If you can’t afford one of these digital cameras, you can purchase computer
software called Magic Bullet Frames (www.redgiantsoftware.com) that
takes a harsh video image shot with an inexpensive home camcorder and
transforms it to look more like it was shot with a motion-picture film camera.
Many new computers come preloaded with free editing software. In Chapter
16, I give you tips on starting your very own digital-editing studio. You can
also find out more information on the technical aspects of capturing digital
footage to your computer, then editing and sharing your work in Digital Video
For Dummies by Keith Underdahl (published by Wiley). You can uncover
more camera information in Chapter 10.
High definition (HD) is the new-age technology that takes the camera image
one step farther. The picture is much sharper, richer, and closer to what the
human eye sees as opposed to what a standard definition (SD) video camera
shows you. Watching HD is like looking through a window — the picture
seems to breathe. The new HD digital cinema cameras combine HD technology
with the 24-frame progressive technology to emulate a unique film-like
picture quality in an electronic file format, without the use of physical film.