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xvidcap

Linux

Screen and Audio Capture

mpeg(4), avi, mov, others, with sorenson, divx, mpeg, others.

Default versions do not work with pulseaudio, and thus recent Ubuntu installations (Ubuntu 11.4 and 11.10).  Workaround is to install from source, and launch with padsp.  Provides a GUI, easy to use

ffmpeg

Linux

Screen and Audio Capture

Anything except apple pro

Pure command line tool.  For Ubuntu, must build from source (directions), and then command lines like these.  FFmpeg is also suitable for format conversion and audio overlay.

recordmydesktop
gtk-recordmydesktop

Linux

Screen and Audio Capture

ogv  (must transcode results, can use transmageddon) 

Works out of the box on Ubuntu 11.10

Screen-Cast-O-Matic (Free Version, Pro costs $12/year)

Windows, Mac, Windows, Linux

Screen & Audio Capture

MP4, AVI, FLV (also save directly to YouTubeHD or Screen-cast-o-matic.com acct)

Runs from browser (Java applet). Has an easy setting for recording in "Full HD" resolution (1280x720). Can auto-letterbox smaller resolution recordings when saving. Very easy to use. Can highlight mouse cursor & all mouse clicks. 15-minute recording limit. Videos are branded with a small logo in lower left corner (Pro version is free of branding).

Jing (Free Version, Pro costs $14.95/year)

Windows or Mac , Windows

Screen & Audio Capture

FLV (Pro version also offers MP4)

Easy to use, but has minimal options. Seem to only be able to record either full-screen or a specific window (no options to record a selected area or part of screen). 5-minute recording limit. Videos are branded (Pro version is free of branding).

CamStudio (Open Source!)

Windows Only

Screen & Audio Capture

AVI or FLV

Lots of options/configurations available (most often compared to Camtasia in terms of options). Not always as easy to use or user friendly as other free screencasting tools (see Screen-Cast-O-Matic or Jing), but it definitely comes with options & tools comparable to Camtasia.

Camtasia Studio (Cost: $299, 30-day free trial available)

Windows or Mac

MP4, M4V, AVI, FLV, Silverlight, MOV, RM

The most fully featured screencasting software out there, and quite easy to use. But, it comes at a higher price.