| by Don
Engstrom
 With
the exception of a few select Mac models, capturing
video to your computer meant adding on a third party
video card, a costly proposition. XLR8 has come up with
a new hardware solution called InterView for owners
of USB equiped Macs. Bundled with Strata VideoShop 4.5
and aimed at the home user, InterView allows you to
capture video up to 320X240 at 30 frames per second.
Installation: Was a little involved
for our setup as we didn't have a USB equiped Mac available
for testing. Instead, I installed a USB card into one
of our 9500's PCI slots. If you don't have an iMac or
Yosemite machine, USB
cards can be had for around $30-$40. InterView also
requires a G3 processor but worked fine with the XLR8
G3/400 Carrier card we had installed. Assuming you
have a USB equiped Mac, installation is straightforward.
InterView requires OS 8.5 and 8.6 is highly recommended.
There is a script on the install CD to help you update
to 8.5 for free or purchase 8.6 online. On the same
CD you will find the InterView drivers and VideoShop
installer as well as a "Web Cleaner" application
for preparing QuickTime videos for web publication.
The actual InterView cable needs to be plugged into
your computer's USB port or a powered hub.
Capturing: To capture and edit
your video clips, you will need to fire up VideoShop
and start a new project. I highly recommend walking
through the excellent tutorials provided (in pdf format)
to get you oriented to the program's abilities. I also
recommend sticking with the default video and audio
settings at first. I experienced a few crashes early
on when experimenting with non-default settings. From
the digitizing window you can record video clips which
are saved as QuickTime clips and added to a resource
window. Considering the relatively slow bandwidth of
USB, (as opposed to FireWire or a dedicated video card)
I was quite impressed with smoothness and quality of
the video. For best results make sure virtual memory
and file sharing are both turned off. I would also quit
any other applications so VideoShop has the processor's
undivided attention.
The "Bin" window lists all of
the clips you have created and allows you to import
resources (sound files for example) created in other
programs. Each icon displays the first 60 frames from
the clip, handy if you are trying to keep track of several
dozen clips. Other information available in the Bin
window includes file size, clip duration and compression.
After you have gathered all of your resources
the fun really begins! In the "Project" window
you assemble, edit and arrange your clips into a (hopefully)
coherent movie. There are a wealth of transitions available
to join the clips and also special effects to play with.
Two or more clips can be displayed simultaneously in
a split screen or "window-in-a-window" effect.
Soundtracks can be created using the built in "Tune
Builder" application or imported like any other
resource. We opted to use a program called "SmartSound"
which allows you to create royalty free soundtracks
of any length.( Click
here for our review of SmartSound.) While the project
window may look a little intimidating at first, I found
it to be well laid out and intuitive.
The "Canvas" window acts as
a preview for the final project. You can view your entire
movie or any portion you select.
Conclusions: I had a blast capturing
and editing video clips of my 6 month old daughter.
In one afternoon, with just a few trips to the manual,
I produced the two clips below. Strata VideoShop is
a robust editing package that yields professional looking
results. Interview and VideoShop make an excellent bundle
for the home user, or casual video enthusiast. While
you won't get full screen captures or a video out option,
for the price ($99.95)
it is hard to go wrong.
Don co-authors two popular Mac based web sites. He
spends all of his free time doting on his baby and
is rapidly filling his hard drive with QuickTime clips
of her...
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