Review Windows Live Messenger 2009 and how to record MSN webcam

Some days ago, Microsoft released the betas of the latest versions of its Windows Live Suite – dubbed “Wave 3”, which will also encompass a huge redesign of all the entire Windows Live product line, online and offline. In this update, all of the Windows Live family components have had a redesign, but the biggest has had to be Windows Live Messenger 2009.
Actually, the old versions of Windows Live Messenger or MSN, as most of us used to call it, has gained rich users through out the world. But, just like other software tools from Microsoft, they also bring much complaining. So how about the new Live Messenger? I just upgraded to the latest Windows Live Messenger today and I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised with the major changes they have made with the UI and the features.

This 14MB download took just a few minutes in my tests, though we had to proceed with care to prevent Windows Live Messenger from installing unwanted items, such as a desktop shortcut or Rhapsody music software. Once installed, Windows Live Messenger displays a drop-down menu of features along the top, contacts within the center pane, a search box on the bottom, and tabs for eBay, Rhapsody, and other services along the left. Microsoft fans will like the integration with MSN Spaces and the company's other properties. However, we wish we could hide the animated panel of ads at the bottom.

Then I fantasized a while in the new features of Live Messenger 2009. Because I've been using Windows Live Messenger formerly MSN Messenger for over a more than 5 years, I found that now it really has developed into a fine messenger. After initial testing, I found very little to complain about; in fact, while I could spend an entire week talking about all the cool things, I decided to isolate my reviews on several to new cool features which make Windows Live Messenger 2009 better.

New Vista style look of the main UI
The main sign-in screen has a new clean look with warm colors. A clean and a well defined layout. Taking a page from Vista, Messenger 2009 features a brand new “glassy” look on all the client’s windows, helping it to mesh better with Microsoft’s latest OS. The crystal-cleanliness of the entire client gives the IM a sleeker look outside the original blue and green outfit.
The background is now customizable, like it has been in MSN v8.5; but this time, you can add a preset theme, or “scenes”, or create your own with an image of your choice. As well, you have also the choice to mix and match the colors, with one can be the color for the header, and another can be for the color of the bottom part of Messenger. We suggest you stick with the same color for both, but this feature is pretty interesting.

New contact organization and displaying
The biggest out of the redesign is the contact list (see left). The entire thing has gotten a massive redesign, but still has not departed from the original idea that there should not be any menu bars.
Before you start organizing your contacts into groups, be forewarned: the 2009 Messenger experience is a little different from version 8.5. Now, your friends will go into “categories.” Meanwhile, you can pair different folks into “Groups” which help facilitate Messenger 9.0’s powerful new group chat feature. The development illustrates a strong commitment to streamlining communications and the group chat feature is no exception.
We all have a small circle we talk to most on IM and now, Messenger 2009 makes it easier to find them on our contacts list with the “favorites” category. Organize this section at anytime; when your favorites sign-on, you’ll see them up top, front and center. Simple and effective.

Another brand new thing is “Favorites”, which allow you to make a list of “favorite” contacts. This, effectively, is not a new category, but just a section where you can drag and drop friends or family members that you like. As well, the Favorites section is given a different activity indicator setting, but you can change that as well.
Customizable chat window

Greatly improved video phone call
Windows Live Messenger video call quality is better than ever. With the most recent Messenger release and a quality webcam, you can now experience a clearer, sharper picture with full-screen VGA video. True VGA video (640x480) is up to four times better resolution then prior solutions when switched to full screen. To experience a true VGA video call, you will need the latest version of Windows Live Messenger, a webcam, a PC with a dual core processor and broadband Internet connection.
However, the evolution of Windows Live Messenger between 8.5 and 9.0 in terms of video call capabilities does not stop here. The instant messaging client now brings to the table superior connection time when users initiate a video call, as well as a video-centric interface available outside of full screen mode. Starting with version 9.0, Windows Live Messenger is now a part of Windows Live Essentials, a package designed to centralize all the components that have been separated from the Windows operating system.

An interesting MSN webcam recorder for you
The video call of Live Messenger has evolved to a new and higher level. But there is no recording function. It is really a pity, because so many users of MSN are eager to be able to record MSN webcam video and save on the PC. Here I would introduce a Third-Party software tool which could help you easily to achieve this objective.
Camersoft MSN Video Recorder is a professional recorder software for Windows Live Messenger. It could record MSN webcam during video call with your friends or family and save as AVI video files on your PC or laptop.
This MSN webcam recorder is very easy to use, only a few mouse clicks are needed to complete MSN recording work. In addition, the MSN video recorder is integrated with an advanced Video Converter component, which could be used to convert your videos, whether the recorded AVI or other videos like FLV, MP4, etc... to many formats and support rich portable players and mobile devices like: iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry, Zune and so on.
It is very useful feature and I could convert the recorded files to my iPod and share with others, really very interesting and joyful.

Record Windows Live Messenger webcam video easily with Camersoft MSN Video Recorder.

For immediate release

Dec 21, 2009
Contact: Harry Dut
Company: Camersoft Studio

Camersoft MSN Video Recorder is a professional recorder software for Windows Live Messenger. It could help you to record MSN webcam during video call conversation. For those that chat with buddies, work associates, or anyone else, Windows Live Messenger is for you. With a plethora of customization options and communication methods, you can talk freely with anyone whether it is through video chat, voice chat, instant message or any other form of virtual communication.

Now more and more people are using MSN daily and they often need to record and save MSN video on the PC. Camersoft MSN Video Recorder is just the best assistant for you! MSN Video Recorder could easily record the video and audio during your MSN conversation and save as AVI files. You could save both webcam videos of the chatting. And not like other similar screen recording softwares, which skip some frames and lose in quality, this MSN Recorder use new technique to capture the original video data of MSN video call without any video quality loss. In addition to the basic MSN recording function, Camersoft MSN Video Recorder provides advanced video converter tool, with which you could load the recorded files to play and convert video to MP4, WMV, AVI, MP3 and many other formats. Also, you could convert your recorded MSN video files to iPod, iPhone and many other mobile phone devices and share them with your friends.

And with its simple and elegant UI, this MSN webcam recorder very easy for you to start recording MSN video. Only a few mouse clicks are needed to complete your MSN recording or conversion. Moreover, Camersoft MSN Video Recorder could support all MSN versions like MSN 8.0 and Live Messenger 2009, and work on windows OS family (windows 2000, XP, NT, Vista, Windows 7).

In order to win the confidence of users from many countries, Camersoft Studio will add more useful features to Camersoft MSN Video Recorder, such as video editor, to satisfy your requirements. All Camersoft products could be free download on our official website: http://www.camersoft.com/ and you could use the free MSN Video Recorder version or purchase the full license online with very low price.

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Official Website:
http://www.camersoft.com/

Company:
About Camersoft
Founded in 2009, Camersoft Studio is dedicated to developing the most powerful, and user-friendly Recorder software, especially Skype, MSN related webcam recording tools for the users all over the world.

Record and convert MSN Video esily with Camersoft MSN Video Recorder

Camersoft MSN Video Recorder is a professional Windows Live Messenger recorder software which could help you to record MSN webcam during conversation and save as AVI files. This MSN Recorder use new technique to capture the original video data of MSN video call. And with the simple and friendly user interface, the MSN webcam recorder is very easy to use, only a few clicks are needed to complete your MSN recording. In addition, Camersoft MSN Video Recorder is even integrated with advanced video converter tool, with which you could easily convert the MSN recorder video files to many other formats, including MP4, WMV, iPod, Zune, Mobile Phone, MP3, etc.. This will help you greatly to share the MSN videos withyour family and friends. You could free download to try it and get the free upgrade after purchase.

More Features:

(1) Record both your webcam and your MSN chatmate's video with high quality.

(2) Compatible with All versions of MSN and Windows Live Messenger, including new Windows Live Messenger 2009!

(3) Support Preview and Snapshot
After recording MSN, you could load the video into Camersoft Video Converter to replay it and take "Snapshot" to save your favorite screen as BMP pictures.

(4) Advanced video Conversion options
The converter not only support so many output formats, but enable you to set the video resolution and video bitrate to fit different player or mobie phone screen. If you need only audio, you could also extract the audio from the AVI files into MP3.

(5) Support Vista and Windows 7 OS.

How to record Skype video call and convert video to iPod, iPhone, BlackBerry, MP4, MP3, etc

Now more and more people all over the world are using Skype to have their video call with friends, lovers, family, or business partners. Skype is proprietary free software that allows you to make calls or conference over the Internet using your PC or notebook. Skype uses decentralized peer-to-peer and VOIP technologies, so your calls do not go through a central server, but through distributed servers and other users.

And on many occasions, we want to record Skype video call and save as video files on our PC. Recently, I found a perfect software tool to record Skype webcam video during a conversation. Now I would introduce Camersoft Skype Video Recorder which is an excellent Skype Recorder for recording Skype Call video and audio during your chatting. In addition, it even provides you with an important advanced function: Video Converter, with which you could load to review the recorded files, and convert them into other format you want, such as video to iPod, iPhone, MP4, WMV, MP3, etc.. Now, this article will show you in details how to use this professional Skype recording software.

Firstly, please make sure you have installed Skype and the webcam on your PC.
Note: if your Skype is running, you need quit it completely before install the Skype recorder.
Then, you could free download Camersoft Skype Video Recorder from the official website:
http://www.camersoft.com/downloads/camersoft-skype-video-recorder.exe
And run the setup file to install it on your PC. The software could support almost all Windows OS
Version: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 2000 and the new released Windows 7.

Part1: How to record Skype Video with Camersoft Skype Video Recorder?

Step1: During your Skype chatting, startup the Skype Video Recorder software. Now you could see the main UI displayed. Now click "Record" button to begin recording and the time elapsed will show on the bottom of the UI . If you minimize the main UI, you could see that the icon on the system tray would switch between red and blue to remind you that the recording is still in progress. If you want to stop recording Skype, just click the “Stop” button to finish it. Then the recorded video file name will appear in the list.

Step2: After recording, you may want to play the recorded files. Now double-click one file in the list, the file will be opened by the Windows Media Player, which is always the default video player on windows OS. Of course you could handle the files freely: play with other players, copy them into your flash disk or edit the videos with other tools, because they have been saved on your folder and just click the "Open folder" button and the folder will be opened.
Notes: You could see that two files are generated in one recording procedure: one is the video of your own webcam and the other is of the other side of the conversation. They are named according to the time of the system. The only difference is that the video recording your self is named with a postfix “_1”.

Part2: How to convert recorded Skype Video to other formats with Camersoft Video Converter.

In section 1, we have got the recorded Skype video files. Now we will try another powerful Video Converter tool provided by Camersoft .
Firstly, click "Converter" button on the main UI to start Camersoft Video Converter.
Step1: Click "Add" button to load the video files which you want to convert.
This converter could support not only the Skype video call recorded AVI files, but many other input formats, like MP4, AVI, FLV, MOV, MPEG, WMV, MOD, etc. And you can select one file in the list and preview it in the right screen panel.
Tips: If you like the current image when preview video, you can use the "Snapshot" option. Just click the "Snapshot" button, the image will be saved and you can click the "Open" button next to "Snapshot" button to find your picture.

Step2: Click the “Format” drop-down list to select the format according to your portable player. For example, if you want to convert your videos to your iPhone format, please select the “iPhone video MPEG-4 (*.mp4)”. The converter support many output formats and different players or mobile phones like Blackberry, iPod, Zune, Nokia, MP3… And more formats will be supported in the future upgrade. Then you may set a folder to save the converted video files or use the default directory.

Step3: If you are advanced users and want to change more options, you could click “Setting” button, you may set the Video Resolution, Video Bitrate, Audio Bitrate to customize your output files.

Step4: Click the "Convert" button. Please wait before the conversion succeeds!

Now all is OK. You could load the files into your iPhone with iTunes to test it like below.

The converter could help you to enjoy your recorded Skype videos on many portable devices. So you could share your video and joy with more friends. If your need further information about recording and converting Skype video, you may visit http://www.camersoft.com/ or send email to: support@camersoft.com.