Online Video Sharing

A few weeks ago, I ran a quick informational post about the Pure Digital FlipVideo Camera over at DVGadgets. I was so taken by the potential of the camera, that I purchased the 30 minute version the very next week.

And Jean and I haven’t had this much fun with a video camera. Ever.

We are acknowledged video freaks. We bought the Canon GL-1 when it launched years ago, and have a variety of Sony and Panasonic MiniDV (standard and Widescreen) camcorders to go along with our digital cameras as well.

But here’s the rub. When we’re heading out and know we want to take video, we’ll grab one of our camcorders, as well as one of our tripods if the occasion warrants. When you want high-quality video, nothing beats videotape. We very rarely just want pictures, but on occasion will also have our digital camera packed away somewhere in our car - “Just in Case”.

The problem comes when we’re just out and about on a casual trip and didn’t plan on taking any video. And that’s where the FlipVideo comes to the rescue.

Small and very light, Jean has taken to bringing the FlipVideo everywhere in her purse. After 10 days of using it, she has claimed it as her own. The casual, candid, everyday family moments that were usually a story to tell to my parents over the phone are now being preserved and shared in video form with my family over the web. Extremely easily.

Although the FlipVideo comes with easy-to-use software to upload your videos to Grouper or YouTube, I choose to upload all our video to stashSpace. Yes, I am a co-founder of the company [disclosure], but my free account at stashSpace lets me trim the starts & ends off of the individual clips, and arrange them in a movie sequence. This way, I can share one movie (made up of a number of clips) with my family, instead of having to share a whole range of individual clips. The video management features (movies, collections, tagging, search, etc.) make it very easy to customize movies for different family members, as well as just keep track of all the video that you take.

I was hoping the FlipVideo would be a convenient would be an easy-to-use way for Jean to take video and post it online for our families without having to get me involved. I am glad these hopes were not in vain.

What else can I say except if you are currently using a photo sharing or video sharing service, buy a FlipVideo now! I very rarely feel this strong about product recommendations, but this is a video device that makes video accessible across all generations.

Even if you own a digital camcorder or camera that can take video, you still need to go out and buy a FlipVideo now! It is not a replacement for your current camera or camcorder - but it will allow you to preserve so many more of your precious moments on video for the future.

Congratulations! You’ve just purchased a new digital camcorder. Although you may have used a camcorder before, the new features and technology of a digital video camera can sometimes be overwhelming. It’s a good idea to get to know your camcorder a little bit before you do the fun part — record video! Some of the terms may not be familiar to you, but reviewing them will help you to become a skilled videographer in no time!

As you know, there are many different digital camcorder models out there. Your camcorder may not have some of the functions or features mentioned here. For those of you who are familiar with digital video cameras, some of these terms may be an overview, but for those of you that are not, now is the time to learn!  Here are the core digital camcorder basics you need to know:

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Proper camcorder white balance will ensure that your video looks the best that it can.  Luckily, white balancing your camcorder is very easy to do.

What is White Balance?
Digital camcorders use the color of white as a basis for the rendering of all the other colors that it records. When you set your camcorder white balance, your camcorder will be able to properly record other colors accurately as well.

When Should Your White Balance?
You should set your white balance on your camcorder whenever your lighting environment changes.  For example, if you are videotaping a wedding, you might go from a dimly lit ceremony, to an outdoor receiving line (with lots of sun!) to an evening reception.  If possible, you should white balance at the beginning of each of these scenes.

How Do I White Balance My Camcorder?

Most digital camcorders will have a white balance button.  If yours does not, read through your camcorder manual to see if yours has a menu option available to white balance.

Once you have located your white balance button or found the white balance menu option, find something in your room that is white — a white wall, or a white piece of paper (Hint: Carry a white hardboard card with you to make sure you have something white with you at all times) — and zoom in until all you see in the viewfinder is your white object.

Then press your white balance button, and you’re done!

Before jumping into the world of digital video, you need to understand the difference between digital and analog video and why analog video should no longer be considered an acceptable form of recording your video memories when there is a much higher-quality alternative available.

Analog Video vs. Digital Video
Analog video camcorders use an electrical signal to capture images on magnetic tape. A digital video signal is a pattern of 1’s and 0’s that represent the video image. There is no variation in the original signal once it’s captured, and the image does not lose any of its original sharpness or clarity—it’s an exact copy of the original. Due to the major advances in digital technology, I highly recommended that you shoot with a digital video camera over their older analog video counterparts.

Here’s why I recommend Digital Video over Analog Video:

• Analog video degrades with each copy you make.  Digital video quality begins and remains digital from your digital camcorder to computer via FireWire cables.
• Digital video resolution is higher than analog because you can choose how many pixels, some of which offer as much as 410,000 or more pixels per Digital CCD (charged couple devices). No matter what digital video format you choose, they all have excellent resolution quality. Although some digital formats have higher quality than others, the quality of analog can deteriorate only after 5 years.
• Analog recordings are highly susceptible to deterioration. Although a regular analog camcorder may be cheaper in price, it is imperative to use digital video with digital camcorders so that preservation of your video lasts and remains in the best condition.