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Problem: I have a lot of videos I have taken with my video camera that I want to share with my family. How can I connect my video camera to a computer and download the videos? What programs can I use to add titles and edit the video? Can I copy the final edited video to a DVD?

Operating System: Windows XP Home/Professional/Vista/MAC
Program: N/A
Solution:

To copy a video from a video camera to a computer you have to check first what kind of video output you have on your video camera and what type of video input you have on your computer.

Connectors found on Video cameras:
1- Standard line video output (In the form of an RCA video/Audio Connector)
2- Super VHS Connector (Its a round connector with pins)
3- USB-2 Connector
4- Firewire

Connectors found on Computers:
1- USB-2
2- Firewire
3- RCA Video/Audio In Connectors – If you have a video capture board
4- Super VHS Video In Connector – If you have a video capture board

Most newer video cameras will have a USB-2 or Firewire connector. If you have an older video camera the process will be a little more complicated. You will need to install in your computer a video capture board or a device that allows you to connect legacy video cameras.

We will assume you have a newer video camera.

Identify what kind of connection you have:

1- Firewire:

2- USB-2

The connectors may look a little different depending on the brand/model of your video camera. Always check your manual and verify what kind of video output interface your camera has.

You need to get an interface cable to connect your video camera to the computer, depending on the type of transmission protocol “USB-2” or “Firewire”

Check the connector on your computer and purchase the proper cable.

After connecting your camera to the computer and turning the video camera on, your computer will detect it.

Now you need to choose what program to use to transfer and edit the video on your computer.

Windows Movie Maker 2.1

If you are a Windows user you can utilize “Windows Movie Maker 2.1” a program shipped with Windows XP and Windows Vista. You can get more information about this program on this link: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/
updates/moviemaker2.mspx

With this program you can automatically control the video camera, fast forward, rewind and select the portions of video you can to transfer to your computer. You can add video titles, transitions between the scenes, music backgrounds and narrations. You can export your finalized video to a web friendly format or save it in an MPEG-2 format to later transfer to a DVD. One of the major limitations of Windows Movie maker is that it only has 1 video track.

Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0

Another excelent program for the Home Video aficionado is Adobe Premiere Elements 3.0. This program is very easy to use and it has everything you need to feel like a movie director.

You can add video titles, transitions, audio narrations, music, and you can play with a total of 99 video tracks. You can easily export the final video to a DVD or to a web format to send via e-mail or publish on a web page.

iMovie HD

If you are a MAC user, you can utilize iMovie HD which comes standard with the latest MACs. This program is very intuitive.

With iMovie you can add special effects, titles, transitions and output your final edited video to a variety of formats for the Web, CD-ROM or DVD.