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October 15, 2001
Now Playing in Schools: Digital Video
By Molly Joss
Never has it been this easy-or affordable-for educators and students to create professional-looking movies at their desktops. Read all about the tools that are making it possible.
For years most teachers played videos in the classroom but never dreamed of asking students to create their own. However, the recent explosion of low-cost digital video technology has made it possible for even the most budget-strapped schools to get a piece of the action, whether it's teachers making short movie clips that introduce a curriculum unit, administrators commissioning videos of instructional best practices to be shared across the district, or students illustrating what they've learned in the form of a multimedia project.
The increasing ubiquity of the Internet has also helped to fuel the digital video revolution, with budding moviemakers now displaying their creations on the Web for others to see. That means, for example, that teachers and students can post QuickTime movie clips that parents and others can download and watch at will. Or the content can be delivered in the form of streaming video-video that is captured live and sent flowing into the world unedited via the Web (hence the term "streaming").
Before you get to showcase your video projects, however, you need to know the technology. Following are some product developments to bear in mind when planning your next digital video masterpiece.
FireWire: A Fast-Moving Trend
In the past, creating videos meant connecting a VCR to a computer equipped with a digital video capture interface card and digitizing video imported from a VHS tape. Fortunately for educators, the latest crop of digital video (DV) cameras, also known as digital camcorders, makes the process of turning video into digital data much easier-just capture the video on the camera and transfer it directly to the computer via a cable.
What makes this data transfer so easy? In a word: FireWire. Video requires a lot of bandwidth, and FireWire is able to move data at up to 400 Mbps, much faster speeds than other interfaces such as serial or Universal Serial Bus. Another benefit FireWire has over other transfer technology is that no data compression is required, so not only do you get speed, but better image quality as well.
Apple has FireWire interfaces built into its iMac and Power Mac G4 computers. If you are using PCs and want a FireWire interface, make sure that the digital capture cards you purchase have FireWire built in.
DVD: Not Just for Home Use
Using FireWire speeds up the process of getting unedited digital video onto a computer's hard disk, but for better quality in sharing the edited video, consider recording your video using DVD (digital video disk) technology. In addition to delivering crisper images, DVDs contain more storage space than CDs (enough to hold a full-length movie) and users are able to jump to content areas out of sequence.
To burn videos onto DVD, you can pay extra for a computer, such as the Power Mac G4, that comes with built-in DVD-R (or DVD-RW) equipment and requisite software. Or you can buy a stand-alone DVD drive that is attached externally to the computer, from such companies as Pioneer (www.pioneerelectronics.com), and more recently, Hewlett-Packard (www.hp.com), which entered the DVD market last month with its HP dvd100i drive.
DVD recorders and disks are expensive compared to the cost of CD-R disks, and most new computers come with a CD-R drive built in at little or no extra cost. So if you like the idea of recording digital video on a disk but can't afford DVD now, you may want to stick with CD-R equipment.
Video Capture Cards
To equip an older Macintosh with digital video capture capability, the Fuse card from Aurora Video Systems works on any PCI-based Power Mac (G3 and G4). It does not have a FireWire interface but is designed for fast transfer speeds without it. $499. (505) 857-0353
There are several choices in PC video capture cards, so pricing is competitive. Ask yourself: Does the card allow you to connect to a VCR and a FireWire device? Are digital editing software programs included in the price? To compare specifications and prices side by side, a good place to start is Tom's Hardware Guide: Digital Video Guide (see Get the Picture, below).
DV Cameras
For schools that are able to invest in a digital video-ready computer such as the Power Mac G4, a digital camcorder is the next logical purchase.
If you want a name-brand company that offers a variety of models, look at cameras made by Canon (800-652-2666), JVC (800-582-5825), Sharp (800-237-4277), or Sony (800-420-7669). Models under $1,000 tend to have shorter battery life and recording capacity, while the more expensive models come with feature-rich software.
Not ready for a digital camcorder, but still want to make movies? You don't have to buy a digital video camera to get digital video; you can buy a digital still camera with video capabilities. Doing so will give you the option of capturing both still and moving images, at a much lower price.
The Intel Pocket PC camera is an inexpensive digital still camera that can capture as much digital video as you have room to store on your hard drive while it is connected to your computer. Disconnect it and you can capture up to 12 ten-second videos (no sound). The cost is $120, with a $30 rebate if purchased before May 31, 2002. (800) 583-3373
Panasonic recently introduced two new Palmcorder digital cameras, the PV-DV351 and the PV-DV701, that double as digital video and still cameras. These cameras come with LCD monitors so you can see what you are recording. Both have a FireWire interface. PV-DV351: $899.95. PV-DV701: $999.95. (800) 272-7033
Editing Software
Most DV cameras and video-ready computers come bundled with editing software, but you may want to invest in additional software if your plans call for more sophisticated tweaking. These third-party programs give you beyond-the-basics features such as transitions, options for adding and editing audio to your video, and advanced special effects. Before you buy, make sure the features you want are not in another version of the program you already have-if that's the case, think about upgrading rather than buying a separate program.
Adobe Premiere 6 from Adobe Systems is a digital video editing program that allows users to mix audio files and attach them to digital video sequences, create storyboards, and save files so they can be used on the Web. A free trial version can be downloaded from Adobe's Web site. $549. (800) 833-6687
Pinnacle Systems' Studio 7 is designed for people who want to put together a video presentation in a short period of time, so it's a good choice for students and teachers who want a basic video editor. Yet it also has features such as image color correction and motion effects that will come in handy once the basics are out of the way. $129. (650) 526-1600
Ulead Systems makes VideoStudio 5 DVD Edition, a video editing program with support for Panasonic's DVD-R drive. Ulead also makes MediaStudio Pro 6, a multimedia editing program used by professionals. VideoStudio 5 DVD Edition: $129.95. MediaStudio Pro 6: $495. (800) 858-5323
There are several professional-level products with more advanced editing features and media management tools that schools can choose from. MediaStudio 6 is one such product. Apple Computer's Final Cut Pro 2 and Avid Technology's Avid Xpress DV EduPack are two others. All offer a wide array of video editing, audio, effects, and titling tools. Final Cut Pro 2: $999. (800) MY-APPLE. Avid Xpress DV: $999 single seat; $7,999 10-seat version. (800) 949-2843
Molly Joss is a consultant, author, and adult computer and SAT prep teacher based in Gilbertsville, Penn.
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