Cory's Guide to Buying a Camcorder

So you've been thinking about a new camcorder.  The only problem is you're not sure what to get.  What's all this about 1080i?  720p - you lost me!  You have no idea what type of lens or zoom you need.  What about the memory?  Should you go with a HDD or flash memory?  This is where this handy guide comes in.  I'll go over some of the basics about buying a camcorder so you'll be prepared when the time to buy rolls around.

I or P, that is the question.
We've all heard references to 1080i and 1080p, but what does it mean?  Let me break it down for you.  The "i" stands for "interlaced", while the "p" means "progressive scan".  The 1080 refers to the pixel resolution (1920x1080 - meaning 1,920 pixels across and 1,080 pixels down).  Both formats are in HD.  But what's the difference?  In 1080i, the odd numbered lines get displayed first (so that line 1, 3, 5...etc are displayed followed later by lines 2, 4, 6...etc).  This all happens within a 30th of a second.  Now, in 1080p, all lines are displayed in order (so it starts with line 1 followed by 2, 3, 4...etc).  This makes for a cleaner, smoother image.

Zoom, zoom, zoom.
Zoom refers to how many times closer to an object your video can get.  So, for example, if you have a 10x zoom, it means your zoom will bring you 10 times closer to that object.  100x means 100 times closer... I'm sure you get the idea.  You have the option of either an optical or digital zoom.  Have you ever looked at a picture where you could see all those little squares and couldn't really make out the image?  That's digital zoom.  Basically, your camcorder will take the individual pixels (those squares I mentioned) and make them larger.  So, the closer you zoom in, the larger the pixels become, eventually to the point where you can see them and have trouble making out what the original object was. Also, the more you zoom in, the more exaggerated your hand movements become. Optical zoom, on the other hand (or should I say lens?), actually moves the lens in and out to get closer to an object.  Bye-bye pixilated images!

They say an elephant never forgets... But I forget what the elephant remembers.
Let's talk memory.  The two most popular choices are either flash memory (SD/SDHC cards) or hard disk drives (HDD).  SD stands for Secure Digital and SDHC stands for Secure Digital High Capacity.  Flash memory cards have the advantage of being smaller and lighter, but they lack the storage capacity of HDD.  SD cards can only store up to 2GB, while SDHC cards are available in 4GB, 8Gb, 16GB, and 32GB capacities. HDD come in a variety of sizes from 16GB to 240GB!  It's like the Energizer Bunny - it just keeps going and going...

That's a wrap!
In summary:
- 1080i works fine, but if you can afford it, go with the 1080p (you'll thank me later).
- Make sure you get a camcorder with an optical zoom of at least 100x.  If you are going to go with the digital zoom, my recommendation would be to use a tripod for those close-ups (check out this).
- Flash memory is good if you don't plan on recording very much at a time, but on those long family vacations, you're going to wish you'd bought that HDD when you've got three or more SD cards to keep track of.

Happy filming!

Top Five Video Sharing Websites

I've been doing a little research on the top video sharing sites.  So, without further ado, here's my list of the top five:

Number 5 - Flickr
That's right, Flickr.  On a video sharing list.  Your eyes aren't playing tricks on you.  If you're not into long videos and you don't make them very often, Flickr is the perfect place for you.

File types supported: 3gp, .AVI, M2TS, .MOV, MPEG, OGG, OGV, WMV
Maximum number of uploads: 2 per month
Maximum file size: 150MB
Streaming/downloading: Streaming
Time limit on videos: 90 seconds

Number 4 - TeacherTube
Think YouTube but for teachers.  You have to be a member to upload videos, but anyone can watch them.  The content of all uploaded videos must be instructional and appropriate for all audiences.  Check it out if you're having some trouble figuring out those pesky math problems.

File types supported: .AVI, .FLV, .MOV, .MP4, .MPG, WMV
Maximum number of uploads: Unlimited
Maximum file size: This one is a bit complicated.  According to the website, videos can be bigger than 100MB, but it's not mentioned how big they can be.
Steaming/downloading: Streaming
Time limit on videos: Again, a tricky answer.  The website says videos can be longer than 10 minutes, but no mention of the cutoff.

Number 3 - iTunes U
This one is pretty cool.  Your university must be a member to upload content, but it's not a big deal to join.  Once your school is a member, it has the option of controlling the content - meaning either internal access (content is only available to enrolled students) or public access (available to anyone).  Your teachers can upload videos, pictures, books, anything they think you should have for class.  Have a look and see what you think.

File types supported: AAC, PDF, MP3, MPEG-4, ePub
Maximum number of uploads: 500
Maximum file size: 1GB
Streaming/downloading: Downloading
Time limit on videos: I couldn't find anything that mentioned a time limit, so my guess would be that as long as the size is under 1GB, you should be good to go.

Number 2 - YouTube
Now, I know what you may be thinking: "How can YouTube not be numero uno?"  Well, read on and you'll see why!  I don't think I have to do too much explaining about YouTube since just about every person on the planet has heard of it.  What I do really love about it is that you don't have to be a member to watch videos and you can find a video on just about anything imaginable.

File types supported: 3GPP, .AVI, .FLV, MOV, MPEG4, MPEGPS, WebM
Maximum number of uploads: Unlimited
Maximum file size: 2GB
Streaming/downloading: Streaming
Time limit on videos: 15 minutes

And the number one video sharing website is...

Number 1 - Vimeo
Vimeo and YouTube have a lot in common (namely being able to find videos on any subject) but in terms of uploading, Vimeo is the way to go.  Plus, registered users have the option of downloading videos.  The videos on Vimeo are also a higher quality and better made than on YouTube, since Vimeo dubs itself a "respectful community of creative people who are passionate about sharing the videos they make."  They also have a Vimeo Video School, where they give lessons and tutorial videos on different movie making subjects including recording sound, shooting basics, nighttime shooting, adding text to your movie, and lots more.  I highly recommend checking it out!

File types supported: 3G2, 3ivX, 3VX, ASF, ASX, AVI, DivX, DV, DVX, M4V, MOV, MP4, MPEG, MPG, QT, WMV
Maximum number of uploads: There is no set limit.  Each free account is given 500MB of uploads each week.  So, the number of uploads is dependent on the size of your videos.
Maximum file size: 500MB
Streaming/downloading: Streaming
Time limit on videos: None

Converting Media Files

Hey guys!  This is my very first blog post and I'm pretty excited.  In this blog, I'll be sharing videos and how-to's for some of the technology on campus, as well as some information relating to that technology.  Let's start things off with a video I made on how to download, convert, and resize different media files using a free program called Freemake.