PRESENT: Multimedia Guidelines

We recommend you shoot all footage on a DV camcorder or convert all analog video to DV tape. miniDV cameras with analog inputs can be used to convert analog audio and video to DV format, or you can buy a special purpose miniDV-VCR or DV-bridge. This digital DV tape will become the archival or master version of your project.

You can then edit the DV footage from the tape using a non-linear editing package like Apple's iMovie, Sonic Foundry Vegas Video, or Adobe Premiere 6.0. When you are finished editing, you can export the movie in a format that is easier to distribute -- either over the web or on a CD-R disc. If you save your original archival tape and the project files from the editing software you will be able to easly re-edit the project whenever you want or re-convert it to another format as neeeded.

To work with video in this manner, you will need:

A miniDV camcorder with analog audio/video inputs and an IEEE 1394 interface and/or a miniDV VCR
An OHCI-compliant IEEE1394 (firewire) interface in your computer (built-in or on an add-in PCI or PCMCIA card)
A supply of DV tapes
A non-linear video editing program with IEEE 1394 device control and video capture capabilities

Your computer should have:

at least one 500 MHz Pentium III, 400 MHz Apple G3 or equivalent processor
at least 128 MB RAM
a separate 20GB or larger 7,200 RPM ATA-66, ATA-100 or SCSI hard drive dedicated for video capture
A recent version of your operating system (Windows 98, ME, 2000 or Mac OS 9.0.4 or higher)
A CD-RW or DVD-R drive to archive your finished video clips

After editing your movie, you can usually export your finished movie in a number of formats. We recommend using either MPEG-1 or RealVideo formats for distribution. If your editing program does not support these formats, there are a number of software packages available that can convert your video. You should save your original footage on the miniDV tape and your project files so that you can re-render or re-edit the project in the future as your needs change.

The PRESENT provides video hardware for University of Delaware faculty to use in creating educational multimedia. If you are interested in using our systems, please make an appointment to come in by e-mailing present-site@udel.edu or calling 831-0640

Suggested File Formats
	Format	Quality	Recorder	Player	Limitations
Archival	DV Format saved to miniDV Tape		DV Camcorder or Firewire (IEEE 1394) capture device	DV Camcorder, VCR or Firewire (IEEE 1394) device	Very large file sizes. Must use external hardware to play back or edit.
Local Delivery	MPEG-1 on CD-R	352x240 29.97fps 1150kbps video, 192kbps audio	Export from editor as MPEG-1 or convert	Microsoft MediaPlayer (PC); QuickTime 5 (Mac)	Fairly large file size. Resolution not as good as VHS tape
Internet Delivery	RealVideo streamed on the Web	28.8Kbps	Export from editor as RealVideo or convert	RealPlayer 8 Basic	Quality far below other options.