TechSmith launches Camtasia Studio 4 and Screencast Hosting Site

I’ve been meaning to get this news out to you right after my previous screencasting post but I’ve been sick and am only able to deliver this news now. Ah well, better late than never.

On the 17th of last month, TechSmith released their latest Camtasia Studio 4. If you’re not aware of it yet, Camtasia Studio is the preferred screencasting software amidst the internet marketing community.

According to their press release:

Some of the new features in Camtasia Studio 4 include:

• Support for portable media player video formats, including M4V for iPod video, to reach the widest possible audience
• Ability to create multiple files simultaneously so users can produce a single screencast in a variety of formats (e.g., Flash, iPod, MP3, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Audio enhancements so users can remove background noise and volume variations with one-click to easily deliver professional-sounding screencasts
• 30-second previews that allow users to see how the first 30 seconds of a screencast will look and sound based on different production options before producing the entire video
• Closed Captioning so users can synchronize voice narration with text displayed on the screen video to create videos that are accessible to a broad audience
• shareable production profiles that allow individuals to share their screencast settings with others, helping organizations standardize the look and feel of all screencasts and get new users up and running quickly

Very impressive … but the one feature that makes it standout compared to other screencasting software that I’ve used before, is its seemless integration with TechSmith’s new screencast hosting service - Screencast.com. You can easily upload your completed screencast to your Screencast.com account. And guess what? It also creates an iTunes compatible RSS feed. This is especially useful if you’re publishing a podcast series.

With all these new features, I’m tempted to switch over from my current screencast software - Adobe Captivate. Tell you what, let’s both give Camtasia Studio 4 a spin and see what we think about it. Download Camtasia Studio 4.0 30 day trial now.