|
You would need an external or internal video capture card as the middle man to go between your computer and camcorder so you can start importing video.
You can install one of these cards on your own, it's fairly easy if the manufacturer didn't pre-install one already. Some of them even double as a display card that sends the video signal from your computer to your monitor.
Installing often involves taking off the computer's cover, finding the right socket to push the card into it and possibly hooking up a cable for audio. That's really it! The more difficult part most often is installing the software driver from the included CD to make sure the capture card works correctly.
If the idea of opening up your computer doesn't appeal to you then purchase an external capture card or DV converter box....they connect to your computer through FireWire or the USB port and you simply connect your camcorder's analog RCA plugs to the converter which then allows you to start capturing video.
When looking for a converter box, remember that the higher the maximum data throughput the better quality your video capture will be. Five megabytes per second is the lowest you really want to go without any visible deterioration, the low data-transfer rate visibly worsens the video quality of DV movies.
Consumer video capture cards cost between $200 and $1,000. Several types of external video capture devices cost about $200 or less. I recommend a Plextor or Canopus converter.
Before you purchase a converter:
- Read reviews in computer and video magazines and on the Internet to narrow your choices.
- Compare features of any bundled video editing programs.
- Consider a multipurpose video card to save money.
- Look for a card with S-VHS quality for better video, or a FireWire (IEE1394) port if you will be using a digital camcorder.
- Compare the audio and video inputs and outputs on the cards. Look for an S-video jack if you will be using video hardware with S-video input or output.
- Find out the transfer rates of cards under consideration. Expect to pay more for faster cards.
- Compare the capture resolution and color-depth capabilities of cards.
- See if the card allows you to transfer digitized video back to your camcorder or VCR, so you can watch your edited movies on TV.
Last update: 05:46 PM Tuesday, August 8, 2006 |
