New technologies in video production equipment combined with the emergence of video—particularly digital video—as an acceptable medium for film has made it possible for almost anyone to become a film director virtually overnight. While the cost of film and film equipment is financially prohibitive, video production equipment is relatively inexpensive and can be mastered quite quickly. While there is a great deal more to the art of film that just having the right equipment, the accessibility of video equipment has encouraged many amateur filmmakers to give it their best shot. Understanding the basics of video production equipment is the first step to becoming the next Steven Spielberg.
Filming Video Production Gear
As you prepare to make a video film, it’s a good idea to take stock of your video production equipment required for filming to make sure you have everything that you need. Some common video production products needed for creating a professional looking film include:
* Professional video cameras – From ENG cameras that are slightly larger than your average camcorder to Studio cameras that are connected via cable to dock recorders that do that actual taping, there are many levels of professional grade digital video cameras.
* Stabilization Equipment – Including simple tripods, shoulder mounts, camera dollies and high tech camera cranes, stabilization equipment ensures that the video production is smooth and not shaky. Additionally, stabilization video production equipment can help determine the type of camera shot that is available for a production.
* Film Quality Lighting – Beyond just lights, film quality lighting banks include grip lighting, reflectors, crate grids for lighting effects and scrims to control different aspects of light diffusion.
* Microphone/Audio System – While many video cameras contain a microphone to capture sounds, creating a professional quality video requires separate audio equipment including shotgun mics, audio mixers and pole audio devices.
Editing Video Production Equipment
Once you have your film on video, additional video production gear is required for editing and finalizing a video into a complete entity. Using professional quality editing equipment can give your video the polished quality that separates it from home video or amateur productions. Typical video editing tools include:
* Video Editing Software – Unlike film, which much be edited manually, video can be edited right on your computer. Using professional video editing software, you can add transitions, trim scenes and put the whole project together seamlessly. Selecting the right video production equipment for editing is critical to the final quality of your video.
* Sound Mixing Equipment – A professional video will use sound mixing equipment to balance volume levels, add ambient noise and include a soundtrack to the video. Additionally, sound mixing can transform the standard video mono-audio into a heightened stereo experience.
* Video Duplication Equipment – Once you film is complete, video duplication equipment will be required for copying and distributing your film. Professional video production gear will enable copies that maintain the sound and video quality of your master video.
About the Author:
Paolo Parodi is an expert author who writes for Video Production Equipment
Saturday, October 13, 2007
HDMI, DVI , Component Video Cables And Interconnects Explained
Background:
As the HDTV market continues to heat up, consumers are in need of being educated on the latest technology in order to make intelligent purchasing decisions. There are a plethora of articles explaining the technical pros and cons of the 3 dominant HDTV display technologies namely: LCD, Plasma, and DLP. However, one all- important, but overlooked feature in selecting a HDTV set is the type of HD video connection. The video connections available for HDTV are: component video, DVI (digital video interface) and HDMI (high definition multi-media interface). We will discuss briefly the pros and cons of each.
Component video cable commonly referred to as R, G, B (Red, Green, Blue) actually consists of 3 separate cables because it distributes the 3 primary color components to the display. All colors can be generated from weighted distribution of each Red, Green and Blue color components. Of the 3 HD connection technologies available today, analog component video is the most mature technology.
-Advantage: Analog component video cable is mature and cost effective.
-Disadvantage: component video cables are analog! All HDTV sets are inherently digital therefore extra digital to analog and analog to digital conversion is necessary in order to process the video. This extra conversion can introduce video artifacts. Since all HDTV's are digital, it only makes sense to use an all- digital connection such as DVI or HDMI.
DVI (digital video interface) as the name suggests is an all-digital video connection. Unlike analog component cables the DVI interface transports the original digitized R,G, B video signals from the HD source to the HD display. Since it is all digital, no artifacts or degradation will be incurred. You will get EXACTLY the picture that the video source supplies with no degradation. DVI connection is often found on HDTV as well as PC video cards.
-Advantage : DVI is ALL-digital, so there is no picture degradation from source to display.
-Disadvantage : Digitizing R, G, B requires extremely high bandwidth. The aggregate data rate of the digital R, G, B signals is 1.65 Gbps! The high bandwidth means that cable quality is important and also the link distance is limited. Typical link budget for a DVI is ~ 15 ft.
HDMI (high definition multi-media interface) is the latest state of art audio and video connection. Technically, HDMI is identical to DVI with 3 notable differences. 1) HDMI is a much smaller connector (it looks like an U.S.B. connector), 2) HDMI utilizes copy protection called HDCP (high definition copy protection) and 3) HDMI carries multi channel digital audio. HDMI, like DVI, is ALL-digital therefore picture quality is “perfect” from source to display.
-Advantage: HDMI is a single digital video and Audio connection. Only 1 single cable is needed to transport both audio and video! This significantly reduces cable clutter behind your theater setup. HDMI is all-digital therefore there is no picture degradation from source to display.
-Disadvantage: Like DVI, the link distance is limited and a high quality cable is required because of the inherently high bandwidth required to transport digital R, G, B. video.
http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/hdmi-dvi.html
As the HDTV market continues to heat up, consumers are in need of being educated on the latest technology in order to make intelligent purchasing decisions. There are a plethora of articles explaining the technical pros and cons of the 3 dominant HDTV display technologies namely: LCD, Plasma, and DLP. However, one all- important, but overlooked feature in selecting a HDTV set is the type of HD video connection. The video connections available for HDTV are: component video, DVI (digital video interface) and HDMI (high definition multi-media interface). We will discuss briefly the pros and cons of each.
Component video cable commonly referred to as R, G, B (Red, Green, Blue) actually consists of 3 separate cables because it distributes the 3 primary color components to the display. All colors can be generated from weighted distribution of each Red, Green and Blue color components. Of the 3 HD connection technologies available today, analog component video is the most mature technology.
-Advantage: Analog component video cable is mature and cost effective.
-Disadvantage: component video cables are analog! All HDTV sets are inherently digital therefore extra digital to analog and analog to digital conversion is necessary in order to process the video. This extra conversion can introduce video artifacts. Since all HDTV's are digital, it only makes sense to use an all- digital connection such as DVI or HDMI.
DVI (digital video interface) as the name suggests is an all-digital video connection. Unlike analog component cables the DVI interface transports the original digitized R,G, B video signals from the HD source to the HD display. Since it is all digital, no artifacts or degradation will be incurred. You will get EXACTLY the picture that the video source supplies with no degradation. DVI connection is often found on HDTV as well as PC video cards.
-Advantage : DVI is ALL-digital, so there is no picture degradation from source to display.
-Disadvantage : Digitizing R, G, B requires extremely high bandwidth. The aggregate data rate of the digital R, G, B signals is 1.65 Gbps! The high bandwidth means that cable quality is important and also the link distance is limited. Typical link budget for a DVI is ~ 15 ft.
HDMI (high definition multi-media interface) is the latest state of art audio and video connection. Technically, HDMI is identical to DVI with 3 notable differences. 1) HDMI is a much smaller connector (it looks like an U.S.B. connector), 2) HDMI utilizes copy protection called HDCP (high definition copy protection) and 3) HDMI carries multi channel digital audio. HDMI, like DVI, is ALL-digital therefore picture quality is “perfect” from source to display.
-Advantage: HDMI is a single digital video and Audio connection. Only 1 single cable is needed to transport both audio and video! This significantly reduces cable clutter behind your theater setup. HDMI is all-digital therefore there is no picture degradation from source to display.
-Disadvantage: Like DVI, the link distance is limited and a high quality cable is required because of the inherently high bandwidth required to transport digital R, G, B. video.
http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/hdmi-dvi.html
The Types Of Camcorders
If you are planning on purchasing a camcorder, you should be familiar with the types of camcorders and how they can benefit your specific needs. The formats of video cameras include, VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Mini Digital Video (Mini DV), DVD and Digital 8. Each format has its pros and cons
VHS
The VHS format is the oldest type of camcorder. This type of video camcorder is fast becoming outdated, because you can only play back the video on a VHS VCR system. VHS camcorders are not nearly as clear as digital video camcorders that offer clear video with 540 lines of resolution, VHS video cameras only offer 240 lines of resolution. They also weigh more and are much more bulky, that dv camcorders. You can only find these video camera used because their technology is now outdated.
VHS-C
The VHS-C format offer 240 lines of resolution, just like VHS. These analog camcorders come in a smaller size that the VHS camcorder models, but use the same technology. The video tapes used in VHS-C camcorders are much smaller in size than VHS, just in a smaller camcorder design. VHS-C is considered old technology and not used today in newer models.
8mm
If you are looking to record more than 1 hour, then 8mm camcorders are perfect. These video cameras can record up to 5 hours of footage and they offer better video quality that VHS cameras. In order to view video from your 8mm video camcorder, you need to connect the camcorder to input jacks on your TV or your VCR system.
MiniDV
MiniDV, short for mini Digital Video off the clearest and most vivid colors out of all the types of camcorders on the market, and they're small in size only 4 inches in width and height. Mini dv camcorders can fit in the palm of your hand, making them very easy to handle and transport. And if you like editing your video footage you can connect dv camcorders to your computer system. Transferring the video is a snap with the FireWire connection. Once the footage is in your computers hard drive you can burn it to dvd, add it to your web site or email small clips to friends and family.
Digital8
Digital8 camcorders offer the best of both worlds, Hi8 and DV. You can use 8mm and hi8 video tapes combined with the best image quality found in digital camcorder formats. Digital8 camcorders are larger and heavier than Mini DV camcorders, but they are also cheaper in price. The Digital8 system offers 540 lines of crystal clear resolution.
DVD Camcorders
The newest form of digital video cameras are DVD camcorders. These camcorders are small in size, just like Digital8 and Mini DV camcorders. The big difference compared to other camcorder systems is that DVD camcorders use recordable DVD discs such as DVD-R or DVD-RW. The big benefit to dvd video cameras is that they can be played on your home DVD player, and of course the quality is the best you can find.
Price comparisons
If you want to buy the cheapest priced camcorder go for a VHS analog camcorder, you don't get the same quality as digital camcorders however if you plan on filming family vacations this should be sufficient for your needs. Then there are DVD camcorders, they are the most expensive of digital video cameras, but at the same time, they are the newest technology offering the best image and sound quality. Lastly is the mini dv format, this is probably the best camcorder for the price and quality. Small in size and reasonably priced. Review top manufacturers such as Panasonic, Sharp, Canon and Sony which offer the very popular Sony Handycam.
About the Author:
Chris Vorelli offers info on digital video camcorders, camcorder reviews, Sony camcorders , Canon camcorders, & Samsung camcorders and more. Reprint permission will all hyper links intact. © http://www.digital-camcorders-reviews.net/
VHS
The VHS format is the oldest type of camcorder. This type of video camcorder is fast becoming outdated, because you can only play back the video on a VHS VCR system. VHS camcorders are not nearly as clear as digital video camcorders that offer clear video with 540 lines of resolution, VHS video cameras only offer 240 lines of resolution. They also weigh more and are much more bulky, that dv camcorders. You can only find these video camera used because their technology is now outdated.
VHS-C
The VHS-C format offer 240 lines of resolution, just like VHS. These analog camcorders come in a smaller size that the VHS camcorder models, but use the same technology. The video tapes used in VHS-C camcorders are much smaller in size than VHS, just in a smaller camcorder design. VHS-C is considered old technology and not used today in newer models.
8mm
If you are looking to record more than 1 hour, then 8mm camcorders are perfect. These video cameras can record up to 5 hours of footage and they offer better video quality that VHS cameras. In order to view video from your 8mm video camcorder, you need to connect the camcorder to input jacks on your TV or your VCR system.
MiniDV
MiniDV, short for mini Digital Video off the clearest and most vivid colors out of all the types of camcorders on the market, and they're small in size only 4 inches in width and height. Mini dv camcorders can fit in the palm of your hand, making them very easy to handle and transport. And if you like editing your video footage you can connect dv camcorders to your computer system. Transferring the video is a snap with the FireWire connection. Once the footage is in your computers hard drive you can burn it to dvd, add it to your web site or email small clips to friends and family.
Digital8
Digital8 camcorders offer the best of both worlds, Hi8 and DV. You can use 8mm and hi8 video tapes combined with the best image quality found in digital camcorder formats. Digital8 camcorders are larger and heavier than Mini DV camcorders, but they are also cheaper in price. The Digital8 system offers 540 lines of crystal clear resolution.
DVD Camcorders
The newest form of digital video cameras are DVD camcorders. These camcorders are small in size, just like Digital8 and Mini DV camcorders. The big difference compared to other camcorder systems is that DVD camcorders use recordable DVD discs such as DVD-R or DVD-RW. The big benefit to dvd video cameras is that they can be played on your home DVD player, and of course the quality is the best you can find.
Price comparisons
If you want to buy the cheapest priced camcorder go for a VHS analog camcorder, you don't get the same quality as digital camcorders however if you plan on filming family vacations this should be sufficient for your needs. Then there are DVD camcorders, they are the most expensive of digital video cameras, but at the same time, they are the newest technology offering the best image and sound quality. Lastly is the mini dv format, this is probably the best camcorder for the price and quality. Small in size and reasonably priced. Review top manufacturers such as Panasonic, Sharp, Canon and Sony which offer the very popular Sony Handycam.
About the Author:
Chris Vorelli offers info on digital video camcorders, camcorder reviews, Sony camcorders , Canon camcorders, & Samsung camcorders and more. Reprint permission will all hyper links intact. © http://www.digital-camcorders-reviews.net/
Camcorder - Features To Look For
If you're on the look out for a new digital camcorder then you need to know what type of features to look for. It's easy to get confused and hard to make sense of all the specifications. Looking for the right features is the key in finding the best camera for your needs. While you compare digital camera recorder reviews and ratings, there are some items to consider.
You should have a general idea of what you need the mini dv camera for. Do you need a video camera for home movies? Or are you looking for a professional video camera, for your next feature film? Think about what you are looking for so your camcorder comparison shopping won't take as long.
Zoom
All digital video cameras have a zoom feature. Older analog camerass only had optical zoom, but new digital video cameras have both optical and digital zoom. There is a difference between these two types of zoom. Optical zoom physically lengthens the lens,and will still give your videos high image quality. However digital zoom basically blows up the scene in a digital format. The problem with digital zoom is that when you zoom in on a subject the video becomes pixilated and blocky with little squares giving the video a blurred and distorted look.
If you're wondering which zoom is better and more important, optical zoom. The more distance that your optical zoom can do, the more flexibility that you have when focusing in on a subject. I suggest a minimum of 10x optical zoom for most consumers.
CCD Sensors and Resolution
The video quality in a dv camera is dependant on the CCD, which is an abbreviation for charged-coupled device. The CCD is an image sensor that converts light into pixels to produce images; your digital camera works in the same way. You can find camcorders with one CCD or three CCDs. One CCD cameras are less costly however you will compromise the color quality in the video. 3 CCD cameras on the other hand provide the best color quality. The reason being is that there are 3 CCDs. Digital video cameras models with three CCDs (one each for red, green and blue) give your video the most vivid colors possible, but the price is more than 1 CCD video cameras.
Viewfinders & LCD Screens
It's important to find the best possible viewfinder when comparing camcorders. The viewfinder is the heart of the camcorder without it you can't see what you are filming. Viewfinders cam in black and white, if you buy a cheap video camera you will be stuck with a black and white screen. Personally I like my color screen, you can see the exact color and video quality as it will appear in the video. Sizes for LCD screen range from 2 to 4 inches across.
Digital Video Editing & Still images
Almost all newer digital video camcorders have FireWire (IEEE 1394). This feature enables you to transfer digital video footage from your camera to your computer system in the fastest possible way. The newest models even have the ability to take digital still images and video and transfer them to your computer for emailing to friends and family.
About the Author:
C Vorelli offers info on where to find the best digital camcorders. You can read ratings as well as reviews, on Sony, Canon, & Samsung and more. Reprint permission will all hyper links intact. © http://www.digital-camcorders-reviews.net/
You should have a general idea of what you need the mini dv camera for. Do you need a video camera for home movies? Or are you looking for a professional video camera, for your next feature film? Think about what you are looking for so your camcorder comparison shopping won't take as long.
Zoom
All digital video cameras have a zoom feature. Older analog camerass only had optical zoom, but new digital video cameras have both optical and digital zoom. There is a difference between these two types of zoom. Optical zoom physically lengthens the lens,and will still give your videos high image quality. However digital zoom basically blows up the scene in a digital format. The problem with digital zoom is that when you zoom in on a subject the video becomes pixilated and blocky with little squares giving the video a blurred and distorted look.
If you're wondering which zoom is better and more important, optical zoom. The more distance that your optical zoom can do, the more flexibility that you have when focusing in on a subject. I suggest a minimum of 10x optical zoom for most consumers.
CCD Sensors and Resolution
The video quality in a dv camera is dependant on the CCD, which is an abbreviation for charged-coupled device. The CCD is an image sensor that converts light into pixels to produce images; your digital camera works in the same way. You can find camcorders with one CCD or three CCDs. One CCD cameras are less costly however you will compromise the color quality in the video. 3 CCD cameras on the other hand provide the best color quality. The reason being is that there are 3 CCDs. Digital video cameras models with three CCDs (one each for red, green and blue) give your video the most vivid colors possible, but the price is more than 1 CCD video cameras.
Viewfinders & LCD Screens
It's important to find the best possible viewfinder when comparing camcorders. The viewfinder is the heart of the camcorder without it you can't see what you are filming. Viewfinders cam in black and white, if you buy a cheap video camera you will be stuck with a black and white screen. Personally I like my color screen, you can see the exact color and video quality as it will appear in the video. Sizes for LCD screen range from 2 to 4 inches across.
Digital Video Editing & Still images
Almost all newer digital video camcorders have FireWire (IEEE 1394). This feature enables you to transfer digital video footage from your camera to your computer system in the fastest possible way. The newest models even have the ability to take digital still images and video and transfer them to your computer for emailing to friends and family.
About the Author:
C Vorelli offers info on where to find the best digital camcorders. You can read ratings as well as reviews, on Sony, Canon, & Samsung and more. Reprint permission will all hyper links intact. © http://www.digital-camcorders-reviews.net/
Top 10 digital cameras
There are a large number of top 10 digital cameras lists available on the Internet today. Each one of them is different and they all have different sets of criteria, on the basis of which these lists are compiled.
However, it is not necessary that a top 10 list by a particular site is the top 10 list for you. Since every camera user has his/her own preferences, it is not really correct to assume that one top 10 list works for everyone.
So, the best thing that you can do is to develop a set of top 10 criteria for yourself. Once you do this, then you will be able to develop your own top 10 digital camera list. So, now the question arises that how do you develop your criteria list.
However, it is not necessary that a top 10 list by a particular site is the top 10 list for you. Since every camera user has his/her own preferences, it is not really correct to assume that one top 10 list works for everyone.
So, the best thing that you can do is to develop a set of top 10 criteria for yourself. Once you do this, then you will be able to develop your own top 10 digital camera list. So, now the question arises that how do you develop your criteria list.
The first and foremost thing to do is to determine the reason why you want to buy a digital camera. What are you going to use the camera for? How do you plan to use the photographs? And the most critical question of all, what is your budget?
Let us assume that you answer the above questions in the following manner :
You want a digital camera to take pictures of your family and during holidays.
You plan to use the photographs by printing them out to put into family albums, calendars and to post them on your web site.
Your budget for the camera is $200-300.
The above statements are enough to narrow down your choices quite a bit.
- You specifically need to look at the battery life of the camera - since on vacation you will not be able to charge your digital camera at all times.
- You also need to see the storage space available on the camera as it will not be possible for you to keep on transferring images at all times.
- You need a camera with zoom options but whether you go for an optical zoom or digital zoom will get decided by your budgetary constraints.
- You need flash since family photographs are normally taken indoors.
- Your camera should be user-friendly, since it is likely that other/younger family members will be using the camera as well.
- The camera should be sturdy as well, especially if you are on vacation with young children.
- The camera should be compact and light-weight as it is not possible to carry big, bulky cameras while traveling.
- A digital camera which can shoot good images to be put on a web site and in calendars needs to have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. So this is another factor to be considered.
- If you visit the beach while vacationing, then you might want to consider a water-proof camera. However, to fit this into your budget might be a bit difficult. Hence, there are digital cameras which come with water-proof cases and are cheaper. So, this might be the next best option for you.
- You can also go for a digital camera which supports MPG files, so you can click mini-videos. This is a great option for those people who do not possess digital video cameras.
Digital video camera - using and owning one is now not an option
The age of the digital video camera is here. Out with the VHS or SVHS camera you have stored away in the box. Those things are old school now. It is time to join the new reality. DV has come along and pushed it off the shelf. DV has been on the market for a few years now and has been sticking its toes in the waters of the video world to see if it was ready to make a splash. Well as a digital video producer let me tell you it is time. There are so many cool digital video camera products out on the market now, the technology is booming and pretty soon we are all going to be shooting in this format.
What can you do with DV that you can't with old tape formats? Well let me tell you there is so much to that question. Let's start with size. Everything is smaller and more compact which is a good thing. Then you have better quality, the ability to transfer the video into your computer for editing via high speed Firewire connections (also called IEEE ), and the quality stays with the video throughout the entire editing process unlike tape. Wow if your video is gorgeous going in it is gorgeous coming out and that is a wonderful thing.
I have taken the Sony PD 150 digital video camera on a variety of shoots that you would never take a larger more cumbersome camera. However that does not mean that I compromised the video in any fashion.
Take for instance the story I shot on a a female skier from Lebanon who was in Salt Lake City for the Olympics a few years back. We wanted to go on the mountain and interview her, see her being coached, and then see her training on the slalom runs. The PD 150 was small enough to take along in my backpack (padded of course in case of a fall) and yet powerful enough to take some wonderful video. I raced alongside of her as she zoomed through the slalom course, then ran the course myself with the camera down at snow level to give the ultimate feeling of speed. You could almost feel the chatter of the snow as my skis carved the hill. I had full control over my audio, exposure, and color balance so that the video came out looking terrific.
That story ended up having a great sense of the mountain, of the energy of the skier we were profiling, and all becasue the DV cam allowed us to go where we wanted without limitations.
http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/digital-video-camera.html
What can you do with DV that you can't with old tape formats? Well let me tell you there is so much to that question. Let's start with size. Everything is smaller and more compact which is a good thing. Then you have better quality, the ability to transfer the video into your computer for editing via high speed Firewire connections (also called IEEE ), and the quality stays with the video throughout the entire editing process unlike tape. Wow if your video is gorgeous going in it is gorgeous coming out and that is a wonderful thing.
I have taken the Sony PD 150 digital video camera on a variety of shoots that you would never take a larger more cumbersome camera. However that does not mean that I compromised the video in any fashion.
Take for instance the story I shot on a a female skier from Lebanon who was in Salt Lake City for the Olympics a few years back. We wanted to go on the mountain and interview her, see her being coached, and then see her training on the slalom runs. The PD 150 was small enough to take along in my backpack (padded of course in case of a fall) and yet powerful enough to take some wonderful video. I raced alongside of her as she zoomed through the slalom course, then ran the course myself with the camera down at snow level to give the ultimate feeling of speed. You could almost feel the chatter of the snow as my skis carved the hill. I had full control over my audio, exposure, and color balance so that the video came out looking terrific.
That story ended up having a great sense of the mountain, of the energy of the skier we were profiling, and all becasue the DV cam allowed us to go where we wanted without limitations.
http://www.great-digital-cameras.com/digital-video-camera.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)