Digital Workshop

I've got some visually complicated multimedia presentations, published to run from CD, which I'd like to show sections of to our website visitors.

So I'm thinking of using Camtasia to record the presentations as they run, then streaming them as mpg files.

Anyone else done this? Any pitfalls to avoid?

Thanks, Linda

You could skip the need for any external tools at all...

Why not use the mouse & keyboard recorder built into Opus to go through the publication, change the type to a Video publication and then create an MPG (or even a DVD!) directly from within Opus?

Duncan,

My attempts at doing this previously failed, as our publications always contain a lot of video clips, and I couldn't get these to record.

|s that still right?

I've had a go with the trial version of Camtasia this morning... looks very simple, and will record my video when required.

This link won't last long (a day or so), but if anyone's interested, here's an early test (don't bother if you don't have broadband, though).

http://www.rossiter-and.co.uk/private/camtasia/test07/

This presentation is currently spoken over by a salesman, but next week I produce a voiced version of it... looking forward to do the same test again then.

It depends on the format of the videos - if they are QuickTime then they won't be output due to limitations imposed by the QuickTime player. The same can apply to certain AVI/WMV codecs that don't allow the output pins to routed to another encoder. MPG1 and most AVI should be OK.

Linda,

I use Camtasia quite a bit. Version one was a bit temporamental
Version two is much better - I believe three is the latest version?

I tend to use it for instructional/training software snippets (generally outside of Opus) and it is very intuitive - and now SCORM compliant.

Generally, I output to wmv files as they are used for procedural training.

When it comes to Opus - I would go with Duncans suggestion.
Picture quality is very good - Just remember to change the type back to Opus Pro - after publishing to video and or DVD before saving.

Pete

I also use Camtasia a lot, and find it priceless for my application, however, I tend to launch AVI files from within an Opus publication using the native Camtasia player - not the same procedure that you are considering.

Also, there were issues with the version 3 incarnation, which are being addressed by Techsmith at the moment - their support is pretty good, and I think that the latest version 3.1.1 has fixed most of the problems.

Chris

Linda,

I'm an IT manager for a TV station. I stream our station live via Windows Media Encoder as well as a weather update and community calendar, etc. etc. I've never streamed mpgs because of their size, I take the stations mpeg2 files and encode them to WMV files, then stream the WMVs.

If you like to look at the results http://wkfk.com. The files are 4 to 8 meg and will take a few seconds to buffer and then play. All of this depends on if you're using a PC and have Windows Media Player of course.

If you're interested in using this approach let me know.

This is a freeware app...try it and see if it offers what you want.

http://www.debugmode.com/wink/

This is an old thread... Someone should have picked me up for saying this at the time! No, I didn't mean streaming mpgs, I just meant any video file appropriate for streaming.

Anyhow, as I said, this was written some months ago, and I went ahead, recorded our Opus presentations with Camtasia and produced flash files, which are now online here: http://www.rossiterandco.com/Multimedia ... allery.htm

However, as Duncan pointed out, I should be able to do this direct from Opus. I've just tested again, and get the same problem... within the Opus presentation are various bog standard mpg1 files. I change the presentation to Video Creator and publish.

I've tried having the video clips rendered or chroma, and using various compressions... each time the video publish stops at the start of the first video clip, and freezes, with "not Responding".

So: can I have help publishing an mpg clip to video creator, please?

Thanks, Linda

I have used Camtasia primarily for doing screen capture and converting Powerpoint to swf Flash for streaming over the internet (also used Flash Demo Builder which is a cheaper alternative).

Both applications assume that content is created elsewhere (eg mpg, swf, PPT) unless that content is screen capture

If this is what you want to do then the publication process is straightforward in a variety of formats

Both have free can be trialled for free

The sound is completely distorted for me here in the UK - totally unintelligable

Peter

We started having an audio problem Friday before I left work, but it does seem to have gotten worse. The problem is not with the streaming, it is with a piece of equipment over in the studio which it has to run through before being sent over to me. This of course will have to be changed or repaired Monday.

Hi Denn,

Ok - glad to hear that in one respect .. but I guess it means that like me, you are going to be working this weekend!

Peter

Yes...

I'm sitting at home working now and have been all day. If I'm not in the office working, I am at home working, but luckily I enjoying being in front of a computer all the time.