Thanks.
I downloaded the codec and installed it, didn't seem to make any difference. I had another go winding eveything upto max and bought the AVI file into V9.0b. I matched project properties to the file and Vegas tells me its 1920x1080 200fps! Media Properties does show Vegas knows its the Techsmith V1.4 codec so all is good there.

Here's what it looks like, I've cropped it to 720p and rendered at 25p to the Sony AVC codec. None of that really makes much difference, it looks like this on the Vegas timeline and looks prestine in the Camtasia player. I've seen other stuff on YouTube with the horrid artifacts and other that is pristine so I'm missing something.




Probably best watched at 720p although the problem is obvious no matter what.
One final thought, it could be that Camtasia is not syncing to my video card. Only thing is of course the captured video plays back fine in the Camtasia player.


Bob.

FWIW, I have not used Camtasia in a while, but when I was using it I rendered the native avi from Camtasia out to an uncompressed avi, it worked fine in Vegas after that. I had all kinds of problems if I used the native avi in Vegas.
d

There is definitely something nasty going on with your video card as seen by all the screen corruption before the pop-up menus.

I'm confused about what I'm seeing in the video and what you are saying in your post. In the video, I can clearly see the CamStudio capture utility (not Camtasia) and it is recording to the CamStudio Codec v1.4 (not Techsmith which is at version 2.0.6) and the resolution is 1920x1200 (not 1080).

Are you making a Camtasia video about CamStudio? or are you using CamStudio at 1920x1200 and not Camtasia?

~jr

I've had the same issue in the past with AVIs from Camtasia and have never found the output particularly predictable (in terms of how it will behave in Vegas or AE).

My solution has been to export the content into a high quality MOV file. You'll have to adjust keyframes to avoid ghosting, but I've even done a project in 1920x1080 (granted, that's with the new Camtasia 7), and the Quicktime output worked like a charm, and the video was as sharp as can be. Tweak lots to find the right settings, and then you're in preset heaven after that.

Sorry about the confusion.
Yes I am using Camstudio version 2.0.

So, if this isn't working should I simply give up and use something else?
I've tried a freebie from NHK and it doesn't seem any better.
I see others recommending FRAPS. It's cheap enough that I'd buy it if it works.

Bob.

So... this is one of those situations where you get what you pay for. TechSmith Camtasia has an excellent codec that is designed specifically for lossless screen capture. It edits beautifully in Vegas. If you want your tutorials to look the best... you buy the best.... That's Camtasia (regardless of what anyone else who is too cheap to buy Camtasia will tell you).

Short of that... any free / cheap solution is about as good as any other free / cheap solution (as you have seen). So there is nothing wrong with using CamStudio if that's what you want to spend on this production. In fact, it's one of the best free / cheap solutions out there. It just doesn't compare with Camtasia's codec.

The question is: What is your delivery format? Because the key to good tutorial video is to record at the resolution that you will deliver at or a multiple of 2. If you are recording 1920x1200 and delivering 1920x1080 it will look terrible regardless of what you use (even Camtasia) because you are doing a resize that is not divisible by 2. If you were to deliver your 1920x1200 video at 940x600 that would look a whole lot better because it is resized in half (divisible by 2). Fractional resize leads to blurry jagged video.

This VASST tutorial below was recorded by me with Camtasia 6 at a resolution of 1280x720 and delivered at 1280x720. When watched in full screen HD it is pretty much what I saw on my screen while recording it. I rendered to Sony AVC it at 3Mbps which is pretty low considering it's HD. It will give you an idea of what the Techsmith codec in Camtasia can do.



~jr

Thanks for ALL the input.

I have an older version of Camtasia that I picked up from somewhere, complete with legit serial number. I can upgrade that for $149. I did try installing and running the old version and all hell broke loose. Not only did V9 crash immediately but the CPU went into execution halt and killed off a lot of services. Took a lot of clicking through alerts to clear the errors and then restart and re-enable the nVidia control panel. Hopefully all these problems are cleared up in the latest version.

My other option is I do have access to a Roland scan converter and an EX30 so I can record 1920x1080 as XDCAM EX or feed the scan converter to my M15 to record HDV. A lot of stuffing around but that will work flawlessly. That said I think $149 for the upgrade will be the way to go. I only want to put some How To Vegas stuff on Youtube so I don't want to spend a lot of money as this is just to help other users. Heck come to think of it I could just point my EX1 at the screen :)

Have to put this on the backburner again for a few weeks, paying jobs banking up, thanks again for your input.

Bob.

Use the TechSmith TSCC codec, it only works in 32 bit. It makes it easy. Just a pita.
You can also convert them fairly fast to .mxf for use in 64 bit. Your rrender time will decrease dramatically if you have a long project.
I wish Techsmith would get their act together.