Screencast-o-Matic Brings Screencast Creation To The Web Browser

screencast.pngScreencast-o-Matic from Big Nerd Software brings the creation of screencasts to the web browser.

Screencast-o-Matic records audio and screen activity through the use of a Java applet. The result can then be displayed on the site or exported to Quicktime.

There are various screencast software applications, both free and paid that deliver similar functionality however Screencast-o-Matic is the first I’ve seen that is strictly browser based and by nature works across various platforms.

As a service it’s easy to use. A frame is displayed that can be moved over the appropriate window for capture. Mouse movements can be tracked by a red dot and recording is a simple as hitting a button.

It feels a little clunky, visually it won’t win any beauty awards and the display options are limited. There is no obvious embedding code provided and integration that would support direct uploading of screencasts to YouTube or similar video hosting sites is also lacking.

Issues aside, for casual users Screencast-o-Matic is a handy tool that is bound to be copied by others in the future.
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=3156713129301777539&hl=en