Automatic Editing for the People
 Video is almost always edited before it is
shared with anyone. That's according to our very
informal survey, in which readers were asked if
they like to go "raw" by sharing, screening or
selling unedited video (raw footage on a camera
tape).
Many of you said there was a ton of video
footage in the closet, perhaps never to see the
light of day, because it needs some editing. But
we all know that sorting through hours of
videotape can be a tedious and time-consuming
process.
Searching out the good parts means watching
all the bad parts, too – bad colors, poor
exposures, shaky camerawork, and embarrassing
moments all have to be edited out before the
opus is really ready for prime time, according
to most people who wrote in.
That attitude is not necessarily surprising,
but it is a little contradictory. Industry sales
figures show that video cameras far outsell
video editing systems. The Consumer Electronics
Association anticipates video camcorder sales of
4.35 million units this year (3.9 million last
year), but nowhere near as many editing systems.
For those who want more control over how
their video gets edited, there's HomeMovie.Com.
Its new Afiniti 2.0 is an enhanced online
environment where, with just a computer and
Internet connection, you can edit your videos online, deleting footage you don't want,
creating titles, adding menus, chapter stops, a
still image gallery and more to your raw
footage.
Having mailed your raw video footage to the
company, and after they digitize your
video and open
your account, you edit through a unique
web-based editing interface is really quite easy
to use. You scroll through your footage online,
selecting start and stop points along the way
with simple mouse clicks. Then, choosing from
among several available type fonts, colors and
backgrounds, you can create your own customized
menu.
Users can also preset and determine who has
video sharing access to the material; once the
information is entered, an email invitation is
sent out with a hotlink for immediate and
easy video sharing.
With Afiniti, users can scan through an
entire two-hour video in a matter of seconds, a
handy and convenient online video feature, or navigate
through the program just like a DVD. The company
reports that some customers just use the service
to screen and scroll through their video
footage, but many others enjoy the full
video editing
process.
The company will store up to 20 hours of
video online for about $10 a month, and will
also sell you a $20 DVD of the final edit
(there's a small fee per digitized tape).
Video is delivered as a 350-kilobit video
stream, in a 480 x 360 window. It looks and plays just
like your DVD - complete with chapter menus,
thumbnails and custom chapter markers. The DVD
itself comes with a custom cover and case, and
looks and plays just like store bought discs. |