Digital Video Solutions [Paperback]

Winston Steward (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2002 | ISBN-10: 192968553X | ISBN-13: 978-1929685530 | Edition: 1

Welcome to the world of video! "Digital Video Solutions" will show you how to use your camcorder and PC to make your videos more creative and compelling. Whether you're spicing up simple home movies or preparing professional presentations, this book will give you the tools to create great-looking video! "Digital Video Solutions" focuses on teaching readers how to create professional-quality video, clearly explaining such tricky issues as digital video camera controls, digital audio, and high- and low-end video cameras, and it's packed with full-color images and examples.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Digital Video Solutions and How To Do Everything address the needs of the burgeoning digital video home market. Both discuss which features to look for in a digital video camera, how to transfer video to computer, basic video editing, and suggestions for producing common items such as wedding videos. Digital Video Solutions features color clips, and its explanations of FireWire card installation and other hands-on activities are especially clear and thorough. How To Do Everything includes a useful appendix on Windows XP Movie Maker and covers more overall ground than Digital Video Solutions and FireWire Filmmaking (Computer Media, LJ 3/1/02). Each is appropriate for public libraries. In contrast, Five Essential Steps targets those contemplating opening a digital video production business, including information on selling and distributing video, hiring actors and camera crews, and renting equipment. An extensive resources section rounds out the volume; the accompanying DVD includes trial software, business document templates, and video interviews/behind-the-scenes footage. For larger libraries only.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Addresses the needs of the burgeoning digital video home market . . . Its explanations of . . . hands-on activities are especially clear and thorough." -- Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Muska & Lipman/Premier-Trade; 1 edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 192968553X
• ISBN-13: 978-1929685530
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,323,360 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What a waste of a tree, February 23, 2002

By 

Technoguy "Technoguy" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Video Solutions (Paperback)

Don't buy this thing. If you want to see how bad it is, go to the
publisher's site and read the sample chapter. It's obvious that the
author has never held a camera of any type but he still has the
courage to write about it.
Unfortunately, he often is just flat
wrong. On the very first page of that chapter he describes a pinhole
camera with a "bulging glass in the middle of the box." He
states that if you point the hole at something, light will go through
the lens and project on the other side of the box. A 10 year-old kid
knows that there is no lens inside a pinhole camera.
Another time
he says "when you 'stop down' on a camera, you are increasing the
aperture diameter. 'Stop up' means to decrease aperture
diameter." I've never heard of stopping up, but whatever you want
to call it, that statement is backwards. Stopping down, decreases the
aperture diameter. He calls depth of field "the field of
focus" and his explination of it has huge holes .
My personal
favorite is that he repeatedly refers to "video filming."
Say that around a video professional, and you'll be asked how you load
film into your video camera.(...)

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars So-so, beginner-only, January 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Digital Video Solutions (Paperback)

This review is based on Chapter 3 only. I haven't seen the rest of the book.

1. The information provided is mostly trivial, suitable for one who never used any photo- or video-camera before. It might be your first book to enter the field - it certainly won't be the only book you need (IMHO).

2. Complaints of first reviewer are valid. E.g. page 39, last paragraph. The author basically describes a pinhole camera: "...take a lightproof box and make a tiny hole at one end..." But then he talks about a "bulging glass in the middle of that box..." - looks like clue-lack. Page 44, last paragraph (and the one above it) - mix-up of what "stop-down" means, and introduction of "stop-up". Page 48 - the author talks about Night Shot, forgetting to mention that this feature is found on Sony camcorders only (don't try to find it on your Canon, for example). Same page tell you that "for filming in bright sun at the beach use ... Sand feature" - it wasn't very enlightening (especially if you graced yourself with one pass over your camcorder's manual). Page 49 - don't know about yours, but my camcorder doesn't have Twilight setting.

To be fair - there were a few good tips in this chapter. Not enough for me to justify purchasing the book. Also, other chapters may contain more useful information - I don't know.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for Beginners, February 28, 2002

By 

Roberto Mundial (Baja, Mexico) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Video Solutions (Paperback)

I had never owned a video camera before. This book helped me see the things I could do with it. I think I'll have this book around for a long time. If anything, it tries to cover too much in few pages. Perhaps as I get good at this, I'll understand the book better.