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Rating: 
Summary: Worth the money even if not perfect
Review:
My impressions of the book:
(1) It was better than I expected. A lot of beginner material but he does cover some key concepts. I agree that his tone is not too novice-targetted, nor is it too technical. He uses Microsoft Movie Maker 2, Pinnacle Studio 8 and Ulead VideoStudio 7 for most of his illustrations. Unfortunately, although the book came out this year, as is common with software, Pinnacle is up to Version 9 and Ulead up to version 8. He does cover other prosumer editors like Vegas, Liquid Edition, and Premier, but the book is primarily focused on users of consumer editors and equipment, not the professionals. That was Ok with me.
His advise on equipment and technique was interesting to read although, in my opinion, he did not spend enough time on accessories. This is not the best book for advice on accessories. Most of his time is spent on video editing software. As is also unfortunately common, he did not talk about set-top stand-alone DVD recorders, which some people use for archiving. I found his advise on "The Basics of Shooting" to be quite helpful.
(2) The book can be a bit wordy and he overuses the adjective "lovely" to describe software features, effects, pictures, etc. It sounds a little odd sometimes.
(3) For equipment and software, his focus on Sony camcorders sound unnecessarily. Similarly, he sometimes sound like a salesman for Pinnacle Studio. Now, I happen to like Sony camcorders (I am on my third) and Pinnacle Studio (warts and all) but I would have preferred more balanced descriptions. So, if you do not have Pinnacle or Ulead VideoStudio (both of which I have) you may feel a little put out.
Overall, a useful book. It could be better, but for $20.39 on Amazon, I think anyone relatively new to digital video would find the book helpful and worth the money.
Rating: 
Summary: ** Required reading for any new parent! **
Review: 1. This book covers basic, though fairly advanced digital video topics. The progression of the book is smooth, and easily followed. The author does not assume the reader is a `dummy', yet he does not frustrate us with overly-technical prose. He explains digital video with plenty of hands-on applications to get you up and running quickly. 2. This book also cuts though the marketing hype associated with digital video products. The author frequently provides a product comparison matrix to help you decide what product or feature set will work for your situation. 3. Reading this book beats standing in front of a retail rack of product boxes, with wildly varying prices, claims and features. Now, you can shop with confidence because you'll know exactly what to look for, and why. 4.The chapter on the Basics of Shooting should be required reading for any new parent - just knowing how to frame my shots and manage camera motion has improved my videos immensely... and you can ask my wife!
Rating:
Summary: ** Required reading for any new parent! **
Review: 1. This book covers basic, though fairly advanced digital video topics. The progression of the book is smooth, and easily followed. The author does not assume the reader is a 'dummy', yet he does not frustrate us with overly-technical prose. He explains digital video with plenty of hands-on applications to get you up and running quickly. 2. This book also cuts though the marketing hype associated with digital video products. The author frequently provides a product comparison matrix to help you decide what product or feature set will work for your situation. 3. Reading this book beats standing in front of a retail rack of product boxes, with wildly varying prices, claims and features. Now, you can shop with confidence because you'll know exactly what to look for, and why. 4.The chapter on the Basics of Shooting should be required reading for any new parent - just knowing how to frame my shots and manage camera motion has improved my videos immensely... and you can ask my wife!
Rating:
Summary: Must have for anyone new to Digital Video !!!
Review: I have been shooting video as a hobby for over 14 years and editing on the PC for over 9. I have to say Jan Ozer makes all the proper recommendations to beginners from type of equipment to purchase to the type of software that will suit your needs. The book also includes a CD with trail versions of MyDVD, Pinnacle's Studio, Ulead Video Studio and more. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to make great video.
Rating:
Summary: Stop researching and start reading - This guide rocks!!!
Review: It would be nearly an impossible task to assemble a coherent book that would duplicate the experience of browsing through multiple subscriptions of magazines, surfing countless forums and websites, attending seminars, testing equipment, and years of actual experience in the field. Even if this was possible, could it be organized well and made understandable to the average consumer? Well, PC Magazine's Jan Ozer has done it!
I did an enormous amount of research before I invested in DV equipment, and I still wish I had purchased this book beforehand. Although I ended up with some great gear, I'll never get all those hours back that I spent gathering my knowledge online. You really can't beat a well-written book. Even if I found similar info online and magazines, it probably would never be collected in a way that I could reference as easy as a book. Consulting this book will arm you with the knowledge you need to make intelligent equipment purchases with far less research time. This book is pretty much a one-stop-shop for almost any consumer budget.
Once you have all your gear, the book really shines when it comes to explaining what to do with it:
*** Clear comparisons are made between all the major consumer editing software packages, while helping the reader understand when it's time to move up to the professional ones for advanced features.
*** Computer hardware and video transfer techniques are demystified
*** Best practices and techniques for lighting, composition and editing are covered.
*** An essential guide to read before you get into DV, and invaluable as a reference guide for your journey as a movie-maker.
Rating:
Summary: Must-Have for the Budding Scorsese
Review: Old in years but youthful (senile?) in interests and outlook, a few months ago I decided to move on and convert the travel videos that have accumulated over the years from places as exotic as Xian, China to down-to-earth as the Grand Canyon, most being throughout continental Europe and the U.K. There are 72 two hour VHS analog tapes and fifteen one hour tapes. An embryonic bunch of DVDs, right? With, principally, the logic of a dart thrower I opted for Pinnacle's MovieBox USB to do the "capture" and conversion from analog to digital and their Studio 8 editing software. It was one of my better decisions, for I quickly found my way from the pedestrian manual accompanying the products to Amazon and the book "Visual QuickStart Guide to Studio8," where I learned more than I dared hope for and which is an earlier work of Jan Ozer, author of the subject of this review: "Guide to Digital Video." However, had I found this "Guide..." I'd probably be in even better shape, for my decisions would have been based on logic, solid information and fact rather than gut-feel and cross-the-fingers intuition and the learning curve would have been a ski jump rather than the emulation of a water-bug's skitters from hither to yon. I've not found the book's weaknesses; its strengths are:
1. For anyone at any stage in videography, from the tyro to the near-pro.
2. Specifics and recommendations for fine-tuning your system for movie-making..
3. Comparative data and hardware and software products that have track records for use in producing video movies. Brands, model numbers, pros and cons covered.
4. A reference book that can be picked up at any time to refresh a point or to review the details at any stage in the process.
5. Last but as significant as the foregoing: Ozer has not only a broad knowledge of the subject but a command of the language to impart it. In a word, he writes with flair.
6. Buy it!
Rating:
Summary: Answers to everything video are found hear.
Review: This book covered all the bases and left no stone unturned. Its kind of funny, as I was reading it, I realized how much time this book would have saved me if I had it just one month earlier. All the countless hours I spent on the web (consumer reports, pcmag.com, etc) doing the research on the proper gear and the must haves to go along with it. This book answered all my questions and a lot more that I had never even thought of. One of the interesting things that I can think of off hand was the audio setting during recording. After reading the manual that came with my camera, it suggested that I left audio setting at 12bit. They claimed that this would allow room for more audio tracks. After reading this book, I realized that most of us aren't going to feed an extra audio track into our cameras, we will more than likely do it post recording in pinnacle or other editing software. So I switched to 16bit and it will stay there. Also another misconception that was pointed out was recording in 16x9. Most of us think that 16x9 will capture more video, when in fact this is true for professional movie makers with cameras most of us cant afford, but not so for just regular consumers. The fact is 16x9 captures less video, then the standard 4x3. This is great book for those considering home video and those well established in the home video arena. I highly recommend this book to those in seek of answers to everything video.
Rating:
Summary: Answers to everything video are found hear.
Review: This book covered all the bases and left no stone unturned. Its kind of funny, as I was reading it, I realized how much time this book would have saved me if I had it just one month earlier. All the countless hours I spent on the web (consumer reports, pcmag.com, etc) doing the research on the proper gear and the must haves to go along with it. This book answered all my questions and a lot more that I had never even thought of. One of the interesting things that I can think of off hand was the audio setting during recording. After reading the manual that came with my camera, it suggested that I left audio setting at 12bit. They claimed that this would allow room for more audio tracks. After reading this book, I realized that most of us aren't going to feed an extra audio track into our cameras, we will more than likely do it post recording in pinnacle or other editing software. So I switched to 16bit and it will stay there. Also another misconception that was pointed out was recording in 16x9. Most of us think that 16x9 will capture more video, when in fact this is true for professional movie makers with cameras most of us cant afford, but not so for just regular consumers. The fact is 16x9 captures less video, then the standard 4x3. This is great book for those considering home video and those well established in the home video arena. I highly recommend this book to those in seek of answers to everything video.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book!
Review: This book is a must-read for anyone trying to create DVDs from analog videotape! His chapters on cameras, capturing video, working with audio, choosing software, and creating DVDs are indispensable!
Rating:
Summary: Nice introduction, for a general audience
Review: This is a field that spans both hardware and software. Unlike, for example, Photoshop, which is a pure software construct. If you're going into digital video, the hardware issues alone can be daunting. Important things like choosing an internal analog capture card. Who are the main vendors? What are the salient features to compare? Ozer gives you these data.
In software, you have to pick some video editor. These run the gamut from the entry level Microsoft Movie Maker 2 to more powerful and expensive alternatives like Pinnacle Edition, Sonic Foundry Vegas or Adobe Premiere Pro.
Many other issues are shown in the book. Along with simple editing techniques. Enough to get you started. Ozer's writing style should be clear enough to many. And he gives you a lot of material to digest. Including various utility programs on the accompanying CD.
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