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Allan Swann shows you how to prepare your video for Youtube. |
With the global rise of broadband, the Internet has gone from a text-based medium to a 21st century hub of video. The leader of this charge - and one of the most popular Web sites on the Internet - is YouTube, a free service where anyone can share their videos with the world.
WHY WOULD I BOTHER?
While YouTube may seem to be the domain of Netsavvy teens with too much time on their hands, it can also be a powerful international communication tool. For example, if a family member has had a baby, you can share a video of the new child with Aunty Mary in the UK by uploading it to YouTube and sending her the link. She can access the video with a single click and doesn’t need to download any software. YouTube is also handy for recording travelogues and video blogs, as well comedy acts, musical numbers and parodies. You may even become famous!
HOW DO I GET STARTED?
You’ll need a broadband connection, because uploading videos through a dial-up connection is far too slow and will drive you half mad. Firstly, go to www.youtube.com and set up an account. Then you’ll need to get filming and prepare your video for upload.
HOW DO I GET THE VIDEO ONTO THE COMPUTER?
• DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERA
If you have a fully-digital hard disk or mini DV camera, then getting your files across to your computer is easy. Hook your USB2.0 or i.Link cable up to your computer (i.Link is a form of high-speed data transfer cable, sometimes called Firewire or IEEE 1394; this requires an i.Link plug on your computer).
• ANALOGUE VIDEO CAMERAS AND SOURCES
If you are trying to get video out of an analogue video camera (like the classic VHS camcorders) or an old VHS tape, then the job becomes more difficult and expensive. Take a look around the back of your computer, and if your graphics card doesn’t have a Video In plug, then you will either need to purchase a video capture card or a new graphics card that does. Next you need to capture the data from your device (similar to recording a TV show with a VCR). You can either use the software supplied, or else Windows XP's Microsoft Movie Maker (Mac users have Apple iMovie) will do the trick. Connect the device, start playing, and then use Movie Maker’s capture function to record and save the file.
• DIGITAL CAMERA
Most modern digital cameras have video capabilities that are ideal for YouTube. The length of your video is limited only by the camera’s memory card; my camera films about 20 minutes at normal quality on a 1GB SD card. Connect your camera to the computer by USB cable, and copy the video file to your desktop (it will usually have an AVI or MPG extension).
• MOBILE PHONE
Modern mobile phones are now multimedia video devices - perfect for capturing those impromptu moments like Baby’s first words. Getting the video to your computer is dependent on your phone. Phones with USB cables are as simple as above, whereas Bluetooth wireless phones will need a compatible wireless card in the computer to receive the data. If your phone uses an SD memory card, you can read the data on your computer with a compatible SD card reader or, if you’re crafty, slip the SD card into another device (eg: a camera with a USB connector) and take the data off that way. Finally, for those of you with Internet/email-capable mobiles, YouTube has a new mobile upload option. Go to Upload Video on the Web site, create a mobile phone profile and you’ll be given an email address like this to send the video to: 51867157741@mms.youtube.com Unless you have editing functions on your phone, the videos will appear as is, and large files will incur high Internet charges while it transfers. If you’re confused, give Telecom or Vodafone a ring and they’ll walk you through the specific steps for your phone.
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