Get the latest product info and special offers from Dell. Home PC Users Fast-Forward into the Director's Chair with Digital Home Movies Personal computers are changing how we work, play and communicate. It's no surprise that those new to personal computers have many questions about their PCs and how to tap their full potential. In this column, the team behind Dell Computer Corp.'s online animated support tool, Ask Dudley, addresses computing issues and answers common questions. For those who remember the shaky-frame, grainy 8mm home movies from past decades, today's digital home videos are sure to get two thumbs up.
Home movies are nothing like they used to be.
This month's column is a look at the basics of what you'll need to get into the action - and the director's chair. With video editing software, the computer's desktop becomes an editing studio that can make even mundane images meaningful. Even Dad's old 8mm films can be converted into digital video - then organized, edited, and saved to safely preserve those special moments for many generations to come. Through simple commands and drop and drag techniques, software makes it possible to adjust brightness, contrast, and volume levels to maximize quality. Video clips can be mixed and matched, the order of scenes can be changed, and redundant or boring footage easily eliminated.