The concept of Jing is the always-ready program that instantly captures and shares images and video…from your computer to anywhere.

Recording Video with Jing

Posted on Wednesday July 18, 2007 by Matt Dyer

After selecting a region or window of the screen, use the Video button to begin recording.

Here's some things to keep in mind when recording videos with Jing:

  • Jing records to the SWF format at 10 FPS and has its own built-in play controls. SWF is a lossless format, so a large selection area means a larger file.
  • Jing records its audio from your microphone, not the system sound you hear from your speakers.
  • There is a 5 minute limit for recording video. The timer on the record panel counts down from 60 seconds after 4 minutes have elapsed, so you know exactly how much time you have left.
  • Keep your audience in mind. The shorter the recording, the smaller the download.
  • Don't worry about making a perfect recording. Just think of it as sending a video voicemail.

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Comments (93)

Stuart :

hey, how do I access Jing on a Mac. I've launched the program and see nothing.

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Matt Dyer :

Stuart--Look in the upper right hand corner of the screen for the Jing widget: http://www.screencast.com/t/Fv4FXbKn

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Is there a way to autostart the video I just captured using Jing? That way when the website comes up, the video starts automatically.

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Larry Woods :

Is there a way that I can record the audio AFTER I have created the video?

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Saint Christopher :

Are video captures automatically uploaded or must I use the "share" button in order to upload my videos?
In other words, can I just capture video and screenshots and save them locally w/o using the website at all?

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Can´t find my URL. Can´t record a video, when I klick history nothing shows, only images. Whats the problem?

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Matt Dyer :

@Robin--Currently, when you choose Share and get a URL back, there is no way to autostart your video. If you choose to embed your video on your own webpage (using the embed code generated by visiting Screencast.com), you can set parameters in the embed tag to autostart your video on page load. This blog post by Brooks Andrus explains how to make Jing SWF videos autostart when embedded.

@Larry--Currently, there is no way to record audio after recording the video.

@Saint Christopher--Nothing is uploaded automatically. Your video is only uploaded to Screencast.com if you choose to Share. If you Save locally, nothing is uploaded.

@Olli--After your share is uploaded, your URL is on your Clipboard. You can always put it there again after your initial upload by choosing to Share from your History. Are you receiving any error messages when you try to record a video?

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Thanks for the info Matt. Will try that this week

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Saint Christopher :

Matt,
Thank you very much for addressing my concern. This is a great app with one of the best user interfaces I've seen in long time. Apple has long been touted as the king of interfaces and your app looks, feels and functions in a manner consistent with the expectations of the hardcore Mac user. In other words -

This thing rocks.

I've already referred a bunch of my friends and will gladly fork over some of my girlfriends hard earned money to support you guys when you release a production version. Just don't make it too expensive; I need to save some of my allowance for beer. Ahhhh M.G.D. - The champagne of beers!

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Hugh Dailly :

Tried to record some streaming video this morning. Everything worked fine but when I tried to play back the sequence captured from the screen while the sound was perfect the image remained stubbornly dark throughout. What am I doing wrong?

Regards

(Great product by the way!)

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phil shapiro :

i couldn't see how to stop recording a video. is there a key combo? i'd love for the escape key to end the video recordings.

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Matt Dyer :

@Hugh--The PC Jing client doesn't capture hardware accelerated video; as a result, trying to record Windows Media Player may result in a black screen. The same thing will happen with any hardware accelerated video (such as a DVD playing in most DVD programs).

A workaround for this is to turn off hardware acceleration in your media player (or globally for your system). Check out this article in TechSmith's support center for a guide to turning off hardware acceleration on various OSes and different media players.

@phil--To stop recording, hit the Stop button below your recording frame (it's the square all the way on the left). We don't have any hotkeys associated with buttons during the capture process. If that's a feature you'd like to see, let us know by posting here or giving us Feedback.

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Can I get the audio to record using my USB headset mic? Currently, all programs use it, but Jing seems to default to my Powerbook's built in mic.

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Don McClure :

Can I use jing to record the screen while I enter information into an Excel spreadsheet?

I tried this and recorded a video and now have the swf file. WinXP tells me I don't have a program to open it. How do I open the swf file? Can I use this video in a PowerPoint presention?

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Sheri L. Johnson :

I can't get any audio on the video capture.

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Is there a way to control the 5 minute video limit?

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Hey,

Is there a way to choose your audio input? I have an external XLR mic, going into a USB port, and in System Preferences it is marked as my default (my good mic is). Yet, it still uses my internal mic. Is this feature going to be added in?

Thanks,

-Chris

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David :

This may have been covered but I didn't understand...When I snag a video and save it I get the .smv but I can't play it. How do I make it a form my XP system recognizes?
Thanks

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Hola mardena!
falikotrepat

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Matt Dyer :

@Michael--Currently, the Mac Jing client looks in the list of your audio devices for something labeled "microphone" or "mic." This means that if you have more than one microphone, Jing may choose the wrong one. On the PC, Jing selects the first audio input device on the list. Audio selection is something we're working on and hope to improve in future releases.

@Robin--There currently is no option to change the 5 minute limit. The limit is there to encourage quick, simple sharing as well as address problems that arise from longer videos. Because Jing records in a lossless format, long videos can become quite large, making them unsuited for uploading and downloading quickly.

@Don & David--Jing records video as SWF files, which by default are not associated with a program on most systems. To open a SWF file, drag and drop it into a Web browser window. On Windows machines, you can also right-click and choose Open With and select a Web browser to display the file.

For help on embedding SWF files in PowerPoint, check out this help article from Microsoft.

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Bob Armstrong :

We think Jing is an awesome tool with all kinds of training and support applications. When using the video feature, is there a limit to how a video can be?

Thanks and keep up the good work.

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Karen :

I am having roughly the same issue as Michael, but since I have a Mac mini with no built in microphone and my USB mic shows up without mic or microphone in the name, I am completely unable to record audio. This saddens me because Jing seems like a nifty tool. I hope you get it fixed soon.

Thanks for all you do!

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I like Jing very much, and I understand the concept of the 5-minute limit. However, when this project is finished, will that still be the case? Many folks would like to record more than that, especially for documentation and training purposes.

Second question - what if I wanted to save this as a WMV or flv file? What is the suggested method to convert these to a different format?

I've tried Super, and it doesn't seem to know how to handle the .swf file.

Best regards and great program...

Rob

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David :

Audio. Back to Sheri's question: I can't get the audio to play (record). I've set Capture video and highlighted the mic.

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David :

Audio. Do you mean to record audio on a video clip I must plug a mic into my computer and set it in front of my speakers?

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Tim Boileau :

I love this tool. It is intuitive, easy to use, and a natural mediator for collaborative activity.
One big problem though...using it on the Mac (OS X 10.4.10), I can't get voice annotation on the video. Each time I open a Jing capture session, it switches my audio input from the built-in mike to an external source which I don't have.

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Interesting article!
Where can I find more on this theme?

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Ron :

My hopes are dashed. My wish is to record a streaming video and save it to my hard drive. Two deal-breakers: 5 minute limit (even for saving to my hard drive???) and it does not capture the audio of the video. I wish you would say this up front at your web site.

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gia :

The video record doesn't work for me. When I play back any video I have attempted to record, I get a white screen with a stuttering cursor bouncing around and trailing.

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Godfrey :

saving video file to .swf format but unable to open it even though upto date.swf on computer

Any advice?

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Keith :

I have been using Jing for about 4 days now. I am no longer able to see the "Stop,Play,Pause" toolbar anymore. Basically if I click on Capture... then Video... the capturing begins, but the toolbar is not visible on the bottom. This means that I cannot stop the video other then clicking the system tray and clicking exit. This is not a workaround since it closes the program and my video is not saved yet. What can I do to fix this? I have tried un-installing and re-installing with no success. Even on another computer...

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Hi, thanks for all the cool tips. I was wondering about play back. When I play my vids back there are scroll bars, I can not view the entire vid screen. Do I need to adjust my resolution? Or can I do something else to avoid this.

I love Jing and it is going on 250 student and teacher laptops this year!

Thanks again,
Marcie

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Keeps :

Hey, just installed this today, did my first recording, got it ok, only thing is, it plays back like the keystone cops.

My video capture is double speed, with the people talking like they are on helium, and the file is huge too!

Why is a 1:20 video 157,355 KB in size?

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Babinu :

How do I use this to record from TV(using TV tuner card)

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Ann-Marie :

This seems fantastic and easy to use BUT I cannot get the audio to work. Have un-installed and reinstalled but still no audio (its not on mute). Any suggestions appreciated

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Peter :

I use a 1680x1050 screen resolution and I expect this is why Jing doesn't recognize the "window" for video capture (after it looks like it is selected correctly). Jing defaults the Navigation Bar(!!) to center screen and captures some weird screen selection with the Navigation Bar visible in the middle of it. This is bad! Is there any help coming for me in future versions? Thanks!

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TheCandyman :

I have a friend point me to this program, and i have to admit it's pretty impressive.

I do have one suggestion for the program. Allow for a higher frame rate on the video to be selected. I'm not sure what it's set at now, but this would make the video smoother when objects on the screen are moved around.

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Joe :

I think the program needs a hotkey to stop video recording. The "stop" button is often not accessible. For example, it gets pushed off the screen with recording in full screen view. Also, what is the best technique for producing video recordings that will have the pause/play bar still visible if the user has an 800x600 resolution monitor? Is the only answer to record a smaller area of the screen?

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Brian Musgrave :

I might have just not seen the answer to this someplace, but when you record a video and save it to your desktop, what application should you be using to view them? I keep running into issues when I try to view the video with Media Player or RealPlayer.

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CandyShopGirl :

Hello!

What do you think about Tokio Hotel? >:)







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Sascha :

Hello, i cant record a movie with sound....

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Kate :

When I'm recording a video, I can't see the little side menu (to put callouts, text overlay, etc) -- the one I see on the intro/demo on Jing. How can I get that activated?

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P. Hill :

Does anyone know how to move the menu screen whileyou record a video? On my Mac, when I record a video, it is in screen. I figured out a work around on the PC side.

Any help?

Thank you!

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colin :

i try making a video with sound but the sound doesn't record and i know my mics working. what can i do?

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triciaj :

I was hoping I'd be able to annotate and/or edit the videos I capture, just as I can annotate the still images. Or even combine them into one. Alas, I do not see how this is possible. Am I missing something?

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Great product; I want to take my URL and convert to another video format with Zamzar; can't seem to convert it; has anyone had success with this?

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Alex :

Can you use this to record games? I tried to but Jing couldn't handle recording it and the video was only a few frames.

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Nima :

Is there anyway to increase the FPS

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Jing turned out to be useless for my needs because, when recording full-screen, it includes the controls in the recording. Since I've got two screens, this shouldn’t be necessary.

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selm :

how can i jsut save a video to disk?

using the mac version and i only offers me to "share" or "embed" after recording a video.

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Since upgrading today, i must say i like the additions you have made with regard to determining multiple share points. All of those seem to work for "Image" capture.

However, I have yet to get a video capture to do anything other than crash Jing.

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Tyler :

This tool absolutely rocks! Thanks for creating it!

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Jonathan Mickelson :

Obviously, audio input selection needs to be added, but I have a suggestion. Add "iSight" to the "microphone" & "mic" search terms for determining the audio input used by Jing, It's always named the same and a huge number of mac users will be relying on this as the audio input device.

Thanks!
Jonathan

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Hi there i think its a great tool the only thing i miss is more places to auto submit the videos, like utube and so on,and an autocomment that you can set and forget that comments on the highest rated videos,and there by making your video even more known and seen and rated fast.And it would be nice if the videos automaticly could redirect to a url specified when the video ends thats power and also embed in pictures so that when people se your image ad on Craigslist they just click the image and are taken to the destination :-)Best regards Claus

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Hi there i think its a great tool the only thing i miss is more places to auto submit the videos, like utube and so on,and an autocomment that you can set and forget that comments on the higest rated videos,and there by making your video even more known and seen and rated fast.And it would be nice if the videos automaticly could redirect to a url specified when the video ends thats power and also embed in pictures so that when people se your image ad on Craigslist they just click the image and are taken to the destination :-)Best regards Claus

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sz :

Hi, I'm trying to make a video of the entire desktop (on Mac) but Jing's controls cannot be hide. Is there a workaround to solve this problem? Thanks.

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Marie Duggan :

Jing does not record live "moving" video correct? I can add audio to a still image and text etc, do I have this right?

Thanks!
Marie

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Phil :

The video seems to capture less area than I have selected for recording. Is it me or Jing?

Great product by the way!

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Joe :

How do you change the resolution of the final video?

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Rich :

Can somebody provide me the answer for my problem? What program can I use to play the video capture format (SWF format) of Jing?

I have it saved on my local drive but I can not get it to play since window can not open the file and I do not know what program can be used to play the file.

Thanks in advance for your help!!!

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Jim :

Nice product. Get the "record audio from system" working on the Mac version. Using an external mic is poor option - you lose to much audio quality. Right now I'm using Wiretap and syncing the audio to video later....

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Terri Carey :

I can't seem to get my audio to work when recording on Jing video. The video looks great but no sound. I have tested my microphone and it works fine with other applications. Please offer suggestions.

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Lonnie Yenny :

1. I want to use for training snippets but 5 minutes isn't long enough for some pieces. If I want to record locally, can this be increased?

2. When I record a video, if I make the recording window too large, the controls are off my screen and I can't stop or adjust the screen. I have to wait until the 5 minutes are up or close the process down. Can the controls be placed somewhere else or floating based on a preference?

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David :

Great tool. How much $$$ to remove the ending Jing promo? Are there keyboard shortcuts to stop video recording. Hate having my captures end with my mouse reaching for the stop button.

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Gokalp :

Is there a way to add annotations on the recorded video, similar to drawing on the screenshot?
On this blog's tutorials, the videos have some explanations. Can that be done with Jing?

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Matt Dyer :

Terri--Try getting in touch with our tech support.

Lonnie--Currently, there isn't a way to extend the five minute time limit on videos. On a full screen video, the controls are located on the bottom left of the screen, but are transparent.

David--There currently isn't a way to remove the Jing logo from the end of videos. We also don't have any hotkeys for video control.

Gokalp--There aren't any video annotation tools in Jing. The videos you are thinking of were done with Camtasia Studio, another TechSmith product. It's a full on screen recording and editing application. If you're interested in doing more than quick and simple communication, Camtasia will knock your socks off.

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Audreona :

Is there a way to record a video & some how save it to your computer then host it on another website like youtube ?

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Phil T :

What software is recommended for converting swf to a lossy format? The files produced are too big for me....

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spice :

the progran look okay but...

have can i change the 5 min limit ? i want to record video for longer time..

have can i change the frame per sec ?

i dont want the delay time before i start video recording... have can i change that ?

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Matt Dyer :

Phil T--We don't have any recommended programs for converting the SWFs; I don't know of a free tool that does it offhand. If size is a concern, consider making your recorded areas smaller (or even changing your desktop resolution for the duration of the recording).

spice--Currently, there's no way to get around the 5 minute limit on videos or change the frames per second. There's no way to turn off the countdown either. Sorry.

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Richie :

I was wondering can you make your videos an avi?
and do i have to be on the internet to work this ?

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Richie :

Hey,

i Was wondering if you can make your videos as avi file? and also do I have to be online to work this?

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joe :

can u record from speakers? and if you can how?

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Jon :

I can't get the audio to record with the streaming video. I'm using a Mac. I've unplugged my USB external mic and then tried, but still no joy. Anybody know what's going on?

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Paula :

Can I upload an MP3 to play while my Jing records??

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The 5 minutes limit destroys the project. Its totally nonsense to have a limit even to put videos on my HD.

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Rob :

Is there any way to capture the sound from your speakers in a video?

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travis kelln :

When I record a video, it takes forever to open up the various links. I know there is a setting somewhere (I have adjusted it before on other computers) . . . in an 'advanced' field and you slide the setting!! That is all I remember. Once I did this, it was smooth sailing. Anyone have any suggestions??

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Paul :

Can you adjust the mic setting within Jing. The mic is perfect for Skype and other apps but it is too soft for Jing. I need to almost shout to be heard.

Fantastic Application even if I have to talk loudly right next to the mic :-)

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Darcy :

My entire company is paperless and we have digital tasks (written text) for everthing we do. Most of the employees could record their own "how to" into the Tasks that they've written, but the 5 minute limit kills the deal. Anything that can be explained in 5 minutes hardly requires a "How to" video. We need up to a half hour, then this project would be perfect for our training and instructional needs. The project is so easy to use that all staff would be able to create and refine their own Task instructional and training videos.

Please Please Please give us the ability to record longer (even if it means only to our own server)

Thanks, Darcy
PS PLEASE with suger on top!

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Jason :

Is there any thought as to add the text and shapes from image capture to say video as well. You could click pause and then draw a box or bubble with text and an arrow to something explaining it a little bit. Click record for a few seconds then pause and delete the box and begin recording once again.

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Ed Weidmaan :

Hi, I have a Logitech Quick Cam camera-USB- installed on my PC. Do I need it "open" to capture Video? Please lay out the steps to be able to record a Video in Jing. Thanks in Advance, Ed Weidman

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Mark Bowen :

Hi there,

Just wanted to say a massive thank you for this software. It really does work very very well indeed. Doesn't hog the computer resources like a lot of other screen capture software seems to do which is great!

I have just one question though. I know that you have said at the top of this page that there is a 5 minute time limit and I know that a lot of people have asked if this can be lifted and I would have to add my voice to that list of people but also if I could ask why this limit is there in the first place?

I couldn't find an answer to this on your site and so may just be missing it somewhere but was just wondering why a time limit was ever added in there in the first place?

I am trying to do some instructional videos at the moment and unfortunately 5 minutes is nowhere near enough time to do what I need to do so it would really be appreciated if the 5 minute time limit could be lifted?

Just can't for the life of me figure out why it would be there in the first place though. No-one is snooping in on the videos that are being made with this via a secondary server are they?

If you could just clarify why there is a 5 minute time limit then that would be greatly appreciated.

Again thank you for such a fantastic tool. I would be more than happy to pay for something like this just like I have done with Snapz Pro and a couple of other snapshot utilities but if the time limit was to still be there then I am afraid I would not pay for this.

Thanks for any information on this.

Best wishes,

Mark

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Hi,
This thing is really cool :D or should I say this jing? Problem, and I feel really stupid because I can't figure it out...
I want to use jing to make short tutorials (I know! You don't want it to be used for tutorials...) to explain how to do things to my clients. Very short 'click here' and 'there' clips. And I want to use it to show how to do some things in photoshop.
For some reason, when I start jing and define my 'box' and then click video, my dropdowns in Photoshop are greyed out...can't do a darn thing. I have other screen recording software but I really wanted to use jing for this because, well, it's just so darn cool! (I LOVE that little sun thingie at the top of the window...who thought of that??)
Thanks ever so much :D
Daphne

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Love Jing but the 5 minute limit on video is just too short. So, here's my first feedback and request:

No time or size limit on video.

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Mary :

Like Jing. Can't get it to play back the video(sound is fine)

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jake :

is there a way to turn on outo pan or something so the video follows the cursor

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Shelby :

YOu didn't really address the questions about not hearing the audio. I can hear but only if I turn the speakers ALL the way up. How can this be adjusted?

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Saving video is only swf? Can i save it in avi or mpeg? So i can upload it to youtube.

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ron :

Have same question. How to save in different format than SWF. Is MPG an option or do I need to have a converter, and if so, is there a free one?

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Kane :

Awesome application! Unfortunately I am not going to use it because of the 5 minute limit. I want to record educational sessions that last longer than 5 minutes.

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Nancy MacDonald :

Re: Jake July 21/08 comment concerning having the preset size video record window follow the cursor. Did anyone answer this questions or find a solution? I also have the same need and can do this on the windows side using Camtasia. Am looking for a way to create video tutorials with this feature in the Mac side.
Thanks

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Mike Curtis, TechSmith :

@Nancy and Jake: Bad news about the auto-panning or cursor following in Jing. Right now nothing like that exists in Jing, and I know that puts you on the spot because you can use Camtasia Studio on Windows... We hear and thank you for your feedback!
Mike Curtis, TechSmith

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