Adding Digital Capability.

Fundraising shouldn't be this much fun

Hopefully, you've completed your storyboard, made up a simple shooting script, and are ready to start filming your video.

Last month, we discussed how you can capture video if you are using a standard analog camcorder. In this installment, we'll take a look at what is necessary if you have decided to upgrade to a Digital Video (DV) camcorder.

Shooting digital video provides a better quality image. However, it's also a double-edged sword. On one hand, it's a bit more difficult to get the digital video into your personal computer (PC) unless you've purchased a computer that's already set up for this purpose. On the other hand, once you've configured your PC for digital video capability, by adding the requisite hardware, you'll find that it's actually easier to download the video from the camera and edit it than with an analog video camera.

Working with digital video is actually very easy once you get past the hardware. The biggest obstacle is that controlling the camcorder from software, and downloading the digital video requires a special hardware port. You can download digital video using an analog connection with many DV camcorders. This path, however, eliminates all of the advantages that digital video provides.

The special digital interface is called an IEEE-1394 port, after the specification that defines its parameters as set out by the international organization responsible for this task. The IEEE also sets the specifications for other computer-related things such as Ethernet network protocols.

Apple Computer was actually the pioneer in this area, and developed the original interface, which it (and many other users and vendors) calls FireWire. The original FireWire specification became the basis for the IEEE-1394 interface, and the FireWire interface that's found on all current Apple Mac systems fully meets this specification. So, if you already have an Apple Mac, you're all set for digital video right now.

That's also true if you have any of the newer Sony VAIO PCs or laptops. Sony has included an IEEE-1394 port on its systems for the last several years, calling it an i-LINK port. FireWire or i-LINK, they are both IEEE-1394 ports.

IEEE-1394 ports are starting to become common on many higher-end laptop PCs. That's because external laptop peripherals, such as CD-RW, DVD-ROM, or external hard disk drives, can transfer data much faster through an IEE-1394 than a USB port. So if you've bought a laptop recently, it may also already have this port.

Finally, a growing number of desktop vendors are starting to include enhanced digital video editing capabilities, including an IEEE-1394 port, on their offerings. Compaq has had a number of Presario models during the past several years that have included the IEEE-1394 port.

The new Presario 7000 series has several models that not only have an IEEE-1394 port and lots of video editing software, but also include a DVD-R drive along with software that will let you create your own DVDs. If you don't want to bother piecing together your own system, as per this series of columns, this is an excellent alternative. Along with the Presario 7000's DVD-R burner is a copy of Sonic Solutions' DVDit!.

Dell has also recently jumped into the digital content creation market with several of its Dimension 8100 models. The Premium Movie Studio includes the Dazzle Video Creator II box detailed in last issue's column.

When it comes to adding digital video capability to your PC (or laptop), you have a large number of choices. All of them involve adding a hardware card. With a laptop, this card simply plugs into a Type II PCMCIA Card slot. Because of the very high data transfer rate that IEEE-1394 requires, this PCMCIA slot must be CardBus enabled. Not all PCMCIA card slots are, so you'll have to read your manual, or contact the vendor of your laptop. Sometimes, when there are two Type II PCMCIA slots on a laptop, only one of these slots is a 32-bit Cardbus slot. Again, consult your laptop's manual, or the vendor of the laptop.

PCMCIA IEEE-1394 cards are available from several vendors. These include Belkin Components (www.belkin.com) and Evergreen Technologies (www.evertech.com). They should cost about $80, and usually come with a video capture and editing application.

To add an IEEE-1394 port to a desktop PC, you will need to have an empty PCI slot available on the motherboard. The actual hardware consists of a plug-in card with two or three FireWire connectors on it. The card simply plugs into an empty slot (you will first have to remove the slot cover on the PC's rear panel.) Windows will recognize the card, and ask you for the device driver on the CDROM that came with the card. When it finds this CD-ROM, it will automatically install the proper software drivers.

I've tested cards from two vendors. The less expensive card is ATI Technologies' (www.ati.com) DV Wonder. This $49 card offers three IEEE-1394 connectors, and comes with a copy of Ulead Software's Videostudio 5.0. This is an excellent video editing program that we'll cover in a bit more depth next month. Also included is an IEEE-1394 patch cable, with a 6-pin connector that fits the ports on the DV Wonder on one end, and a 4-pin connector, which is the most popular DV camcorder plug, on the other end.

Belkin (www.belkin.com) $79 IEEE-1394 FireWire Card is almost identical, also offering three 6-pin FireWire jacks and a 6-pin to 4-pin patch cable. The software that comes with Belkin's card is a bit different from that which accompanies ATI's DV Wonder. Belkin includes MGI Software's VideoWave III SE and Photo-Suite III SE applications.

Regardless of which one you buy (or whether you purchase a similar card offered by Evergreen Technologies, Orange Micro, or other vendor), you will probably have to purchase at least one additional software package, regardless of what application is included with the card. This issue will be covered more depth in the next column.

Once you've added IEEE-1394 to your PC, there's one addition capability you might-want to consider. The Hollywood DV-Bridge, from Dazzle (www.dazzle.com), is a small hard-ware box that plugs into an IEEE-1394 port on a laptop or desktop. The DV-Bridge lets you convert analog video, from an older camcorder or VCR, into digital video, and vice-versa.

If you have a lot of older video material that you'd like to use, or want to shoot the video on an analog camcorder, but edit it in digital video form, the $299 is an excellent investment.

Next time - how it all starts to come together.

Ted Needleman is the former associate publisher and editor-in-chief of Accounting Technology magazine. He is now a technology consultant and writer based in Stony Point, N.Y.