Watching video on your computer

In This Chapter

Understanding video on the computer Watching video Connecting a video camera Creating your own movies Using Windows Media Center Recording programs Creating a video DVD Managing your TV recordings
It’s not that odd to consider that a computer can be used to watch videos or television. Way back in the early days, prehistoric computers traditionally used TV sets as their monitors. I remember programming for hours watching a TV set hooked up to a Commodore 64, and then all the money I spent on “artificial tears” to service my dried, fuzzed-out eyeballs. Man, those were the days.
Watching video on your PC today isn’t that unusual. As part of its job as the hub of your 21st century digital life, the computer is home to the videos you watch on the Internet, videos you create, and even good old-fashioned television. It’s called video on the PC, the subject of this chapter.

PC Movies

Forget jamming that Super 8 cartridge into the camera or hanging a pale bed sheet on a wall: Today’s home movies are all digital. They begin their life in a digital camera, are stored on digital media cards, and eventually wind up on the computer. They’re shared via the Internet. Doing all that stuff is as easy as ever, thanks to the power of the computer and the information in this section.

Storing video in Windows

A special place exists in your PC’s storage system for video. It’s the Videos or My Videos folder. That’s the location where any videos you add to the computer are saved. Here’s how to display the contents of that folder:
1. Click the Start button to pop up the Start button menu.
2. Choose your account name from the Start button menu.
The account name should be the top item on the right side of the Start button menu. Choosing your account name displays your account’s home folder, which is given the nerdy name User Profile.
3. Double-click to open the folder named either My Videos or Videos.


The contents of the folder are displayed.

The folder lists video files available on your computer’s storage system. The files are shown as icons, and even more video files may be available in folders within the main Video or My Video folder.
Windows comes with sample videos, and you may find them in the Videos or My Videos folder. Don’t fret if the folder is empty; you can easily create your own videos.
The folder is named My Videos in Windows 7 and Windows XP. It’s named Videos in Windows Vista.
Videos are also stored in the Videos Library in Windows 7. See Chapter 21 for more information on libraries.

Viewing a video

Windows uses the Windows Media Player program to help you view videos. To see the video play on your PC, double-click the video’s icon. The Windows Media Player program starts and shows you the video.
You can also view a video by inserting a movie DVD into your PC’s optical drive. The DVD also plays in the Windows Media Player, appearing on the screen just as though you were watching it on TV.
Other video viewing programs are available, including Apple’s popular QuickTime. These programs, rather than Windows Media Player, may display the videos. That’s okay; all the programs are similar, showing the video on the screen. Control buttons are available for play, pause, stop, and so on, just like on a real-life video player.

Getting the video into your PC

Video creeps into your PC from a video camera. It can come in live, such as from a Webcam (a monitor-top camera used for video conferencing), or you can import images recorded in a digital video camera.
The Webcam: The simplest digital camera you can get for your PC is the desktop video camera, also referred to as a Webcam. Most of these cameras are fist-size, although often smaller, and they commonly attach to the top of the monitor. A USB cable makes the connection with the PC.
Video camera: For more traditional movie making, you’ll probably use some type of digital (or video) camera. The object is to transfer the video from the camera into the PC. That’s done by connecting the camera to the PC with a cable or removing the media card from the camera and sticking it into a media card reader on the console. When you do, follow these steps:
1. In the AutoPlay dialog box, choose the option Import Pictures and Videos.
It’s the same AutoPlay dialog box you see when you attach a digital camera or add a camera’s media card to the system. (See Figure 25-1, over in Chapter 25.)
2. Type a tag for the video (optional).
The tag is a short, descriptive bit of text that helps you search for the videos later. Good tags are Mary’s birthday, Zoo trip, and I think this might be a UFO.
3. Click the Import button.
After the videos are imported, you see them displayed in a folder window. You can then mess with them as you please: Create a movie, send them as e-mail attachments, or upload them to the Internet, for example.
No, you cannot save or import video from a movie DVD. Those films are copyrighted, and copying them from the DVD is restricted.
Webcams are normally used for video chat, though the software that comes with the camera lets you save snippets of video to the PC’s mass storage system. It’s not Hollywood, but it works.
See Chapter 25 for information on using digital cameras and how to import pictures from the camera into the PC.
See Chapter 21 for information on folders in Windows.
See the next section for information on creating videos.
Video files are huge! They’re not only the most complex type of files, but they also gobble up lotsa disk space. So:
If you plan to collect a lot of video files on your PC, I highly recommend that you use a hefty, high-capacity (more than 300GB) external drive to store your video files, projects, and snippets. You can also configure most intermediate-to-advanced video-editing programs to use the external drive as a video scratch pad.

Editing video

Armed with a video camera, a PC, and the right software, you can soon become your own Cecil B. DeMille or a budding Steven Spielberg. The software takes your video files — or just snatches the movies right from the video camera — and lets you weave them into a major motion picture using the power of the computer.
Well, maybe not major motion picture, but enough to impress your friends.
The Windows Movie Maker program is a good place to start your film career. It comes free with Windows Vista, or you can download it free from the Internet for other versions of Windows:
http://downloads.live.com/moviemaker

Video file formats

As with anything stored on a computer, moving images are saved to disk as files. And, like other media files (pictures and sound), there exists a whole host of video file formats, all depending on which program saved the video file, which type of compression is being used, and other tedious details. Generally speaking, the following types of video files are popular in the computer world:
MOV: The MOV file, used by Apple’s QuickTime player, can store not only videos but also audio information. MOV is quite popular on the Internet, although you need to obtain a free
copy of QuickTime to view or hear MOV files on your PC: www.apple.com/quicktime.
MPEG: The Motion Pictures Experts Group is a general compression format for both video and audio.
WMV: The Windows Media Video format is the most popular video format used in Windows and pretty common on the Internet as well.
Other formats exist, of course, but these are the most common. Also see Chapter 20 for information on the filename extension, which is how you identify file types in Windows.

About that “codec” thing

When you deal with media on a computer, such as audio or video stored in a file, you often encounter the word codec. It’s a combination of two words — compressor and decompressor. A codec works with compressed information stored in a media file so that you can be entertained or enlightened.
A variety of codecs are used to encode and decode media information. The problem with the variety is that your PC doesn’t come with all the codecs needed for every type of media file. So, when you go to view a certain media file, you may see a message saying that a codec is unavailable or prompting you to visit a certain
Web page to download a codec. And, that’s where you can get into trouble.
My best advice is to be very cautious about installing codecs. Often, the bad guys disguise a malevolent program as a codec required to view a media file — typically, pornography. Installing that false codec is detrimental to your PC.
I’m not saying that all codecs are evil. Many are good and are required in order to view certain media files. But ensure that you obtain codecs only from reliable sources, such as brand-name Web sites or from Microsoft directly.
Using Windows Movie Maker is a topic for an entire topic. Still, it’s not as complex as other video production software, so you should get used to using it quickly.
‘ Refer to Chapter 18 for information on installing programs you download from the Internet, such as Windows Movie Maker.
When your films are ready for the world, refer to Chapter 28 on how to share your videos on the Internet.

Your PC Is a TV

As with all computer activities, to watch television on your PC, you need a combination of hardware and software.
The software is called the Windows Media Center, which (lamentably) doesn’t come with every version of Windows. But that’s not all bad news; keep reading.
The hardware is a PC TV tuner. It’s a gizmo that pumps the television signal into the computer. The TV tuner comes as an external device, or it can dwell on an expansion card installed inside the console. The good news is that nearly every
piece of TV tuner hardware comes with its own software, so if your version of Windows lacks the Windows Media Center, you’re not stuck and out of luck.
There’s a difference between Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center. Windows Media Player is an audio and music program. Windows Media Center does what Windows Media Player does but also works with TV, FM radio, pictures, and digital video.
The TV tuner requires a television signal, which is provided by whichever cable or satellite TV service you subscribe to. Using the TV tuner with your PC doesn’t add to the cost of your cable or satellite subscription, and there’s no need to alert your provider or alarm anyone in any way about your using a TV tuner with your computer.
Yes, forget about those expensive digital video recorders (DVR) and similar TV-recording gizmos. When you buy a TV tuner, you’re getting the best that those devices have to offer, plus you pay only once to have a service that others pay for monthly.
Some TV tuners are HDTV capable. Consider getting one if you have HDTV or digital cable in your area.

Connecting a TV tuner

The TV tuner accepts its input from a standard coaxial video cable. External tuners connect to the PC by using the USB port. Some TV tuners may have extra jacks for plugging in a TV or accessing FM radio. The feature list of these gizmos, as well as their prices, varies widely.
Installing the TV tuner is a snap, although I still recommend that you consult the documentation that came with whichever TV tuner you’re using.
Perform any needed software setup per the directions that came with the TV tuner. Sometimes, the software must be installed before the hardware, sometimes afterward, sometimes it doesn’t matter.
After doing additional setup or running a configuration program (per the documentation that came with the TV tuner), you’re ready to configure Windows Media Center, as described in the next section.

Configuring Windows Media Center

After connecting your PC to a TV tuner and connecting that TV tuner to your cable or satellite TV, you’re ready for the software side of configuration. You do this by running the Windows Media Center for the first time.
Windows Media Center asks you a few questions about your TV tuner and your television setup, such as which cable company you’re using and your location. It does this so that information about the cable TV schedule can be downloaded into the PC. The Media Center uses the TV schedule not only as a program guide but also to assist in the recording of programs off the air.
After the Media Center is configured, you can begin watching TV on your PC.

Watching television

Feeling the urge to watch television on your computer is satisfied by simply running the Windows Media Center program: From the Start button menu, choose All Programs Windows Media Center.
The Media Center sports a simple interface, which scrolls up and down for major media categories and then left to right for subcategories. The software is designed to be easily viewed on a TV set and manipulated using a television remote.
To watch television, choose the Live TV subcategory under the TV heading. Or, you can check the current broadcast schedule by choosing the Guide subcategory.

Here are some tips and suggestions to boost the power of your TV watching:

Change the channel by typing a number on the keyboard. You don’t need to press Enter; just type the number.
Right-click the screen to see a special pop-up menu listing various options for whatever you’re doing.
Right-click and choose Program Info to see more information about the program you’re watching.
If you miss the start of the show and want to see it again, right-click the screen and choose Program Info and then, from the next menu, choose Other Showings.
Moving the mouse redisplays the recording and play controls, as shown in Figure 26-1.
To pause live TV, move the mouse to display the recording and play controls and click the Pause button. Click the Play button to resume, or click the Fast Forward button to catch up with real time.
Watching live TV.
Figure 26-1:
Watching live TV.

Recording television

You can easily record anything you see on TV in the Windows Media Center. Recordings can be made on the fly, or you can schedule a recording.
To record on the fly, simply click the Record button (refer to Figure 26-1) while you’re watching live TV. To stop recording, click the Record button again.
To schedule a recording, you can use the Guide: Choose the Guide subcat-egory from the TV category. Click to select a show you want to record and then click the Record button. The program listed in the guide then sports a red Record dot, which is your clue that a program has been scheduled for recording.
Recorded TV is, logically, kept in the Recorded TV subcategory under TV + Movies in the Windows Media Center. See the next section.
Some channels feature “restricted content.” The broadcaster doesn’t allow you to view (or record) the information on that channel. It isn’t a parental-control issue, but rather a copyright issue with the broadcaster.
You can record a series so that every time a show is broadcast, it’s recorded. Click a show title in the guide to see more details, and then click the Record Series button to set things up.
Recording television consumes a ton of storage space. Be sure to read the section “Purging recorded TV,” at the end of this chapter, before it’s too late!

Watching recorded TV

The Media Center organizes the TV shows you record, as well as information about upcoming recordings, in the Recorded TV subcategory, under TV. Already recorded programs are listed from left to right: Point the mouse at a recording to highlight it and see more information; click a recording to see a menu from which you can choose Play to view the recording.
To view upcoming or scheduled recordings, click the View Scheduled item at the top of the Recorded TV area. The schedule appears as a list that you can sort by date, title, series, or history.
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One outstanding benefit of watching recorded TV is that you can skip the commercials. Click the Next Chapter button to skip ahead to the next break.

Burning a DVD from recorded TV

You can create a video DVD of the shows and programs you record. It’s really cinchy, as long as your PC has a recordable DVD drive. Follow these steps:
1. Insert a DVD-R disc into your PC’s DVD drive.
I prefer DVD-R media over DVD+R because they’re more compatible with home DVD players.
2. Close the AutoPlay dialog box, if it appears.
Click the X button in the upper right corner of the AutoPlay dialog box.
3. Open the Media Center.
4. Choose the TV category.
5. Choose the Recorded TV subcategory.
6. Click to select the show you want to burn to disc.
7. Choose the Actions item from the top of the program information area.
8. From the list of actions, choose Burn a CD/DVD.
9. Click the Yes button if you see a prompt warning about media playback being stopped.
10. If you’re prompted to choose a lower-quality to fit the show on the media, click Yes or OK to proceed.
11. Choose Video DVD to create a disc that can be played like any other video. Choose Data DVD for a disc that can be viewed only by a computer.
12. Click the Next button.
13. (Optional) Name the disk.
The program’s recorded name is preselected for you.
14. Click the Next button.
15. Click the Burn DVD button.
16. Click Yes to confirm.
17. Wait while the disc is created.
(Optional) Click the OK button to go off and do other things with your PC while the disc is being created. Note that some discs take an awfully long time to burn.
18. Remove the disc from the PC.
Burned discs are automatically ejected.
19. Click the Burn button to create a duplicate disc, or click Done and you’re finished.
I recommend labeling the disc. I use a Sharpie and write the program name, the time, and the date I made the disc. Then I put the disc into a special disc envelope for long-term keeping.
After burning the disc, consider removing the program from the Recorded TV library. That way, you have more storage space on your PC for other information.
The program may not fit on a disc. If so, the Media Center tells you so. In that case, you cannot make a DVD, but you can still view the recorded show on your PC.
You can find disc envelopes at any office supply store.
The DVD you create is for your own purposes only. You cannot make additional copies for friends, nor can you sell the discs you create.
Also see Chapter 24 for information on creating data DVDs.

Purging recorded TV

Yes, video on your PC is one of those things that gobbles up storage space like a plague of locusts. The Windows Media Center is aware of its voracious appetite: Most programs you record stick around as long as you have room for them. So, the more you record, the less you keep.
The best way to keep a program you’ve recorded is to make a DVD, as described in the preceding section. Otherwise, you can manually purge older shows to make more room for future shows. The following activities assume that you’re using the Media Center and have the Recorded TV area visible:
Remove a recorded show. To remove a show you recorded already, click to select that show. From the menu that appears, choose Delete. Click the Yes button to confirm.
Remove a future recording. To remove a show you’ve scheduled to record in the future, choose the View Scheduled item from the top of the Recorded TV window. Click to select the show. From the menu that appears, choose Do Not Record. The show is removed from the schedule list.
Remove a series. To remove an individual episode from a series, follow the steps in the preceding paragraph. Otherwise, choose View Schedule and then click to select any episode of the series. Click the Cancel Series button and then Yes to confirm.
Unlike what NBC did to Star Trek in 1969, when you cancel a series, you merely direct Windows Media Center to not record the series; the series still airs on television.

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