We often hear the phrase "broadcast quality" when talking about video signals and equipment. Many readers have asked us to explain exactly what is broadcast quality. All video in the U.S. adheres to the NTSC. Three different signals make up the composite video signal: the sync (horizontal

So you need to shoot some photographs for your next video. Perhaps it’s a family reunion, video scrapbook or memorial video. Perhaps just a video photo album to send to your sister in Denver. You decide that shooting the photos right out of the album is not an option; the album pages are yell

Sig’s Inspiration I was very pleased to see "One Readers Room" in the March 1998 issue. I use very similar equipment to make wildlife and nature documentaries. It gave me ideas for my set-up and since Sig Thorsen appears to be around my age, it boosted my confidence in my own video

Nine Tips to Keep Your Camcorder as Fresh as a New Baby. When you shelled out your hard-earned cash for your first camcorder and pulled it out of the box to hold in your hands for the first time, did you sense a slight trepidation about whether you’d know how to care for it properly and keep i

You know, when you stop to think about it, video allows you to open a window to the past and experience a short audio-visual glimpse of times gone by. To illustrate our point, we’ve geared up the Videomaker time machine for a short trip back in time. Our destination: 1979. Our goal: to discov

Clarity shines on the murky confusion surrounding the two types of signals. Though digital video editing has been around for at least fifteen years now, it remains almost as confusing as programming a VCR; and now it’s my turn to take a whack at unconfusing the subject. Much of the said con

Writing Docudrama Alan Rosenthal (1995,Focal Press, 313 Washington, Newton MA 02158, 271 pp., $24.95) Fact-based fiction is enjoying a surge in popularity in film and on TV, proving the old adage that real life can be as entertaining as fiction. Writing Docudrama: Dramatizing Reality for Film and T

How many of us question how wide our camcorder lenses will go? Most serious hobbyists are up on zooms–even the beginning videographer will demand a 15x lens (with 30x digital, please.) In the meantime, there’s a whole wide world hidden right in front of us. We don’t need the probin

Five ways to keep from shooting yourself in the foot. I was a professional videographer when I received my first personal camcorder as a birthday gift from my wife. It was the same brand as the professional S-VHS camcorder I had been using for work, and it had similar features, too. Even so, I took

Panasonic to Discontinue Full-size Camcorders Matsushita, the parent corporation of Panasonic, plans to discontinue production of the company’s VHS and S-VHS camcorders by the middle of this year. According to Bill Mannion, General Manager of the Panasonic Consumer Video Division, "Our f

Have you ever wanted to test your camcorder to find out how it really performs? These tests will help you put your camcorder through its paces. Each test is similar to the tests manufacturers use when publishing their technical specifications. We won’t bore you with the technical aspects of s

Hey, you! Yeah, you with the camcorder stuck way back in the closet, somewhere between the dusty suitcases and the pile of old hats! Time to get up off your lazy duff and dig out that video gear! That’s right! Get up and get shootin’! "Nothing to shoot," do I hear you whine? &

Nowadays, we take for granted much of the technology we find in our camcorders. CCD chips, edit-control protocols and flying erase heads have greatly expanded our capabilities as consumer videographers and video editors. These features once were available only on very expensive camcorders. Where d

Camcorders and special events–they go together like, well, like the proverbial horse and carriage. And yes, one of the most frequently videotaped events of all celebrates love and marriage. But if you’re going to produce a compelling record of such an occasion, you can’t always fa

Here you are, watching the last video you made, wondering why it looks so dull. It’s not that the video is bad, far from it; it’s quite competent–good lighting, textbook composition, adequate sound–it’s just unmemorable. There’s no vision; there’s nothing p

There is a hush that falls over a crowd when a classically shot movie appears on-screen. It’s that same hushed anticipation that hovers around the campfire when someone says "Once upon a time …" as we give our full attention over to being entertained. The movie-maker’s s

You don’t have to be George Gershwin to be a great composer. Just carefully arrange your video scenes, and you’ll achieve visual harmony. Now there’s been a lot of loose talk going around about composition. No, not “composition” as in asphalt roofing or “compo

Microsoft Corp. is staging an aggressive bid to help Windows NT land the plum role as the video editing platform of choice. Not content to be typecast in corporate environments, Microsoft turned in a stellar performance with NT at a recent broadcasting trade show. The traditional marquee stars in th

Videotaping sports events can be just as challenging as the games themselves. Here’s a few hints to help you hit a home run with your viewers. It’s probably fair to say that, after family fetes and forays, the commonest video topic is sports; and it’s equally safe to predict that

Good programs start with good camera work. No matter how carefully you plan a show or how assiduously you edit, you can’t make a good video out of lousy footage. Garbage in, garbage out, to coin a phrase. Quality video recording is surprisingly easy to do, as long as you tread the path of vi