Best software choices for digital video

Digital video is a fun and convenient way to capture memories of the people and places that you love.Digital video has many advantages.Digital video offers a clarity, flexibility and creativity that cannot really be met by traditional tape recorders.Digital videos are an easy way to capture memories and allow you to add some creative and personal touches of your own.

Software choices for digital video are as diverse as the people who use them.Software for digital video can be as simple as uploading your video to your camera or editing a full length film.Different people will be looking for software that can do different things for them and thus it is difficult to pinpoint what may be the best overall software choice for digital video.There are however different top choices depending on your digital video needs.

Usually the sophistication of your software is going to be directly related to the sophistication of your audio, visual and digital equipment.A home use hand held video camera therefore needs only some of the more readily available and easy to use software programs that are easy to find at a local electronics store.Also keep in mind that software programs will differ depending on the operating system of your home computer.

Listed below are some important questions to ask when you are shopping around for the best software choice for your specific digital video needs:

1. Do you own a PC or Mac?
2. Will you use DV (FireWire) or analog inputs, or both?
3. Will you need to do DVD authoring?
4. Do you need powerful video editing software, or just a simple one?
5. Do you need Real-time capabilities?
6. Do you need additional performance facilities such as titling software?
7. What is your budget?

Once you have an idea of what it is you are looking for you can start shopping around for your video capture card.A video capture card is the first device that you will need to be able to transfer videos from your camcorder to your computer's hard drive. The rough sequence of software use will then go as follows:

1. Capture the video to your computer using a capture card
2. Edit the video in a video editing software
3. Download edited video to tape or burn it to VCD, CD or DVD

Although the most popular type of video capture cards currently are called FireWire cards, there are other cards that offer more specific options that you may be interested in.Below is a list of ten popular choices for video capture cards.

• Pinnacle Pro One
• Dazzle DV NOW AV
• Matrox RT2500
• Canopus DV Storm SE
• Pinnacle DV-200
• Pinnacle Studio Deluxe
• Pinnacle DV500 DVD
• ADS Pyro ProDV
• Digital Origin EditDV
• ADS Pyro Platinum SE

Keep in mind that you will have to choose an entire system of editing capabilities not necessarily just the out-of-the-box software program.If you are a novice to the digital video editing world it is best to ask people who do have experience what their recommendations are for you.It may not be the best option to buy the best software available if you do not have a working knowledge of how to use it.Evaluate your choices careful, make sure that you know what you are getting in to and that you have all the materials you will need to be successful in your digital video endeavors.

Here is a list of 12 popular software programs for digital video (mostly for editing).Good luck as you look for the best software choice for you!

• Adobe Premiere
• Adobe After Effects
• Avid Xpress DV
• Avid Xpress DV PowerPack
• Final Cut Pro
• StormEdit
• EditDV
• Pinnacle Studio 8
• Ulead MediaStudio
• Ulead VideoStudio
• Vegas Video
• Dazzle MovieStar