Faster Smarter Digital Video Information Online

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/' target='_blank'>http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/</a><br /><br /></div>There were quite a few of you who were looking for more information about my digital video book, and found the Amazon description to be a little lacking. Well, I've managed to beg and plead my publisher into giving me a PDF table of contents and a complete chapter to post! Both are linked from the <a href="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com">Digital Media Thoughts</a> page. I selected chapter three, which is 40 pages of coverage on what to look for when buying a digital video camera. <br /><br />I figured with Christmas so close some of you might be considering a DV camera - this chapter will help you pick a camera. Please only download the PDF if you're seriously interested in the topic...and maybe in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0735618739/jasondunn-20/">buying the book.</a> :wink:<br /><br /><b>UPDATE:</b> Thanks to "B" for giving me a much smaller version of the PDF file!

[pt]

this is a great book, i've been doing lots of video on my little segway ht site. http://www.bookofseg.com and the book really helped.

yah, jason is a pal of mine-- but i'd still say the same thing.

cheers,
pt

[butch]

I really hope someone have see it on my Amazon wishlist... If not I'll buy it after my birthday.
By the way, USB 1.1 is a 12Mb bandwidth, not 11Mb... WiFi is 11Mb... 8)

P.S. your link to Digital Media Thoughts is not good. It point to "http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com<br%20/>%20target=" :)

[dazla]

Jason,

I am looking for your book in the uk, and amazon.co.uk have the same title but with a different author (D Dixon) ????

What's going on? Is this your alter ego, or another book? :?

Check out the link http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735618739/ref=sr_aps_books_1_2/202-5491243-6756609

Anyhow, I don't mind ordering from the US, but the delivery takes longer to the UK :(

Darren

[butch]

I am looking for your book in the uk, and amazon.co.uk have the same title but with a different author (D Dixon) ????


Jason co-write the book!
on amazon.ca both names are there http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0735618739/ref=cs_nav_top_wl/ref=cm_mp_wli_/702-4518235-5631209?coliid=I1XCDCKDZHJF3T

[Tari Akpodiete]

actually, i think that Jason clarified that he is the ONLY author of this book, despite the dual listing on Amazon.

[mscdex]

What are your thoughts on the Aiptek PocketDV 2? http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/cameras/5ba3

[icatar]

Tell your publishers you've got one more book sold. The only thing holding me back before was not knowing much about the book, but the TOC shows me it's what I'm looking for. The sample chapter also showed me that this should be a delightful read!

I just bought a Digital8 camcorder myself, and I don't think its omission should be a major issue for the book (certainly not requiring a lost chapter as someone suggested in another thread :wink: ). It would have been nice to have in there as just another choice for the consumer. But the meat of the book seems to be how to film, capture, and produce - so all that stuff should be the same no matter what kind of camera you get.

What I'd like to see is an "online addendum" on a chapter dedicated to the new version of Windows Movie Maker. That looks really slick!

[Jason Dunn]

I am looking for your book in the uk, and amazon.co.uk have the same title but with a different author (D Dixon) ????

That was the original author of the book, he didn't write it, I got the project. ;-) Amazon's info is always MONTHS behind "real life", so rest assured the book you get from Amazon.co.uk will have a different cover and be written by me. :lol:

[Jason Dunn]

By the way, USB 1.1 is a 12Mb bandwidth, not 11Mb... WiFi is 11Mb...

Sonofa...!!! :oops: See, this is why I needed a real technical editor. Don't even get me started...! :evil:

But the book is still pretty good. :wink:

[Jason Dunn]

Jason co-write the book!

Nah, I wrote the whole thing myself - but just to show you how screwed up Amazon's system is, all three of their properties (.com, .ca, .co.uk) have different information. :roll: But just like the Highlander movie, there can be only one... :rock on dude!: :D :D

[Jason Dunn]

What are your thoughts on the Aiptek PocketDV 2? http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/cameras/5ba3

I haven't tried one myself, but "compromise" is always the keyword of convergence devices. Just like the Pocket PC Phone Edition devices aren't qutie as good as a normal cell phone (since, battery life, etc.) a device like this probably takes worse digital photos than a digital camera, worse digital video than a real DV camera, etc. The question is whether you can live with the compromises - I can certainly live with my XDA. :wink:

[Jason Dunn]

I just bought a Digital8 camcorder myself, and I don't think its omission should be a major issue for the book (certainly not requiring a lost chapter as someone suggested in another thread :wink: ). It would have been nice to have in there as just another choice for the consumer...

I really don't know very much about Digital8 to be honest - but my take on it (and maybe I'm wrong here) is that it was a proprietary standard developed by Sony, a few companies licensed it, but MiniDV far outstrips it in product bredth. Sony makes MiniDV cameras, so I didn't exclude them by not covering Digital8. I'm certainly interested in hearing a compelling arguement for why Digital8 is a better choice than MiniDV! But perhaps that's a better subject for Digital Media Thoughts. 8)

What I'd like to see is an "online addendum" on a chapter dedicated to the new version of Windows Movie Maker. That looks really slick!

That's what Digital Media Thoughts is going to be. ;-) Movie Maker is ok, but I'm not a huge fan to be honest...

[Joe Bogner]

Subject: Your Amazon.com order has shipped
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 10:18:28 +0000 (GMT)

Greetings from Amazon.com.

We thought you'd like to know that we shipped your items today, and that this completes your order.

The following items were included in this shipment:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Qty Item Price Shipped Subtotal
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Faster Smarter Digital Video $13.99 1 $13.99


Wooo! :)

[Gordo]

I got my book a little while ago and was planning to read it on the beach on my vacation. Unfortunately, I got a cold and had to spend sometime at home sick. I picked up the book and started reading it. Jason, you have written an interesting and engaging book about technical information. So far, I have enjoyed the material, and have been surprised at how hard it is to put the book down. You have made learning technical information both easy and fun.

I have been doing Digital Video for a little over a year, (new to video at that time) and when I first started I purchased a Dummies book for digital video, and based on the material in your book I wish I had it then. I purchased one of the Digital8 format cameras, and from what I have found, the only difference is the fact that the media is a Sony standard for the Digital. The advantage with this format is the backward compatibility with the older analogue tapes. The unit can play both formats, allowing the owner to capture the older format directly to the computer. While this was not an advantage for me, it is a strong consideration for anyone upgrading their camera, and still wanting to play the older tapes. For me it was the price point, these cameras where a little cheaper when I when to purchase. The down side is that they are a little larger.

Thanks for writing the book, and re-energizing my interest in digital video. I am full of questions I would like to ask, but will wait until I have completed reading the book before I start.

Gord

[butch]

Nah, I wrote the whole thing myself - but just to show you how screwed up Amazon's system is, all three of their properties (.com, .ca, .co.uk) have different information. :roll: But just like the Highlander movie, there can be only one... :rock on dude!: :D :D

Sorry, my mistake!

[icatar]

certainly interested in hearing a compelling arguement for why Digital8 is a better choice than MiniDV!

The main reason I chose Digital8 was that I was upgrading from Hi8 and I have a bunch of tapes that I'd like to still view. If this were a new purchase, I certainly would have gone MiniDV.

Movie Maker is ok, but I'm not a huge fan to be honest...

I've heard a lot of good things about their second version, and you've got to admit, the price is right!

[Jason Dunn]

So far, I have enjoyed the material, and have been surprised at how hard it is to put the book down. You have made learning technical information both easy and fun.

Thank you! That's a great compliment when someone says they want to keep reading the book. :D

[Jason Dunn]

The main reason I chose Digital8 was that I was upgrading from Hi8 and I have a bunch of tapes that I'd like to still view. If this were a new purchase, I certainly would have gone MiniDV.

A good point! You're right, I was a little myopic in focusing only on people that had either a) old VHS tapes or b) no camera at all - I didn't include people who had an older camcorder and wanted to transfer the tapes. Believe it or not, when I started writing the book I didn't even own a DV camera! :oops: All my experience was in the editing/post-filming phases, so I had to learn a LOT about cameras in a very short period of time. Unfortunately, my time for research on the book was short - two weeks. I had to write 10 chapters in 10 weeks, and chapter three took me almost three weeks to write...which left me doing the final three chapters in 48 hours each. 8O No excuse for not including Digital8, but the reason. :wink:

But this is the kind of thing we'll discuss on new site. :D