Class One: Wednesday, January 21, 2009


Class One Topics

Overview of the Course and the Course Website

We will spend some time getting to know each other and discussing the course, the course website, submitting assignments and other course-related topics, as outlined in the flowchart below.

Demonstration and Discussion of Previous Video Projects

We will also spend time reviewing previous multimedia projects and discussing the projects that will be created in this course.


 James Surls:
The Splendora Years
 http://jamessurls.coe.uh.edu/ 
Hoaxes!
 http://hoaxes.coe.uh.edu/

 
The War Experience:
Memories of WW II
 http://www.thewar.coe.uh.edu/
 

2008 Student
Video Projects
http://ares.coe.uh.edu/7346/video.html
 
Educational Uses of
Digital Storytelling
http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu/
The SITE Screening Room
 http://site.aace.org/sitevideo/
  
 
 

How Pop-Ups Got Their Pop
We Live as We Eat
Chinese Seismology

 

Introduction to Digital Video

Characteristics of Digital Video

When dealing with any technology, vocabulary is one of the first things one learns. Here are some important terms relating to digital video:

  • Codec - Short for compression/decompression algorithm; used to encode (compress) and decode (decompress) audio and video data.
     
  • Frames - Individual units of information in digital video. Usually 29.97 frames compose a single second of video.
     
  • Frames per second (fps) - Refers to how many frames are displayed in a single second of time. When we are editing, we will be dealing with NTSC (National Televisions Standards Committee) video, which runs at 29.97 fps. Film, on the other hand, uses 24 fps, while PAL and SECAM video formats (used in some European and Asian countries) use 25 fps. The number of fps can sometimes be reduced cwhen encoding for the web, usually to around 15 fps, to reduce the file size.
     
  • Aspect Ratio - NTSC (and the cameras we are using in class) record video using the standard NTSC 4:3 aspect ratio, the same aspect ratio as conventional TV. Cinema uses 16:9 aspect ratio, an aspect ratio that is becoming more and more common on widescreen high-definition TVs. We will discuss this issue in greater detail in class.
     
  • Video Resolution - Digital video may be created in different sizes or screen resolutions. Standard DV is generally produced using a resolution of 720x480 pixels. Video resolution is measured by how many vertical lines appear on the screen when the video is being displayed. The following chart shows the highest resolutions that are associated with popular video devices.
     
    Format Resolution Description
    NTSC 525 (or less) Standard Television Broadcast
    VHS 230-250 Standard home video format: VHS. Cheap, easy, and everywhere. Long recording times (6-8 hours on SLP)
    VHS-C
    (Compact VHS)    		 230-250 Smaller VHS tape for some older video cameras
    S-VHS 380-400 Super-VHS; Aging "Prosumer" format
    8mm 250 Very small tape. Better audio than VHS
    Hi-8 400-420 Standard Prosumer format pre-digital; requires S-Video for best fidelity
    LaserDisc 420 Analog precursor to DVD
    DVD 480 Roughly comparable to MiniDV tape
    Digital-8 500 "Near-Digital" proprietary format from Sony
    MiniDV 500 Digital, standard definition: Very good picture quality. CD-quality audio - This is one of the recording formats we will be using in this course.
    Betacam SP 700 Older analog professional video camera
    Digital Betacam 850 Professional digital video camera
    HDTV 720p or 1080i High Definition Television - High quality TV images displayed either progressively (where all information is onscreen at the same time) or interlaced (where half of the video information is presented alternately to form a complete image), as signified by the letters "p" or "i" 
    HD Camcorders 720p or 1080i High definition camcorders, better quality that standard definition, but more expensive
    Blu-Ray DVD 1080p The "next generation" high definition DVD format

     

Finding Videos on the Web: YouTube

In 2006:

By January 2008, ~79 million users watching more than 3 billion videos per month

2008 Estimates:

If just 1% of the videos on YouTube are educationally meaningful, that means there are at least 700,000 videos we might be able to use in educational projects.

Downloading Video Clips from YouTube

Got to YouTube.com (http://www.youtube.com) and find the video you want to download.


 

On the right side of the YouTube page, you will see the URL of the video .

Copy the URL of the video you wish to save.
 

Go to the Media Converter website (http://www.mediaconverter.org/) and check the button labeled: Convert a video directly from various portals.

Paste in the URL that you copied. And then click on the Next Step button.

 

At this point, you can choose what video format you would like to use when the clip is downloaded. You should note that YouTube, like many websites that present videos use the Flash video format (.flv), which is common for videos that are displayed online but not saved to your computer. If you plan to edit the video clip, you should select a format that your video editing software supports, such as .avi and .wmv for Windows or .mov for Macintosh.

 

The Media Converter tool also allows you to make changes to the audio and video quality settings, although you may simply bypass this step and go to the next screen.



 

The conversion will then take place and an indicator bar will appear letting you know how much of the file has been processed.



 

When the video has been converted, you will see a button that says “Download Now” and the video will be saved to your computer when you click it.


Depending on which Web browser application you are using, you may be asked whether you would like to save the video clip or open it with a video player application.


 Once the clip is saved, you can repeat this process to download additional video clips.
 

Digital Video File Formats

Extension

Characteristics

.avi

older video format for PCs, good quality, large file size

.wmv, .asf

more recent video format for PCs, significantly better compression, good quality, smaller files

.mov
.qt (Mac)

default video format for Macintosh computers, good quality, large files, should play on both PCs and Macs

.mpg
.mpeg (Mac)

versatile cross-platform ability, good compression, good quality, moderate file size

.rm

popular streaming audio and video format designed to play over the Internet on PCs and Macs, but not usually to be downloaded

.flv
.swf

more recent video format popular on many Websites (YouTube, Google Video), designed to play over the Internet on PCs and Macs, but sometimes can be downloaded too

 

Free Digital Video Players - Software Required for Playing Videos Not Embedded in Web Pages

 Players

Operating System

File Formats Supported

Windows Media Player

Windows

.avi, .wmv, .mpg, .mov, .mp4, .flv

QuickTime Player

Mac & Windows

.mov, .qt, .mp4

VLC Media Player

Mac & Windows

.avi, .wmv, .mpg, .mov, .mp4, .flv

ALShow

Windows

.avi, .wmv, .mpg, .mov, .mp4, .flv

Real Player

Mac & Windows

.rm, avi, .wmv, .mpg, .mov, .mp4, .flv

FLV Player

Mac & Windows

.flv, .swf

 

A Video Project Created with Several Video Clips from YouTube

In the following example, various video clips, including scenes from movies, television shows and news broadcasts, were downloaded from the web and then edited together to create a video introduction to digital storytelling. The purpose of the video is to show how historical video clips can be used along with still images to tell a story and hopefully, inspire viewers to think about how they can use digital media to tell their own stories. In this example, the narrator provides a personal account about growing up during the period before the advent of personal computers, and how entertainment and important historical events were depicted in the media and helped forge a view of the modern world.

Click on this link to download the video in the Windows Media Video format (to play on a PC)
 

Click here to play this video in the QuickTime Video format (on a Mac)


 

Other Options for Saving Video from the Web

RealPlayer version 11 for Windows or Mac can be downloaded for free from http://www.real.com/ and includes a Web browser download button that allows users to download video clips directly from Web pages.


The free Apple QuickTime Player does not include a Save option, but the Pro version which can be purchased from Apple does allow you to save video clips in the QuickTime format.


 Zamzar (http://www.zamzar.com/) is another web-based tool like Media Converter, described above. Select "Download Videos" then enter the URL of the video and your email address and a link to the video will be sent to you.

Class One Assignments

Reading Assignments:

Course Discussion Blog Assignment 1:

Conduct some research on the web to see if you can find an educationally-meaningful video on YouTube or other website that presents video clips BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE AN EASY-TO-USE DOWNLOAD OPTION. For this assignment, try to find an example of a video or video project that accomplishes at least one of the following:
  1. supplements traditional educational material
  2. enhances student understanding of a particular idea or concept
  3. presents the results of a curricular exercise
  4. supports student communication skills
  5. fosters research, organization, planning, analysis, problem-solving and/or synthesis skills
  6. makes connections between the curriculum and the world outside the classroom
  7. helps promote meaningful discussion
  8. facilitates any other educational outcomes not already mentioned

Then try to save the video using one of the methods we discussed in class or some other method of your choosing.

After you have selected a video and saved it (or attempted to save it) go to the Course Discussion Blog and post a comment under the Discussion Assignment One in which you describe the video you found, how it meets one of the goals outlined above, and discuss the process and software you used to save it and indicate if you had any problems.