With all this discussion of editing the digital video projects you filmed with your home camcorder you may be wondering how you actually get the footage onto the computer. To do it you have to “capture” the footage with a video editing or playback software, but you still have to connect the footage to the computer somehow. One of the most standard ways to do this for people that do it in large numbers is a video capture card.
A capture card is an internal or external device that has audiovisual plugs going directly into your computer. Here you can plug in the video device, whether it is your camera or a tape deck, and the computer can read and record the footage. Essentially the card is just a port for video plugs, some which even include coax, FireWire, and USB. From here you get a special cord that can connect your video device or television to the capture card, and then use whatever specified software to capture the footage through the card. The purpose of this is so that the computer will read incoming video and television signals.
Essentially there are two types of video capture cards: internal and external. The internal cards function very similar to all computer cards, such as sound or video cards. You have to physically put it into your computer, then the plug ins will be sitting on the front of your tower. The internal ones tend to be less expensive than external ones and always have more features. In contrast, the external ones are like any peripheral or external devices. They are much more portable and you do not have to go through the complicated hassle of actually opening up your computer and installing the hardware.
Your choice in video capture cards depends solely on what your actual use of it will be. If you are going to be using your computer for television viewing and recording from either your satellite or cable system then you are going to need a remote control. The general amount of features is directly related to the cost, so before you spend a lot of money you need to determine what features you can’t live without. Likewise, you need to know exactly what your computer can handle and whether or not you have USB and FireWire ports to attach the device.
This is going to be a standard for anyone who wants to do video production. With it you can capture from devices ranging from your actual camera to the T.V. on the other side of the room. Keep in mind what you want to do, and then seek out the appropriate card for your needs.