Choosing and Using a DV Camcorder

Working with Digital Video

Digital video (DV) technology enables you to capture high-quality footage and then transform that raw footage into a movie that people will actually enjoy watching. With Mac OS X, a digital video camera, and iMovie, you can express yourself in ways that are limited only by your own imagination. Your movies can have plots, transitions, sound effects, music, special effects, and more. And you can distribute and watch your movies in many ways, such as on DVD, videotape, or the Web.

To create DV movies, you should have the following tools:

• A Mac capable of running iMovie (because you have Mac OS X, you have this)

• iMovie (iMovie comes with Mac OS X)

• QuickTime Pro (this is an optional but highly recommended addition to your movie toolkit)

• Digital video camera

To learn more about QuickTime Pro, p. 641.