Chapter 2. From Camera to Desktop: Getting Video Ready for Prime Time
In This Chapter
Choosing the right Webcam or digital video camera
Finding free video-recording resources
Seeing how to use some popular video programs
If you've worked with just about any kind of graphics on computers, you're aware that images can be saved in JPEG, PNG, or GIF format for use on the Web. The same is true of video files that contain both audio and video (A/V) elements; these files are saved in such formats as WMV, MOV, AIFF, and AVI. As you see in Chapter 1 of this minibook, the formats that Flash video uses for progressive downloads and streaming are FLV and F4V.
In this chapter, you see some fundamental ways to generate different kinds of video files for the Web. Additionally, you see several kinds of cameras and microphones that you can use to make videos.
Whatcha Gonna Do? Video Camera or Webcam
The first question you have to ask yourself is what you plan to do with video on the Web. If your goal is to have video chats or to make fun little videos to share with your friends, all you need is a Webcam. The quality of Webcams varies significantly, but even the least expensive can get the job done for simple video projects.
If you plan to be the next Steven Spielberg, producing everything from movie trailers to your own dramas (or to become a YouTube star), you need a video camera. Video cameras typically ...
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