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Tools for Making Video Clips in AVI or MPEG Format

Introduction

This webpage will be helpful to those who are interested in creating video files in their computer. To do this, one needs to use a video capture device to capture video clips from a VHS source. This will then transfer video files on to the computer allowing on to view them from the computer monitor. In addition, the video file can also be converted into a different format. Formats like MPEG can be used to create video cd's.

Requirements and procedure for capturing video clips from VHS source into the computer.

Hardware required:

1. computer(133 mhz or fater recommanded)
2. video capture device or videocard with video capture capability.(I have the ELSA ERAZOR Video Capture Combo Card)
3. cable to connect VHS to video capture device
4. soundcard with audio input(needed if you would like your video file to include sound as well)

Software required:

1. Video capture software that came with the video capture card
2. Xing mpeg encoder

Procedures:

1. either rca or s-video cable.(s-video recommanded for clearer picture quality)
2. Connect VCR's audio output to sound card with rca cables. Use one cable for mono, and two for stereo quality.
3. Play the desired VHS source and run the software on the computer that is responsible for enabling capture card to start the video capturing task. It will ask you where to save the clip, select a desired directory in your harddrive to save the clip. The video clip will be in AVI format.
4. When the desired clip is finished, disable the software to stop the video capturing.
5. you can view the AVI clip in Windows since AVI is a type of Window's multimedia file.

Compressing AVI format into MPEG compression format

When the source is captured in AVI format, the captured uncompressed AVI file will be very large(approxiamately 100MB per minute). This can easily eat up your harddirve if you do not compress it into a smaller file. The easiest way is to convert it into MPEG(Moving Picture Experts Group) format. This will save you alot of harddrive space since the compression ratio is about 10 to 1(100MB will be compressed into 10 MB), without losing picture quality. There are many software outthere that will do the compression. The one that I use is Xing Mpeg Encoder by Xing Technology. The encoding process takes about three times the video length. If you don't want to go through this tidious encoding process, you can just buy the video capture device that will do Mpeg encoding in real time. In other words, you will be capturing video clips in Mpeg instead of AVI format. The drawback to this is that picture quality will not be as good as being captured with AVI initially. Also, these Mpeg capture cards runs between $300 to $1000(hope this price doesn't burn a hole in your pocket) in comparison with sub-$100 AVI capture cards. The cheapest Mpeg card that I can think of is Snazzi by Dazzle(around $300).

Creating Video CD

Besides saving harddrive space for compressing AVI into Mpeg format, you can also create Video CD since it uses Mpeg format. Some people like to convert their home videos tapes into video cd, since its quality does not degarade like tapes do.

hardware requaired:

1. cd writer
2. blank CDR

Software required:

1. Adaptec Easy CD Creator

Procedure:

1. To to Adaptec easy CD creator and open up Video CD creator.
2. Go to edit and select add item.
3. select clips that you would like to include in the CD, you will be able to record about 60 minutes of video in once CD.
4. Once selected, the selected clip will be in the right box. Just drag it to the left box which is the content of the Video CD layout.
5. Go to Video CD and select Create CD from layerout.
6. Start making Video CD.

Once finished making video, you can view it in your computer using software like Xing's Mpeg Player, or you can view it in your TV but you'll need either a Video CD player, or DVD player that also support Mpeg deocoding. I have Sony DVD player and it plays Video CD perfectly.

There is a faq site if you have any quations concerning video cd.