PC BIZ of the MONTH Excerpts from the book, "101 Computer Related Businesses", Copyright 1994 by Michael A. Tims. BIZ-038 DESKTOP VIDEO SERVICE Just as with Desktop Publication, Desktop Video Services are based on brand new technologies that is changing daily. This burgeoning field is so new, the guide lines are still being written and Desktop Video Services will surely impact the world of video just as Desktop Publishing has done to printing. Basically, Desktop Video refers to using a computer and newly developed software to create full-motion video at the desk. It is a blend of computer-generated text or graphics with video images from a videotape or video camera. The resultant images are then able to be edited with the computer and software. Just as output from Desktop Publication takes many forms, output of the new Desktop Video service includes such forms as Desktop Presentations, Computer Graphics, Video Production Services, Television Commercials, Special Interest Video Tapes, Corporate Videos and Visual Aids. The Markets for Desktop Video Services are just as vast as for Desktop Publication Services. Instead of using stills and overheads, corporations and professionals are turning to Desktop Video to provide animated videos for use as sales and training tools. Full motion videos are fast becoming the new standard for presentations. Full-motion presentation software for both the IBM and the Macintosh is developing rapidly, getting more powerful and more feature packed with each release. Desktop Video software programs such as "Storyboard", "Macromind", "Authorware", "Persuasion" by Aldus, "Action" by Macromedia and others are currently available. Even individuals can use the services of the free-lance Desktop Videographer. By taking raw video shot with a camcorder and editing it with the computer and software, you can produce a product that looks as good as any professionally produced broadcast television production. With the aid of Desktop Video, homemade party or wedding videos can be made to look as good as "One Life to Live" and little league baseball videos made to look like major league broadcasts. Although most free-lance Desktop Video Services charge by the job, the hourly equivalent would average anywhere from $40 to $150. Advertise your Desktop Video Service as you would A Desktop Publishing Service or any other business, with ads in the Yellow Pages and local newspapers being just one way to promote it. Become known to computer organizations and computer consultants so they will keep you in mind when your skills are required for a particular job. If you specialize in any one particular area of Desktop Videos or specialize in working with any particular industry, use direct mail sent to the specific market in larger cities. Check newspapers for want ads from businesses seeking graphic-arts or presentation personnel, offering to do their back-up or overflow work. In addition, join any organizations devoted to the subject of video, such as: Professional Videographers Association of America, 2030 M Street N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC., 20036. Books and magazines on the subject of Desktop Video are just starting to emerge in larger numbers and include the following: AV Video Magazine, Montage Publishing, 25550 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrence, CA., 90505. Camcorder Magazine, Miller Magazines, 2660 East Main St., Ventura, CA., 93003. Computer Graphics World Magazine, Pennwell Publishing Co., Box 987, 1 Technology Park Dr., Westford, MA., 01886. Computer Pictures Magazine, Electronic Pictures Corporation, 2 Village Square, West Clifton, NJ., 07011. Desktop Video Handbook, by David Land, Multimedia Computing Corporation, 3501 Ryder St., Santa Clara, CA., 95051. Everything You Wanted to Know About Home Video Editing (But Nobody Had the Answers), by John Johnson, Video One Productions, 3474 Dromedary Way, Suite 1304, Las Vegas, NV., 89116. Presentation Products Magazine, 513 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 344, Santa Monica, CA., 90401. For those who may be interested in purchasing a Videography franchise, contact Video Data Service, 24 Grove St., Pittsford, New York, NY., 14534. The franchisees mainly are involved in taping weddings and parties, making film-to-tape transfers, taping legal depositions, as well as duplicating and editing videotapes. You might want to investigate the following books on desktop video, including: "Making Movies on your PC" by David Mason & Alexander Enzmann, Waite Group Press, 200 Tamel Plaza, Corte Madera, CA., 94925. NewMedia Magazine, Hypermedia Communications, Inc., 901 Mariners Island Blvd., Ste. 365, San Mateo, CA., 94404. Flash Magazine, Blacklightning Publishing, Inc., Riddle Pond Rd., West Topsham, VT., 05086. Because desktop video is so memory and computer speed intensive, we would recommend the fastest computer possible, a 386 based CPU with an added math co-processor (or a 486 with a built-in math co-processor) would be recommended. You might also investigate the graphics accelerator boards which fit into an expansion slot of your PC. They have their own video RAM which speeds-up screen re-draw, etc. Prices for the 486 CPU and the even faster "Pentium" (aka 586) have been falling rapidly. At the time of this writing, a fully outfitted 486 multimedia-ready computer hovered around the $2000 mark, with the Pentium in the $2500 to $3000 range. A graphics accelerator board runs about $150. When running Windows programs, graphics intensive applications, or in this case digital video manipulation programs, a lot of dynamic memory (usually called RAM-Random Access Memory) is used. If you were just using the computer for wordprocessing or other light duty tasks, 2 MB (Megabytes) of 70-ns (nanosecond) or faster RAM would be minimal. Most PC's, nowadays, come equipped with motherboards capable of holding 32 MB or even 128 MB of RAM. Start out with at least 8 MB of RAM and expand your system as the need arises. Graphics and video intensive programs produce large files and most will, therefore, require a large hard disk with a lot of storage capacity. Whatever amount of hard disk storage you were thinking of, double it. Think of 350 MB of hard disk storage as a starting point, with larger drives of over 1 Gigabyte not being out of the question. Besides the computer itself, additional office equipment might consist of a dot matrix printer which will probably suffice for most printed output you would have for in house use, memos, etc., although for more professional looking letters or if you will be doing your own advertising circulars, that you may be sending to prospective clients, a laser printer would be preferable. The newest models for personal use have up to 600 dpi (Dot Per Inch) resolution and carry street prices less than $1000. One of the new FAX/modems might be a good addition to your computer set-up over a stand-alone FAX machine. A FAX/modem is an electronic device that connects a computer to the phone line (much like a plain modem) and enables the computer to act as a FAX machine. A FAX/modem can be an internal type called a FAX board that plugs into an expansion slot inside your computer. External FAX/modems are more costly but are easier to connect to your PC. In either case, the FAX/modem allows you to send a file as a FAX document to any stand-alone FAX machine or to receive a FAX document which can be viewed, stored as a file, or printed out on your printer. A telephone answering machine which can sense the difference between FAX transmissions and voice may also come in quite handy in the home office, although you will probably want to have a second phone line installed to promote a more professional image. A second line would also cut down on personal call interruptions during your "working" hours. If you have the phone company install a second line under their "teenager line" program, you might not have to pay extra for a commercial hook-up or service. You may also wish to investigat the newest digital color still cameras which can take color photographs, store them on an internal floppy disk, and then import them into the PC for editing, manipulation, printing, etc. Models have been developed by Kodak, Canon, Logitech and others. Following is a partial list: Kodak DCS 200, Canon RC-570, Logitech Fotoman, Leaf Digital Camera Back. Commercial software developed for the PC which can change or modify digital video and audio and can work with a sound board, is exemplified by the following programs: "Super Show and Tell", by Ask Me Media, 7100 Northland Circle, Ste. 401, Minneapolis, MN., 55428. "Bravo", by Alpha Software Corp., P. O. Box 8987, Waltham, MA., 02254-9770. Deos Video, Inc., 800 Turnpike St., North Andover, MA., 01845. Video Data Services, 30 Grove St., Dept. E, Pittsford, NY., 14534. In addition to the special video software you will be using, the basic business software requirements for a business of this type would consist of the usual word processing, database, accounting and personal and business income tax preparation software. As with most of the business ideas presented in this book, I feel that properly selected SHAREWARE (try-before-you-buy type software) will prove to be more than adequate for all your basic business software needs. Using shareware when you are first starting a business can save you hundreds of dollars in start up costs. I have found most shareware to be as good, if not better, than high priced commercial software packages. For word processing software, I would recommend either of two fine shareware programs. The first is "Super WP", an excellent WordPerfect clone that has many features superior to the commercial program. The second is "PC-Write", said to be one of the finest wordprocessor programs available at any price. A database program is usually needed to keep track of customers, client data, mailing lists and many other forms of data, etc. The shareware program, "PC-File", is an excellent shareware database program that has features such as custom report writing, letter writing with mail merge, data analysis, plus charts and graph support. "PC-File" also features dBase III and Clipper compatibility, should you ever wish to write a custom application for your business. Every small business needs bookkeeping software to keep track of income and expenses. What they don't need is a full blown accounting package that takes more time than the business itself. The shareware program, "Medlin Accounting", is an easy to use, time saving IRS approved single entry bookkeeping system which is more than adequate for the small-to-medium sized business. It features a general ledger module, an accounts receivable module, an accounts payable module as well as an inventory module. Another financial program I would recommend to any small businessman, or individual for that matter, is the shareware program, "Checkmate Plus". "Checkmate Plus" is an easy to use, yet powerful, checkbook style, double entry accounting system which will also print checks on either laser or dot matrix printers. Spreadsheet programs are sometimes required by the small business and I would concede that the industry leader is the commercial program, Lotus 1-2-3. However, an excellent clone to Lotus 1-2-3 is the shareware program, "As Easy As". Menu-driven for easy use yet a very powerful spreadsheet program. Features 8192 rows by 256 columns, dBase III import/export, macro playback, dot matrix and laser printer support, worksheet linking, charting and much, much more. Communications software for use with telephone line and computer modem is often needed by the small business. By using communications software, the home based entrepreneur is able to access remote computers, informational databases, bulletin board services (BBS's) client's computers, etc., right from his/her home office over the phone lines. This makes many high tech businesses able to be run successfully from any place a phone can be accessed. The full featured shareware communications program I would recommend is "Procomm Plus Test Drive". This time-proven shareware offering of a commercial program will prove perfect for most of your communications needs, and has such features as a 100 number dialing directory, script file capability and support for most major file transfer protocols including XMODEM, TELINK, and COMPUSERVE B. However, If you should purchase a fax/modem for your office, many of them come already bundled with communications software. For more information on these and other shareware, as well as commercial software programs mentioned throughout this book, see appendix A. *********************************************************************** If you have been looking for ideas to make money with your own PC, "101 Computer Related Businesses" is available on floppy disk, as a virtual book, directly from the publisher for only $29.95 Postpaid. State disk size preferred when ordering from, Matco Electronic Publications, POB 509 Suite 310D, Roseville, MI., 48066-0509. Many other PC business ideas and opportunities are also available. Excerpts are carried on AOL in the SMALL BUSINESS FORUM-STRATEGIES FOR BUSINESS FILE LIBRARYand EPUB FORUM-NEW FILES LIBRARY. They are also carried on Delphi in the BUSINESS DATABASE. Just look for "PC Biz of the Month". Thanks, Michael A. Tims - MTims24339@delphi.com MTims48021@aol.com QQVE13A@prodigy.com