Review: Camtasia 7.0 Shows Big Improvements, Value

With video software tutorials now dominating online learning in everything from music editing to graphic creation to using software applications, in addition to blogging and providing content for PC, Web and mobile platforms like the iPhone, Camtasia 7.0 is an upgrade that is hitting the needs of all those tasks at a well-timed moment.

Camtasia 7.0, which officially launches on Tuesday, is an important step forward for the world of video sharing. Developers of the pre-eminent screen-capture video application have made significant and noticeable improvements in the software, including:

- YouTube Integration, which provides in-application rendering of video and uploading that file directly to the video sharing and networking site;

- Granular editing of in-video audio, including fade-in and fade-out audio that can accompany text and graphic call-out boxes during production;

- The ability to save various video components from a given video to a Camtasia Library directly on the desktop or notebook, for further use;

- The ability to share video and components within a workgroup, by uploading with a couple of simple clicks directly onto a shared folder on a server.

Additionally, but not inconsequentially, developers at TechSmith have greatly improved performance. The company says the updated application improves performance by 40 percent or 50 percent over previous versions of Camtasia that are running on dual-core CPU-based, it certainly feels like it.

Like earlier versions, Camtasia 7.0 integrates with Microsoft's PowerPoint software to easily create video versions of presentations.

TechSmith invited the CRN Test Center to take a pre-launch look at the software. If you've used earlier versions of Camtasia, the installation and deployment is very similar. Once screen capturing is performed, Camtasia 7.0 provides the ability to add powerful call-outs including the ability to point out special key commands in using an application. Call-outs are a useful tool in clarifying details for video learning content, for example, and TechSmith makes it simple.

Like previous versions, the ability to narrate screencasts in Camtasia 7.0 is easy and allows video to be saved in HD, CD or DVD-ready, iPhone, iPod, .avi formats or, as noted earlier, directly to YouTube.

TechSmith says initial list-pricing is set at $299, or 50 percent of that for upgrades. For enterprises or organizations where video learning on everything from filling out expense forms to using the corporate CRM software can streamline the process and save hours and hours of training time, that's more than a reasonable value. TechSmith maintains an active reseller program for a modest number of VARs (which it says is kept modest to provide partners with high levels of support ant attention.)

For resellers, the company provides financial incentives including software margins and recurring revenue opportunities, training and marketing support, and technical support.

Camtasia 7.0 is solid upgrade to previous versions of TechSmith's software, and it's a version the CRN Test Center can recommend as easily as it is to use the application itself.