FlashBack

Edit: This information is outdated as of August 2018, please see the comments below!

FlashBack is still the screen recorder software I would most recommend. However, this is just a quick heads-up that features are now starting to be removed from the free Express version. Maybe the developer has some cashflow problems, with not enough users upgrading to a paid version, so they feel the need to restrict the free version more. And because even the free version requires an online activation, they could theoretically prevent you from using an older, more powerful version (although I saw no indication that they do that).

Most notably, as of version 5.25.0 from March 2017, the ability to export to AVI and Flash video files is gone. The only export container format and codec that is still supported in the free version is WMV, which nobody, nowhere, and under no circumstances should ever use for anything!

Licenses for the Pro version are lifetime (no subscription), so they're still a good deal – a personal license is currently $49. But if what you're looking for is "free screen recording software", than FlashBack no longer is an option, now that the free version no longer offers even a single usable export format. I can only repeat: don't ever export any video to WMV. You'd be better off manually drawing a copy into a flipbook, that's a higher-quality and higher-tech solution than the sad joke that is a WMV file.

[Edited by Anamon, August 23]

This screen capture software is amazing, and I am still surprised why it has remained relatively unknown. So far I have only used the free edition, and it is leaps and bounds above any other screen recorder I've tried so far, free or paid.

First of all, the performance is great. I don't know a lot about the technicalities behind screen recording, but I guess it must be down to the proprietary codec used. Other tools, like Camtasia or HyperCam, start having trouble with recording bigger windows, and capturing the full screen smoothly would be pretty much unthinkable. Using BB Flashback, I was able to record at my full desktop resolution with 30+ fps. Apart from recording the desktop, multi-monitor setups, specific windows, or a certain region, you can also capture from a webcam and record sound.

Thankfully this also isn't one of those "dummy user" applications. While the interface is easy enough for newbies to just press the big red Record button and use it, more options are there if you need them. You can customise source options, framerate, scheduled recordings, automatic file splitting, and so on. One cool feature that I haven't seen in any other software yet is the option to also record text. This will capture all the text that is drawn on the screen. Using this you can, for example, search the completed recording for the name of a certain application, and you can jump right to the frame where this application was started (i.e., where its name was drawn into the title bar). Very fancy!

Once your recording is stored (in the proprietary FBR format), you can either export it directly to a standard video file, or open it in the "Player" first, which is the second big part of the application. This will open a timeline-based editing tool, where you can review, cut, annotate and export your recording. The timeline shows additional information to help you navigate the recording, such as in which frames a mouse button was clicked, or where a certain key was pressed. (Combine that with the text recording feature, and navigating even extra-long tutorial recordings should be as fast as possible.)

The editor is where the differences between the free and paid editions show. In the free Express edition, you can select which frames to export, if and how to highlight the mouse cursor, choose regions to crop the video to and follow the mouse cursor, and add sound effects to key presses and mouse clicks. You can export your result to a Flash video file, or an AVI file using any Video for Windows codec available on your system. The Standard edition allows you to add annotations to the video, and adds Quicktime, animated GIF and WMV to the export options. The Pro edition adds more editing effects such as zoom and pan, audio editing, speedup and slowdown, and after-the-fact editing of cursor movement. It also adds export options for PowerPoint and standalone EXE files. All editions also have a direct YouTube upload feature.

I must say that even the free version has an amazing set of features, surpassing all other screen recorders I know. If you don't need a lot of post-processing, or plan to do this in a separate application on exported AVI files, it should offer everything you need. The paid editions should have you covered if you want to record more intricate tutorial sessions, and might even eliminate the need for any other post-processing software.

Note that you need to register an account with Blueberry Software in order to activate the free Express edition of Flashback, otherwise it will stop working after some time. The free license is valid forever, and does not need to be validated online.

easy to use but record output to flashback express format, need flashback player to export to other format

This has been Very buggy for me. I purchased it, which was a mistake. It freezes after recording my screen content in the video editor.
The editor itself has no brightness, contrast, color, or hue adjustments. It's very limited. If it didn't crash that wouldn't bother me as much.

For the free offering, this app is the most honest out of the other bunch. I am really happy with this software. It records first to a proprietary format which seems to be lossless, then allows the user to edit and export the recorded videos. This can be hassle to some who just wants to simply record and share, thus an alternative for these group of users would be vokoscreenNG

its the best screen recorder, no time limits, no watermarks and no sign-ups. You can upload your video to youtube or make it into a file to edit later. BB Flashback express can handle only 30 fps until you see visible problems, try it on youtube to see what i mean. Audio can can record in perfect with any options you want it.

This is the software you want for basic video recordings, if you want to record games you have to look somewhere else.

It's simple and free (with limited features).