Reviews

Reviews of The PC Magazine Guide to Digital Video

Available December, 2003

Why Buy This Book?

Chapter Summary:

Chapter 1 - Choosing a DV Camcorder

DV, Digital 8, MicroMV, DVD-RAM cameras, Features to Consider, Three chip vs. one chip, Comparing lens features and quality, LCD Panel, Lux Rating, Maximum still image resolution, Optical zoom, Zebra patterns, Progressive scan capture, Analog capture, Accessory shoe, Manual and programmable settings, Support for external microphones, Optical vs. digital image stabilization.

Chapter 2- Getting Video To Your Computer

Buying a DV-based Capture Solution, Plain Jane 1394, When to go real time, Buying an Analog Capture Solution, Features to look for in an analog capture product, When to go MPEG-2, Internal options, External options, Looking forward – hybrid options for capturing analog and DV

Chapter 3 - Buying Your Video Editor

Your Free Options, Movie Maker 2, Entry Level – Consumer/Corporate, Pinnacle Studio, Ulead VideoStudio, When to Step up to Prosumer Packages, Adobe Premiere Pro, Pinnacle Liquid Edition, Sonic Foundry Vegas, Ulead MediaStudio

Chapter 4 -   Choosing a DVD Authoring Package

Converting tapes to DVD, Pinnacle Express, Sonic MyDVD, Ulead MovieFactory, Basic Authoring in your Video Editor, Pinnacle Studio, Ulead VideoStudio, Corporate Level Authoring Tools – When to Step Up, Ulead DVD Workshop, Adobe Encore

Chapter 5 - Choosing a DVD Recorder

Navigating the Standards (DVD-RW/+RW/RAM), Choosing a Burner, DVD Recordable Compatibility Issues

Chapter 6 - Upgrading and Preparing Your Computer

Minimum System Requirements, Operating system, Processor, RAM, Disk space and configuration, Graphics, Monitor, Getting and Keeping your System Ready, Defragmenting your drives, Removing memory resident programs, Rules to live by

Chapter 7 - The Basics of Shooting

The Basics of shooting, Calling the Shots, Managing Motion, Storytelling, Shooting to edit, Movie Making, shots and shot combinations

Chapter 8 - Capturing Good Audio

Understanding camera microphones, External Microphone alternatives, Monitoring audio while shooting. 

Chapter 9 - Shooting for Digital Distribution

Shooting for compressability, Shooting for small screen delivery

Chapter 10 - Capture for Video Editing

DV Capture, Connecting for DV capture, Manual capture (Movie Maker 2), Working with scene Detection (Pinnacle Studio), Batch capture (VideoStudio), Analog Capture, Connecting for analog capture, Tuning your video input (Pinnacle Studio), Tuning your audio input (VideoStudio), Scene detection options (VideoStudio)

Chapter 11 - Basic Editing Techniques

Working on the Storyboard, Working on the Timeline, Meet the Tracks (Video, Title, Overlay, Background, Narration), Trimming Your Videos, In the Trim Window, On the Timeline, Adding Transitions, Inserting transitions, Customizing transitions, Adding Titles, Animating your titles.

Chapter 12 - Adding Audio

Recording a Narration, Hardware setup, Scripting and recording basics, Ripping CD Tracks, Adding Background Music with SmartSound, Adjusting volume, Track by track, The Audio Mixer, Fixing Audio Problems, Normalization, Background noises.

Chapter 13 - Working with Still Images

How Different Programs Work with Still Images, Preparing Digital Images for use in Video Projects, Creating Slide Shows, Overlaying Images, Preparing Images for Overlay, Overlay techniques, Animating images

Chapter 14 - Advanced Editing Techniques

Color Correction – Fixing Your Shooting Mistakes, Video Overlay, Basic still image overlay – logos and watermarks, Blue screen effects, Special Effects

Chapter 15 - Automatic Movie Generation

Movie Maker 2, muvee autoProducer

Chapter 16 - Rendering Your Project

What's a Codec? When do I Use Them?, Outputting into AVI Format, Outputting into MPEG, Outputting into RealVideo, Outputting into Windows Media, Outputting AC3 Audio

Chapter 17 - DVD Production Basics

The Production Process, Menus and Content, Chapter Points, Linking, Previewing, Encoding and Production

Chapter 18 - Converting Tapes To DVD

One Step Products (MovieFactory, MyDVD, Pinnacle Expression)

Chapter 19 - DVD Production

Capturing, Creating Basic Menus, Motion Menus, Motion Buttons, Creating Nested Menus, Creating a Slide Show, Linking Assets to Menus, Previewing Your Project, Rendering Your Project, Size and space considerations, Minimizing your compatibility risks, Burning Your Disks

Chapter 20 - •  Advanced DVD Production

Multiple Audio Tracks, Multiple text Tracks