Chapter 3. Capturing DV

DV offers better video quality than most analog camcorders, and since DV camcorders record the time and date of each shot, Studio 10 can divide captured DV footage into scenes, making it easier to find the clips you want.

Since DV is a digital format, capturing from a DV camcorder is more like a file transfer; some even refer to the process as a file import. Call it what you will, getting DV video from your camcorder to your computer is a snap. No video resolution to set or audio volume to adjust just press Start and Stop.

The same cable that carries the DV video to your computer lets you control the camera, so you can start, stop, rewind, and fast-forward your DV camera within Studio a useful capability unavailable with most analog camcorders. All of these factors make DV capture quick, painless, and highly functional.

Note that capture operation is identical whether you shot your footage in 16:9 or 4:3 mode. However, the first video you insert into the project determines the aspect ratio that Studio uses for that project. In addition, Studio won't let you capture 16:9 and 4:3 footage from the same tape into the same project. Studio's Capture Album does have the ability to display 16:9 and 4:3 footage at the proper aspect ratios, an option we'll explore in this chapter.