Creating a a flash video from something I recorded

[WindGarden]

I recently went on a trip and recorded my vacation. I want to upload a clip of this video to my site using Flash, but I don't know what I need in order to accomplish this.

Any help would be much appreciated on what hardware or software and need and how do I go about getting this started/completed.

[prairie]

Adobe After Effects converts to Flash, and even renders the page you require. They have a 30 day trial of the software.

[whoisgregg]

If you're looking to add video, this page at the macromedia site is very useful:
[macromedia.com...]

While there are third party applications that can handle flash, I don't have any experience with them. The "real deal" is Macromedia Flash [macromedia.com] but it's also the most expensive.

Is there a particular reason why you aren't posting the movie as a actual movie file format, such as Quicktime or WMV?

[WindGarden]

I currently have Macromedia flash, and would prefer to use streaming flash video. I just don't know how to get it off from my video tape onto my computer and format it into the format I need.

What hardware should I get?

[whoisgregg]

That's a big question, I have some experience on the hardware end I can share. :)

I have a digital video recorder card [miglia.com] for my machine that allows me to plug in any RCA, S-Video, or even Cable source into the back and I record the video using the software that came with it. You can also accomplish this with firewire or USB devices [miglia.com] that have a "video in" that matches the "video out" from your VCR, DVD player, or digital camcorder.

There are also companies out there that will take your video tapes and give you back a CD or DVD with the encoded movie in whatever format you want. This should be cheaper and easier than buying the hardware and learning it yourself unless this will be an ongoing need.

[smokeyb]

If you have a DV camera, then all you need is a firewire card on your computer and some capture software too. Most computers these days, already have Firewire ports and I even have a couple extra on my sound card. Your cam should also have a firewire socket so all you would need is a lead. If your cam is anologue, you will need a S-Video or composite connection to your machine. I actually have both on my USB TV external gizmo, and that was really cheap. And lastly, if your cam uses a memory card, it more than likely connects via USB, and your comp must have one of them (unless it's a Gas powered computer from the 18th century), so in all cases it's not hard to connect the cam up. Once that is done, run your capture software (Premiere, Vegas blah blah blah all capture, but you can also get standalone ones), then press play on your cam and record in the software. If all you want to do is put it on a webpage, encode it at a small resolution and when you have the part you need, open it in Flash and export it as a flv. Be aware that IMHO, you don't get much back by the way of filesize and it's not so easy for people to download and watch offline, so it wouldn't be my first choice of method.
HTH

[WindGarden]

Thanks you two.

It sounds a lot harder than I thought....maybe I just need to get the parts and do as you both have instructed to get a clearer picture of how it's done. I'm a visualistic person. =P

I guess I'll have to buy the hardware, since it is an ongoing project. :)