For Quick & Dirty, No Fuss, No Muss Screen Capture Video, Nothing Beat Loom
November 30, 2018
For Quick & Dirty, No Fuss, No Muss Screen Capture Video, Nothing Beat Loom
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Loom
I primarily use Loom to create quick "how-to" videos that have a very focused, time-sensitive requirement. "Here's how to do this particular thing." It's particularly well-suited to that sort of quick & dirty, one-off type of video instruction. Since I have the option of including my built-in video camera as part of the video itself, it helps add that personal touch - the "face" - to the video.
- Integrated right into Chrome - If I want to make a screen-capture video of a particular window in Chrome, I just start the Loom extension from within that window. It automatically records the entire window, my audio, computer audio and/or my video camera. In other words, it makes recording a screen capture video fast and almost automatic.
- I like that it automatically saves it to my Loom account profile and also provides a URL I can send to people. I think the utility of this feature is pretty obvious. The sequence is 1. Start loom 2. click the RECORD button 3. record 4. click the STOP button 5. copy and paste the URL which loom automatically generates.
- The way they have chosen to provide online organizing of my videos is pretty well executed. I can create folders and move related videos into those folders. This becomes really important when you start creating a lot of videos.
- Loom is great for what it does - super quick & dirty screen capture videos. If you want more control over your video production, then the reality is you probably need a more robust tool. It has very rudimentary sound and video editing abilities, and no titling ability. Frankly, I don't consider this lack of features an issue, because I use Loom ONLY for what it is good at and don't expect it to do more.
- It doesn't do 16:9 format videos. (Unless they've added that feature since I last used it.) That's not a deal-breaker for me, but it could be for some folks.,
- I'm a sucker for good tools, and Loom solves one very narrow, very specific problem for me - quick, low-production, easy-to-distribute videos. I can't put a number on what it has done for me, but I can say unequivocally that it saves me a TON of time when I need what it does. I will also say that if you try to make Loom do more than it was really made for, you'll end up wasting time. I think of it like a tack hammer - if I need to drive tiny tacks or tiny nails into soft wood, nothing beats a tack hammer. But if I am trying to drive 16 penny nails to frame a house, a tack hammer is a terrible solution. It will work, but there are better ways to do the job.
- Zoom
I used to use Zoom to do screen capture video - even I don't have someone else in a video conference - just because it does a good job of creating screen captures. But that's not really what Zoom is designed to do. Now, when I need to do a fast, low-production-value, easy-to-distribute video, I use Loom.
For more complex but still relatively quick videos, I use ScreenCast-O-Matic, because it gives me some post-production editing capabilities lacking in Loom. And for really top-notch editing, I use Vegas Pro 14. But neither of these are remotely as fast and easy as Loom.
For more complex but still relatively quick videos, I use ScreenCast-O-Matic, because it gives me some post-production editing capabilities lacking in Loom. And for really top-notch editing, I use Vegas Pro 14. But neither of these are remotely as fast and easy as Loom.
Using Loom
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Relatively simple Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar | None |