5 Steps to Speed Up Your Video Editing Computer if running Windows XP

Step 1 : Update ZoneAlarm firewall.

ZoneAlarm firewall has served us well for many years. Our computers are connected online all the time, so we are vulnerable to spywares and hackers that want to plant hidden programs in our computers. These hidden programs work in the background that will slow down our system. ZoneAlarm has since detected and prevented many undesired intrusion. ZoneAlarm reminds us automatically whenever an update is required. ZoneAlarm firewall is freeware.

Step 2: Update AVG anti-virus protection.

AVG detects and removes viruses coming from internet downloads, email attachments, thumbdrives, memory cards and external drives. These usually come from clients that do not have anti-virus protection installed. A virus freezes or crashes your video editing computer rather than slow it down. AVG has detected many viruses coming from email attachments, especially the recent trojan ecards. Thanks to AVG, our video editing computers are safe. AVG updates itself daily. Its is also freeware.

Step 3: Search and delete stray video and audio files.

Sometime we capture or create video files that are abandoned and not used. If they are not created in designated folders, these clips can get lost and forgotten in the hard drive with many other files. This is not good as video files take up lots of memory space. If this accumulates, the hard disk space will reduce very quickly. Use file explorer to search for media files, video and audio. Delete them if they are not required any more. This housekeeping job is done manually.

Step 4: Run CCleaner.

The video production business advances with technology. New software are created frequently to make video production faster and easier. We also rely heavily on software for video conversion, video copying and creation of DVDs. Very often we download and install trial versions. We buy and keep the good ones and uninstall the rest. Uninstalling programs does not erase them completely. Bits of the program will be left behind. Again, the the accumulation of these bits over time will eat up memory space. This is where CCleaner comes in. CCleaner detects and removes the bits. This freeware also removes your internet browser cookies and history. It is like giving the computer a good refreshing bath. The video editing computer feel sparkling clean after that.

Step 5: Defragment.

Finally, after getting rid of the dirt, grime and bugs, tidy up the remaining files in the computer. Imagine an untidy bedroom with things all over the floor. You have thrown away the old or dirty stuff that you do not want. The room is still untidy if you leave the things you want lying around. Imagine arranging your things to one side, you will now have a big empty space to dance around. This is exactly what defragmentation does. Just right-click on C drive, select properties, tools and click defragment now.

There you have it, the 5 steps to speed up the performance of your video editing computer. Do this monthly and you will feel that your computer is as good as new.

Digital Video Cameras - More Fun Than Ever

With your trusty digital video camera by your side you can capture all those special moments, such as your child's first steps, your birthday or wedding, or your vacation with family and friends etc.

With so many manufacturers and models available in the digital video market, you may find it confusing trying to choose the perfect one for you. Your choice will, however, depend on the features that you want and how much you are willing to spend.

The most important thing to consider is the format in which your videos will be stored, as the video format determines the video quality. Digital 8 otherwise called D8, Mini-DV, DVD and HDD are the main types of video format that digital cameras offer. Both D8 and Mini-DV are tape-based formats, with the Mini-DV currently offering the highest quality video format to consumers. The DVD format allows direct video recording onto a digital disk, while the HDD type uses internal hard drives where the video is recorded. As the tape format is slowly being phased out by major manufacturers, it is a good idea to invest in disk or hard drive based digital video cameras.

Digital video cameras also come with charged coupled device or CCD imaging sensor. Digital video cameras come with 1-CCD or 3-CCD features. Cameras with 1-CCD suffer from poor video quality, whereas 3-CCD cameras produce much better quality videos. Most professional camcorders use the 3-CCD technology, thus making them more expensive than the other models.

The optical zoom feature of the camcorder lens generally ranges from 10X to 20X. The choice of zoom depends on how close you want to get to the action. Some digital video cameras also allow still photography at various resolutions, and some camcorders offer both video and still photography features. Some digital video camcorders have in-built flash for low-light photography, while some video cameras come with a 'Night Shot' feature. Other popular options include external flashlights, external microphones and external storage devices that can be attached onto the camcorder.

Camcorders with longer battery strength is also recommended. Digital video cameras have battery life ranging from 4 to 8 hours of continuous shooting. However, using the zoom or any external devices reduce the battery strength.

All cameras nowadays come bundled with a digital video editing software. But if you are not satisfied with the one provided, you can always buy a better and more expensive editing software from Adobe or any other reputable brand.

Video camera prices today vary from $500 to $4000, with Sony, JVC and Canon being the more popular brands.

Post Production

Step One - Editing

Editing can take one or two weeks. Under the producer's direction, the editor will interpret the sequence of events from the storyboard, the footage, and additional director's notes from the shoot, the voiceover, and any preferences you or your designated representative may have offered while approving the footage during the shoot.

Marketing Executives Quality Check - Quality assurance guarantees that if everything else is according to plan, then editing should run smoothly, and on time.

Step Two - The Rough Cut Viewing - 2 hours

You and your team review a Rough Cut of the video in detail. This may be at the studio or at your premises.

Because the producer has worked closely with you throughout the production, the Rough Cut will be close to your finished video. Nevertheless, you will need to identify any small amendments. Formally document all modifications required.

Manager Quality Check - Quality assurance means you and your team approve the video for content and continuity.

Step Three - The Fine Cut - 1 hour

The producer will have incorporated any suggested modifications from the Rough Cut stage into the video. You will have attended to every smallest detail prior to this meeting. Because you have adhered to a Quality Assurance Check throughout the production process, you can rightly be confident the result will achieve its purpose. The video will now be complete.

Marketing Executives Quality Check - Quality assurance means you and your team approve the video before the Final Viewing.

Step Four - The Final Viewing - 1 hour

Invariably this is a formality where you present the finished video to your organisation.

Marketing Executives Quality Check - Quality assurance means the finished video is complete and ready for use. The post production phase is now complete.

It is now time to stream, duplicate, package and distribute the video to the target audience.

How To Transfer Your Old Video Tapes To DVD

Have you ever though about what you going to do with all those old videotapes you have? VHS is pretty much gone for good, because of the way technology keep advancing, we have to adapt to the new DVD players now available. But their is still a the problem of transferring your old videotape to DVD. It is not as easy as some manufacture state. If you have a personal computer, and wanted to do it yourself, you would need to get the videotape footage into the computer, first.

In order to accomplish that, you will need a converter box to convert the videotapes into digital format to the computer. Your old videotapes are analog format, which has to be converted to digital to be edited on a computer. Converting your old videotapes to digital will restore them for many years to come; they also look brighter, crisper, and sound better. Once the videotapes are in the computer, you would need a video-editing program to edit your digitalize footage.

Both computers, MAC or PC can do video editing. Mac computers come with a standard video editing program imovie. If you wanted to go professional, then there is another program, final cut studio; cost $1299.99 that come bundle with DVD authoring software, soundtrack pro for your music editing, live type for your titles, and compressor for compressing your video to different file formats. On the other hand with a PC computer, you can get very inexpensive software for under a hundred dollars that would get you going.

The New Age Of Video Editing

Video editing used to be something that was only used by movie makers and those that had a good amount of money to spend. Today, there are some very cool video editing software programs out there that are designed and used by many home computer users. This makes editing a video just as easy as snapping and using a photo. There are many things that you could not do before that you now can. Video editing is something that many will use throughout the coming years.

But, if you are to purchase video editing software, what should you use? What should you purchase? Here are some tips to help you choose the video editing products that you should purchase for your needs.

• First off, know what those needs are. For many, you simply want to take your home movie of the family vacation and edit it out. But, if you want to do additional things to it, you will likely need to insure that those features are available to you in whichever product you choose to purchase.

• You will also want to make sure that the video editing software that you choose, works on your computer as well as with your digital devices such as your mobile phones, your video camera, and your digital camera. These things will matter in what you can use the editing software for.

• Go ahead and check out the bells and whistles that these things have. You will be impressed by how many various types of editing you can do. For example, you can dub over sound, you can cut and add in graphics, and you can take everything out of order without running the original pieces.

• You will want to look for quality as well as user friendliness. The more able you are to use the editing software, the more often you will use it.

Video editing has come a long way and features huge amounts of features that you just have to take advantage of. More than likely, it will continue to grow as well!