What sort of PC hardware do I need to edit basic videos on my computer?

That depends on how you want to save the videos and in what format.

If you want to save the video as a dvd then you will need a dvd burner. If you want to save them as an avi in any number of formats and you want to save to disk then you will need a cd burner.

If you want to send it to a third party device like a vhs recorder you will need a tv tuner card.

You will need a video capture device to get the raw footage onto your hard drive for editing.

I use "Dazzle" capture device and I use a number of editing software because they seem to each have that little "extra" that I want. I find generally that Pinnacle 9 Plus is pretty much all I need with chromakey built in and picture in picture not to mention the customizable music from "Smart Sounds" that tailors the length of a musical piece (smart sound proprietary sound files only) to your selected length.

I also have "Movie Maestro" that is also "smart Sounds" that you import a finished, except for music, clip and add a background music bed in multiple styles.

Pinnacle10 plus is the newest software.

If you want to to save as windows media then the free "Movie Maker" that is bundled with Windows does a fine job sans the music.

Bryan

Thanks Bryan...

What sort of specs is best for editing video? I just tried to edit a 130 meg movie with movie maker and the program crashed!

I noticed a big change in speed and stability when I upgraded my ram from 128 to 384.

Video editing is resource hoggish. It eats up hard drive space because, in most cases, you have multiples of the same or nearly the same clip(s).

I have had good luck with Movie Maker for smallish movies but prefer Studio Plus. You may want to get "Sishmax" to make really nice opening sequences, closing sequences and/or transitions between scenes because you can save the flash creations as avi and dropp them right into your timeline.

Mainly it is just trial and error until you have a working knowlege of the capabilities of the program(s) you are using.

Hope this helps some,

Bryan

I've also had some luck with Pinnacle Studio Plus version 9. I'm just beginning to learn about video editing, but I've found that the learning curve is pretty steep. I've made plenty of videos (not magic related) and have been attempting to burn them to a Video CD but have had a little difficulty. I'm planning on springing for a DVD burner soon.

Caleb

So if I was 512 MB, 80 gig hard disk and 2mb sdram I should be ok?

I just saw the latest version of Windows Movie Maker. I can't imagine most casual users needing more then that! Pretty impressive!

Most video software will function on those specs, but 1GB of RAM would give you a noticable improvement, especially in render times, and you can never have too much hard drive space when working with digital video. But you should certainly be able to run the program. It just may not be realizing its full potential.

Kevin

Windows Movie maker isn't bad for basic editing. They even have a few special effects built into it. If you are just making videos for yourself or your friends, it's more than adequate. If you are planning to make a demo video or performance videos for sale, you will probably want to step up to something a little more professional. I use Vegas Video 6 along with their DVD Producer 3.0. Adobe Premier and Pinnacle are also awesome programs for NLE. 512 MB of RAM is pretty good. Your processor speed and video card are also really important aspects. I would start with the Windows Movie Maker to see how your system performs with a simple editin program, and to also get your toes wet to editing. Windows Movie Maker is very limited, but also very easy to use. You can trim the clips, add pictures and audio very easily. Be careful though, getting into making videos is almost as addictive as magic! There are quite a few knowledgeable people here so I wouldn't hesitate to post any technical questions you might have here!

James is correct regarding what you'll need. Memory is dirt cheap these days (remember back a few years when 8 Megs of ram was over a hundred bucks!) Basically, you should buy as much memory/hard drive space as you can afford. 1 Gig is a good start with at least a 150 Gig hard drive. I do this full time and have gotten into a workflow of purchasing a removable hard drive to store each project. It is very cost effect these days to store video like this.

I guess the most important question is what do you need video for? Is this for a promo video or just making a few fun 'clips' for friends? As James alludes to, you might need more power than you're aware.

For example, for something as 'simple' as an introducion graphic animation, I have a very heavy duty 3d package. I just spent the last two days working on an animation that's 350 frames (about 14.5 seconds at 24 fps) for a client's DVD.

Of course, standard video editing doesn't need all the icing. Many of the standard packages mentioned might be all you need.

Please don't forget to do the most important thing of all and that is figure out what the video is designed to do! As mentioned, are you cutting a promo video or a BOR sale video? Sketch out on paper what you want before editing. This will give you an idea of what you'll need as far as an editing package. Besides, who knows, you might find it would be cheaper to hire a pro (hmmm, I know one!, hehe). Seriously, though, have fun with whatever you decide on. James is 100% correct. Once you start, you'll want to do more and more.

Cheers!
Scott Sullivan

James and Scott have certainly provided accurate information. I second both their posts.

Personally, I use a variety of software tools for editing video and audio. Sony Vegas 6 is my choice for editing scenes. ULEAD DVD workshop is my choice for final DVD compilations. DVDDecrypter is my choice for ripping from existing DVD's. Sony Acid loops is my choice for multi-track audio recordings. Sony Vegas 6 is my choice for final 5.1 mixdowns for playback through Home Theater systems.

As far as system requirements. RAM is your best friend. Get as much as your system can take, but anything over 512MB should be sufficient. Hard disc space can be your worst enemy. Depending on your project, you can easily use all of a 200GB HD.
I know, because I have done it. Most projects can be broken up into segments if your HD is not large enough. This means you dump your video to your hard drive, edit it using your software, then output back onto a DVD for storage until it's needed for the final project. Removable HD's is another possibiltiy or even RW (read/Write)discs eiher CD or DVD. It's best if you have ALL of your material present on your HD for the final burn but you can use these other methods in a pinch to complete a project.

Ive heard that using completly digital recording is hard to edit compared to miniDV. If I'm going to be using pinnacle to edit, is it okay to use fully6 digital media?

I have no clue what I'm talking about

Sony Vegas is a pro product.
you can also use multiple computers for rendering which would cut the time
we used Pinnacle Studio plus and couple other programs in the past they are much easier to use but not the same
vegas is more expensive but much better and it does not crash

I have made the jump to "Serious Ultra". I find the "keying" aspects to be extremely useful. The Virtual sets are very nice.

I also upgraded my video card and THAT has been the single best thing I have done when it comes to vido editing. I have no more crashes.

Bryan

I use Premiere to export my videos. Then I use "Sorensen Squeeze" to compress my video without having to compromize the quality. Squeeze then exports into all sorts of video format. Windows, QuickTime, Flash, ect.