Computer Video Products

Each year computer video products get faster and sleeker. Fortunately, many of them also get less expensive. The year 2000 ushered in some exciting new computer video products - from editing software to turnkey editing systems to software for authoring DVDs. So whether you're looking for a loaded, broadcast-quality turnkey editing suite or simple software to put home video on the Web, you've come to the right place. These eight computer video buyer's guides should help you with your next purchases.

Turnkey Systems

Integrating video editing hardware and software in a computer is not an easy task. That's why we recommend investing in a pre-configured editing system. We call this a "turnkey" system because it's ready to go right out of the box - just plug it in and turn it on (turn the key). There are two basic categories of turnkey editors: computer-based systems and editing appliances.
A computer-based system combines a PC (or Mac), a digitizer or capture card so that you can capture video and audio to a hard drive and editing software so you can edit your project and output it for viewing.
Computers-based systems offer flexibility and customization. If you outgrow your basic editing software, for instance, you can simply load another one. You can also take advantage of third party products to add more tools to your editing software. On the downside, computer systems that are used for various applications (Internet, spreadsheets, word processing, etc.) need to allocate resources to those programs. Video editing is a resource-intensive application. Whenever possible, dedicate a computer for video editing and use another for other applications.
Editing appliances have gained popularity in recent years. An editing appliance is a closed system, which means you can't run Windows or access the Internet; you can only edit video using the installed software. Appliances are simple to use, easy to set up and are very reliable. It's important to do your homework before you buy, however, since you'll be locked into that system and only that system. You cannot install third party plug-ins or change editing software.
Each year there are more editing appliances from which to choose. MacroSystem-US (formerly Draco) introduced the Avio, its successor to the Casablanca, and soon its high-end system, Kron, will be available. Applied Magic offers the Screenplay and the Se…