kavachai

What I Wanted

I was searching for good video capturing software to create a demo video for the game I’ll release soon. Looking for some simple functionality to capture on-screen video and place it to YouTube I thought it will take no more then an hour.

The Reality

However I ended with about three hours spent on this for several reasons:

• First I had a problem recording audio from the game
• Then many tools I tried were creating strangely wrong avi files

Happy End

I finally have it working with BB FlashBack Express like a charm with their function to export to YouTube

One bonus about it is how nicely it captures WP7 emulator window (with and without frame). No need to position capturing region. Perfect region is one click away with BB FlashBack Express highlighting the window.

Resolving audio recording issue

It turned out that I need to enable so called “Stereo Mix” in sound settings:

1. Select “Sound” from the control panel.
2. Select the “Recording” tab.
3. Right click on the background of the tab and choose “Show disabled devices”.
4. Right click on “Stereo Mix” and click “Enable”.
5. Right click on “Stereo Mix” and click “Set as Default Device”.

I was surprised when didn’t found “Stereo Mix” it at all. Anyway after some web search and trials I solved this issue by updating sound card driver.

Dealing With Strangely Wrong Avi Files

I couldn’t resolve issue completely, but I found a great workaround. I’m uploading video to YouTube directly from BB FlashBack Express.

Metthew Bennett used a great way to explain his passion to WP7 in his presentation on Windows Phone Design Day (Making Audio Sing):

As new articles and opinions pop up after official presentation of Windows Phone 7 I’m getting more and more excited about new OS.

• Windows Phone 7 Interface: Microsoft Has Out-Appled Apple describes new Windows Phone 7 as a new paradigm in user experience. Mostly I agree with the author, but it looks like he is too excited about data-centric UI. I believe that both data- and function-centric approaches have their followers and nobody knows to which of them applications from third developers will turn Windows Phones.
• Windows Phone 7 Series: Everything Is Different Now makes new OS even more clear. In the same time we as developers still have some very important questions waiting in the shadows, like:

But here’s a question: Will they multitask? Um, that depends on your definition of multitasking! When we asked Joe Belfiore, the guy running Windows Phone, he alluded to live tiles and feeds as some ofthe ways that third-parties will be able to “bring value to the user, even when their apps aren’t running.” Which sounds to us like a big ol’ “shnope,” but we’ll see more next month at Microsoft’s developer event MIX.

And another post from WMPoweuser:

• Windows Phone 7 development docs leaked says that as expected UI will be developed using Silverlight and access to native API will be restricted.
• Lack of backward compatibility for Windows Phone 7 confirmed by Microsoft also confirms that developers will have to rewrite applications.

On Mobile World Congress that take place in Barcelona Microsoft presented new generation of Windows Mobile. Here are some of reviews that reveal WM 7:

• First Look: Windows Phone 7 Series Hands on Demo is a demo from Channel 9 which describes new UI most detailed from what I saw today.
• Windows Phone 7 Series hands-on and impressions (updated with video) is another good video to get in touch with new UI.
• Basic feature comparison between previous WM versions and 7 Series.
• And of cause official site.