Video:Capture Video in Windows Vista

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Transcript:Capture Video in Windows Vista

Hi, I'm Don Schechter for About.com Computing. Today I'll show you how to capture video from you video camera to your computer using vista.

Import the Video to Your Computer

First make sure that your computer is on. Plug your video camera into the computer and turn it on. The import Video Wizard will appear where you can type the name of your video. Select a folder where you want your video file to be saved by clicking the browse button. It's a good idea to create a new folder for your video file or files you might use if you decide to do any editing later. Click 'open.'

Choose a Vista Video Format

Choose a format under the drop down menu. The 'Audio Video interleaved' option will copy your video as an avi file. The 'Windows media video single file' will copy it as a wmv file. The 'one file per scene' option will also create wmv files, but Vista will divide the video into separate files where it thinks the scenes change. I'll choose the windows media video single file. Click 'next.'

Capturing the Entire Video in Vista

If you want to capture the entire tape, click 'import the entire videotape to my computer.' You also have the option of importing, then burning to a DVD, or only import parts of the videotape.

If you select the entire tape, the camera will automatically start rewinding and begin copying. If you want to stop the recording before the whole tape is copied, click stop. After it's done, click 'finish.'

Capturing Parts of the Video in Vista

If you choose to capture parts of the tape and not the whole thing, use the controls in the window to find the place in your tape that you want to capture. I usually leave a little room before and after the part that I want to copy in case I need a little wiggle room for editing.

Click 'start video import' to begin copying. Click 'stop video import' when you have the clip you want. You can repeat this process until you have all the clips you need. When you're done, click 'finish.'

View and Edit the Video in Windows Vista

Now you can see your video files in the folder you saved them. You can edit them in Windows Movie Maker or put them online so your friends can watch them.

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