Dedicated to the Edit (page 2)

Kyle Cassidy is a video artist and freelance writer who lives in Philadelphia with his cats Milla and Tatiana.

Hardware
Included Hard Drive Size The size of the included hard drive, in gigabytes.
Typical Storage Capacity The number of hours of video that the included hard drive can typically hold.
Removable Hard Drive Whether the unit’s hard drive can be easily removed from the appliance. This allows you to quickly add more storage space or quickly switch users or projects.
Component Video Outputs Whether the appliance has component (YUV) video outputs used with higher-end video equipment.
FireWire I/O Whether the appliance has a FireWire port that can communicate with DV camcorders to exchange video data digitally.
VGA Monitor Out Whether the appliance has a VGA output that can be connected to a computer monitor.
DVD Read/Write Whether the appliance can read and write DVDs.
HD Ready Whether the appliance is capable of processing high-definition video. Note: None of the currently-shipping units have HD-ready editing software. We assume this is a planned feature, although a software upgrade will be required.
Mouse or Trackball Whether the appliance uses a mouse (m) or a trackball (t).

Software
Timeline User Interface Whether the appliance’s software can be operated using a timeline interface, in addition to the storyboard interface. Timeline interfaces are more complex, but are often preferred for layered (composited) video production and for synchronizing audio with video.
Number of Audio and Video Tracks The numbers of audio and video tracks that the appliance’s software can manage at a time. A “u” in one of these fields indicates unlimited tracks.
Number of Transitions The number of transitions that are provided.
Number of Video Filters The number of video effect filters that are provided with the software.
Auto Scene Detection During the capture process, scene detection can optically detect scene changes or can detect jumps in the time code of incoming video.
Background Rendering Whether effects placed on the timeline automatically (and transparently) render in the background.
Keyframe Animations Whether the appliance’s software can perform simple animations of, for example, a clip’s or title’s position or the parameters of a transition.
Audio Envelopes Audio envelopes let the user vary the volume of an audio track over time. This not only lets you create fade in/out changes, but also lets you duck music beds down and up under a voiceover narration, for example.

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