Learning to love Windows Movie Maker

Sometimes things that are free don't get much respect. I can think of no better example of this than Microsoft's Windows Movie Maker - a program included with all versions of Windows XP.

The more I work with products from companies engaged in the digital video "arms race" that try to stuff more features into their programs, and in the process fill them with bugs and screw up my computer - the more I appreciate Movie Maker. Movie Maker is probably not the best solution for everyone, but its suitable for many and a great place to begin for most. Plus, its simple, free and it works!

With digital camcorders available for a few hundred bucks, firewire connectors standard on most computers sold today, and laptops becoming the computer of choice for coaches, Windows Movie Maker and its ability to capture and create high-quality video in a variety of file sizes provides a highly affordable and easy-to-use solution for coaches.

Motivated by a number of recent conversations, I decided to put together a brief demonstration/tutorial that illustrates the process of transferring video from a digital camcorder to a computer where its ready for viewing and editing in a variety of programs - some free.

You can view it by clicking the title of this article, or by visiting the CompuSports Network Home page and clicking on the link in the right column in the Spotlight section.

If you would like a PDF version of this slides in this tutorial that you can view offline, save to your computer and even print, Click here to download the PDF version of the Windows Movie Maker Video Capture Demonstration