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Test Of Archiving Software - SnagIt

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Type

Name

Platform

Version

Price

URL

Remarks

Screen recording

SnagIt

Windows

7.1.2

39.95 EUR

http://www.techsmith.com/-producs/snagit/

As well as archiving screen recordings, SnagIt Photo can be used to archive individual web pages in static form and screenshots A 30-day trial version can be downloaded


Conclusion

SnagIt can be used to record what is happening in an area of the screen image, an object on the screen, such as a window, or the entire screen image, as well as recording any sound occurring while recording is taking place. The programme offers a high degree of flexibility, with among other things, the option of choosing archiving format and quality as well as defining keyboard shortcuts for various archiving methods. The archived web pages and content elements appear correctly. One of the programmeís strong points is that it compresses the archived material very rapidly.


Recommended settings

Windows parameters that must be configured:
In order for SnagIt to film streamed video, it is essential that Windows' graphic acceleration is disconnected (use the advanced monitor settings in the control panel – accessed from the Start menu).  Likewise, it is necessary to disconnect all sound channels, otherwise sound will not be included in the recordings (use the sound settings in the control panel – accessed from the Start menu).

Use:
The programme is used by choosing  'Record of video of the Screen'. Sound can be turned on and off in the right-hand panel, and the archiving format can be set. Next, the 'Capture' button is pressed and recording begins. To finish recording, press shift + ctrl +p, after which the screen recording will be shown in a preview window and can either be rejected or saved on the hard disk in the desired format.


Archiving speed

Archiving time (min)

File size (MB)

Archiving speed (MB/min)

Degree of presence required

1

10.7

696 x 448 pixels, 22050 Hz/8 bit/mono, 15 fps

High


Test details


Test date and time: Friday November 5 2004, 2 p.m. – 2,55 p.m.

Tested by: Bo Hovgaard Thomasen

Tested by archiving: http://www.dr.dk/kroniken

Speed test carried out by archiving: http://www.dr.dk/nyheder/html/nyheder/baggrund/tema2003/krise/index.jhtml

Test results

The following have been evaluated according to the following scale for the number of archived elements: 0=none, 1=few, 2=average, 3=most, 4=all

Structure

-a

4

--a

aa

Cascading Style Sheets

4

The archived material appears as defined in CSS.

Page composition

4

Elements are correctly positioned on all archived web pages.

Background

4

All backgrounds are archived

Pop-up-windows

4

Pop-up windows are only archived to the extent that they are present in the foreground of the screen image.

Archiving of all the desired web pages

4

The parts of a web page or pages present in the foreground of the screen image are archived. Often it is only possible to archive part of a web page.

Movement between elements in the structure

Link

0

aa

Print/writing

Textual link

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Pull-down menu

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Formulas such as login

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Image

Animation

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Graphics

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Photo

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Moving images

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Link target

0

aa

Print/writing

Text

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Image

Animation

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Graphics

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Photo

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Moving images

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Other

-

aa

Sound

a

0

Links not active, only during recording.

Automation

0

aa

aa

Automatic redirection

0

Automatic redirection is not archived

Movement in elements in the structure

Automatic + inherent

4

aa

Print/writing

aa

4

Movable print/writing is archived

Image

Animation

4

Animation is archived.

Moving images

4

Moving images are archived.

Banner ads

4

Banner ads archived only as static snapshots

Sound

Background sound

4

Sound is archived

Banner ads

4

Sound is archived

Automatic + online

2

aa

Print/writing

Chat as reader

4

Print/writing is archived.

Image

Moving images

2

Moving images are archived, except for streaming video.

Sound

aa

2

Sound is archived, except for streaming video

User intervention + inherent

0

aa

Print/writing

Archived chat

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered.

Mouse-over

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Quizzes

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Clickable maps

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Image

Non-streamed image (such as slide show, clickable map)

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Games

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Quizzes

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Clickable maps (w. zoom or activation)

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Mouse-over

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Sound

Non-streamed sound (e.g. activated in games, quizzes, etc.)

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Mouse-over

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

User intervention + online

0

aa

Print/writing

Chat (as participant)

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Polls

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Test-yourself

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Image

Streamed images

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Games

0

User intervention is archived only to the degree that the person recording interacts with the content elements. This interaction is present in the archived material but cannot be altered

Sound

Streaming (both archived and live)

0

Sound is not archived.

Non-movable elements

aa

3

aa

Print/writing

aa

4

All print/writing is archived correctly

Image

aa

4

All images are archived correctly

Sound

aaa

0

Sound is archived correctly


Back to main outline

The test was carried out by graduate student Bo Hovgaard Thomasen during the period from July- December 2004, and its premises and main results are explicated in the text Test of software and strategies for micro-archiving websites.

Note: We do not have the resources to offer technical support or other advice on the use of the tested archiving programme beyond what can be found on this web page.