Technology Articles

• Industry Standards
• Theory
• TV Engineering

• In Box
  December, 2009
  by Videomaker Readers
  Comments and links to recent Videomaker Magazine Articles written to help people create better video.
• How the CMOS or CCD Sensor In Your Camera Sees The Light.
  December, 2009
  by Edward B. Driscoll, Jr.
  Whether it's a CMOS camcorder or a pro unit with a 3CCD sensor these chips do a whole lot of work that used to be done by many mechanical parts.
• Basic Training About Face!
  January, 2009
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Many video cameras now seem to include face detection capabilities. But what exactly is face detection? Our primer explains how it works and how it might stump&…
• 2008 Video Capture Cards Buyer's Guide
  October, 2008
  by John Devcic
  Capturing video is easier than it has ever been. The choices available to you are plentiful. Of course, picking the right card that will suit your needs is not&…
• Quick Focus
  October, 2008
  by Jennifer O'Rourke
  Seeing RED? How 'bout Scarlet?... Fair Use Guidelines Receive a Facelift for Online Videos... Sing Happy Birthday, for a Fee.
• Media Matters: Blank Media Guide
  October, 2008
  by Charles Fulton
  It's easier now than ever to fit large quantities of video into a very small physical space. For you to be able to acquire video, you need media of some kind,…
• Editing: Intermediate Codec Transcoding
  May, 2008
  by Morgan Paar
  As CPUs get faster, machines are able to utilize more RAM and editing software gets more efficient, the need for intermediate codecs for editing HDV may fall…
• What is HDV?
  December, 2004
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Hi-Def has become the big catch phrase of the year, but many people don't understand just what the format is and why it will be so important to our TV viewing…
• HDV: The Next Frontier
  November, 2004
  by Matthew David Wachsman
  The Hi Def Video Sea is changing. Are you ready to take the plunge?
• How to Transfer 8mm, 16mm, 35mm or 65mm Film to Video Tape or DVD
  November, 2004
  by Garret C. Maynard
  A look at do it your self and professional options to transfer your classic 16mm film (or any other type of film) to video or DVD.
• Camcorder Review: Sony HDR-FX1 HDV
  November, 2004
  by D. Eric Franks
  Sony HDR-FX1 HDV Camcorder
• Through the Looking Glass
  October, 2004
  by Charles Bloodworth
  Upside down and backwards, look at the wonders of video technology by taking a journey through the amazing world of your camcorder.
• Sound Advice: Bits and Bytes
  September, 2004
  by Hal Robertson
  Understanding the language of digital audio.
• NTSC: Yesterday, Today, Forever?
  May, 2004
  by Pat Bailey
  Examining the scope of the North American broadcast video standard.
• Hot Rod Box
  February, 2004
  by Hal Robertson
  Optimizing your video editing computer.
• Broaden Your Video Horizons
  January, 2004
  by Pat Bailey
  How high-speed broadband Internet is changing the course of digital video.
• Alphas Made Transparent
  May, 2003
  by Pat Bailey
  An understanding of alpha channels is essential for both beginning and expert video editors.
• Dissecting a Digital Camcorder
  October, 2002
  by Scott Anderson
  Watch over a shade tree technician's shoulder as he lays out all of a camcorder's parts--from lens to CCD to record head--but don't try this at home!
• Quick Focus
  October, 2002
  by Alan Sheckter
• Quick Focus
  August, 2002
  by Alan Sheckter
• Jargon: Video Acronyms and Abbreviations
  April, 2002
  by Chuck Peters
  Video Acronyms and Abbreviations
• Zoom In
  January, 2002
  by Alan Sheckter
• Computer Editing: Color Tweaking
  January, 2002
  by Bill Davis
  Digital-video tools built into today's editing computers allow videographers to manipulate on-screen color.
• Video Terms: Camcorder Glossary
  December, 2001
  by Chuck Peters
  Common terms used by video professionals
• In Box readers' letters
  September, 2008
  by The Editors
  Footage vs. Bittage... 6 versus 25 Minutes of Film... and Pani's 0001 Still in Use... In Michael Moore's Defense... More on Moore... Throw in Some Spice and…
• CMOS vs CCD
  September, 2009
  by Edward B. Driscoll, Jr.
  CMOS Vs CCD technology. What's the difference? The first big difference between the two is that CMOS chips are manufactured much like traditional microchips.
• Digits Over the Air
  January, 2009
  by Charles Fulton
  The transition to digital over-the-air TV is nearly complete. So what does that mean for videographers? While most of our discussions of television are…
• Choosing Your Direction: Progressive or Interlaced
  July, 2008
  by Michael Reff
  A great director once asked, "To Interlace or not to Interlace? That is the Question. Whether âtis nobler in the mind to capture slings and arrows of…
• Shooting a la Mode
  November, 2005
  by James DeRuvo
  Explanations of all those non-standard modes that today's camcorders are capable of shooting.
• The FYI on NTSC, VGA and ATSC Monitors
  September, 2005
  by Michael Fitzer
  The FYI on NTSC, VGA and ATSC.