customizations with this feature which we shall discuss in upcoming sections.

Editing and associated customizations

Capturing videos and images do not only involve merely capturing and saving the files. Editing is also an essential and integral part of this procedure.

While you save your files in Screencast-o-Matic Screen Recorder, it allows you to edit those files. It provides you a few options to augment your file. You can augment every kind of file you create using the software, whether it is a screen recording file, a webcam file or a webcam and screen recording duo file.

If you use a trial version, you do not get all the editing option for your files. The software asks you to update the version to access all of them.  Naturally, the upgraded version is not free; you are required to pay some amount corresponding to the version to which you upgrade your software.

However, we shall try to find out about the editing and augmenting features you get in an upgraded version. We shall try to elaborate on a few of these features in this section. Let us find out how can you augment your files in Screencast-o-Matic Screen Recorder.

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The image above shows the editing features you get with the software. You can draw a line, box, an oval, and a free hand option. There are a few customizations with these options. There are a few more options that you can use to edit the videos.

The ‘freehand’ is a kind of scribble option that allows you to draw any shape, line, or icon of your choice. You can draw shapes of the size of your choice. The freehand is something that does not confine you to draw some specific shape.

The option next to freehand is the line. It allows you to draw a line in your video. You get customizations in the color and size of the line. You can choose different colors and thickness for your line.

The arrow option allows you to draw an arrow on your video. If you make a video, you might need to specify and point at some specific portion of the video. Arrow helps you in that. Like the line, you can choose color and thickness for the arrow. Other than color and thickness, you do not get any other customizations for an arrow of your video.

The box and the oval are two pre-defined shapes; you can draw directly. The box introduces a rectangle that can be of any color and size you wish.

The oval introduces an oval-shaped ellipse to draw it directly. Like the rectangle, the oval also has customizations in its size, color, and thickness.

When you record a video, it might not be possible to edit the text and make it visible clearly to the audience. You can overcome this problem by highlighting the text in the video. The software provides you a highlighter to choose some text and highlight it. Naturally, the highlighted text would appear distinctly and would grab the attention instantly. This feature is useful in videos where you want to refer some document or some text of some document like a piece of news about the business from some newspaper. The highlighted portion makes it easier for the viewer to search the text on the screen if the cursor display is off, and the voice of the narrator is the only guide for the viewer.

Have you ever thought of creating a video of some story, instead of narrating it? If your audience includes children, you can create a story, or more correctly, a visual story for them. You might need to include dialogues in it. The text bubble is something you would require. It allows you to include text bubble of different color and size, and you do not have customization in the shape of the bubble. The text you enter in the text bubble comes with a few customizations of color, style, and font size.

Moreover, you can add as many text bubbles in your video as you want.

Besides the text bubble, you also have the option to enter a standard text through a text box. Text box or text area introduces a text box that allows you to enter any text in it. You have customizations in color of the text box. The software automatically adjusts the size of the text box corresponding to the text entered in it. Like the text bubble, the text you enter comes with customizations in color, font style, and font color. You can add several text boxes in a single video. This feature can be used to increase the presentability of the video by adding some quotes from some famous personality of the world, particularly in the beginning, or at the end of the video.

We shall now discuss some other features that the software provides you to edit videos.

The software allows you to choose the style in which the images or say the frames appear while the video plays.  You can flip the images of video horizontally. You do not get a vertical flip for your images. Also, you get choices for the shape of the images that appear in the video. You can select an oval shape or rectangular shape of your images.

Moreover, you also get an option to remove any color from the image. However, removing a color does not remove it entirely from the image; the color you choose to remove becomes transparent in the image. It is generally done to enhance the background of the video.

If you make videos professionally and upload it on any platform through the internet. It ought to be presentable. Similarly, if you create a video, in which you want to show some activities in the background, you need to remove all the colors except for the green. It is a prevalent practice by graphic designers. Also, you can adjust the degree of tolerance or transparency with the help of the available slider. ‘Options’ shown in the image below provides you these features.

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Crop, Resize and layering

You also have the option to resize or crop your image. You can crop or resize every image or frame of the video individually. Not to be mentioned, ‘crop’ removes the selected portion from the image while resize merely reduces or increases the size. Resize is useful when you want to resize an image but do not wish to remove any of its portions.

You might have seen videos where multiple windows appear simultaneously in a single frame of the video. That is what layering provides. You make a video to review a product. You might need to compare it with some other product. If you wish to show both the products and their features simultaneously to your audience, layering can help you.

Through layering, the software allows you to add multiple layers or windows to a single frame of a video. You can have a large central window with a small window at the corner, two windows sharing the equal portions of the frame or you might like three windows appearing simultaneously. You can get various customizations with layering.

Some more editing features

Editing is something that depends on your creativity. No one can confine your creativity, and the software knows it. In addition to the editing features we discussed in the previous section, there are a few more few features and tools that help you edit the video.

The software allows you to resize your canvas. By default, the size of the canvas is 1070 X 640. You can resize it and can choose any size that suits you. To change the size, you are required to enter the size manually. Also, you get to choose various colors for your canvas. No one likes the conventional white, black, or grey canvas for every video.

You get several colors with few customizations in them.

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Adding captions to the video is another feature the software provides you. To add a caption, you can enter the text manually, or you also have the alternative to import some file that contains it. You can import the file as a text file, a caption file or a SubRip caption file.

If collaborated; the features of layering, canvas coloring, and caption can help you create your short movie through Screencast-o-Matic Screen Recorder.

If you do not want the cursor to appear during the play of your video, the software allows you to hide the cursor.

Moreover, if you have a webcam setup, the software provides you options to make a few changes with it.

Adding music and other audios

 A video seems incomplete without suitable audio. A good video is a combination of visuals and audio equally. The software understands the significance of music in your video and therefore, allows you to add music to the video. 

The software has a stock of music by default. There are a few music audios available in the stock. If you want to add the music from the stock, you can. If you wish to add some music of your choice, then you can import an audio file from those who are already available on your computer. However, by default, the audio stock of software contains only three audios, namely Flaminco, Optimistic, and Salsa.

Grab the tools

Besides, all the editing tools and features we have discussed so far, there are a few more tools that help you add some effects to the video.

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You get these features under ‘tools.’  These tools include Cut, Copy, Hide, Insert, Narrate, Overlay, Replace, Speed, and transition.

The cut tool allows you to remove some portion of your video. It is somewhat like cropping a video. Using the Cut tool, you can remove any desired portion of the video. If you record some video and realize later the futility of some portion of the video, you can cut that portion using this tool. This feature prevents you from re-recording the entire video due to merely some unwanted portion in it.  Once you cut some portion of a video, you cannot undo the action.

Similarly, if you want some portion of the video to play at some other duration of the video. You can paste it there.

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The portion of the video you copy, and paste is not removed from the video; instead, it plays twice in the video, its original duration and at the duration, where you paste it.

The tool that shows up below paste is ‘hide.’ The ‘hide’ tool serves the same purpose of hiding the cursor as we discussed in the previous section. If there is a webcam set up and you wish to record a webcam video, it provides a few features for that purpose. Naturally, if there is no webcam available, you cannot access those features.

Sometimes, you might need other files, whether an image or a video to add to your video. If you make some tutorial, you might need some other videos to explain your point precisely to your students. Alternatively, if it is a business presentation, you might require some other recording or say a previous presentation to make comparisons.

You can achieve this through the ‘Insert’ option of the software.

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You can add a new recording or some pre-recorded files. Moreover, you can insert a pause or a video play, or you can also paste some recording that you copy.

If you choose to insert a new recording, the software automatically introduces a new recording frame to record it. Once you stop the recording, it automatically gets inserted at the specified point of the original video.

If you wish to insert a pre-recorded video, the software allows you to choose one from the files that are available on the computer. 

Moreover, the software has some stock videos. These are the videos that are available in the software by default. There are several stock videos available. They are useful if you wish to insert some video only for a break from the original video. You can choose various categories for these videos and can get several videos in that category.

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The ‘video’ option allows you to insert the stock videos.

If you wish to give a break to your audience but do not want to insert any video, you can go for ‘Pause.’ It allows you insert a pause in the middle of the video play. When this tool comes in action, it holds the screen of the video at the specified point. Alternatively, we can say, the screen freezes then. The software allows you to set the duration for which you want to pause the screen.

‘Narrate’ helps you to record your voice and add it to the video. The software allows you to record your audio through a microphone, an inline connection, or the system audio.

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There are a few more customizations. The software also allows you to select some specific portion of the video for which you wish to narrate. You can select the desired portion by dragging the pointer available at the progress bar of the video.

You might require some additional effects to augment your videos. You might want some images to appear at some specific time and for a specified duration. Adding a blur effect, or a highlighted text are a few more features that ‘overlay’ provides.

The option ‘overlay’ allows you to overlay an image. You can insert an image from a file on your computer, or you can search for one in the stock library of the software. The software allows you to choose the duration for which the image remains there on the screen.

The blur effect allows you to blur any element of the video for a specified duration of time.

For gathering the viewer’s attention, you highlight some text. Besides highlight ‘overlay’ also provides you an outline purpose to serve the same purpose. The outline function allows you to cover the selected area by a box to make it look different. You can choose the duration for which it appears.

Other features that overlay provides are arrow, text, and paste. They allow you to insert an arrow, some text, and to paste a copied element respectively.

For all the features that overlay provides, you can choose the opacity and style of the overlaid element. While entering the text, you get a few more customizations regarding the size, font style, and color of the text.

‘Replace’ is another option that ‘tools’ provides you. This option allows you to replace some section of the video by any other pre-recorded video. Also, you can freeze a frame of the video. Freezing a frame is somewhat like pausing it. Technically, the functioning of pause and freezing differs.

Frame rate is one of the crucial elements of video editing. Selecting FPS manually might not work every time, especially for not so technical person. Screencast-o-Matic Screen Recorder allows you to speed up or slow down the video. You can also select some specific portion of the video for which you want to change the speed.

Every little thing matters. If it is video editing, you require to augment everything and add effects to enhance the presentability of the video. Transition effects can be one of those things. The transition allows you to select the entry and exit of different frames of the video. This feature is helpful if you are making a video for a professional presentation.

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The image above shows the transition effects; you get to augment your videos.

Want to share? Why not

After you record, create and augment the videos, you would wish to show them to the world. You might like to save and share them with your friends, colleagues and maybe with the world. For this, you would need some social platforms.

Sometimes, you might want to merely save them safely to watch or share them in future. While saving and sharing the most worrisome issue that comes into the eye is security. You would never like to share your videos, images, and other presentations through a platform which does not ensure their security.

Moreover, you would always prefer a website, software or platform which knows the value of privacy and respects it.

 Whether Screencast-o-Matic Screen Recorder understands all these issues or not, let us find out.  In this section, we shall discuss saving and sharing of files and the issues associated with it.

Saving and sharing

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The image above shows the options you can choose to select save your video.

The first option allows you to save the file as a simple video file directly on your computer. While saving the file in your computer, the software allows you to provide a proper name to the file. By default, the software saves the file in MP4 format but if you wish you can change the format. Other than MP4, the software allows you to save your file either in AVI or FLV format.

If you use a trial version of the software, a watermark appears on your video screen if you save it in AVI or FLV format. In MP4 format, no watermark appears, no matter which version you use.

You can also choose the location at which you want to save your file through ‘Browse.’ If you do not choose any location, the software saves the file in C drive of your computer automatically.

Do you remember the caption features in the video? In its addition, the software allows you to select whether to keep the captions open or close while saving the file. If you open the captions, it would remain open and shows up every time someone plays the video. Once you choose to open the captions, you cannot hide it afterward. It shows up every time; the video plays on the screen. 

As we discussed not everyone like to share the videos, you might also want to save or to store them to share in the future.

You can achieve this by uploading your videos on Screencast-o-Matic.com. This is an official storage of Screencast-o-Matic that allows you to save your files. While you save the file on this platform, it generates a link for the corresponding file that you can copy and paste whether somewhere at your PC or on any platform at which you wish to share the video.

Moreover, if you do not paste the link or lose it by any means, your video file always remains there on the screencast-o-Matic.com that you can use as a backup.

If you do not want to save or store your video anywhere, instead want to share it with the entire world with merely a single click, you can directly share it on the YouTube. The software allows you to share the video file directly on the YouTube. You merely need to provide the required credentials to login or sign up through your email ID and password.

In addition to the above-discussed mediums, there are a few more mediums and platforms to save and share your files. The software allows you to save and share the video files through Vimeo, Google Drive, and Dropbox. Through these platforms, you get personalized storage for your files. Some user might also find it safer to upload through these platforms instead of the official storage of Screen-o-Matic.

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The noteworthy point is that to upload and share your files through these platforms, you ought to get an upgraded version of the software. If you use a trial version, you can share your files merely through Screen-o-Matic.com, YouTube, or you can save them on your computer.

Miscellaneous features

We are heading towards the end of this review. You might have formed an opinion regarding the software. Before we draw a final image of the software, we shall look at some different features. These features might seem light in comparison to those that we discussed so far, but they play an essential role in making any decision regarding the software.

In this section, we shall discuss the features like import, back-up, scripted recording, languages, and help and support. We shall try to find out some more features that can add to the utility of the software.

The ‘import’ feature allows you to import some other files or recordings, be it a video file, an audio file, or some image from your computer to add to your videos. However, you also get the same feature while editing the file, but in that case, you also get access to the stock library of the software. Through import the software allows you to import somrec, WEBM, MP4, and MOV files.

The scripted recording is another feature of the software that allows you to write a script to narrate and record. This feature reduces the user’s efforts to write long scripts somewhere away from the software and then reciting it. Also, you can import a script from any file that is already present here on your computer. You can record and save the narration to use them with any video further. You can record through any of the audio feed methods we discussed in previous sections.

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You just finished some recording, and there occurs a power cut suddenly, and you didn’t get a chance to save your recording. Don’t worry. Only make sure you enable the back-up in the software. The upgraded version of the software allows you to have a back-up, provided you enable the back-up feature. Once you enable the back-up, you would not need to worry about the files you didn’t save.

The software also provides you various languages to switch. You can change your language of the software to Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, or any other one that suits you. You can also sort your recordings, according to the time you created them, and you can also arrange them in chronological or reverse chronological order.

The help section of the software includes URLs of the tutorials which are rich enough to learn about the features and functions of the software. You can also describe any problem you face during working with the software by providing the email Id. The only thing missing in this section of the software is the feedback. You cannot give any feedback to the software team, neither they ask you for one.

Ending note

The software is a complete kit for professional video creation. Easy recording and screen capturing are one of the first things that grab the user’s attention. It is a product of screen recorder added to the video editor.

The various editing tools and their customizations are something to be appreciated.  The vibrant stock galleries work like a cherry on the cake.

The features that it provides for narration and audio recording are too noteworthy.

Though some features require an upgrade but most of them work well in a trial version also.

Though it might contain all essential and marvelous features, the privation of screenshot feature endangers its installations in PCs of the users. The addition of this feature would undoubtedly buoy up its status in the market.

It seems that the software is made by keeping the non-technical users, along with the technical ones in mind.

As they say, Perfection does not exist. The software is more than ready to serve some individual or an organization, but a few additions or improvements would bring more users at its sill.