Subtitles of the Movie

So, what do we need to run iMovie? Well first, of course, you'll need your computer, which has to be an Apple Mac with either a G3 or a G4 processor. You'll need operating system 9.04 or higher and your system must have at least 64 megabytes of RAM. A 128 would be much better I delicate 64 megabytes to iMovie itself. You'll also need a CD or a DVD drive so that you can download music into iMovie. Of course, a Firewire port is a must and it's extension should be at version 2.4 or higher. iMovie 2 requires quick time at version 4.1 or higher and you really need a large hard drive. Remember, 5 minutes of digital video will use up to 1 gigabyte of hard disk. Now, your camcorder will need to be either a DV camcorder or a digital eight. Both need to be compatible with iMovie. You can check if it is compatible by going to the iMovie web site at www.apple.com/imovie. The good news is that most camcorders are compatible with iMovie. Now, your camcorder must have a Firewire port which allows you to both input and output DV stream. Sadly, many European camcorders do not have the DV input enabled and this means you won't be able to copy your final movie back to your camcorder. Do not despair if you have this problem, there is a solution, which I will cover later. Next, you'll also need a 6 x 4 Firewire cable. This cable connects your computer to your camcorder. It transfers all of the digital, video, and audio data stream in and out of your computer in one long data stream. It also carries all of the instructions needed to operate the record and playback functions on your camcorder. Well, all this down one small cable. Your DV cable has two different sized ends. The smaller fitting is known as the four-point end and it connects to your camcorder Firewire port. The larger fitting is called the six-point end and this connects to your Mac's Firewire port. Now, your basic setup will look like this. Your computer connected to your camcorder via the Firewire cable. I strongly recommend you add a TV set or a video monitor to this setup. This is connected to your computer via the analog outputs on your camcorder. iMovie has a feature, which allows you to transfer all of the video and audio data from your computer to your video screen. Now, this is important, because sometimes the colors and the brightness levels that you see on your computer screen may not be the same on your video monitor and let's face it, most of your work is going to be copied to tape so that you and your friends can see it on the TV set. You, therefore, need to be confident that what you see on your computer screen is what you finally get on your TV.