video-recording

James wonders why there’s such a fuss over digital video formats:

I had been watching you on Ustream since last summer. I was browsing around Youtube and Ustream looking at the videos you made over the past few weeks. After watching your video titled: Digital Camcorder Incompatibilities Insanity, it leaves me with some questions.

In your video, you said camcorder manufactures make there cameras to work on certain formats that may be incompatible with video editing software such as Sony Vegas or Adobe Premiere and force you to use whatever software that shipped with the camera. Now I would understand what you said and possibly agree with you when you are talking about digital point and shoot cameras that has video recording capabilities where there is many of them and record in many different formats, but where I don’t understand is camcorders.

Is there not already a general format for a digital video recording in camcorders? Isn’t the standard camcorder format MiniDV recording at AVI-DV? As far as I know, AVI-DV works with all the major video editing software out there. In fact, based on my knowledge it’s the best raw video format to work with.

Now I know MiniDV is standard definition and camcorder manufactures are trying to move consumers into using high def camcorders using miniDV tapes or hard drives. I am not quite sure on this area because I am not in the market for an HD camera as of yet. But based what I know, they record on Mpeg 2 or Mpeg 4 and those formats are terrible to edit.

So what is your say on this? Is AVI-DV the standard camcorder format for standard definition cameras or if not, what would it be? Also, If there is no true standard for HD format recording good for editing and used for rendering, which format would be good as a standard why?

Thank you for taking the time to read my email though I understand you have many to read. I look forward to your response and having a better understanding on what you where trying to say in that video.

Read more on Video Formats and Codec Confusion…

I’ve never been a huge Skype fan, although it seems I’ve had an account forever. More than anything, I just don’t like accepting random calls from folks. Of course, I realize that I could limit my contact list and privacy options – but that’s next to impossible for me, as I know a lot of people and am always online (in some form or another). Plus, I envision using Skype to further enable communication for future programs – but not yet.

Read more on Video Call Recording and Capture (Skype)…

Okay, it’s been a while since I’ve bothered to mention it – but PikSpot has finally released into public beta their community content platform. It’s certainly evolved since I first looked at it a few months ago. Before you fade out and assume this is just another network, let me give you a few of the more unique features these guys have offered the ol’ TechTV community-at-large:

Read more on Beginning of a New Network: UndoTV…

Okay, so the idea is taking off… and I think we’re doing something different enough (video calls, not just audio calls, distributed across a variety of online video networks). The interactivity of it is what’s compelling to me – finding ways to make it easier for people to ask questions by webcam and become a part of the program. This doesn’t and shouldn’t replace anything that anybody else happens to be doing, mind you – but there’s a reason I started this on YouTube. We’re trying to prove that online video can be more than a string of insipid pixels, trying to prove that the power of video doesn’t stop after the encoding process.

Read more on Video Voicemail – Help?…

I can’t wait to see UndoTV spring to life in a few months. Every few days, I’ll get an IM from a PikSpot team member (Scott) asking me for feedback. I’ve seen their next-gen design and it looks amazing – though I’m not sure it’s going to make it into v1.0 of the product. Still, beta testers like long-time Gnomie Mike Chandler are using it already. In preparing for our upcoming launch, I came up with a wacky idea that might not have worked a few years ago.

Read more on TV Didn’t Want Call for Help: Do You?…