Out of the Computer

Well, you've made it this far. You've edited your video and now you're ready to share it with family and friends. Only one problem: it's in your computer, and you'd like to show it on that big plasma screen you spent so much money on. How to get it out of the computer? The one thing you probably can't do is connect your computer directly to your television set using Firewire. At this time not too many television sets have Firewire ports. Moreover, many computer cards have no provision for VHS out, so you can't go that route either. However, the Firewire card you bought so you could capture video will allow you to export from the computer back to your camera. The editing software should direct you in this procedure. Coming out of your computer using Firewire, there are three choices..

DV to VHS
1. You can a) connect the computer to your digital camera by Firewire then b) plug the camera video and audio out into the television set video and audio in. With your camera in the "Play" mode, and with no tape in the camera, the computer signal will be converted by most digital cameras to a signal the television set can handle, passed from the computer, through the camera, and to the TV.

2. Using Firewire you can record from the computer into your camera, creating a DV tape. You can then connect your camera to your television set and play this tape from your camera.

3. Using Firewire you can connect the computer to your digital camera, connect your camera to your VCR and make a VHS copy of the edited digital tape. If your camera doesn't have the "pass through" feature, you'll have to make a DV tape from the computer signal, then record from the DV tape in the camera to your VCR.

Or: you can take the plunge and try to create a DVD.

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Last updated: 3/17/11