1. The Digital CamcorderAges ago, my copy of iMovie 1.0 sat neglected on my hard drive for months because I had no easy way to import video footage. I could have used an analog-to-digital converter to bring in the contents of old videotapes (see Chapter 7), but it would have been a hassle. What I needed was a digital camcorder. Although digital camcorders cost more than analog models, you can get a good quality model these days for less than $400. You can also easily spend $5,000 or more, with plenty of models falling between those ranges. iMovie HD gives you another option: high-definition (HD) digital camcorders that capture video at a much higher resolution for playback on HD televisions. Surprisingly, you can get one for around $1,500 currently, a bargain compared to full-fledged HD systems (more on that in this chapter). For the money, you also get a host of featuresand gimmicks. If you've not yet purchased a digital camcorder, this chapter will help you decide which combination of features is right for you. Note that I'll give some examples, but won't be recommending any particular model because (like all technology) the field changes pretty quickly. If you already own a camcorder, skim this chapter to see which features are important and which you should turn off. |