AFM Home | The Staff Report | July 2003

Q: If you were a small high school with a limited budget (about $2,000 per year for video equipment), how would you go about planning for and purchasing video and editing equipment?
– Ray Kumpula, Head Coach, Glenrock High School, Glenrock, Wyo.

A: You obviously need a camcorder, a tape deck, computer and video editing software for a complete system. But just remember, the better the original source (camera), the better the output from the computer. You can play the tape directly from the camcorder, but that will shorten the lifespan of your camcorder. With the LRSSports Video Editing and Game Analysis System, you can use virtually any camera or deck. There is no need to purchase a new one except to possibly improve the quality of the video. Also make sure you check out the capabilities and reputation of the software and the vendor. Not all software and vendors are created equal!

Many new computers will come close to meeting the minimum specs to run the editing software but check with the vendor before you purchase one to be sure. Quite often there needs to be an upgrade in hard drive storage for the video. There can also be a need to purchase some additional, relatively inexpensive hardware like a Firewire card and analog/digital converter box. Again check with your vendor for their specific requirements.
– Ron Wojcicki, LRSSports