Capturing
is the First Step
Everything from mobile phones and digital cameras now can record
videos while DV camcorders are currently being upstaged by HDV
camcorders, hitting the markets fast and furious. High-definition
content is not only in the hands of premium content providers,
but now readily available for any at the local electronics store. |
 |
| Sony HDR-HC1 |
Editing
is the Second Step
 That's
just the first step. After you capture, you need to transfer this
content into a video editing software that not only supports capturing
HD (high-definition) and other video formats, but also producing
or outputting HD content including widescreen (16:9) aspect ratios,
and cool tools that transform your content into instant excitement!
A software, say, CyberLink
PowerDirector perhaps.
But what is profoundly important here is your PC. Sure, your video
editing software may be great, bordering on magical,
but your PC has to be quick enough and have all the right peripherals.
Here's a list:
- a speedy CPU processor—the brains
and muscle of your PC. Just remember the more you need for the
better video format. For e.g. MPEG-2, 2.2 GHz is recommended.
- a video capture card (captures video content
from your recording devices)
- a large hard disc drive (HDD) for storing
your footage
To process and edit video on the PC, you firstly need to have the
video content captured onto the PC and have it converted into digital
format (if it is not already) through a video encoding process.
Though more and more PCs today come ready for video editing, the
necessary hardware components may not be available on your PC and
thus will need to be purchased separately and installed on your
computer.
Currently the most commonly used hardware equipment for video editing
can be divided into two types: Analog and Digital.
|
Video
Capture Card (for Analog video):
A Video Capture
Card is needed for importing analog video onto your PC from
sources such as a TV, VCR or analog camcorder, and transforming
the content into digital video format.
IEEE 1394 Firewire (for
Digital video):
The new digital video standard
for capturing content from a digital video source is called
IEEE 1394 Firewire. With an IEEE 1394 Firewire card installed
on your PC, you will be able to directly connect your DV Camcorder
to your PC and transfer the contents directly in digital format.
The advantage for capturing video digitally is that it eliminates
the complex process of converting traditional analog video
to digital format, which leads to a loss in video quality.
|
Additional Hardware Specifications
In addition, you will also need to ensure that
you have the following hardware items: |
| |
Large
Hard Drive Space:One of the most important components
to working with digital video on the PC is the Hard Drive.
When working with digital video in high quality, the file
sizes can be quite large and thus require a great deal of
storage space. For example, one hour of pure digital video
can occupy about 13 Gigabytes of Hard Disk space. If you convert
your files to MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 they will take up less space,
but the files are still rather large. The ideal solution would
be to have a hard drive capable of storing 10 GB. Since your
HD will also need to contain other files, such as your other
software programs and project files, it is probably best to
have two Hard Drives, and use one specifically for video editing
purposes.
Note: Your HD should have an RPM of at least 7200.
Fast
CPU Processor: Most of today's PCs are fast enough
to edit video fairly comfortably, but if your PC is not over
the 1 GHz level, it might be a good time for an upgrade. The
faster your CPU is, the better it will be to render edited
video clips, convert files into different formats, preview
video in real-time, and so on. If you are going to work with
MPEG-2 video (for producing DVD titles) it is recommended
that your CPU be at least a Pentium IV 1.4 GHz or an Athlon
1.2 GHz. If you are working with MPEG-1 video (for producing
VCD titles) it is recommended you have at least a Pentium
III 800 MHz or and Athlon 800 MHz.
Memory
(RAM): Basically, the more memory you have the
better. Your PC should have at least 128 MB RAM. Actually,
it is recommended that you have 256 MB RAM or higher if you
would like to ensure better performance and a smoother process
while editing video on your PC.
CD
or DVD Writer (optional): If you are looking to
output your edited video productions on to a CD or DVD, you
will need to have a CD or DVD writer (or burner as some would
call it). For CD writers the choice usually comes down to
brand preference and writing speed. For DVD writers you will
need to consider one other factor and that is the format.
Currently their are two main DVD recordable format groups:
DVD+R/RW and DVD-R/RW. For more on these formats, please
click here. |
Hopefully this article has given you a basic
overview of the hardware requirements for editing video on the PC.
Before choosing a video editing software, please check the products
system requirements and make sure your hardware is compatible. To
view PowerDirector's system requirements, please
click here. |
