Digital Video Editing

A Digital Video Primer:
An Introduction to DV Production,
Post-Production, and Delivery
1 Video Basic
5 Digital Video
10 Video Compression
16 Capturing a Video
18 Video Connections
21 Configuring Your
System
23 The Basic Process of Video

Productions
24 Nonlinear Editing
Table of
Contents
An analog signal is a continuously varying
voltage that appears as a waveform when
plotted over time.
Analog signal
Analog Signal
Video Basics
A Digital Video Primer
A digital signal is a numerical representa-
tion of an analog signal. A digital signal is
really a stream of bits (a long list of binary
numbers). Each number in the list is a snap-
shot, or sample, of the analog signal at a
point in time.
Digital signal
Digital Signal
Video Basics
Digital has a number of advantages over
analog. One of the most important is the
very high fidelity of the content.
Analog signal with noise from systems electronics

or recording tape
Digital signal with noise

Digital Signal Advantage
Video Basics
1. Frame Rate
The number of pictures shown per second is
called the frame rate.
The standard for displaying any type of non-

film video is 30 frames per second (film is
24 frames per second). This means that the
video is made up of 30 (or 24) pictures or
frames for every second of video.
Additionally these frames are split in half

(odd lines and even lines), to form what are
called fields.
Four Factors
Digital
Video
There is a major difference between the way comput-
ers and television handle video.
When a television set displays its analogue video sig-

nal, it displays the odd lines (the odd field) first. Then
is displays the even lines (the even field). Each pair
forms a frame and there are 60 of these fields dis-
played every second (or 30 frames per second). This
is referred to as interlaced video.
A computer monitor, however, uses a process called

“progressive scan” to update the screen. With this
method, the screen is not broken into fields. Instead,
the computer displays each line in sequence, from
top to bottom. This entire frame is displayed 30 times
every second. This is often called non-interlaced vid-
eo.
Interlaced and Progressive
Digital
Video
2. Colour Resolution
Colour resolution refers to the number of co-
lours displayed on the screen at one time.
Computers deal with colour in an RGB (red-

green-blue) format, while video uses a vari-
ety of formats.
One of the most common video formats is

called YUV or YCrCb.
Although there is no direct correlation be-

tween RGB and YUV, they are similar in that
Four Factors
they both have varying levels of colour depth
(maximum number of colours).
Digital
Video
3. Spatial Resolution or Aspect Ratios
The third factor is spatial resolution - or in other words,
“How big is the picture?”. Since PC and Macintosh com-
puters generally have resolutions in excess of 640 by 480,
most people assume that this resolution ( VGA) is the video
standard. It is not. As with RGB and YUV, there is no direct
correlation between analogue video resolutions and com-
puter display resolutions.
The National Television Standards Committee ( NTSC) stan-

dard used in North America and Japanese Television uses
a 768 by 484 display. The Phase Alternative system (PAL)
standard for European television is slightly larger at 768 by
576.
Since the resolution between analogue video and comput-

ers is different, conversion of analogue video to digital vid-
eo at times must take this into account. This can often the
Four Factors
result in the down-sizing of the video and the loss of some
resolution.
Digital
Video
4. Image Quality
The last, and most important factor is vid-

eo quality. The final objective is video that
looks acceptable for your application. For
some this may be 1/4 screen, 15 frames per
second (fps), at 8 bits per pixel. Other re-
quire a full screen (768 by 484), full frame
rate video, at 24 bits per pixel (16.7 million
colours).
Four Factors
Digital
Video
With more colours, higher resolution, fast-
er frame rates and better quality, you will
need more computer power and will require
more storage space for your video. By ad-
justing these parameters, you can dramati-
cally change your digital video compression
requirements.
How Compression Works
Video
Compression
A Digital Video Primer 10
With 24-bit RGB colour video, with 640 by 480 resolution,
at 30 fps, requires an astonishing 26 megabytes of data
per second!
640 horizontal resolution X 480 vertical resolution

= 307, 200 total pixels per frame
307, 200 total pixels per frame X 3 bytes per pixel (RGB)
= 921, 600 total bytes per frame
921, 600 total bytes per frame X 30 frames per second

= 27, 648, 000 total bytes per second
27, 648, 000 total bytes per second / 1, 048 576 to con-
vert to megabytes = 26.36 megabytes per second!
How Compression Works
Video
Compression
To get the compression needed to work with video, a codec
is used to compress and then decompress the content.
Codecs may be found in hardware (for example in DV cam-

corders and capture cards), or in software. Some codecs
have a fixed compression ratio that compresses video at a
fixed data rate.
Others can compress each frame differently depending on

the content, resulting in a data rate that varies over time.
Many codecs enable you to select a quality setting that

controls the data rate, or a data rate that controls the qual-
ity. Such settings can be useful for editing.
CODEC
Video
Compression
The goal of video compression is to massively reduce the
amount of data required to store the digital video file, while
retaining the quality of the original video. With this in mind,
there are several factors that need be taken into account
when discussing digital video compression :
• Real-Time versus Non-Real-Time

• Symmetrical versus Asymmetrical
• Compression Ratios
• Lossless versus Lossy
• Interframe versus Intraframe
• Bit Rate Control
Factors Associated with

Compression
Video
Compression
DV25 Compression
DV25 is the compression format used for the standard DV
format employed by most consumer and prosumer cam-
corders.
DV25 is compressed at a fixed rate of 5:1 and delivers video

data at 25 megabits per second (Mbps). Audio and control
information is also included in the data stream, so the total
data rate in bytes is about 3.6 million bytes (megabytes or
MB) per second.
This means that one hour of DV25-compressed footage will

require about 13 billion bytes (gigabytes or GB) of storage.
It is impressive to realize that each 60-minute mini-DV cas-
sette is actually 13GB of offline storage.
The audio is uncompressed, and there are two stereo au-

dio pairs.
Compression Format
Video
Compression
MPEG-2 Compression
MPEG stands for the Moving Pictures Expert Group, an or-

ganization of film and video professionals involved in es-
tablishing industry standards.
MPEG-2 can provide very high-quality video. Readily sup-

porting data rates in excess of 8 Mbps (equivalent to 1MB
per second), MPEG-2 is ideal for DVD with its high-end data
rate of 9.8 Mbps.
It is important to note that not all MPEG-2 codecs are the

same. MPEG-2 is not a patent; it is a set of standards and
specifications that must be met for the codec to qualify as
MPEG-2 and for the encoding and decoding sides of the
process to mesh.
Codec developers have created and continue to create a

wide variety of applications based on MPEG standards,
Compression Format some more efficient than others.
Video
Compression
Traditional (analog) video camcorders record what they
“see and hear” in an analog format.
So, if you are working with an analog video camera or oth-

er analog source material (such as videotape), you will use
a video capture device to digitize and then store the video
on your computer.
Most capture devices are cards that you install in your

computer. A wide variety of analog video capture cards are
available, with many different features and levels of qual-
ity, including support for different types of video signals
and formats, such as composite and component.
Analog Source Material
Capturing a
Video
Digital camcorders translate what they record into digital
format inside the camera.
Your computer can work with this digital information as it

is fed straight from the camera via a digital interface such
as IEEE 1394 or SDI.
Digital capture is far easier and less expensive than analog

capture, and produces much better results.
Digital Source Material
Capturing a
Video
RF Connector Component Video RCA
Composite Video or S-Video (S-VHS)

CVBS (Color, Video, Blank and
Sync)
Analog Video Connections
Video
Connections
Dms-59 DVI Connector
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface)
Digital Video Connections
Video
Connections
Mini-DVI SVGA Port
DFP Connector IEEE1394 or Firewire
Digital Video Connections
Video
Connections
1. Microprocessor
2. RAM
3. Storage
4. Video Capture Card
Hardware
Configuring
Your System
Commercial
• Adobe Premiere (Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X)
• Final Cut Pro (Mac OS X)
• iMovie (Mac OS X)
• Avid Xpress Pro (Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X)
• Pinnacle (Microsoft Windows)
• Sony Vegas (Microsoft Windows)
• Ulead Systems MediaStudio Pro and VideoStudio (Micro-
soft Windows)
• Windows Movie Maker (Microsoft Windows)
Freeware
• Avid Free DV (Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X)
• Blender (cross-platform)
• Cinelerra (Linux)
Software
Configuring
Your System
Flowchart
The Basic
Process of
Video
Productions
A non-linear editing system (NLE) is a video editing (NLVE)
or audio editing (NLAE) system which can perform random
access on the source material.
Non-linear editing makes editing and assembling your pro-

duction as easy and as flexible as word processing.
Once your raw materials are in your computer, you can edit,
alter, adjust, and reconfigure them, over and over again,
with a few mouse clicks.
Definition
Nonlinear
Editing
The workspace:
• Project panel, where assets are managed

• Monitor panels, where video being edited is viewed
• Timeline panel, where the actual editing takes place
Getting to Know NLE Tools
Nonlinear
Editing
Staying Organized The Project Panel
Nonlinear
Editing
Putting the Pieces
Together
Nonlinear
Editing
Adding Effects
Nonlinear
Editing
Titles, Graphics,
and Credits
Nonlinear
Editing
• Exporting to videotape
• Exporting to digital files
• Web video
• DVD
Distribution
Nonlinear
Editing
End

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A Digital Video Primer:

23 The Basic Process of Video

Analog signal with noise from systems electronics

Digital signal with noise

The standard for displaying any type of non-

Additionally these frames are split in half

When a television set displays its analogue video sig-

A computer monitor, however, uses a process called

Computers deal with colour in an RGB (red-

One of the most common video formats is

Although there is no direct correlation be-

The National Television Standards Committee ( NTSC) stan-

Since the resolution between analogue video and comput-

The last, and most important factor is vid-

How Compression Works

640 horizontal resolution X 480 vertical resolution

921, 600 total bytes per frame X 30 frames per second

How Compression Works

Codecs may be found in hardware (for example in DV cam-

Others can compress each frame differently depending on

Many codecs enable you to select a quality setting that

• Real-Time versus Non-Real-Time

Factors Associated with

DV25 is compressed at a fixed rate of 5:1 and delivers video

This means that one hour of DV25-compressed footage will

The audio is uncompressed, and there are two stereo au-

MPEG stands for the Moving Pictures Expert Group, an or-

MPEG-2 can provide very high-quality video. Readily sup-

It is important to note that not all MPEG-2 codecs are the

Codec developers have created and continue to create a

So, if you are working with an analog video camera or oth-

Most capture devices are cards that you install in your

Analog Source Material

Your computer can work with this digital information as it

Digital capture is far easier and less expensive than analog

Digital Source Material

Composite Video or S-Video (S-VHS)

Analog Video Connections

HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface)

Digital Video Connections

DFP Connector IEEE1394 or Firewire

Digital Video Connections

Non-linear editing makes editing and assembling your pro-

• Project panel, where assets are managed

Getting to Know NLE Tools

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