By Lorraine Grula
Camtasia Studio is one of the most popularly recommended video editing software programs. For what it is, Camtasia is a great program BUT (and this is a very BIG BUT) it is absolutely NOT the right software for most video editing projects. To hear some people recommend it though, you sure would get the impression that it is the be-all and end-all for video editing.
It's NOT.
A question from a reader the other day really drove this home. He is in the cooking niche and he wanted to produce a cooking show, kind of like Emeril. He bought a bunch of video equipment, including Camtasia for editing. Problem is, for him, Camtasia is essentially worthless.
Why?
Camtasia is designed to make screen capture videos. This means that the main function of the software is the ability to record whatever is on your computer screen. Let's say you want to make a video tutorial about how to use a computer application. Camtasia will allow you to record screen shots of the application when it is open on your computer. You can demonstrate how the software works using these screen shots. You can add audio, transitions and titles.
Camtasia is also good for making videos out of Power Point slides.
But my friend who wanted to edit his cooking show was out of luck because Camtasia is NOT designed to edit an entire show out of nothing but video you shoot with a regular video camcorder.
You can add a little bit of camera video to a Camtasia production, but it is recommended that you use that video as a small inset, a picture-in-picture (PIP) display. In this way, the camera video is designed to be an adjunct to the screen capture video. The screen capture video (or power point video) makes up the bulk of your show.
If you want to make a show out of video you shoot with a standard video camcorder, then you need a standard video editing program, like Windows Movie Maker, Sony Vegas, Adobe Premier or Final Cut, to name just a few.
Those video editing programs are for editing camera video. Unlike comtasia, they can not record a screen capture shot. So if you wanted to show your computer screen in a video you are editing with Windows Movie Maker, you would either have to use a jpeg or you would need to videotape your computer screen using a video camera and then capture that video into Movie Maker in the same way you captured your vacation video. I do that all the time because I haven't wanted to spend $300 for Camtasia.
Whether Camtasia is right for you depends entirely on what kind of video you want to make.
Is your video going to be full of computer screen shots or is it going to be full of video you took at the beach?
Camtasia is good software, please do not get me wrong. For what it does, Camtasia is the best program out there. BUT, if you want to edit videos that consist primarily of video you take with your camcorder, i.e. live action video, then you need something other than Camtasia.
I felt real sorry for my friend the chef who completely misunderstood this vital distinction before he bought his video editing software. $300 is a lot to waste when Windows Movie Maker would have been a better choice for him and it is free.
Check out Best Video Editing Software here.
Minggu, 15 Maret 2009
Rabu, 11 Maret 2009
How to Add Audio to Video
By Hans Dekker
Digital media is everywhere you look. Music and video production have made it to the grass roots level thanks to the affordability and widespread use of powerful computers.
Inexpensive digital video cameras are widely available, and older analog video cameras can be connected to a computer through a video card to download movies to the computer for editing, storage, and distribution to friends and relatives over the internet.
It has become fairly easy to edit your own videos, and there are many software packages available aimed at the amateur. The Windows operating system has its own video editing package called Windows Movie Maker that allows you to produce professional-looking videos.
As you explore this exciting new world, you will inevitably come up with the need to edit the audio portion of your video file. The sound quality of most video cameras is not great, so you may want to process the sound or replace it all together with music or voice-overs.
It is very easy to separate the audio from the video. Free software packages that do this task include Windows Media Encoder from Microsoft (if you are working with WMV video files) and VirtualDub (if you are working with AVI files). Either of these programs (and many others) allow you to save the audio portion of video file quickly and easily.
Once you have your audio file, you can process it for noise reduction, bring up the volume, add music or do any digital magic to it that you desire.
With many video editing packages, however, it isn’t necessary to split the audio to a separate file. Even simple packages like Windows Movie Maker have basic audio editing functions, and you can add separate music or voice tracks and mix all of them together.
If you have a particular audio file that you would like to use in your video (maybe a special effect or a voice over that you have recorded separately) simply add that file to the list of media to be included in the video. Other media formats can be separate video files, picture files or graphics.
The audio file can be placed anywhere on the time-line, and you can use the same file many times without requiring any extra storage space on your computer. For precise placement, zoom all the way into your timeline and place the audio exactly in sync with the video. That’s it! You are well on your way to making professional-looking videos!
Check out Video Edit Software here.
Digital media is everywhere you look. Music and video production have made it to the grass roots level thanks to the affordability and widespread use of powerful computers.
Inexpensive digital video cameras are widely available, and older analog video cameras can be connected to a computer through a video card to download movies to the computer for editing, storage, and distribution to friends and relatives over the internet.
It has become fairly easy to edit your own videos, and there are many software packages available aimed at the amateur. The Windows operating system has its own video editing package called Windows Movie Maker that allows you to produce professional-looking videos.
As you explore this exciting new world, you will inevitably come up with the need to edit the audio portion of your video file. The sound quality of most video cameras is not great, so you may want to process the sound or replace it all together with music or voice-overs.
It is very easy to separate the audio from the video. Free software packages that do this task include Windows Media Encoder from Microsoft (if you are working with WMV video files) and VirtualDub (if you are working with AVI files). Either of these programs (and many others) allow you to save the audio portion of video file quickly and easily.
Once you have your audio file, you can process it for noise reduction, bring up the volume, add music or do any digital magic to it that you desire.
With many video editing packages, however, it isn’t necessary to split the audio to a separate file. Even simple packages like Windows Movie Maker have basic audio editing functions, and you can add separate music or voice tracks and mix all of them together.
If you have a particular audio file that you would like to use in your video (maybe a special effect or a voice over that you have recorded separately) simply add that file to the list of media to be included in the video. Other media formats can be separate video files, picture files or graphics.
The audio file can be placed anywhere on the time-line, and you can use the same file many times without requiring any extra storage space on your computer. For precise placement, zoom all the way into your timeline and place the audio exactly in sync with the video. That’s it! You are well on your way to making professional-looking videos!
Check out Video Edit Software here.
Jumat, 06 Maret 2009
7 Questions You Must Ask Yourself Before Buying a Digital Camcorder
By Robert Armstrong
There’s never been a better time to buy a digital video camera. Prices are lower than ever, the camcorders are packed with features, and editing software is cheap and easy to use.
Unfortunately, there’s also never been a more confusing time to buy a digital video camera. There are so many different formats competing for your money, it’s almost impossible to know which one to go for. Should you buy a Mini DV camcorder, or a DVD camcorder? What about solid state (flash memory), or hard disk? And is now the time to bite the bullet and buy a high definition video camera?
Confusion reigns, and it’s not helped by manufacturers releasing new models with improved features and lower prices every few months.
Thankfully, there are steps you can take to reduce the confusion and give yourself a clear idea of which type of video camera is the best for you.
Below are seven questions you should ask yourself before you studio a single feature list or read a single review.
• What do I want to use the camcorder for?
• Will I be mostly using it indoors or outdoors?
• Do I want to edit the footage I shoot?
• Do I want the camcorder to be a stills camera too?
• How important is the quality of the video I shoot?
• Is audio quality important?
• Will I use a tripod with the camcorder?
The answers to these questions will influence which type and model of camcorder you buy. For example, if you want to be able to edit your video footage on a PC or Mac, you should choose a Mini DV camcorder. And if you are likely to use a tripod, you should choose a camcorder which loads its media from the side or top, rather than one which loads from the bottom.
By answering these questions and learning what the jargon that manufacturers are so fond of means, you can make sure that when you come to buy your camcorder, its exactly what you want and not a costly mistake.
Check out Video Edit Software here.
There’s never been a better time to buy a digital video camera. Prices are lower than ever, the camcorders are packed with features, and editing software is cheap and easy to use.
Unfortunately, there’s also never been a more confusing time to buy a digital video camera. There are so many different formats competing for your money, it’s almost impossible to know which one to go for. Should you buy a Mini DV camcorder, or a DVD camcorder? What about solid state (flash memory), or hard disk? And is now the time to bite the bullet and buy a high definition video camera?
Confusion reigns, and it’s not helped by manufacturers releasing new models with improved features and lower prices every few months.
Thankfully, there are steps you can take to reduce the confusion and give yourself a clear idea of which type of video camera is the best for you.
Below are seven questions you should ask yourself before you studio a single feature list or read a single review.
• What do I want to use the camcorder for?
• Will I be mostly using it indoors or outdoors?
• Do I want to edit the footage I shoot?
• Do I want the camcorder to be a stills camera too?
• How important is the quality of the video I shoot?
• Is audio quality important?
• Will I use a tripod with the camcorder?
The answers to these questions will influence which type and model of camcorder you buy. For example, if you want to be able to edit your video footage on a PC or Mac, you should choose a Mini DV camcorder. And if you are likely to use a tripod, you should choose a camcorder which loads its media from the side or top, rather than one which loads from the bottom.
By answering these questions and learning what the jargon that manufacturers are so fond of means, you can make sure that when you come to buy your camcorder, its exactly what you want and not a costly mistake.
Check out Video Edit Software here.
Kamis, 05 Maret 2009
Web Video - Discover How Easy It is to Make and Control Web Video
By Rob Springer
With the crazy popularity of YouTube and other video sites, web video has gotten to be not only a very large industry, but also a very popular one. Web video creation software is popping up all over the internet and it can be difficult to choose the one that is right for your needs. They all seem to offer different options, but you need to decide what features most directly fulfill your needs.
All good web video software should include:
Easy web video encode options will allow you to move step by step through the process of compressing your web video settings.
Web video edit software should include a timeline which will allow you to take note of your clips and transitions. It will allow you to cut the bits that you don't like. You should also be able to choose different transitions to make your video have huge impact.
Web video titles are part of some of the better editing software, and will make it easy to add text to any part of your video. You should be able to add thought or chat bubbles right on the screen. Remember "Pop Up Video"? Now you can make your own.
Easy Editing: Any good piece of software will make it very user friendly to operate. After all, who wants to spend hours learning a piece of software? We just want it to work and work easily! The interface should be simple drag and drop and to be able to edit AVI, MPEG and WMV files without having to convert would sure make life easier.
Sound: Being able to add music and voice is essential. So many Hollywood movies rely on voice over to convey thought that is has become expected. Now most web video editing software also has the capability to include voice overs. Music, however is different. Some video editing software will only allow you to choose from a bank of music that is included in the package. This may, or may not be suitable for you. It has its limitations, but the bank of music in this type of software tends to be quite large with many different genres and moods available.
Check out Video Edit Software here.
With the crazy popularity of YouTube and other video sites, web video has gotten to be not only a very large industry, but also a very popular one. Web video creation software is popping up all over the internet and it can be difficult to choose the one that is right for your needs. They all seem to offer different options, but you need to decide what features most directly fulfill your needs.
All good web video software should include:
Easy web video encode options will allow you to move step by step through the process of compressing your web video settings.
Web video edit software should include a timeline which will allow you to take note of your clips and transitions. It will allow you to cut the bits that you don't like. You should also be able to choose different transitions to make your video have huge impact.
Web video titles are part of some of the better editing software, and will make it easy to add text to any part of your video. You should be able to add thought or chat bubbles right on the screen. Remember "Pop Up Video"? Now you can make your own.
Easy Editing: Any good piece of software will make it very user friendly to operate. After all, who wants to spend hours learning a piece of software? We just want it to work and work easily! The interface should be simple drag and drop and to be able to edit AVI, MPEG and WMV files without having to convert would sure make life easier.
Sound: Being able to add music and voice is essential. So many Hollywood movies rely on voice over to convey thought that is has become expected. Now most web video editing software also has the capability to include voice overs. Music, however is different. Some video editing software will only allow you to choose from a bank of music that is included in the package. This may, or may not be suitable for you. It has its limitations, but the bank of music in this type of software tends to be quite large with many different genres and moods available.
Check out Video Edit Software here.
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