Connecting your camcorder to a computer

Mini DV and Digital8® camcorder owners will need an i.LINK® (IEEE 1394) jack to transfer digital video from their cam to their computer. If you have a newer computer without an i.LINK jack, it should be fairly easy and inexpensive to add one via an optional PCI or PC card.

Mini DVD, hard drive, and flash memory camcorders can transfer video files and photos onto your computer via a USB interface. Most newer computers come with a USB port; if yours doesn't have one, you can add a USB port through a PCI or PC card. It's worth noting that there are two different types of USB ports — full-speed USB and high-speed USB — and many camcorders are able to transfer video to your computer with either type of port. However, you'll probably want a high-speed USB port if you plan to transfer a lot of home movies to your computer for editing, since your transfer speeds will be much faster.

Mini DV camcorders use i.Link jacks (left) to transfer videos to a computer, while hard drive and mini DVD camcorders use USB ports (right).

Editing footage on your computer

There are a variety of software programs that you can use to edit videos you've transferred to your PC. If you ever did any tape-based editing with an old analog camcorder, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised by the process of editing digital video on a computer. Not only does digital video tend to look better, but you won't lose picture quality when you rearrange a sequence of video clips. And you can add all sorts of video effects afterwards, instead of having to apply them while filming.

Some camcorders will come with editing software, but it's important to note that the included software is probably pretty basic. If you want more precise or advanced editing, you may need to purchase additional software. Our suggestion: test out the software that comes in the box, and see if it suits your needs. If not, you'll have a better idea of the features you'll want in a future editing software purchase.

Also, check out the editing software that may already be installed on your computer. If that doesn't have all the features you want, then decide what kind of editing you want to do, and look around for the appropriate application.

Selecting software
You'll want to ask yourself a few questions about each software program you consider:

• Will the software work with your operating system? Does your computer have the necessary memory, processor, and inputs? (Below, we've created a chart that will give you information on what we recommend for minimum and ideal computer setups for video editing.)
• Will the software work with your camcorder's video files? Mini DV, DVD, hard drive, and high-definition camcorders can all record video in different formats. Be especially mindful of compatibility if you've got a high-def camcorder that records in the AVCHD file format. This format is relatively new, so manufacturers have only just started releasing versions of software that can edit these files.
• What do you want to do with your footage? Do you want to upload your video files to video-sharing websites? Do you want to burn DVDs, or store your HD footage on discs that play back on a Blu-ray player? Make sure the software you choose can export your edited video files in a format that will work with what you want to do.
• What kind of editing do you want to do? Do you want to add more than one audio track? Do you want to add effects and fades, or perform other advanced editing? Check out the software's editing options to make sure it will let you be as creative as you want.

We've outlined a few software programs below that we're familiar with, and that are worth checking out. Some are free, while others range in cost from under $100 to over $1,000. Remember to check the version of the software you choose — newer or older versions may have more or fewer features.

• For Windows®:
  • Windows Movie Maker®
    This free software can be a great way to get started. Movie Maker offers basic editing for many standard-definition video formats. Versions that come with Vista® Premium and Ultimate operating systems add support for HDV files, which is the format used by high-definition Mini DV camcorders. It's a good way to edit without spending any money, since it may already be on your computer. If not, it's available as a free download for XP and Vista.
  • Corel® uLead® VideoStudio® Pro X2
    This software supports many types of standard- and high-def video files, including HDV and AVCHD. It also comes with DVD authoring for high-def playback with 5.1 surround sound in high-def disc players. For more info, see uLead's website.
  • Pinnacle™ Studio™ Ultimate version 12
    This software supports many standard- and high-definition video formats, such as DV, HDV and AVCHD files. It also allows users to burn their high-def footage to regular DVDs for playback in compatible high-def disc players. For more info, see Pinnacle's website.
  • Sony Vegas® Movie Studio — Platinum Edition 9
    This software offers support for many standard-def and high-def video file formats, including HDV and AVCHD. It also lets you burn high-def Blu-ray discs. For more info, see Sony's website.
  • Adobe® Premiere® Elements 8
    This software supports file formats from many standard- and high-def camcorders, including HDV and AVCHD. It allows you to put your edited footage on DVD or Blu-ray for playback and archiving. (Keep in mind that you'll need a computer with a Blu-ray read/write drive to make your own Blu-ray discs.) For more info, see Adobe's website.
• For Mac®:
  • iMovie '09
    This software comes installed on most newer Macs. It features support for many types of standard- and high-def video formats, including HDV and AVCHD. It's a good program to start with, especially since it comes free with newer computers. For more info, see Apple's iMovie website.
  • Apple Final Cut Express 4
    This software expands the features of iMovie '09 — it gives you more flexibility in editing with more audio/video possibilities. It supports many video file formats, including DV, HDV, and AVCHD. For more info, see Apple's Final Cut Express website.
  • Apple Final Cut Studio
    This software offers real-time editing of many standard- and high-definition formats. It supports DV and HDV files. You'll be able to store your HD footage in a high-resolution format for storage and playback. For more info, see Apple's Final Cut Studio website.

  All information posted above was accurate as of 10-19-2009.

  Computer requirements
  Most current computer systems handle digital video well, but if you have an older computer, take note: full-motion digital video takes up lots of memory, and high-definition full-motion video takes up even more. For example, five minutes' worth of uncompressed video from a standard Mini DV camcorder uses 1 gigabyte of hard drive space — that means a half-hour video will take up 6 gigs. For digital video editing, we recommend you use a computer system with at least 30 gigabytes of hard drive space, although we recommend more free hard drive space for better performance. Below, you'll find our computer system recommendations for editing standard- and high-definition video.

  Computer requirements	For standard-def video editing (minimum)	For standard-def video editing (ideal)	For high-def video editing (minimum)	For high-def video editing (ideal)
  Total hard drive space	30 gigabytes	200+ gigabytes	350+ gigabytes	500+ gigabytes
  RAM	512 MB	1+ GB	2+ GB	system maximum
  Processor speed	1.2 gigahertz or equivalent	1.2 gigahertz or equivalent	dual core 2.2 gigahertz or equivalent	dual core 2.2 gigahertz or equivalent
  Inputs	USB/ i.LINK*	USB/ i.LINK*	USB/ i.LINK*	USB/ i.LINK*

  * Inputs will depend on the type of camcorder you choose — Mini DV camcorders typically use i.LINK outputs to transfer video, while DVD and hard drive camcorders typically use high-speed USB.