In This Issue ...

Editor's ViewPoint
The MailBag
Featured Articles
Product Spotlight
Tip Of The Week
Download Of The Week
 

Editor's ViewPoint

In case you haven't heard, there are some interesting bits of video news this week - confirming that 2006 is the year of online digital video.

First up, DivX and Google have announced that the companies will work together to make Google Video accessible on consumer electronics devices, enabling consumers to bring their video content into the connected home and with them anywhere they go.

Yahoo! also announced Go TV, a downloadable software product built on Microsoft's Windows Media Center that will let people search the Internet for video and then watch it on the TV. Seems like this is the year of digital video on the web.

And oh yes, your feedback has been heard! Many of you have dropped me a note saying how great it would be to have a 'little book' consolidating all the tips given in the website. I'll proceed to do just that. So stay tuned - I'll keep you updated. As always, drop me a note to give me comments!

Gary Hendricks
Build-Your-Own-Computers.com Editor

The MailBag

The definition of 24P

Question: I keep hearing about this term '24P' when people are discussing high definition (HD) video. Can you shed some light on this concept?

Dave, United States

Answer: It's great that you asked, Dave. Because 24P and HD video is starting to take the world by storm. Let me try to explain it the best I can ...

Frame rate differences and video interlacing complicate the process of translating film to video when motion pictures are to be shown on TV, or when converting NTSC video to PAL or vice versa; the worst case is converting footage shot as interlaced video to film. At best, standards
conversion (that is, converting from one format to another) causes motion artifacts and softens crisp images.

The advent of digital television has underscored the need for a better way to move between formats - in the U.S., the digital television mandate by the FCC allows broadcasters to choose from any of 18 different SD (standard-definition) and HD (high-definition) formats.

These formats are specified with a number indicating the lines of
vertical resolution, and a letter—either “i” or “P”—indicating whether the display is interlaced or progressive. CBS and NBC have chosen 1080i; ABC prefers 720P; and FOX will work with 480P, as well as with 480i and 720P. Sounds like the commencement of chaos, doesn't it?

Now Imagine the poor producer who must be prepared to deliver in any one of these 18 formats or in multiple formats. Additionally, the benefits to the film industry of having a suitable digital production format are enormous. Savings on the cost of traditional film and film processing, not to mention the time required for film processing are huge. When digital effects are incorporated into footage, film must be digitized anyway - being able to begin with digital material makes sense.

The solution may be 24P - a high definition (1080 lines of vertical resolution), 24 fps, progressive-display video format. 24P cameras are delivering major motion picture quality material, as George Lucas proved shooting Star Wars: Episode II digitally - with 24P. Plus film is easily
converted to 24P video, because it is 24 fps progressive display to begin with.

24P allows you to make a single digital master from which all the formats needed - from NTSC or PAL, to any of the HD formats, even film—can be produced, virtually without generation loss—because
it's digital.

Featured Articles

How to Choose the Best Video Editing Software
If you're just starting out in digital video, or even if you're a season videographer, you may be confused by the vast range of video editing products in the market today. Some software ... read more

How to Share Your Video with Others
Let's say you've finished shooting, capturing and editing your very own video. How can you now dump it into a format that is easily shared with friends and family? There are two ways to do this ... read more

How to Buy Digital Video Equipment
Do you have trouble selecting and buying digital video equipment? Can't decide which digital camcorder to buy? Or what factors to consider when selecting a video editing program? Take buying ... read more

Product Spotlight

A Top-Notch Video Editing Program

If you're looking for a full-fledged video editing package at a reasonable price, then Ulead VideoStudio is your answer. I've always known Ulead to produce top-notch video software and VideoStudio is no exception. This software allows you to turn home videos into professional looking productions with ease.

For the more advanced user, there are more than 1000 customizable transitions, titles and special effects to play with. You can also cut those movies onto DVD, CD, tape and other media to share with friends and family. Highly recommended.

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Tip of The Week

Web logs, also known as blogs, are text-oriented web sites people that update on a daily or semi-regular basis. Vlogs are the same concept, only they are video-oriented.

With the availability of broadband Internet connections, digital video cameras, editing systems, video phones, and free blog sites, video logging (a.k.a. vlogging) is another outlet for your video projects.

A vlog is technically no different than a blog, so if you're already blogging, you're ready to vlog. If you don't have a blog, you can sign up for an account at a variety of sites. Here are some of the more popular blog sites: Blogger, TypePad and Radio Userland.

Once you've signed up for a blog, you should become familiar with the way it works. At the very least, you should post one message, just to make sure you know how.

To post a vlog, you need some video. Any video will do. Some people are posting unedited video, in small 10-second clips … off their cell phones! Others are posting edited pieces of an artistic, political, or simply experimental nature. Feel free to express yourself and be creative.

You can find more information on video blogging at this site. That site offers a few tutorials, a list of resources, links to recently posted videos, as well as a thriving and passionate community.

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Download Of The Week

X-OOM Movies on PSP is a video conversion product for the Sony PSP. It offers a way to get your DVDs or movie files (DivX, AVI, WMV, or MPEG.) to the format your PSP can read. Simply choose your movie, press start, and shortly you'll find your movie on your Sony PSP. X-OOM Movies on PSP removes conversion, compression, and formatting challenges, and enables playing recorded DVDs, DivX, WMV, AVI, Real, and MPEG on the Sony PSP.