Digitizing Video

An Introductory Course by Kirk Pearson

Unit One:
Introduction to Digital Video

Unit Two:
Hardware

Unit Three:
Computer Readiness

Unit Four:
Software

Unit Five:
Video Capture & Editing

Unit Six:
Advanced Editing & Special Effects

Unit Seven:
Production & Distribution

Addressing Your Equipment

Now that you have a little background on digitizing video and the hardware involved, you should be able to take a look at your current equipment and assess its strengths and weaknesses. You'll recall that there are three main areas of consideration with respect to equipment readiness: input device, computer/processing device, and output device.

Input options were discussed in the Hardware unit and involved looking at your camcorder (if you have one), VCR, and specialty A/D converters/capture devices. You'll have to decide based on what you have or don't have (and your budget), how you will be inputting your video footage. As most people have a VCR, we'll be approaching it from that angle in later discussions. In any case, with any of the options, you will want to look at the ports and connectors available to you on the input device and match them to those available on the computer. This will sometimes involve a card in the computer, but could also involve an A/D converter, and may take specialty cables or adapter plugs.

With respect to the computer, general recommendations were shared in the Hardware unit with the caveat that the software you'll be using to edit/render (and ultimately burn to DVD) will be the deciding factor on exactly what hardware improvements may be necessary on your machine. Relevant factors here included internal components, the Operating System, drives, and ports or connectors.

Output in the form of DVDs was covered in depth already. Getting the right drive for your target players is paramount. Check your owner's manual for the player(s) that you're hoping to play your digitized videos on to discern what media types are compatible before you invest in a burner. Internet sites such as VideoHelp.com, CustomFlix.com, and DVDplusrw.org compile lists of players compatible with particular types of media which can prove helpful in this. You might also consider equipment related to online distribution if this is a project goal for you. Internet connection type (speed) on both your end and your recipient's will have a bearing on how you put your files together (and 'serve' them). This will be discussed further in the Production and Distribution unit.

Identifying Your Upgrade Path

What I mean by this is to pull it all together. Learn what you need from research, analyzing your own goals, and checking on the software requirements for your chosen applications. Examine your current situation from the three main equipment areas discussed above. Study the alternatives available given your time, budget, and expertise that will reconcile any deficiencies and get you ready to process your video footage.

I will at least note the obvious which is that there are two other ways to approach the whole issue of getting a workable system together. First, you could simply go buy new equipment and by that I mean a whole new computer system and anything else (input/output) that you need. Most new machines are designed with multimedia in mind and with a little background in what is necessary for digitizing video you would be able to make a more informed decision choosing amongst the many models available. Of course this would be expensive and unless your computer is more than two or three years old, it's not really necessary and may not be cost effective.

Second, you could 'dress down' and shop for software with the intent of making what you have, or could easily upgrade to, work for you. Again, with some background you can make a more informed decision along these lines but generally speaking, software that will work on older systems is older software and will lack features as well as quite possibly be less stable as an environment to work in.

Performing Upgrades

When upgrading you basically have two choices; do it yourself or have someone do it for you. There are tons of resources on the Internet (as well as in book/magazine stores) that give detailed instructions on how to install and connect computer components. (Some examples: Helpwithpcs.com, PCGuide.com, and PCMag.com. Just search for 'how to' or 'upgrade' and the part that your are considering upgrading to get a list of prospective resources.) Having built a computer from scratch I can say that it is easier than you might think, if you have some level of mechanical and technical aptitude. The greatest difficulties are, like in the discussion of disc types and compression formats, making sure that you aren't trying to fit square pegs in round holes. For example, adding memory is an easy physical operation, a module/card gets plugged into a slot. The difficulty is in assessing what you have and making sure that what you buy is similar and that it goes in the right slot (most computers have a few and often there is an order to filling them). CPU upgrades are somewhat similar, and like memory modules, are limited by what the motherboard they plug into can accept. And it can sometimes be difficult determining what motherboard your machine has, especially if it is from a mass-producer such as Compaq. (Most of these vendors do have extensive online documentation delineated by model and in the case of Compaq, they do make available what upgrades are possible for any given model and even offer the components for sale, albeit at higher-than-street prices.)

Like other things, I would suggest shopping to see what it would cost to have someone else do or at least help you with necessary upgrades. Perhaps you can tap into family or friends with experience in this. And most of the major technology stores offer upgrade service with parts sold by them. Sometimes this is in conjunction with a sale of the parts themselves.

I would encourage you to pay attention to the weekly ads and online specials offered by the majors including: CompUSA, BestBuy, CircuitCity, and Staples. (There are also online services that conveniently keep an eye out for bargains such as TechBargins.com that would be worth checking.) When I built my computer I bought most of the components this way, and although I had to traverse rebate hell for about six months, I was able to build a nicely equipped computer for hundreds of dollars less than a similarly equipped store bought model.

(Images source: Bestanimations.com)