Camcorder & Computer Video articles from November 2005

Camcorder & Computer Video archives from November 2005

Upfront.
November 1, 2005... DVD camcorders. Hard drive-based vs. tape-based cams. With so many confusing formats vying to be the next big thing in video, it's no surprise that some of us stick to the old standbys--namely Mini DV and analog tape camcorders. They're...

Quick copies.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... Making DVD copies just got easier with InterVideo's newest version of its 3-step copying program, DVD Copy 4. It has a new, more intuitive user interface, so even beginners can create copies of their personal videos, merge DVDs, or convert...

Just for show.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... ProShowProducer from Photodex is the latest high-end multimedia slide show presentation product geared for pro photographers. Unique features like multiple layers per slide, RAW file support, custom show templates, professional DVD menu...

Twin-tray deck.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... Samsung's new first sub-S500 twin-tray DVD recorder on the market today. It lets disc-to-disc copying from 2X up to 6X speeds, which means users can copy a 2-hour disc in under 20 minutes. The recorder features an intuitive user interface and...

Portable Windows.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... Turn any Windows-based PC into your own personal workspace using one of Kingston's flash drives that are now equipped with Migo software. The DataTraveler II Plus--Migo Edition lets you store all or part of the following onto the drive:...

Good to go.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... Take all your photo and video gear to go with Delsey's new GOPIX line of camera and camcorder bags. The GOPIX 50 is a lightweight bag that's ideal for compact digital cameras, small video cameras or a CD player. Weighing only a pound, the GOPIX...

Gold standard.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... You know DVDs have really come a long way when now they're made with gold, yes, as in the element. Delkin Devices recently introduced a new line of DVD-R discs, its eFilm Archival Gold DVD-R. Delkin claims that the use of gold in the reflective...

Right on track.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... Smartsound Software has added four new CDs from its Movie Music Collection (can be used with the Sonicfire Pro software), giving moviemakers more options when creating their soundtracks. The additional CDs are: Kids, a collection of bouncy,...

For ladies only.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... Targus' new line of camera bags lets users carry their digital camera or small camcorder in style. Available in five styles from a small camera case to a backpack that can fit a camcorder, camera and other items. The cases are made of soft,...

In the shade.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... If you own JVC's HD camcorder, the GY-HD100, consider getting a new matte box and sunshade system from 16x9. The company's new HDV Matte Box Kit and 4x4 Clamp-On Sunshade is a low profile system that works with all lens models being offered by...

All about romance.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... muvee autoProducer has a new version of its automatic movie-making software that's perfect for wedding and event videographers. Its Weddings and Romance Edition has 90 romance-themed editing styles and advanced features like magicMoments, where...

Power up.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... Charge up to eight batteries (AA or AAA) simultaneously with PowerEx's new Eight Cell One Hour Charger (MH-C801D). This charger lets users choose between a soft charge and fast charge mode. The soft charge mode is 100 percent compatible with...

Get organized.(ZOOM in: First Look At Video Gear And Accessories)
November 1, 2005... It's pretty easy to store your photos on your computer, but who has time to organize and label them? With Microsoft's Digital Image Suite 2006, you can easily organize and find your photos with new tools, such as Hierarchical Keywords and...

New Canon HDV camcorder.(CAMCORDER INSIDER)
November 1, 2005... Remember when Canon released its XL2 camcorder a year ago? It had just about every feature imaginable for the advanced videographer, except one--high-definition, or HDV, recording--until now, with Canon's latest release, the XL H1, the...

Getting to DVD.(New Tech)
November 1, 2005... Too hot, or too cold? Too spicy, or too bland? Too complex, or too dumbed down? Are you attracted to the power and potential of higher-end products like Adobe Photoshop CS and Premiere Pro but put off by the steep learning curve required to...

DV, DVD or HD: which format is best?
November 1, 2005... Once upon a time, when you recorded special events, t you shot film. Spools of 8mm film got carefully unrolled in the dark and put into large ungainly cameras. If you were lucky, you got about three-and-a-half minutes of recording time before...

Video editing for under $100: 10 great programs to choose from.
November 1, 2005... So you want to start editing your videos but you're not sure where to start? We have put together a list of some of the best video-editing packages in terms of reliability and ease of use, and they're all selling for under $100. These...

A DVD cam for the masses.(Hitachi DZMV750MA)
November 1, 2005... Hitachi has been in the camcorder business a long time. In fact, my first full-size RCA camcorder that I purchased back in the 80s was a Hitachi. So, when you see a company like Hitachi drop its entire line of tape-based camcorders in favor of...

Live switching and video editing without a computer.(Hardware Review: NewTek TriCaster)
November 1, 2005... NewTek's TriCaster is a TV studio in a box. It lets you perform live switching between three camcorders, it is a full-function editor, and it lets you stream your video as a live Webcast. TriCaster is a standalone unit; no computer is needed....

The power of pro software for only $99.(Software review: Premiere Elements 2.0)
November 1, 2005... For many, many years now, Adobe Premiere has been of the most widely utilized nonlinear video editing programs in the industry. With Adobe's Premiere Elements 2.0, now everyone can gain access to the power of professional software, streamlined...

Step-by-step DVD recording.(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2005... DVD recorders have become so affordable and easier to use that VHS tape recorders will most likely be obsolete within five years. DVD recorders are rapidly becoming the machine of choice for recording TV programs, transferring home video to...

On-call authoring.(Software review: Sonic DVDit Pro 6)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2005... So you want to share your new production on DVDs, but you re not sure which software to use? For most enthusiasts and corporate users, the template-driven, "automated" approach used in consumer tools, like Sonic MyDVD and Ulead DVD...

Give your video a film-like quality.(HOW TO)
November 1, 2005... Digital video offers many advantages to the independent moviemaker over film. Although the difficulties of shooting film can certainly point anyone toward digital video, the sheer cost of film equipment, film processing, and the film itself...

Capture, edit, author and burn to DVD.(Software review: Presto! DVD PowerSuite 2)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2005... Today, videographers want a "suite" of applications that let them capture, edit, author, and burn video to a DVD. The newest generations of such suites make it easier to perform these tasks, and they are even more affordable than before. With...

Tips to keep your computer running smoothly.(PEAK PERFORMANCE)
November 1, 2005... The idea for this article comes from a recent personal experience. Our video-editing computer had been performing flawlessly for a number of weeks when suddenly it would no longer capture video. There was adequate room on our hard drive, over...

Setting up a network attached storage system.(Hardware review: Buffalo TeraStation & Maxtor Shared Drives)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2005... If you have two or more computers in your home or office, you can set up a simple network and have the computers share an external hard drive system. The external hard drives can back up or store those huge video files, and they have other...

Enhanced DVD watching on your PC.(Software review: InterVideo WinDVD 7)(Product/Service Evaluation)
November 1, 2005... Do you watch DVDs on a PC? This may not be the kind of use the movie industry was thinking about when the DVD format was created--and certainly it's not what the consumer electronics industry had in mind. But the DVD viewing experience can be...

The Art of the Documentary.
November 1, 2005... The Art of the Documentary by Megan Cunningham $44.99; New Riders www.newriders.com; www.peachpit.com With the recent surge of interest in documentaries, the release of The Art of the Documentary couldn't be timelier. The brainchild of...

Adobe Premiere Elements Classroom in a Book (Windows Version).
November 1, 2005... Adobe Premiere Elements Classroom in a Book (Windows Version) $35.00; Adobe Press www.adobepress.com; www.peachpitpress.com If the term do-it-yourself is part of your everyday vocabulary, then you may already be familiar with Adobe's...

If It's Purple, Someone's Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... If It's Purple, Someone's Gonna Die The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling by Patti Bellantoni $39.95; Elsevier/Focal Press www.elsevier.com; www.focalpress.com When we saw this book, we knew we had to review it. Not just because it has...

Making a Movie in Premiere Elements: Visual QuickProject.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Making a Movie in Premiere Elements Visual QuickProject by Jan Ozer $12.99; Peachpit Press www.peachpit.com If you don't have the time--or the patience--to get fully involved in learning how to edit your video footage, this Visual...

Writing the Short Film: Third Edition.(Brief Article)(Book Review)
November 1, 2005... Writing the Short Film Third Edition by Pat Cooper and Ken Dancyger $27.95; Elsevier/Focal Press www.elsevier.com; www.focalpress.com It's one thing to be able to expertly wield a video camera or proficiently edit video clips on a computer,...