Video Equipment

• Consumer-grade computer: $1500. Computer equipment used in research should resemble the kind of equipment that users are likely to have, which will rarely be state of the art. Moreover, one of the best ways to keep a computer setup neutral is to start with a generic setup.

• Scan converter: $300. Scan converters convert the signal from the test computer's videocard into a video signal, which is processed and recorded. Make sure that you pick one that can do the typical resolution that you're likely to be testing with (many low-end ones only do 640 480, which is unacceptably low resolution for most usability testing).

• Two miniDV video cameras with IEEE1394 (Firewire/i.LINK) interfaces and external video input: $800–$2000 apiece. It's useful to have two cameras: one to serve as the camera and one to serve as a video recorder, recording the output of the video mixer picture-in-picture image. The cameras don't have to be particularly fancy since even a basic modern camera will do most of what's required. The cameras don't have to be identical since only one is going to be recording at any given time, and that can be the higher-quality camera (in fact, the recording camera doesn't have to be a camera at all; it can be a VCR). But if you're going to build the lab from scratch, it's useful to buy two of the same one for redundancy. The IEEE1394 output makes it much easier to import the video into desktop video editing software for making highlight reels.

• Video switcher: $1000. In order to record both the image of the user and what the user is looking at on the same tape, it's useful to use a low-end video switcher.

• Professional video monitor: $700–$1000. This allows for playback without degradation in quality, which can be important during analysis.

• Two big TVs: $700. For closed-circuit observation, it's good to have a couple of big TVs. One has the picture of the person on it, and the other, a picture of what he or she is looking at. The TVs are also useful for playback of highlight tapes to larger groups.

• Video tripod: $150.

• Interconnect cables: $50.

• Closed-circuit cables: $200. These are long, shielded video cables that can run into another room without getting interference from various computer equipment. You could also buy a couple of the wireless "tv doubler" units, but they don't always work inside office environments.

• RF modulator: $30. This converts the component signal that high-end video equipment uses to TV-style antenna signal, but may be unnecessary with some TV models.

• miniDV tapes: $8–12 apiece.

• Transportation cart for mixer, deck, and monitor: $200.