What equipment do I need to transfer video into my computer?

What equipment do I need to transfer video into my computer?

Tim Smith (Camcorder Training Specialist) gives expert video advice on: Why would I want to edit video I've shot?; What kind of computer do I need to run a video editing system?; What software do I need for video editing? and more...

I'm gonna need a deck or some way to play that tape. A lot of us use the camcorder. A deck's an option. To get that information, digital information, whether it's mini DV or HDV, from that playback source, whether the deck or the tape, I'm gonna have to go over what's called FireWire. It's also known as IEEE 1394, or sometimes called iLink as well. All of that has to go into a FireWire connection. Macintoshes already have this built in. But on a PC, you may need to go out and buy a FireWire card. They're not that expensive, and they're easy to install, but you'll look for a FireWire card specifically. Once that's in there, all that information can be easily moved from your playback source to your hard drive, and you're ready to edit.