ScreenFlow by Telestream^R has been my go-to screen capture software since I switched to a Mac. The main reason for this is the intuitive user interface, flexibility and, now with version 4, retina display HD recording. You can make anything from slide shows to training videos.

In the Configure Recording window, you can choose to record your desktop, video from any camera connected to your computer, record audio from any connected microphone or your computer audio. With one-click, the Countdown window opens, followed by the screen recording. Once you click the stop button, ScreenFlow automatically opens the workspace and imports your screen capture on the Timeline for editing.

But you can also create projects from your own movie clips, text and graphics. With the newest update to ScreenFlow 4, you have an improved Media Library, closed caption support and over 15 transitions and other video and audio effects to add a professional touch.

ScreenFlow has the popular editing features, which are very intuitive to use. I really like the layered Timeline because you can drag the layers (called tracks) to rearrange the order. Each element, such as text and callouts, are on a separate layer, making it very easy to adjust their placement on the Timeline. You can even copy/paste clips between ScreenFlow projects and detach audio from the video clip for ducking or deleting.

For training videos, ScreenFlow can record mouse movements during the screen recoding, allowing you to add freehand callouts, annotations and other effects. Adding text to your video is as easy as typing on the screen. You have your choice of fonts and styles and can apply transition and effects to the text.

My favorite new feature from version 4 is nested clips. I found that there are certain elements of my training videos that I use for every video. I can now combine these elements into a nested clip, which has it own nested Timeline, that can be re-used for each training video. You can control the speed of your clip and use freeze frame. I also like the new dynamic updating of media, which maintains a link to the original file and alerts when changes are made, giving you the option to update the file or keep the previous version intact.

Ever wanted a quick way to make a thumbnail graphic for your video? ScreenFlow 4 can export any frame as a PNG image. I also like the new Timed recording, which allows you to set a fix length for your recording. You can publish your finished project to YouTube and Vimeo and export in several formats.

ScreenFlow screenshots used by permission of Telestream.