NOTICE – THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN IN 2007. BE SURE TO READ
Update on Video Editing accessory recommendations for Windows Vista users
Our two video editing programs – Easy-Scout XP Professional and Easy-Cut were designed to work with a number of video file formats, including the "standard" DV-AVI and a few that save disk space and provide for excellent portability by "compressing" the video.
"Compressed" video formats reduce the size of the video file by a factor as high as 10 to 1 when compared to the standard "uncompressed" DV format that is used for storing video on Digital Camcorders. This is important to coaches because it means more video can be stored on a computer’s internal hard drive – in many cases an entire season, plus it makes it easy to give copies of the game to other staff members without a large investment or logistical acrobatics.
The two compressed formats that work best with our products are Windows Media (.wmv) and DIVX/XVID (usually an .avi file but a different "animal" than DV-AVI) . Both reduce the size of a typical game enough that it is usually possible to store a few games on a DVD or even a portable "flash drive".
No special equipment (other than a firewire connector and cable) or video capture software is required in order to transfer video recorded on most Digital Camcorders to the computer in either DV-AVI or Windows Media format. Windows Movie Maker, included with Windows XP and Windows Vista, does both jobs for you and best of all, its easy, free and it works! In fact, video capture from "firewire-equipped" devices and camcorders is built right into Vista, and a "wizard" pops up with Vista senses there is video to be captured.
But, to convert video from VHS tapes or DVD’s to DV-AVI, WMV or another format, one or more special "tools" are required.
Recommended devices for CAPTURING video from VHS or DVD
We’ve tested quite a few products for capturing and converting VHS tapes and DVD’s for use on a computer, including a number of hardware "converter box" products . These products connect to a computer via a "Firewire" connection (caution – not all desktops have Firewire connections) or USB 2.0 connection. Windows Movie Maker and the Windows Vista Video Capture Wizard, our recommended capture programs, "recognize" these devices and convert the video to either an avi or Windows Media format.
Since most modern video editing systems work with Windows Media and .avi video, some coaches prefer the "smaller" file sizes of Windows Media (though some types of avi files that use the DIVX or XVID have small files sizes as well). Choosing Windows Media for video makes it practical to store an entire season on a computer’s hard drive or a small “pocket” hard drive.
The video quality of Windows Media is more than adequate in all but the most demanding situations and many coaches find it to be the easiest to use. Plus, Windows Media is supported by Windows Movie Maker and Windows Vista’s built in capture capabilities – with no additional downloads required. Best of all, its all free!
Our favorite Firewire Capture device – ADS PYRO A/V Link
Our favorite in this category is the ADS Pyro A/V Link . It costs about $100 less than its nearest competitor, and includes all the cables you are likely to need. The ADS works equally well when converting to DV-AVI and Windows Media formats using the two free Microsoft capture tools mentioned above (Movie Maker and the Vista Video Capture wizard).
Alternatively, video capture "cards" are available for desktop computers, but since they require "cracking the case", a vacant "slot" in a computer, and once installed lack the portability of the "converter boxes", they are seldom the best choice for a coach who simply wants to transfer video from a VHS or other analog source to a computer. Furthermore, a video card must be selected carefully to ensure compatibility with the video editing software to be used. For these reasons, we DO NOT recommend a video capture card.
Our favorite USB capture devices – ADS Video Express, Plextor ConvertX402U
* Recommended for systems running Windows XP
When teams do a video "exchange", the media of choice is typically a VHS tape or DVD. In either case, the video must be converted to a format that is suitable for video editing. "Compressed" formats like Windows Media are often an excellent choice for this task, since they will retain the quality of the original video and save disk space.
The ADS Video Express looks more like a cable than a converter box, and plugs into a USB port, where it gets its "juice". Composite and S-Video connectors are at the other end of the USB cable and when connected, both Windows XP and Windows Movie Maker recognize the device. I’ve tested the Video Express with a few video captures on Windows XP machines and the quality in Windows Media format was identical to the VHS tape and suitable for editing. The Video Express is readily available at prices under $50!
The Plextor 402U Convertx is an analog to digital converter "box". It connects to a PC through USB, though its bundled software works only with Windows XP. The Plextor includes Win DVD Creator, for capturing video in the DIVX format, and with it, the quality of the video is exceptional. Plus, Win DVD Creator is a nice program for creating DVD’s. The Plextor is an excellent product for Windows XP users, but since Plextor does not work on Windows Vista, the Plextor ConvertX 402U is hard to find.
The ADS and Plextor devices will not work with Windows Vista using the software that comes with the device. For this reason, Vista users should choose a firewire-based capture device like the ADS Pyro AV over one that connects with USB.
Our favorite DVD “ripping” product
Our favorite product for converting full DVD’s (a process called “ripping” a DVD) to a format that works adequately in many sports editing situations is DVDCopy - a software only solution from Intervideo (now part of Corel). See related articles on DVD ripping for more details.
DVD Copy does what it sounds like it would do – converts DVD’s. We’ve used this product since version 4 and it adds more formats each year. For more info on DVDCopy, visit Corel – the new owner of the WinDVD, WinDVD Creator and DVDCopy products .
