Memory cards hold any kind of digital information.
Many digital camera owners use memory cards for media storage. Transferring video tapes to a memory card involves converting the video from analog to digital with a video capture card. According to the University of Texas, an hour of uncompressed video equals about 12 gigabytes of storage space. Depending on the size of your memory card and the length of your movie, you may need to compress your video before storing it on a card.
Instructions
Capture
1. Shut down your computer, if you need to install an internal video capture card. Unplug your computer and lift it onto a table. Remove the side panel and insert the card into an available PCI slot. Secure the card to the case with a computer case screw.
2. Replace your computer's side panel, return the computer to its place and plug it back in to the wall. Turn on the computer, and insert the capture card's install disk into the CD tray. Follow the instructions for installation when the setup program runs.
3. Double-click the setup file for your video editing software. Follow the onscreen instructions for installing the program. If your editing software came on a disk, insert the disk and run setup from the disk drive.
4. Move your VCR near your computer and plug it in to the wall. Connect the audio and video output from your VCR to the input of your capture card with either a S-Video cable or a RCA cable. Run the software that came with your video capture card.
5. Press "record" in the software panel to begin capturing, and press "play" on the VCR to send audio and video to the computer. Monitor what you are recording on the computer screen to make sure you like it.
6. Run your video editing software and click "Import" from the "File" menu. Choose your video file from the browser.
7. Cut your video into small clips in the editing timeline if you are working with original material and you wish to make changes. Place them in the correct order, and click "Save" under the "File" menu.
8. Set the level of compression in the settings panel after choosing to save the file. Depending on your editing software, you may need to navigate to "Other settings" or "File size" to compress the file. The amount you choose to compress the file will determine how long this process takes.
9. Plug your memory card reader into the USB or Firewire port of your computer. Insert a memory card into the reader, and open a desktop folder to copy files to the card. Drag your compressed video file into the folder and wait for the file to be copied.
Tags: your video, capture card, your computer, editing software, memory card