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A lot of science goes into the ergonomics of computers. Modern keyboards, monitors, and mice are well designed, and they make using your computer both pleasant and healthful — but they're designed for general computer use. Working with video is a lot easier if you have some specialized gear to improve the interface between you and your computer. The following sections suggest two special items that you may want to use to make video work easier.
Working with video monitors
Computer monitors and TV screens may look similar, but the two have profound technological differences. The most important difference involves color. Computer monitors can display more colors than TV screens. Also, computer screens are noninterlaced; TVs are usually interlaced. (Interlaced displays draw every other line of the picture on separate passes, whereas a noninterlaced, or progressive scan, display draws the whole picture at once.) The important point is that the video that you preview on your computer monitor may look a lot different when it's viewed on a TV.
To address this problem, many video editors connect a video monitor (that is, a TV) to their computers so that they can preview how the video looks on a real TV. Fortunately, you don't need expensive, specialized hardware to connect a video monitor to your computer. All you need is an old color TV and one of the following devices that connect to your computer:
- An analog-capture device: If you have an analog-capture card or video converter, you may be able to connect a monitor to the video output connectors. Check the capture device's documentation for instructions on connecting a video monitor.
- A digital camcorder: Connect a TV to the analog outputs on your digital camcorder, and connect the camcorder to your FireWire port. You can even use the camcorder itself as a monitor — but keep in mind that the LCD on your camcorder is probably noninterlaced, so you won't be seeing a "real" TV picture.
Some video-editing programs allow you to play video directly to an external monitor. In Pinnacle Studio, you must first export the movie as if you were going to export it to tape. After you have exported a file, simply connect your monitor and click the Play button in Studio's preview window.
 | If you have titles or other graphics in your movie that incorporate very thin lines, interlacing could cause the graphics or letters to flicker when they're viewed on a TV. Pay special attention to anything with very thin lines when you preview your movie on a video monitor. |
Using a multimedia controller
A lot of video editing involves finding exactly the right spot to make a cut or insert a clip. The ability to easily move back and forth through video precisely, frame-by-frame, is crucial, but it's also not terribly easy when you are using the keyboard and mouse. For years, professional video-editing workstations have used knobs and dials to give editors more intuitive, precise control — and now you can get that same level of control on your computer. A multimedia controller connects to your computer's USB port and makes manipulating video a lot easier.
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