Home

Digital Video Process

Acknowledgements





Order Episode copies











 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Digital Video Process
Figure 1 - Sony TRV-900 digital video camcorder. This video camcorder uses mini-DV tapes (up to 60 minutes of recording time). It also permits Bowin to convert VHS and SVHS analog tapes to digital DV tapes. DV tape sequences are transferred via a firewire (IEEE1394) cable to a digital computer for editing. Final edited programs are then transferred back to the camcorder for storage on mini-DV tape, and then transferred back to SVHS tape for airing at Falmouth’s FCTV-13 Public Access Station.   Figure 2 - Digital computer system providing digital non-linear editing (NLE) video program production capability. Episodes (6 and above) for Bowin’s “Science and Cape Cod” series aired on FCTV-13 are now produced using this system. This computer utilized the NT 4.0 (now Win2000) operating system and Digital Origin’s EditDV video editing software program system (Digital Origin software was acquired and updated by Media 100, and now has been purchased and further improved by Autodesk, a.k.a Discreet). The flat box on the top of the computer is a 6x cd-rom burner. A DVD R/W unit is now in the console box. In addition to transferring completed programs (6 to 9 Gigabytes [GB] in size) back to video tape, the computer system is capable of compressing and writing the edited programs on CD_ROM (up to 700 MB) or DVD (4.5GB) discs.   Figure 3 -Recorded CD-ROM using the digital computer system shown to the left. The 30-minute quicktime video productions “Lyme Disease” (Epidsod 6), “Cranberry Bogs” (episode 7), Truth, Part 2 (Episode 9) can each fit on a single 650 MB disc. However, two 45-minute shows, “Truth, Part 1” (Episode 8), and “A personal Science Campaign” (Episode 10) exceed the capacity of CD-ROM and must be recorded on DVD discs. The first five episodes were produced at FCTV-13 using analog linear editing equipment, and required five to seven generations (copies) of analog tapes to complete editing. Those shows, respectively, are: Basic Science, Cold Crime, Health, and Poison in the Well, Parts I and II. These 5 early programs have been reproduced digitally and are also now available at this web site.