Lights, Camera, Action!
Contents
1. To make matters a little more confusing there are now two versions of USB USB 1 0 transfers data at 12 million bits per second USB 2 0 boosts the speed to 480 million bits per second that s 60 megabytes per second Although the standards are compat ible and use the same ports connecting a USB 2 0 device to a USB 1 0 port forces it to use the slower speed which might impact its performance To obtain the best video results you must use the fast USB 2 0 technology especially if you plan to record cap tured video to DVD Step 3 Install USB 2 0 Card If Needed If your PC only has USB 1 0 ports and you find yourself faced with installing a USB 2 0 PCI card don t fret It s a simple procedure many can do themselves especially with the help of a tech head friend or family member The process is almost exactly the same as installing a FireWire card which I covered in the section Purchase and Install a b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 111 F CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 111 FireWire Adapter later in this chapter If however you have no interest in mucking with your PC s innards most retail electronics chains that sell these cards can install them Just bring in your copy of this book and show their PC salesperson Figure 4 7 FIGURE 4 7 Desktop owners can add USB 2 0 ports using a PCI card such as the SIIG model shown on the right For lap top PCs the Adaptec brand PC card shown on the left combine2. 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 99 p CHAPTER Lights Camera Action The incredible morphing PC never ceases to amaze me Clever software programmers and hardware engineers just keep finding new and exciting roles for it to fill In this chap ter you ll discover how video gear you might already own combined with editing software a CD or DVD burner and some attachments can transform your home PC into a movie making studio All the magic starts by getting your home videos off tape and onto your PC s hard disk After mastering the basic skills needed to accomplish this you ll learn how to e Edit video clips e Stitch clips together to create compositions e Add titles and transitions e Make a variety of enhanced video files and discs designed to play on a PC or DVD player 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 100 100 Family Computer Fun Here s a roadmap of what lies ahead Learn how to capture video using a digital camcorder or analog VHS Hi8 gear and store it on your PC s hard disk Learn how to transfer old analog video tapes to a digital camera Learn how to edit digital video clips using a program called MyDVD free trial version available Create a Video CD VCD or DVD using MyDVD with menus that will play on a DVD player Skills and Gear Check If you know how to operate a PC digital cam corder Hi8 analog camcorder or VHS player you re ready to go fl A A modern Win
3. S Video jack use a standard S Video process so if you have a half hour of video to able to link the VHS or Hi8 player ee camcorder to the digital camera and the record it will take a half hour Make sure i aD Ma red white audio cable for the audio side you have enough tape Why bother S Video short for Super When you re done stop both analog playback Video technology will send a higher qual and digital recording ity video stream to your digital camcorder b 05 3781 cho4 108 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 108 Family Computer Fun When you finish you ll have a digital tape reproduction of your old analog tape s and that s a great preservation step in and of itself This new digital duplicate tape may now be used for the various digital camcorder projects in this chapter Project Capturing Analog Video to Your PC Not ready to buy a digital camcorder No worries mate This portion of the chapter walks you through some of the easiest and least expensive solutions I ve discovered to date to meet your needs and produce enjoyable digital video This section opens with an exercise to decide what approach you will use to link your analog VHS Hi8 tape sources to a PC Based on that decision you will do one of the fol lowing activities Determine if your PC has a USB 2 0 port and purchase an adapter card if needed PC Card USB 2 0 adapter for laptops Use the USB 2 0 port to link to an external analog video rec
4. DVD player try it on other systems For a comprehensive compatibility listing see http www videohelp com dvdplayers php If your player does not play VCDs it might support the higher resolution SVCD format discs Unfortunately MyDVD does not create SVCDs so you ll need to look for a video editing and disc production software package that does See the Are You Hooked Yet sidebar at the end of the chapter to find a listing of other products to investigate Remember the telephone keypad numbers bit as we composed our VCD and took it for a preview test drive Here s why that was important Instead of using the arrow controls on the DVD player s remote control to highlight and then click a chapter icon as you would with a DVD you must enter the number corresponding to the clip you want to view Look at your DVD s remote control and press the number corresponding to the clip you want to view and then press Enter VCDs are fun but the video quality might disappoint you For me VCDs are great as rainy day projects for kids or to make low cost souvenirs For video discs you ll really want to watch and keep you need to step up to the world of homemade DVDs 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 129 CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 129 Project Make a Homemade DVD Using MyDVD NOLE wise tsa ame To use MyDVD to create and burn a DVD disc you world of one universal recordable CD R must have a DVD burner and blank DVD discs and
5. Budget about two hours to repeat the same steps used to create and burn a VCD disc Obviously you ll start by selecting a DVD project instead of a VCD project at the opening of the MyDVD program Your burning time will vary depending on the length of your video clips For your first DVD production I strongly suggest you work with a collection of short video clips ideally about five minutes each The key at this stage of your training is to quickly learn and experience the overall process Step 1 Open a DVD Project with MyDVD Click the MyDVD icon on your desktop or click Start All Programs Sonic MyDVD to open the program On the main menu select the Create or Modify a DVD Video Project option b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 130 F 130 Family Computer Fun The sequence of steps is essentially the same as Until recently single with a VCD so you should refer to the previous n 0 t eyan Siadestizsi DYD project if you need a refresh on any of the steps discs ruled the world of DVD recording That said here are some key points I want you to on a PC This technology offers discs know at the outset with a capacity of 4 7GB of storage that can be made to hold one hour of When you record video clips from your digi gt A yo ps trom y g video recorded at the highest quality tal video camcorder for a DVD project use the highest quality setting available to you The new kid on the block is the dual ie layer
6. FireWire adapter card in two ways have one professionally installed or install it manually Either way you ll need to purchase the card If you re not sure what to look for take this book to your local computer or office supply store and show the sales clerk Figure 4 3 Lots of choices are available from companies such as Adaptec Belkin IOGear Startech and Orange Micro 05 3781 cho4 104 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 104 Family Computer Fun FIGURE 4 2 On the left is an ADS Technologies PYRO 1394 Port PC card adapter for a laptop On the right is a CompUSA PCI card designed for desktop PCs that adds three FireWire plugs If the notion of fiddling with your PC s innards makes your heart race and your face go pale take your PC to a computer repair shop and pay them to do it many mainstream retailers such as Best Buy and CompUSA can do this job in a flash If you re willing and able to be your own mechanic installing an internal adapter card is fairly quick work but the details of doing so are beyond the scope of this book In a nutshell you must cut off all power to your PC remove the case and insert the new FireWire card into an open PCI slot if your PC has one available Generally the only tool required is a Phillips screwdriver which may be needed to open the case and to remove the metal plate that covers an empty expansion slot After installation you ll need to restart Windows and provide it with the drivers it n
7. For now click the Cancel button to enter the Edit window Step 2 Add Transitions and Other Effects The Edit window as shown in Figure 4 15 is packed with tools and features to explore fully at a later date The key elements shown here include A filmstrip like horizontal box at the bottom displaying the first frame of the video clip to be edited Three special effects enhancement tabs at the upper right Fades and Dissolves an image adjustment tab lightning bolt icon offering a drop down menu with numer ous choices including a handy image brightness and contrast wizard and a text overlay wizard tap that makes it easy to insert floating text On the far left vertical toolbar area are two tools worth noting for future editing sessions Get Media which allows you to insert other video clips or still images in the filmstrip tray and the Add Audio icon which facilitates inserting background music files in formats such as mp3 b 05 3781 cho4 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 124 F 124 Family Computer Fun Adjust video quality Add a fade or dissolve Add text Type in the text box below to add titles Drag the text around the Preview window to change position Arial vi 36 vif Bi UJ S Christy s Girl Scout troop Add onscreen text to a clip 1 Family 1992 mpg 00 05 08 01 OK JE Cance Dissolve transition Captured video clip FIGURE 4 15 MyDVD s Edit window uses wizards to help p
8. Meret ie providen nere is that you ll connect your VHS or Hi8 helps Windows XP recognize and work with player directly to the card or to a special the product in the PC s CD drive before mak adapter cable that connects to it ing any physical hardware links b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 112 F 112 Family Computer Fun 2 Power Connect electrical power to the capture device using the provided adapter 3 Patch the VHS Hi8 player to the external recording box Carefully study Figure 4 8 VideOh and other like products provide an audio video patch cable to con nect it to a VHS or Hi8 analog source and in turn to the PC or laptop s USB 2 0 port While it may look tricky it s actually a very simple setup Video capture box USB cable Composite audio video cables PC with USB 2 0 ports FIGURE 4 8 Connecting a VCR to a PC connected video capture device allows you to transfer old VHS or Hi8 tapes to your PC 4 Making the USB link Connect the VideOh DVD box to the PC Insert the USB cable supplied with the product in the back of the recording box and the other end in an empty USB 2 0 port on the PC After these connections are made and you turn on both your PC and the VideOh DVD box Windows XP automatically detects it as a new device If the manufacturer dictated that you install the included software prior to this point you should be set to go If not use the product s documentation to
9. a FireWire 1394 or i Link port on your PC If it does great Move on to the next sec i Link name to identify this port on their tion If not you ll need to inspect your PC first PCs and digital camcorders For simplic hand ity I ll stick to the FireWire name it sounds cooler and the folks at com puter stores all know what this means 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 103 CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 103 2 Look over the front and back of your PC and see if you find a rectangular port with one curved end at the top A laptop FireWire port takes a mini form Both of these ports are shown in Figure 4 1 If you have a FireWire port on your PC jump to Step 3 Find or Buy a FireWire Cable If not proceed to Step 2 Purchase and Install a FireWire Adapter FIGURE 4 1 A standard desktop PC FireWire port left looks like a rectangle with one of the short sides taking a somewhat curved shape note the symbol that identifies the port Due to size limitations many laptop designs use mini FireWire ports right Step 2 Purchase and Install a FireWire Adapter If your PC doesn t already have a FireWire port don t fret Modestly priced FireWire adapter cards can be found in your local computer or office supply store Prices for desk top cards run around 30 with PC card adapters for laptops going for about 60 Examples of desktop and laptop FireWire adapters are shown in Figure 4 2 Desktop users can add a
10. area and highlight the Video CD selection Next click the Create or Modify a Video CD Project link The main project screen now appears refer to Figure 4 11 in the previous project At this point many of the steps necessary to capture a clip with MyDVD are similar to those in Step 2 of the project Record Digital Video Clips Using MyDVD in this chapter I have provided the basics especially the differences here but you should refer to that section if you want more detail on the MyDVD interface and features such as Grab Frame Step 3 Capture a Video Clip Lights Camera Action 121 Are You Hooked Yet Digital camcorder owners gt interested in a free alter native to Sonic MyDVD can take advan tage of Windows XP s built in Windows Movie Maker program It s a remarkable video production program considering it comes bundled with the Windows XP operating system at no additional charge While it lacks the ability to burn VCDs SVCDs and DVDs that can be played on your DVD player and it does not work with external USB connected video recording solutions such as the VideOh Product Windows Movie Maker is a great tool for capturing digi tal video editing it and burning video files to a disc playable on any PC It can even compress capture video to a point where you can send it to friends and family over the Internet via email In my experience the program also works quite well with most internal PCI video
11. edit the VCD menu screen and text burn a VCD disc and test in your DVD player Step 1 Edit the VCD Menu Just like any DVD when you play a finished VCD in a DVD player the first thing that appears is a menu In this case the menu is the default background that appeared as you built your sample project to this point The default background may be acceptable but the title text needs to be added Follow these steps to change the opening menu s background and the text 1 Move your mouse to the menu bar at the top of the screen and click the Edit Style icon This brings up the rich and powerful Edit Style dialog box see Figure 4 16 2 Check out the far left vertical channel populated with a series of background tem plates Use the scroll bar to see the entire set Find one you like click on it and the new background is automatically applied as shown here For my menu I changed the background from a solid tone to the Birthday Kid template that auto matically changed the title and video clip text 3 Don t be shy Click around and see what all the functions can do For example find the Menu Options area on the left and click the Animated buttons checkbox When your disc is played on a DVD player the video icons will play a few seconds of the video it s a great special effect 4 When you have finished exploring the Edit Style dialog box click the OK button to return to the main menu work screen All of your changes are now
12. editing packages can do The purpose here is to whet your appetite as to the possibilities of recording and editing video on a PC If you enjoy the experi ence strongly encourage you to spend a lot of quality time experimenting with MyDVD s range of editing special effects and menu building features When you reach the opening Welcome screen of MyDVD move to the upper right area and highlight the Video CD selection Next click the Create or Modify a Video CD Project link The main project screen now appears as shown in Figure 4 11 Untitled Video CD Sonic MyDVD File Edit View Tools Help i Yew Project g9 Bl 2 Edt style M Eat video igh Edt chapters Help i E text QGdGo Click here to change Ow SJDD o 648 83 MB remaining prevew GO GIGI FIGURE 4 11 MyDVD s main project screen opens with a default menu and text The left channel holds the key commands to record video import videos previously recorded add a slideshow and add submenus Take a moment to look over the layout The largest area holds the background and text elements making up the onscreen menu you ll build for your VCD Below that is a toolbar area with a Preview play arrow and a large red Burn button Note the series of numbered _ 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 118 118 Family Computer Fun buttons that look like a telephone keypad we ll see later what they do On the far left e
13. install any necessary software or drivers If all goes well the process ends with a small dialog box on the Windows XP desktop announcing that the product is installed and ready to use 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 113 F CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 113 Step 4 Install a PCI Video Recording Card Those of you opting to use an external capture box can skip this step and move on to the video capture projects in this chapter If want to go with an internal adapter card it s a relatively straightforward process Installing a PCI video capture card involves the same process discussed previously rela tive to adding a FireWire card to a desktop PC If you need to go this route refer to the step Purchase and Install a FireWire Adapter Card in this chapter Follow the installa tion instructions for the card you select Good general purpose PCI video capture cards for desktop PCs include products from ADS Technologies and Pinnacle Systems Project Install Sonic MyDVD Whew However you reached this point in the chapter you should now be set to capture some video analog or digital to your PC and really start having some fun The remaining projects in this chapter use the MyDVD video capture editing and disc production soft ware package from Sonic If you purchased the Adaptec VideOh external capture box MyDVD is included Follow the instructions provided in the product s installation guide to install MyDVD The sa
14. link your digital camcorder to your PC or laptop s FireWire port The first logical step is to see if your digital camcorder or FireWire adapter card came with a FireWire cable For desktop users your cable should look like the one on the left in Figure 4 3 with the laptop version having a mini plug at each end as exhibited in the cable on the right FIGURE 4 3 Two forms of the FireWire cables are shown in this photo The one on the left is designed for desktop PCs with the one on the right for laptops If one didn t come with your PC laptop or digital camcorder expect to pay around 20 for a quality cable e 5 x FireWire cables are not hard to find but it s tl ae a P new video camcorder make sure important to get the right one for your situation it has a FireWire port It s a good time Most desktop PC FireWire cables have a large to buy because digital video cam connector at one end designed to be inserted on corders are readily available for 300 the PC side with a mini plug at the other end for and more y insertion into the digital video camcorder Most I PC laptop card adapters opt for the mini port so you ll need a mini to mini style FireWire cable Q er Do your homework before you hop in the car Ca ution r r gy and spend your money at the computer or office transfers a lot of data at very high supply store speeds The quality of the cable you use has a bearing on the quality of the signal Cheap ca
15. quickly and the burning process n O t e The time it takes to burn your VCD and should start On the main menu a burn i f this applies to DVD production as well progress horizontal bar is presented at the depends on the size of the source bottom of the screen area video files the speed of the CD or DVD burner and the power of the PC s brain 8 When the burn process completes the CD to manage the whole process drive should eject the disc Step 3 Play Your VCD in a DVD Player Playing a VCD in your DVD player is a different ball game than playing a commercial movie DVD When you load a commercial DVD your player quickly presents a menu of clickable chapter choices Later the DVDs you ll make in this chapter will do just that too When you insert a VCD into a DVD player designed to accept this format the machine will think about it for a few moments and might display VCD on its LCD screen Press the Play button on your DVD player and you should see the menu appear on the TV screen VCD Compatibility can t guarantee the VCD you just made will play in every DVD machine on the planet The key is to look at your DVD player s documentation to see if it supports VCD discs For example have three DVD players at home Our newest model a Samsung plays everything under the sun except my VCDs Our older Pioneer and inexpensive Audiovox DVD players on the other hand love our VCDs If the VCD you just made fails in your
16. DVD burners and discs that Digital camcorder users should select the DV F S effectively double the fun with a whop format Analog tape source users should ping capacity of 8 54GB when record select Best MPEG 2 6 0 Mbps refer to ing to DVD R DL discs You can create Figure 4 14 up to two hours of home brew video at the highest quality level on a single Your homemade DVD s menu I m happy to sues dice report should behave in the same way as a commercial DVD When the finished product is played on a DVD player the TV screen will show chapter buttons you may high light and click using your player s remote control e You will be able to store a full hour of the highest quality video your PC can pro duce on a single layer DVD disc with up to two hours on a dual layer disc It may be possible to program MyDVD and other editing programs to double the time on both single and dual layer DVD blanks but I don t recommend it Trust me go for the top video quality settings With these exceptions noted the experiences you gained making a VCD will make fol lowing MyDVD s steps for making a DVD disc easy to tackle Step 2 Play Your DVD in a DVD Player This step assumes you have successfully produced a DVD using MyDVD When you insert your homemade DVD into a DVD player a menu should appear with chapter but tons you can click with the remote control to start playback That s great but the real thrill is the video quality De
17. amcorder can use patch cables costing less than 10 to transfer all their VHS and Hi8 tapes to digital tapes and then pursue the digital camcorder proj ects in this chapter In either case to go for the ultimate home movie and to produce DVD discs you must have a DVD burner installed in or connected to your PC Check your desktop or laptop if it s brand new you might have one already built in If not get ready to spend from 100 to 200 to add this feature There s no way to avoid these investments but I ve made every effort to select mod estly priced sample products 05 3781 cho4 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 101 CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 101 Built in or externally connected CD and or DVD burner to create final productions that can be played on a PC or DVD player Blank CD and or DVD discs Analog Versus Digital Video If you boil it down to the roots the world of video is divided into two camps analog and digital Beyond that you have multiple standard and high definition video standards and plenty of digital video file formats Analog camcorders and VCRs record video and audio input in a form that differs from the codes used in digital video I could launch into a science lesson but let s cut to what you need to know right now Each time you make a copy of an analog tape you lose quality And time moisture sunlight and so on gradually deteriorate analog tapes That s why goin
18. bles might diminish signal quality Go for a high quality cable from makers such as Belkin and Dynex and expect to pay around 30 and more 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 106 106 Family Computer Fun Project Recording Your Analog caytign get started Videos to Digital Cassette Tapes it s important to understand that there will If you have a digital camcorder and also have old be i or loss of Po ae the original s iai analog video tape when transferring to analog video cassette tapes you want digitized to your digital camcorder think the upside your PC you can put your digital camcorder to work f digitizing the material and having the as a middleman benefits of the PC to digital camcorder link make the tradeoff and sometimes At first glance this might seem like jumping arap lengthy time investment acceptable through an extra hoop You might be thinking Why not just buy an external USB connected adapter box to work with my old analog tapes x The motive for this project is clear transferring tl p If your videos are on Hi8 your analog tapes to a digital camcorder enables Sele tapes tiet era te f same size as the ones your digital you to take advantage of the benefits of the camcorder uses you might be in luck FireWire link Some digital camcorders my Sony model for example can identify and e play back an older Hi8 analog tape Time With this feature you can take advan This is open end
19. capture cards To use Windows Movie Maker click Start All Programs Accessories Entertainment Windows Movie Maker Spend some time with the Help tutori als to learn how to use this program with your FireWire connected digital camcorder Now that you re ready to capture some video move your mouse to the Capture icon show ing a video camcorder and click it to display the Capture dialog box refer to Figure 4 12 Note that the VCR controls on this screen are disabled when capturing from an analog source Then follow these steps to capture some video clips 1 Press the Play button on your analog tape source Don t worry about recording at this stage Do you see video playing back in the preview window If not click the Record Settings button and look closely at the Video section of the Record Settings b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 122 F 122 Family Computer Fun tab see Figure 4 14 The Source drop down menu offers two choices for analog tape users Video Composite or Video S Video If your selection matches the cable type you are using you should see the video playing in the preview window 2 With the Record Settings tab still displayed make sure the Record drop down menu is set to Video and Audio and the Quality drop down menu is set to Good 1 hour which by the way is your only option If you like but I don t recommend it you can disable the preview during recording You would only do this if your PC i
20. daptec s VideOh DVD external b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 109 F CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 109 recording box for this project see Figure 4 5 It s a product that has received good reviews and does the job as well as any in its price range Competing products worth checking out come from companies such as ADS Technologies AVerMedia Belkin Canopus Pinnacle Plextor and TDK If however you decide to go with an internal PCI Video recording card solution jump to Step 4 Install a Internal PCI Video Recording Card n ote As an added bonus whether you opt for an internal card or external box most video capture products come bundled with video editing software that enables you to make VCDs and SVCDs using a standard CD burner and DVDs assuming you own a DVD CD combo burner What a deal FIGURE 4 5 Adaptec s VideOh DVD external video recording solution is one of many on the market today It connects an analog video source such as a VCR to a USB port on your PC Priced just under 100 this solution is designed to capture and convert any analog video source into digital video files To speed delivery of the digitized video to your PC s hard disk this product exploits the speed of USB 2 0 technology The VideOh DVD package also includes a full version of Sonic s MyDVD which is the very consumer friendly step by step oriented software program that will be used in this chapte
21. den talents are due to the fact that nearly all DVD players sold in North America are made in Asia In that part of the world rental movies for years before the advent of DVDs were burned on CDs using the VideoCD VCD and Super VideoCD SVCD formats As a PC owner with a CD burner you can take cheap CD blanks video editing software and a standard CD burner and make your own VCDs The video is closest in quality to a VHS tape so it won t look as good as a DVD but it s still a great way to make an inexpensive disc you can play on most family DVD players Discs burned in the SVCD format bump up the resolution to deliver quality closer to a DVD but not all DVD players support them so check your owner s manual The MyDVD software selected for this chapter can create VCDs or DVDs Follow these steps to become familiar with the basic working menus and features of MyDVD 1 Go to the Windows XP desktop and look for the MyDVD icon and double click it You can also open the Start menu and select All Programs Sonic MyDVD Start MyDVD A clear and simple to understand Welcome to Sonic MyDVD splash page appears as shown in Figure 4 10 2 Move your mouse to the upper right area of the welcome window and mouse over highlight without clicking the DVD Video option and then the Video CD selection As you do the information displayed in the main part of the window changes to reflect the differences between a VCD and a DVD Take a few minu
22. dge are the key command icons to record capture video get videos add a slideshow of photos and add submenus Step 3 Capture a Video Clip At this stage your digital video camcorder should be turned on Move your mouse to the Capture icon showing a video camcorder and click it to display the Capture dialog box The Capture dialog box contains a set of controls and settings buttons that will define your recording session as shown in Figure 4 12 Selected Device Sony VCR amp Camera Capture Type Video amp Audio Quality Best MPEG 2 8 0 Mbps Record Settings apture Length Set capture length hh mm ss Scene Detection Automatically identifies key scenes helpful when editing Q video _ Use automatic scene detection V Make chapter menus from scenes Stopped eea Use the Space bar to create scenes manually hen Scene Detection Settings io Grab Frame oe Start Capturing Ta Details Record time available 07 41 50 hh mm ss Time elapsed 00 00 00 hh mm ss Drive space available 27 5GB File size created 0 0MB Temp space used 0 0MB FIGURE 4 12 MyDVD s digital camcorder Capture dialog box offers VCR like buttons to remote control a digital video cam corder and a large red Start Capturing button Here s a run down of the key elements A large preview window with VCR like control buttons directly below As a digital camcorder owner using a F
23. dows XP personal computer Video editing and production is a power hungry task for your PC The more power you have the less time it takes to apply edits and special effects Ideally you should have a Pentium 4 processor operating at 3GHz or higher or a laptop with a Pentium M proces A standard USB 2 0 high speed port this applies to VHS or Hi8 tape users who will be directed to purchase a video recording A standard high speed FireWire also called 1394 or i Link port for digital camcorder users z Materials For the projects in this chapter you ll need sor running at 1 8GHz or higher High speed connection to the Internet to download the trial MyDVD software adapter This chapter contains projects that require the purchase of gear needed to link a digi tal camcorder VHS player or Hi8 camcorder to a PC Digital video camcorder owners are looking at an investment of around 40 if their PC is not already equipped with a FireWire port Add about 20 if your digital cam corder did not include a FireWire cable you ll learn all about this later VHS or Hi8 analog tape users are looking at a potential investment of around 30 for a USB 2 0 adapter if their desktop PC does not have this built in Analog tape users will also need around 100 to 200 for a video capture device which can be an external box or an internal adapter card That said analog tape users who purchase or own a digital c
24. e presents a numeric keypad to simulate how each video clip will be played when the finished VCD is played in a DVD player 3 At last it s time to burn a VCD Click the large black square Stop button to end the preview mode 4 Pop a blank standard recordable CD R into your PC s CD burner Be sure to use a CD R and not a CD RW blank which are often less compatible with set top DVD players 5 Before you click the Burn button look at the bottom far left corner of the screen where an icon for a disc is presented Notice that the drop down menu there tells the program if you are using a 650 or 7OOMB blank CD Make sure you ve selected the correct disc type Today the majority of CDs offer 700MB of storage but the CD s label usually indicates its capacity 6 Okay here we go Click the big red Burn button n o t e Moments after insert and a Safety dialog box appears telling you that ing a blank CD R in the project must be saved before burning Click your burner indow S meh preset the Yes button and in a flash the Make Disc Setup Beene diaos Dox askina ee ms j i gram you want to use to burn the disc dialog box appears The settings shown should If this happens click the Cancel button correspond to your burner Leave the default set and return to the MyDVD screen tings unchanged and click the OK button b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 128 128 Family Computer Fun 7 Loading and Checking Media dialog boxes flash by
25. ed depending on the number of tage of the FireWire link to transfer tapes you have to convert and how much video is your analog videos directly to your PC without the need for a capture device like the one used in the next project Capturing Analog Video to Your PC on each tape Step 1 Locate the Adapter Cable for Your Digital Camcorder Before you begin check the operating guide that came with your digital camcorder In most cases your digital video camcorder came with an adapter cable with red white and yellow standard composite plugs at one end The red and white connectors correspond to left and right stereo sound These are the same standard plugs used for a stereo system The yellow plug is what the engineers call a composite video line At the other end of the cable is some form of connector designed for your specific camcorder as shown in Figure 4 4 After you ve got this cable you re set to get started If for some reason this cable has come up missing check with you camera s manufacturer about ordering a replacement Step 2 Connect Your Analog Source to Your Digital Camcorder With your adapter cable in hand it s time to connect your analog source VHS player Hi8 analog camcorder and so forth to your digital camera Set your VHS player or Hi8 analog camcorder next to your digital video camcorder Use the factory supplied adapter cable to attach the audio and video plugs in the back or front of a VHS player lo
26. eeds to recognize your card The instructions that came with your adapter card should provide the necessary details for all parts of this process If you own a laptop the job is much simpler Obviously if you have a FireWire port already you re good to go refer to Figure 4 1 If not don t feel bad It s not a feature found on most laptops The good news is your laptop should have one or two PC card slots thin credit card sized slots that can accept expansion cards Consult your user s manual to confirm where your slots are located on the laptop PC card slots can be used to hold lots of goodies from wire less network adapters to cards that add functions such as USB and FireWire ports If you need to purchase a FireWire PC card take this book to your local computer or office supply store e and show the sales clerk Figure 4 3 and point to the Ca uti O Wait Be sure to PC card example Companies that make FireWire PC check your manufacturer s warranty cards include Adaptec ADS Technologies CompUSA saicmeitis enaure He Penine We IOGear Star Tech and SIIG case and installing a card does not Follow the manufacturer s instructions to the letter void your warranty when installing the card You might be asked to install driver software before you insert the card b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 105 F CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 105 Step 3 Find or Buy a FireWire Cable A FireWire cable is required to
27. end to do skip ahead to the project Edit Video Clips Using MyDVD Project Record Analog Video Clips Using MyDVD In the previous project I walked your digital camcorder cousins through the steps to record several video clips and set the stage for the creation of a VCD This project will guide you through the same steps using the MyDVD program to capture video from a PCI analog video card or the VideOh USB connected recording box ORO Go Time Figure one hour to familiarize yourself with the Capture dialog box functions and to record and edit three segments of about five to eight minutes each 05 3781 cho4 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 121 CHAPTER 4 Step 1 Get Set Up Follow these steps to prepare for the recording of an analog video clip using a PCI analog video cap ture card or the VideOh external box 1 PCI analog video card users should follow their product s instructions and use the cables provided to connect an analog tape source to the card VideOh users can refer to Step 4 of the project Capturing Analog Video to Your PC in this chapter Consult the prod uct s guide if necessary 2 With your analog tape source VHS or Hi8 camcorder turned on and linked to the PC go to the Windows XP desktop and double click the MyDVD icon or click Start All Programs Sonic MyDVD Start MyDVD Step 2 Start a New MyDVD Project When you reach the opening Welcome screen move to the upper right
28. g digital rocks You can convert analog video to a format based on a digital code and in effect stop the march of time And tapes made with a digital camcorder of course are digital from the get go Some digital camcorders use the same tapes as those needed for a Hi8 analog camcorder New dig ital tape camcorders typically use the mini cartridge format But here s the kicker whatever size tape your digital camcorder employs images and sound are recorded using a digital code Digital video offers lots of advantages including e Video and sound can be duplicated without loss of quality Better overall image quality e Ability to quickly capture and transfer from a digital video camcorder to your PC where you can edit it easily What s the downside Whether your source tapes are analog or digital when you capture them to your PC they create very large files For example it can take more than 4GB to store one hour of DV AVI quality video the highest recording setting b n o t e If your family video memories are on VHS or Hi8 tapes you re in trouble Imagine discovering one day that your baby s first steps your wedding your son or daughter s first T ball home run are lost forever Experts tell us that traditional analog video tapes VHS Super VHS VHS C and Hi 8 may deteriorate to the point of being unwatchable in as little as 10 years The tools and techniques in this chap ter can be applied to help preserve
29. implemented and displayed 5 To change the main title text move your mouse pointer over any part of the top text and it automatically highlights and is bounded by a box Position your mouse pointer on a letter and click A blinking cursor now appears Delete the default text and replace it with your title 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 126 126 Family Computer Fun Edit Style Change Text Glick here to change Titles text Arial Black 28 v oreys Menu Options BANESA ieee I Still background No Audio C Animated buttons V Play all C Set video to play first Select custom video or still background Choose Bery background picture Select custom button frame Choose Berry button frame Celebration a Select custom music track Choose None selected import Sie Save As Custom Style FIGURE 4 16 The Edit Style dialog box is a sight to behold You can select templates for menu backgrounds change text styles at will and apply other special effects 6 With the cursor still blinking and the main title framed in a box click the Edit Style link at the top of the screen to once again bring up the Edit Style dialog box refer to Figure 4 16 Move to the Change Text area and click the font drop down menu showing Arial Black as the default 7 Keep exploring other features and don t m
30. ireWire link you have the advantage of being able to use these controls to remotely operate your camcorder A Grab Frame camera icon you may click to capture a still image from a single frame of video These still images can be saved as JPEG photos and inserted into video clips an editing feature not covered in this chapter but one you may pursue at a later date To grab a frame just play your video When you see a spot you want to capture as a still image click the Grab Frame icon and use the Save As dialog box to name and save the file in a folder This function is disabled when you are capturing video to your PC A details pane at the bottom edge of the dialog box contains lots of very helpful information A running clock of the capture time and file size being created is b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 119 CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 119 displayed My favorite features are the Record T Before you click the Start Time Available and Drive Space Available tl p button to begin the capture readouts that dynamically report on the process use the play fast forward amount of hard disk space available for your and or rewind onscreen remote con video files This feature enables you to moni _ tls to position your digital cam corder s tape to the exact spot where tor how much video your hard drive can you want to start recording accommodate remember video files are large e 5 ts Follow these steps t
31. iss the Select custom music track option This feature allows you to add background music from digital MP3 music files on your PC s hard disk 8 After you play with the Edit Style dialog box click the OK button at the bottom and you are returned to the main work screen If you re happy with the look of your main menu you re ready to burn a VCD Step 2 Preview and Burn a VCD Before we burn a menu driven VCD be sure to save all your hard work Follow these actions to preview and then burn your first VCD disc 1 Move to the bottom horizontal toolbar area and click the large black Preview arrow button Depending on the nature of your menu an Information dialog box might appear For example if you use animated video clip icons this dialog box informs you that in preview mode the animations will not be reproduced Click the OK button 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 127 F CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 127 2 The keypad at the bottom is now activated to simulate what will happen when you insert a VCD into your DVD player see Figure 4 17 Click the Number 1 button and the first clip plays Click the numbers for your other video clips to test drive the final composition Untitled Video CD Sonic MyDVD Preview Mode EDER Edt View Tools Help Bnew project 6 BB O Eat style MB cae video Birthday j y P y RE COA ED EDEDED SDD 0 remaining Stop amp J oo FIGURE 4 17 The VCD Preview Mod
32. lace transitions before and after a clip add text and adjust brightness and contrast For our simple exercise follow the onscreen instructions to place a fade or dissolve at the front and back of your clip and add a floating text title Click OK and the edits are applied to the video clip Repeat the process for the other captured clips Each time you complete the cycle you are returned to the main menu screen refer to Figure 4 13 At this stage you are ready to create your first VCD Project Create a VCD Using MyDVD Now it s time to take all of your work from the previous two projects and burn a VCD that will play in a DVD player When the finished disc is inserted into a DVD player the TV screen will present the menu with video icons you designed earlier 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 125 CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 125 al Materials The default opening amp To complete this project you ll need n ote menu background will vary based on the version of MyDVD you use The screen images in this chapter are based on the MyDVD 5 2 MyDVD program installed program bundled with the Adapter VideOh At the time of this writing the free trial download offered by Sonic was MyDVD 5 0 CD or DVD burner installed in your PC or externally connected DVD player that accepts VCDs Time If you followed the instructions above and recorded two or more clips of five to eight minutes in length budget about one hour to
33. ll expand rapidly My wife told a friend at work about our home PC video studio Her son is serving in Iraq and his girlfriend wanted to send home videos he could play on the platoon s DVD player What a joy it was for us to take her VHS tapes and turn them into DVD discs She mailed the discs to the soldier and his entire platoon could watch them on their DVD player 05 3781 cho4 132 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 132 F Family Computer Fun What s next A moment ago I mentioned my wife s friend and her son serving in Iraq Thousands of remotely stationed military folks are staying in touch with the home front using laptop computers and video audio web cameras It s all part of an amazing array of products and services available today that can leverage the power of your PC and the vast reach of the Internet to bring loved ones and friends closer together Get ready to dive into the world of webcams and Internet phone services Are You Hooked Yet To discover other great video gt editing software go to the Featured Software section of the Personal Computing area of the Intel website You ll find listings and links to great programs the Intel home personal computing team suggests for average consumers to try To find this resource turn on your PC connect to the Internet and go to http www intel com On the opening page look for the Personal Computing selection and click that button Now look for the Featured S
34. me applies to those who purchased an internal PCI video capture card bundled with MyDVD After you install MyDVD jump to the next project If you are a digital camcorder user or you installed a PCI analog video capture card that did not include MyDVD follow the steps below to download and install the free 14 day trial version of MyDVD Time Budget about one hour to download and install the free trial version of MyDVD Your time initially will vary based on the speed of your Internet connection because the MyDVD trial software download is about 150 megabytes 9 Step 1 Download MyDVD Follow the steps here to visit the Sonic website find the free trial download link and download the program s Zip folder to your PC s hard disk 1 Connect to the Internet and point your browser to http www sonic com When the main page opens go to the top area and click the Support link On the Support page find the Quick Links area and click the Downloads link 2 A small Get Support for Your Sonic Products dialog box appears Use the Choose Your Product drop down menu and select MyDVD b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 114 114 Family Computer Fun 3 The Downloads screen appears with a quick registration fill in the blank set of boxes for n O t Zip folders arg digna packages containing your name and email address Enter your one or more compressed files Many soft information and click the big red Submit but ware manufacturer
35. n Wizard window 4 When this step completes an Extraction Complete dialog box appears with the default of Show Extracted Files checked Click the Finish button and the screen refreshes to show the Windows Explorer utility and a MyDVD_Trial 1 folder now without the zipper Double click the folder and the set of now decompressed files appears b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 115 CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 115 5 Find and click the Setup file to start the full installation of MyDVD t After downloaded and n 0 e installed you may use the MyDVD trial version for 14 days or up to 50 uses whichever comes first 6 Follow all onscreen menus and prompts to complete the installation 7 The first time the program runs a prompt screen appears asking you to register online Follow the steps to register for support and updates Step 3 Get to Know MyDVD With Sonic MyDVD installed it s time to get acquainted with what I ve found to be one of the most intuitive video capture edit and production software packages for consumers I ve experienced to date Using MyDVD free trial or full version bundled with the Adaptec VideOh box and a CD or DVD burner you have a wide range of output options includ ing the production of VCDs and DVDs What the Heck Are VCDs and SVCDs Your home DVD player has a lot of tricks up its sleeve you might not know about including the ability to play video files burned on to CD These hid
36. o capture a video clip tl As you add clips to build ia the structure for a VCD or 1 Before clicking the red Start Capturing button DVD be sure to consistently stop and click the Record Settings button that brings save your work Click the File drop up the Settings dialog box Go to the Record down menu at the top toolbar and Settings area and click the Quality drop down Select Save As Use the Save Project As menu and select DV format This records ieia oes tO eve Whe project aname f and save it to an existing or new folder video at the highest quality setting and is a good move if you plan to edit your clips or pro duce a DVD Also ensure that the Record drop down menu is set for Video and Audio Click the OK button to return to the Capture dialog box 2 When you find the spot in your video at which you want to begin recording click the red Start Capturing button and your digital video camcorder should spring to life For test purposes record a five to eight minute sample video clip and then click the red Stop Capturing button 3 A Save As dialog box appears asking you to give your clip a name and store it Use the New Folder icon find the symbol of a file folder at the top with a starburst pat tern on the edge and create a folder to hold the clips for this project Give the folder an applicable name such as VCD Test Videos Then give the clip a name and save the file 4 When the Capture Complete dialog box appears anno
37. oftware button and click it You ll see a page with cate gories such as gaming video photogra phy and more Click the Video link and then the link for Video Editing to view the current list of suggested software
38. ok for the set of plugs labeled Video Out and Audio Out Connect the yellow composite video plug to the Video Out connector on the back of your VHS player If a Hi8 camcorder is the source consult its operating guide and attach the plugs accordingly b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 107 CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 107 Headphone style connector compatible with a Sony digital camcorder FIGURE 4 4 Composite RCA plugs which provide connections for video yellow and stereo audio red and white This cable connects a Sony digital video camcorder to a VHS player or Hi8 camcorder Step 3 Record Your Videos Now it s time to move your analog video to its new digital home 1 2 After the patch cable link is established between your VHS player or Hi8 analog camcorder and a digital camcorder turn on both Place the old analog tape in the VHS or Hi8 unit and a blank tape in the digital camcorder Make sure your digital camera is set to record video not from its lens but from the cable link you ve established Consult your camera s manual if necessary Press play on the VHS or Hi8 side When the camera s viewfinder displays the video you n O t e Some VHS and Hi8 i camcorders offer want to record press its Record button i 3 p S Video connectors they are round in At this point you can kick back and wait for shape If your digital camcorder has an the recording to finish This is a real time
39. or me making homemade video discs is one of the most rewarding personal computer experiences I ve had yet Take it from me it s easy to become an addict You can have hours of fun making VCDs or DVDs using old home movies or get your kids in the act by creating music videos or sophisticated homework presentations At the beginning of the chapter I touched on the theme of home movie preservation Let me share a family story that might inspire you to apply the skills learned in this chapter About 18 years ago my wife Carolyn took a box of her father s family vacation 8mm reel films from the 1950s and early 1960s to a service bureau that transferred them to VHS tapes then the state of the art About two years ago I digitized the whole lot and burned a set of DVDs which we distributed to her brother and mother What an experi ence Movies that for years sat in a box collecting dust are now modern DVD big screen productions our family can enjoy for decades to come Breathing new life into old family videos is just the tip of the PC video fun iceberg Home digital movie making does much more than just preserve the past My son Jeff has produced sophisticated skateboard DVDs and productions documenting his band s live concerts And you should see the looks on the faces of his friends and their parents when we hand them souvenir DVDs of each performance n o t e After word gets around that you know how to make DVDs your popularity wi
40. ording box that you may also have to purchase Purchase and install an internal PCI video recording card and follow the product s instructions for linking to an analog video source Time If you opt to manually install a PCI video recording card figure on about 30 to 40 minutes For those who intend to use an external video capture box via a USB 2 0 connection fig ure about the same amount of time more if you need to install a USB 2 0 adapter card Step 1 Pick a Video Capture Device Your first challenge is deciding how you want to connect a VHS tape player or Hi8 ana log camcorder to your PC or laptop For desktop users it all boils down to two choices Buy and install a PCI video recording card designed to accept analog video and audio patch cables connectors Or go for an external USB 2 0 connected recording box designed to accept analog video and audio patch cables that in turn connect to a VHS player or Hi8 analog tape camcorder If your PC does not have USB 2 0 ports you ll also need to buy a USB 2 0 PCI card Based on my experience I recommend that desktop and laptop users go for the USB external video recording box option It s easier to work with and video capture quality is good Another nice benefit is the external box may be easily moved around and used on multiple PCs Although plenty of quality competing products are out there you should select the one that works best for your needs I have selected A
41. pending on the original source of the video and the set tings you used to capture it your homemade DVDs should look much better than your VCDs In fact I like to say that my DVDs pass the wife test when my wife saw the first homemade DVD I made nearly three years ago she did not ask why the video looked funny Instead she directed me to start transforming all our old VHS and Hi8 tapes to DVDs ASAP 05 3781 cho4 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 131 CHAPTER 4 Buying a DVD Burner Lights Camera Action 131 There are two ways to add a DVD burner to an existing desktop PC You can install a DVD burner in a desktop PC or pay a computer repair shop to take care of this for you If neither of these options sound appealing a really convenient alternative that s also ideal for laptop users is to go for an external USB 2 0 or FireWire connected model Although a little pricier its much easier to connect an external burner to your PC s USB 2 0 or FireWire port than it is to install an internal drive Plus they re portable and can be taken from PC to PC As mentioned earlier in this project the latest technology for DVD burners at the time of this writing is the dual layer DVD format If you re going to buy a drive today it s a good idea to make sure the one you choose supports this feature A host of products are available from 100 and up from HP Memorex Lacie Beng NEC Samsung and Pioneer Taking the Next Step F
42. r to record edit and produce home videos on Video CDs and DVDs 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 110 110 Family Computer Fun Step 2 Locate a USB 2 0 Port on Your PC This step assumes you ve made the decision as I suggest to go with an external USB 2 0 connected recording box solution Follow the steps below to determine if your PC has USB 2 0 ports Determining whether your PC has USB 2 0 ports on it can be a little tricky Although your PC if it s less than five years old certainly has USB ports the older USB 1 0 ports are identical in appearance to the second generation USB 2 0 versions see Figure 4 6 FIGURE 4 6 USB 1 0 and USB 2 0 ports are physically identical Some manufacturers add a to the symbol shown here that indicates it is a USB 2 0 port Because any modern PC will have at least two ports that look like this the first step is to consult the documentation that came with your system to make sure they are of the USB 2 0 variety If they re not you ll need to purchase and install a USB 2 0 PCI expansion card for a desktop PC or a PC card product for a laptop as discussed in the next step What Is USB USB stands for universal serial bus and is a feature found on most PCs made after 1995 USB ports openings into which you plug a USB cable connected to a USB compatible product such as a printer or digital camera are usually found on the back of a PC though many modern PCs include them on the front as well
43. rewritable CD RW format ki hi f the f in this book Unfortunately DVD blanks come in one making this one of the few projects in this boo of two formats DVD and DVD with where it s very possible you won t have the neces the usual R or RW separating record sary hardware able from rewritable discs If you have a modern PC there s at least a fair Although early DVD burners usually only chance it came with a DVD burner already supported one of the two formats most on installed If so or if you ve already upgraded your recent drives can handle either or PC to include one you are in great shape If not discs That sald although most set top find llet To play in thi db 41 DVD players can read both check your IC eee WATSE O pray ee san ox you player s manual to see if it favors one need around 100 to 200 dollars which is actu recordable DVD format over the other ally considerably cheaper than just a year or two ago when a good PC DVD burner could cost more than 400 After you re set with a DVD burner and blank discs you ll find that recording a DVD isn t much different from the steps we just followed to create a VCD Materials For this project you ll need K MyDVD software installed Built in DVD burner or external USB 2 0 or FireWire connected alternative Blank DVD discs Recorded video clips and a DVD menu project created via MyDVD s DVD project wizards ae Time
44. s too weak to record and display a preview at the same time Record Settings Scene Detection Record Settings Record Video amp Audio Quality Best MPEG 2 6 0 Mbps Disable preview during video capture Note Disabling preview during capture can improve capture quality and performance when using certain capture cards See documentation for details Video Device Adaptec USB Capture Device Source Video Composite TV standard NTSC_M Audio Device Line FIGURE 4 14 The Record Settings dialog box allows you to choose your capture source and the quality with which MyDVD should record the video 3 Stop your VHS or Hi8 source and using the manual controls on the VHS or Hi8 analog camcorder position the tape to the spot where you want to start recording 4 When you are set to go press the Play button on your analog tape source and quickly click the large red Start Capturing button on the Capture dialog box The button now changes to a Stop Capturing mode as the video is being recorded and saved to your PC s hard disk When you have captured the desired amount click the Stop Capturing button followed by manually stopping your tape source 5 Follow the onscreen dialog boxes to give the captured video clip a name and save it in a directory Close the Capture dialog box and the main MyDVD screen appears showing your video clip automa
45. s offer downloads of ton to begin the download their products compressed into Zip i p files folders so they can be more quickly A A piogiess dialog bok displaya showing the transmitted via the Internet to your PC It s estimated time to download the 147MB file a great technology that s been around for years and is supported in Windows XP Step 2 Install the Trial Version of MyDVD When the download completes use Windows Explorer to navigate to find a folder named MyDVD_Trial 1 This is a Zip folder containing compressed files 1 The icon for the Zip folder might appear as a folder with a cute little zipper on it Highlight the folder with your mouse and right click 2 When the drop down menu appears search for the Extract All option and click it as shown in Figure 4 9 This initiates the Extraction Wizard Click the Next button and the Select a Destination dialog box appears oma Open Search Browse with Paint Shop Pro Studio Explore Extract All Scan for viruses Open With gt Send To Cut Copy Create Shortcut Delete Rename Properties FIGURE 4 9 When you find the MyDVD_Trial 1 Zip folder right click its icon and select Extract All from the drop down menu 3 Use the Browse button to navigate to your downloads folder and click the Next button to start the extraction process Note the Extracting progress bar displayed at the bottom of the Select a Destinatio
46. s two USB ports with two FireWire ports Step 4 Connect the Adaptec VideOh DVD USB Box to Your PC Whether you had to buy a USB 2 0 adapter card or have a PC with the ports already built in the next step is to connect your capture device Adaptec s VideOh in this case to one of the available ports After that we ll establish a link to your analog tape source VHS player or Hi8 camcorder If you use a USB 2 0 capture box other than the VideOh don t worry For laptop owners it s a You should find that the procedure I describe here tl p breeze to purchase and is consistent with your device then slip a PC card into the side of n laptop Go to a computer or office I m not going to duplicate the information provide your Or gomg Se Qupae a on provided supply store and ask for a PC card in the installation manual for the VideOh DVD box USB 2 0 adapter for your laptop Instead here s a run down of the basic steps you Purchase one and follow the instruc can expect with products like the VideOh DVD box tions provided with the product 1 Software installation Some USB products and internal cards for that matter require software to be installed before you connect n o t e If you use an internal the hardware to a PC VideOh DVD s installa PCI video capture card tion calls for the insertion of the program disc _ See Step 4 of this project the only real containing a driver a software program that eiterencs irom
47. so recommend examining the Tutorial resource which can teach you a lot about MyDVD that I don t get into in these pages Project Record Digital Video Clips Using MyDVD This project shows digital camcorder users how to capture and edit video clips using MyDVD This is a key step leading to the production of a VCD or DVD OS n o Time Figure one hour to familiarize yourself with the Capture dialog box functions and to record and edit three segments of about five to eight minutes each Step 1 Get Set Up I ve already covered the basics for hooking up your digital camcorder to your PC but there are a couple of extra nuggets you ll need to do to kick things off 1 Before you do anything make sure you ve connected your digital camera to your PC via its FireWire cable b 05 3781 cho4 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 117 CHAPTER 2 Turn the camera on and place it in playback mode If this is the first time you have ever connected your digital camcorder to your PC allow Windows XP a few moments to detect the camera The end of that process results in a dialog box announcing the product is ready to use 3 With your digital camcorder turned on and linked to the PC start up Sonic MyDVD refer to the previous project if you don t remember how Step 2 Start a New MyDVD Project 4 Lights Camera Action 117 n o t e The steps in this proj ect touch the surface of what a program like MyDVD and other comparable consumer video
48. tal camcorder users will learn how to e Identify a FireWire also called 1394 or i Link port Purchase and install a FireWire adapter card into a desktop PC or laptop if not already factory installed Use a FireWire cable to link a digital camcorder to a PC RTS Time n ote FireWire was devel oped by Apple If you own a PC with a factory installed FireWire Computer as a way to transfer digital port it will take less than a minute to patch your information between a computer and digital camcorder to your PC If you need to pur peripherals at high speeds One of its chase an adapter card for your desktop or laptop keyladvantagesiis that it s designed so the computer can instantly recognize PC figure about one hour for desktop users after when a device is connected to it auto you go to the store and buy the adapter card to detect and plug and play install the card and about 30 minutes for laptop users to install a PC card on their systems Step 1 Check Your PC for FireWire t know it s goofy but ee n O e this port goes by one of Follow these steps to determine if your PC has a three names The Apple crowd prefers FireWire port FireWire with the international engineer ing community defaulting to the 1394 name selected by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IEEE standards group Sony uses the 1 Before you do anything grab the owner s manual that came with your PC and see if it lists
49. tes to read the information for each option b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 116 F 116 Family Computer Fun Welcome to Sonic MyDVD DVDs can store up to three hours of high quality video and can be played back on most set top DVD players and PCs with a DVD ROM drive equipped with the appropriate playback software Select a project type KA Create or Modify a DVD Video Project lt I Video CD Make a DVD using your video device multimedia clips and pictures Choose a stylish look for your DVD and share with DVD friends and family Record Direct to DVD Plug in your video device choose some simple settings from the Wizard and let MyDVD create a DVD for you DVD Edit an Existing OpenDVD Disc Modify any DVD created using Sonic MyDVD DVD exit Tutorial Heip Dont show this wendow enar FIGURE 4 10 MyDVD s welcome screen serves as the launch pad for VCD or DVD projects 3 MyDVD offers three major activities Create or Modify a DVD Video CD Project Record Direct to VCD DVD and Edit an Existing VCD DVD Disc In this chapter we will work exclusively with the Create or Modify feature After you ve mastered the exercises below I encourage you to return and learn about the other two main project areas especially the very convenient Record Direct to VCD DVD that allows you to dump the contents of a video tape directly to a blank CD or DVD 4 For some extra homework I al
50. tically inserted into the menu work area refer to Figure 4 13 b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 123 CHAPTER 4 Lights Camera Action 123 e 5 6 Repeat the video clip capture process to cre tl p As you add clips to build the ate two or more clips in preparation for the structure for a VCD or DVD A be sure to consistently stop and save VCD disc project your work Click the File drop down At this point you are ready to join with your digital menu at the top toolbar and select camcorder cousins to work on the Edit Video Clips Save As Use the Save Project As dialog Using MyDVD project box to give the project a name and save it to an existing or new folder Project Edit Video Clips Using MyDVD In this project we ll use a handful of MyDVD s key video clip editing tools to add a tran sition to the front and back of each clip and add a text title ae Time Figure about 30 minutes to edit three clips Step 1 Open the Edit Window With your main project menu displayed per the previous video capture projects double click one of the captured video clip icons and a MyDVD dialog box double checks to ensure you want to enter the scene window where you can automatically or manually detect scenes Click Yes and the Mark Scenes for Editing dialog box appears For our exercise to create a simple VCD I m going to ask you to skip this step You may always return at a later time and learn what this dialog box can do
51. uncing that the file has been saved click the OK button which returns you to the Capture dialog box 5 Before we record another clip for our test click and drag the Capture dialog box to the side and look at the main menu template You ll see an icon in the center of the menu with the file name shown below it see Figure 4 13 Cool You are begin ning to build a multi clip menu driven VCD Later when you insert your finished VCD into a DVD player this opening menu will be displayed on your TV screen more about this later 6 Now return to the Capture dialog box and record one or two more clips giving each a meaningful name and storing them in the VCD Test Videos folder When you finish capturing recording video clips click the Finish button on the lower right corner of the Capture dialog box b 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 120 F 120 Family Computer Fun Video clip Untitled DVD Video Sonic MyDVD File Edit View Tools Help i C newproject g 2 Edt stye M Edt vieo igh Edt chante Click here to change text y gt VENS Birthday QT 4 69 GB remaining FIGURE 4 13 h After saving a recorded video clip MyDVD automatically inserts an icon on the menu for your VCD project With video clips captured to your PC you re ready to really put MyDVD to work The next project focuses on capturing video from an analog source like a VHS tape If that s not a something you int
52. your old VHS or Hi8 camcorder video treasures and create new digital heir looms stored on CDs or DVD discs n o t e Today digital video camcorders use three ways to save movies Until very recently the world of digital video camcorders included models that recorded movies directly to either tapes or miniature DVD discs Most models today record to either MiniDV or Digital8 cassette tapes New models that write video files to on board hard disks are also now coming to market These cutting edge models make it even more convenient to quickly transfer digital video files to a PC 05 3781 ch04 4 28 05 11 25 AM Page 102 102 Family Computer Fun used today with PC video recording software and the format recommended if you plan to edit your video files File sizes vary by format For example the MPEG 2 format deliv ers high quality video with much smaller file sizes However DV AVI is the preferred for mat for PC based video editing Project Use FireWire to Connect a Digital Camcorder to a PC There s a lot to love about the technology we call FireWire First it makes it super easy to patch your digital camera and PC together Next the digital information stored on your camcorder s tape can move to your PC s hard disk at a fast clip using this link And last software designed to take advantage of a FireWire connection allows your PC and mouse to remote control your digital camcorder more about this later In this project digi
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