The Jing Project is a fairly new screen capture and screencasting tool from TechSmith.
Jing aims to make screen capturing and screencasting easier by providing the one program for both. Usage wise it’s simple to use. The screencasting tool is as good as any I’ve used before; unlike Screencast-o-matic it’s a software based tool and the difference in quality shows.
The Jing Project is free (at least for the time being) so I shouldn’t be to hard on it. It’s software I want to love and was prepared to write a completely favorable review about, until I tried to upload a screencast. Jing only saves screencasts in Flash (.swf). That may not seem like a big thing until you try to find a video hosting site like YouTube that will accept .swf files.
The built in sharing function in Jing allows users to upload their files directly to Screencast.com, a screencast hosting site owned and run by TechSmith; however if YouTube was the United States of America, Screencast.com would be a tin pot failed African nation; it’s horrible. I couldn’t access the test screencasts I’d uploaded via the Screencast.com interface, although I could view them directly. On a direct view there is no code present that allows you to embed the screencast on your site; whether this is only an option for paid hosting plans was not clear as there was no link on that page to a help or FAQ page either.
The screen capture tools are handy and if Flash files don’t bother you, then its a good screencasting tool. Overall the Jing Project is just like a 3 legged dog; you can easily love it, it barks, but it just can’t do everything a 4 legged dog could and should do.
Woh, Hoo.. I’m the first to post!!
Anyway, creating flash (SWF files).. that’s a major bummer! Cause there is no FREE software out there that will allow you to convert a swf file to avi.. with “sound” !
I have tried, and i just cant find anything!!
Sort your self out guys!
> Mac users in particular will love the ability to capture anything on screen by simply selecting the area.
Er… can’t you do that already, just by hitting command-shift-4? Use the space bar to toggle between area and window capture.
Kerry
As a Mac user who until 3 weeks ago was a PC user it’s not that easy, I’ve been running this widget thing that does it for me, but it’s still no substitute for Print Screen on a PC. The slice option is better again, where as you’d normally get a whole window using cmd-shift-4, this thing lets you pick precisely what you want anywhere on the screen.
“If you are a Mac user, the screen capture tool alone makes it worthy of consideration.”
Duncan - that’s ridiculous. The screen capture utility built into OSX is wonderful. Just hit Apple-Shift-4. It’s a majorly cool feature. Vista has something similar, but XP just sucks in this area.
Deleted Mac references, although I wasn’t aware that OSX allows you to natively add text and other things to a screen capture, but there you go
no, it definitely doesn’t. That’s why I really like myskitch.
Duncan. What’s with the African nation comparison? Maybe you need to know that there are Africans reading this blog too.
It want’s to download .net 3.0 and failes to do that with an illegal 16-bit operation (at least that’s what the errorbox is saying) … doesn’t work -> next!
Somewhat off-topic:
The title of the article reminds me of that Alice in Chains album with the 3 legged dog on the cover… Oddly enough, the album itself sucks bigtime compared to their other albums!
Just downloaded it and i must say that it works really sweet. Thanks for the tip.
I’m seriously impresed with Jing, and I think you may have missed the point of the app in your review. I regularly want to show someone a screenshot (screencast even better) on the fly, using IM. Sending images via IM is often blocked by firewalls; I know of no IM that handles screencast video. Jing solves this elegantly. There are plenty of screen capture utilities; this is a *casual screen sharing* utility and as such it has earned a place in my toolbar.
Oh, and about that Flash thing. I’ve been looking for years for a Mac app that would record Flash screencasts. Jing does! The use of Flash is a big plus to me.
I don’t know why you were so hard on it, Duncan. I loved it. http://www.scopetech.net/2007/.....lkthrough/
@Ian:
Well, except iChat in OS X 10.5 - that has a built-in screensharing feature.
Everyone who has ever posted “how-to” instructions to a Linux forum should be required to use this thing.
i read about it somewhere else few days ago and downloaded it but did not work on vista (32bit).
any ideas why it did not work for me?
The point of this app seems to have gone right over your head. Give me a scenario with any software you care to name that allows making a screencast to be a casual decision, or that allows you, within minutes of its completion, to show it to a friend or colleague via a simple link in an email message or IM.
Hello… TechSmith already makes the premier professional screencasting tool. Why would you expect this — a tool for conversational screencasting amongst ordinary mortals — to try to be another Camtasia?
All the usual difficulties — frame rates, codecs, finding a host to share your video, and managing the upload-and-embed process — are made virtually transparent by the close link between Jing and Screencast.com.
I’ve been extraordinarily happy with Glance. Ive used it to give demos numerous times, mainly to potential investors. Neither I, nor the people I have given the demos to have ever head a problem setting it up.
Cant recommend it enough. And nope, i have 0 affiliation with the company.
Check it out
http://www.glance.net/
Don’t forget http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/ (it’s java based)
Hey TC admins; please take your cool little admin chat - to that back room - or a private board; perhaps use one of those $400 free phones to call each other.
-RB
Riley,
What’s up with disrespecting tripods? You should repent and purchase one these shirts
http://blam.blogs.com/tripod_charity_gear/
Otherwise keep up the good work.
message to PLASQ: if you are reading this post on tech crunch, i am one of your many skitch beta users, and have invited friends who love it - and we ALL want screencasting! can you do it? skitch blows this app away….
But how is its usabilityfulness?
Yeah, and while we’re on that topic, is the usabilityfulness truly simple also?
http://www.screencast.com/t/ueNeqLlkU
need I say more?