Video FAQ ... Questions
General
How fast of a computer do I need to play videos?
How do I edit video?
How much does a video editing computer cost/should I purchase one?
What format of tape can be converted to a digital file?
What about my DV camera, how can I edit my clips?
Who can use the UI's Stream Server?
Converting VHS, 8mm & DV tapes to Digital Video
How do I convert from tape (VHS,8mm, DV) to a streaming video file?
How do I convert from tape (VHS,8mm, DV) to an .avi file?
Video for PowerPoint
Can I play a clip from a DVD inside of PowerPoint?
How do I insert a video into a PowerPoint presentation?
What size video can I use in PowerPoint?
How do I play full screen video in PowerPoint?
Why won't my video play, it worked in my office?
What are video codecs?
DVD Video
How can I make my own DVD's?
How do I convert my video tapes to DVD?
Where can I learn more about DVD's?
Video FAQ ... Answers
How fast of a computer do I need to play videos?
This is a very difficult question to answer accurately since technology is constantly changing. There are several issues involved in this answer, hopefully working all the answers together will produce not necessarily one answer, but a shorter list of possible choices.
First, determine what kind of video capabilities you'll need your computer to have, and then see if you can find someone who is using a computer in a similar capacity and talk with them about their experiences. Remember, the ability to play video well has been around since the Pentium II 166mHz machines came out. Now granted they didn't do full screen video; this came along later with PIII 500mHz machines. So chances are pretty good that a top-of-the-line machine is not necessary to do a good job with your video clip.
When you play a video clip in PowerPoint, the speed of your processor, amount of RAM, speed of your video card and a clean hard drive, all come into play. Generally PowerPoint will allocate all available resources to helping your video play well, so it will generally max out your CPU usage. Having a "defragmented" hard drive is also important, especially if you feel your computer IS fast enough to handle the video, but you find that the clip skips and doesn't play smoothly. Try defragmenting the hard drive and see if that helps. You may also need to copy the video file onto a removable disk, and then copy it back after defragmenting the hard drive.
How do I edit video?
You'll first need to capture the video, from whatever source you have, VHS, 8mm, DV tape etc. Then you can use a program like Adobe Premiere to import each clip into it's own separate track, (like lanes on a highway) Once it's imported you can begin to pull the sections of video from each clip you have imported, and make transitions between them. You can also lay audio into your audio tracks. Video can also be brightened or colored, sped up or slowed down during this process.
To edit video in the CTI, ask a staff member to give you an overview of how to use the equipment.
How much does a video editing computer cost/should I purchase one?
A video editing computer can actually be a fairly expensive investment, depending on the type of system you choose. Many manufacturers are working hard to make them affordable, but it is similar to buying a car, both BMW's and Hyundai's exist; both are a means of transportation; both can get you to your final destination. However, we all know that one is going to have have a little smoother ride, and perhaps some nicer features.
So what does this mean? At the CTI, we have a Matrox RT.X100 xTreme Pro video editing system. This is nice because everything is in Real-Time. This saves a lot of the waiting that is usually involved in video editing. Plus, we've spent the money on the capture hardware, the fast hard drives, the dual monitors, the VCR's, Headphones, etc. So, why not come over and enjoy the lab? It's pretty nice, plus you get out of the office for a while!
If you must purchase your own system, talk with people who have purchased computers. A few minutes of conversation could save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars in frustrations and headaches.
What format of tape can be converted to a digital file?
Basically anything you can see or hear can be converted to a digital file. The best thing to do is ask a CTI staff member if your particular format is easy, or if it requires some special equipment. The formats currently supported in the CTI include VHS, SVHS, DV, and miniDV. There is also a good chance that if someone at the UI cannot transfer it, there is a company who specializes in doing just what you want, it may just take a little time to find them.
What about my DV camera, how can I edit my clips?
The CTI has a capture system that will allow you to edit the video you have stored on your DV tape. If you want to edit this video on your own, your computer will need an IEEE 1394 port, as well as some video editing software.
Who can use the UI's Streaming Server?
The UI Streaming Server is available to UI faculty and Staff for UI related projects.
How do I convert from tape (VHS, 8mm, DV) to a streaming video file?
Please setup an appointment with a CTI Staff member for help.
How do I convert from tape (VHS, 8mm, DV) to an .avi file?
Please setup an appointment with a CTI Staff member for help.
Can I play a clip from a DVD inside of PowerPoint?
Please setup an appointment with a CTI Staff member for help.
How do I insert a video into a PowerPoint presentation?
Once your video is converted to an .avi or .wmv file, and you are ready to place it into PowerPoint, go to:
- Insert > Movies and Sounds > Movie from File...
What size video can I use in PowerPoint?
You can stretch a video clip just like an image in PowerPoint, so it can be any size. However, keep in mind if the video is only 320x240 pixels, stretching it to full screen on a 1024x768 monitor, will result in some pretty ugly looking video, so make the video as big as you can without sacrificing quality. People are generally accepting of digital video within PowerPoint to be smaller, since the clips are usually quite short. If your clip is long, then it might be a good idea to make it larger on the slide in order to hold your audiences attention.
How do I play full screen video in PowerPoint?
Playing full screen video in PowerPoint is usually not the problem, as mentioned in the above answer, you can stretch the video window to fill the screen with great ease. The problem is in getting that video to LOOK good! There are several techniques that can be tried. First, you can try saving the video at a larger size. Many times a video for PowerPoint is saved at 320x240, by simply increasing this to 640x480 you essentially have made the video 4 times as big. However, the draw back to this is having a machine that is fast enough to play back such a large file smoothly; since many older video codec's where designed for video sizes closer to 320x240.
To alleviate this problem, encoding the video with a newer codec, such as MPEG1 or MPEG2 can greatly help your video look better at larger sizes. Talk with a CTI staff member about encoding your video using MPEG1 or 2, they can assist you in this process. Keep in mind though, the ability to play back this video requires the use of software that is not often available on a machine without a properly functioning DVD-ROM player, and chances are, you may need to purchase some software to make this work.
Why won't my video play, it worked in my office?
There are likely two issues that are causing this:
- Videos in PowerPoint are linked, and are not included in the PPT presentation. You will need to copy that video to the presentation machine hard drive as well. If you have already done this, try putting the video in the same folder as the .ppt file. PowerPoint is looking in a folder that the video is not in, since it was built on a different machine. Placing this video clip in the same folder as the .ppt file should fix this problem. If not, simply re-insert the video once it has been transferred to the presentation machine.
- The second issues could be a video codec issue, to solve this, try installing the codec that your video was encoded with. For more information about codecs see below.
What are video codecs?
Video Codecs are compression techniques applied to digital video clips. To encode and decode digital video, the codecs must be installed on the computer you are using. Many codecs are free, however, some require that you purchase software. Be aware of this as you dive into the world of digital video, and talk with a CTI Staff member for more information about acquiring and installing video codecs.
How can I make my own DVD's?
Please setup an appointment with a CTI Staff member for help.
How do I convert my video tapes to DVD?
If you want to do this yourself, please setup an appointment with a CTI Staff member for help. However, if you want someone else to do it for you quickly, easily and inexpensively; check out the ITS Video Production Center. They can be reached at (208) 885-0569.
Where can I learn more about DVD's?
You can learn more from the master of DVD, Jim Taylor. He has a few books and a very extensive website that answers almost every question imaginable about DVD.