How to Edit Movies and Burn to a DVD

If you have a camcorder and make your own home movies, you can use your computer system to make those movies a lot more appealing. With the right hardware and software, you can turn your PC into a video-editing console and make your home movies look a lot more professional.

Configuring Your PC for Video Editing

You have a personal computer, you have a camcorder -- what more do you need to edit your home movies?

When it comes to PCs, the short answer to this question is: lots of horsepower. That's because video editing is the second-most demanding operation you can do on your PC. (The most demanding activity is playing games, believe it or not.) It takes a lot of processing-power memory and hard disk storage to edit and process full-motion video on your PC, and most older and lower-priced PCs simply aren't up to the task. This might mean, depending on your unit, that you have some upgrading to do.

So what kind of PC do you need for video editing? If you're an Apple user, there's no better computer for video editing than a Power Mac G5. The G5 has all the horsepower and all the features you need for fancy video editing, without even breaking a sweat.

If you're a Windows user, you have a lot more choices. To start, you want to go with the fastest, most powerful processor you can afford. The AMD Athlon FX 64 is the fastest single processor out there today and is always a good choice. On the Intel side, look for a fast Pentium processor with Hyper-Threading Technology -- at least 3GHz, faster if you can get it. Memory is an important part of the equation, too. The bare minimum required for video editing is 1GB, although you should go for 2GB or more if you can.

You'll also need lots of hard disk space, with a fairly fast hard disk. Perhaps the best way to go is to add a dedicated external hard disk just for your video editing. Make sure the hard drive connects using FireWire, since FireWire is faster for this type of data transfer than USB.

Bigger is better when it comes to hard disk storage, especially if you're editing high-definition video -- although even standard definition video is a real space hog. For example, if you shoot a standard definition video with a 16:9 aspect ratio at 5:1 compression, you'll need 3.6MB for every second of video you shoot. That's almost 13GB for a full hour of video. As you can see, even just a few videos on your hard disk (or a few differently edited versions of the same video) can use lots of space. For this reason, consider a 300GB or 400GB drive for your video storage. You can't have too much hard disk space.

Obviously, your computer needs to have a FireWire connection, since that's how most digital camcorders connect. (Your camcorder manufacturer might use the consumer electronics term "iLink," or the more technical IEEE 1394, but it's still FireWire.) If your computer doesn't have a FireWire port, you can add one with a PCI card, no problem. Finally, consider what type of monitor you'll be using. Here again, the bigger the better -- at least 17", and possibly a 21" or larger model. LCD monitors are great, and you may want to spring for a widescreen model like Apple's Cinema monitors if you're shooting in 16:9 widescreen.

Choosing a Video Editing Program

PC-based video editing software performs many of the same functions as the professional editing consoles you might find at your local television station. You can use video editing software to cut entire scenes from your movie, rearrange scenes add fancy transitions between scenes, add titles and subtitles and even add your own music soundtrack. The most popular Windows-compatible video editing programs include:

• Adobe Premiere Elements - an easy-to-use editing program that includes a subset of the features available in the more robust Premier Pro software, perfect for the casual home moviemaker.

• Adobe Premiere Pro - one of the most popular and most sophisticated video editing programs available. This is the program the pros use, for both DV- and HDV-format videos. Includes all manner of post-production tools and special effects, as well as built-in DVD authoring.

• Pinnacle Studio - another full-featured editing program. Includes video and audio editing and restoration, real-time effects and built-in DVD authoring. Also available in a Studio Plus version, which adds HDV editing and professional TV-style effects.

• Ulead MediaStudio Pro - a powerful editing program that supports both DV and HDV formats. Includes a Smart Compositor for professional-quality opening segments and segues, surround-sound audio editing, color correction and a variety of special effects.

In addition, Windows XP includes its own video editing software, called Windows Movie Maker. Although its not quite as sophisticated as some of the other video editing programs, Windows Movie Maker includes all the features you need to do basic home video editing -- and it's free. Of these programs, which should you choose? If your needs are simple -- home movies, vacation videos and the like -- you can probably get by with the free Windows Movie Maker or low-cost Adobe Premiere Elements. If you want more professional-style effects or want to edit HDV-format videos, go with one of the higher-end programs, such as Adobe Premier Pro, Pinnacle Studio Pro or Ulead MediaStudio Pro.

If you're using a Mac, the equation changes, as you probably have Final Cut Pro installed on your computer. This is a fine program, and the choice of many home moviemakers. More sophisticated moviemakers, however, still opt for a higher-end program. Adobe Premier Pro is very popular on the Mac.

Burning Your Movie to DVD

Once you've edited your movie masterpiece, you want to share it with your family, friends and co-workers, which means burning it to DVD. Many video editing programs come with a built-in DVD authoring tool, which makes creating a DVD as simple as clicking a few buttons. (Well, maybe not that simple -- you still have to choose menu styles and animations, insert chapter stops and so on.)

If your video editing program doesn't have built-in DVD authoring, you need to use a third-party DVD burning program, such as Easy Media Creator, Sonic MyDVD or Ulead DVD MovieFactory.

Michael Miller is a writer and commentator on technology and digital lifestyle topics.