Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.video (More info?)

August 9th, 2005

Making Movies: Reader Questions Answered

PC World Contributor Richard Baguley

It's been almost a year since I last answered reader questions about
video and camcorders:
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/artic [...] box,00.asp

I guess it's time to open the virtual mailbag again. To make this Q&A
a little more useful, I've paraphrased a few of the most common
queries.

Kid-Friendly Videocams

Q: My kids are saying that they want to make movies, but I don't know
what type of video camera to get them. Can you suggest a few?

A: For preteens, you could look at something like the $80 Mattel
Vidster, which PC World editor Alan Stafford recently wrote about:
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog [...] 00778.html

Alan also previewed Hasbro's similar VCam Now (also $80), due out this
fall:
http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog [...] 00782.html

Both of these devices record video to Secure Digital memory cards at a
lower resolution than a tape camcorder would, and they come with
software to import the video into a PC and edit it.

If those look a bit too simple for your kids, the $159 Aiptek IS-DV
might do the job: It captures higher-resolution video than the Mattel
and Hasbro products (also recording to Secure Digital cards) and comes
with basic video editing software. Here's the Web site:
http://www.aiptek.com/

If your kids are really serious about making movies, then look at a
cheap MiniDV camcorder. You can pick up one for under $350 if you look
around; the Sony DCR-HC21 would be a good choice, for instance:
http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/se [...] 541/tk=box

If the kids just want to edit a video, Microsoft's free Movie Maker 2
should get them started, although you need Windows XP to use it. You
can download it from PC World:
http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/f [...] 893,00.asp

File Formats for DVD Players

Q: I have a Windows Media video file on my PC that I want to play on a
DVD player. I copied it onto a DVD-RW, but when I put the disc in my
DVD player, it wouldn't play. Why not?

A: Some DVD players can handle Windows Media files: If yours can,
it'll have a Windows Media logo somewhere on it (or its packaging).
For most players, though, you need to convert media files to the same
MPEG-2 format that DVD movies use, then burn the files onto a
DVD-Video disc. To do this, you'll need to get hold of a DVD authoring
program, such as Roxio Easy Media Creator or ULead DVD MovieFactory.
As long as the file isn't copy protected, either of these programs
should be able to convert it to MPEG-2 format and then burn it to disc
as a DVD-Video disc that your player can understand. Both programs are
pretty easy to use.

You can find those programs on the PC World Product Finder:

Roxio Easy Media Creator
http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/se [...] 897/tk=box

ULead DVD MovieFactory
http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/se [...] 011/tk=box

Can Old PCs Learn Video Tricks?

Q: I have a PC that's about three years old and doesn't have a
rewritable DVD drive. It's got a Pentium III 600-MHz CPU. Should I add
a DVD drive to this computer, or buy a new one?

A: I'd look at buying a new one. Your system may be capable of editing
video and writing it out to DVD if you install a rewritable DVD drive,
but it will be a slow and frustrating business. A new PC will do the
job much faster and will probably come with all of the software you
need to edit video and write it out to DVD preinstalled.

Visit PC World's Info Center for Desktop Computers for reviews and
pricing information:
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/in [...] box,00.asp

Copy-Protecting Your Work

Q: I am making my own videos and I would like to know if there is some
way I can prevent them from being copied.

A: Makers of commercial videos and DVD movies use systems like
Macrovision ACP to try to keep people from copying them, but these
aren't readily available to the consumer.

Home video recorders can't write copy-protected videotapes, and most
consumer rewritable DVD drives can't write copy-protected DVDs. If you
are having your video commercially duplicated, you may be able to add
copy protection; talk to your duplicator.

But I have to ask, why are you worried about this? Unless you are
selling the video for a significant fee, I simply wouldn't bother with
copy protection. Copy protection schemes can usually be removed by a
determined user.

E-Mailing Precious Moments

Q: My child/dog/cat did the cutest thing yesterday, and I caught it on
video. How can I e-mail the clip to my family?

A: Windows Movie Maker 2 can help. Start by importing the video onto
your PC. Import only the bit you want to e-mail, and keep it short.
You don't want to clog up people's inboxes; every minute of video
takes up around 350KB. Now select Finish Movie, then Send In E-Mail.
Movie Maker compresses the file into a format that's suitable for
e-mailing and attaches it a new message, ready for you to address.

Other video editors can do the same thing: Look for a setting that
compresses the video down to as small a size as possible.

Have a question or comment? Write to Richard Baguley:
makingmovies*pcworld.com

Read Richard Baguley's "Making Movies" columns:
http://www.pcworld.com/resource/co [...] ,bo,00.asp


===
"The pressure is outrageous. Everyone is picked apart and it's so superficial and not real. I'm not superskinny and not overweight. I'm just normal."
-- Hilary Duff