The affordable price of digital video camcorders and the ever increasing power of the home PC have made high quality digital video editing a mass consumer market. Indeed, The last few years have seen an explosion in the field of digital video. However, unlike many hobbies, the world of digital video can at best be confusing and technically complex.

There's a wealth of information available on the internet, and these very pages offer constantly updated reviews and guides. But for the complete novice, a gentle introduction in a neat, user friendly package would be a god send. A beginner's guide to digital video by Peter Wells attempts to provide the complete novice with a gentle and comprehensive introduction to the world of digital video and the associated jargon. More importantly, it may just save you making a very expensive mistake (or two)

It's easy to see how first time digital video users become frustrated by the technical jargon frequently used in video editing. Rather like this very site, the book takes the reader in gentle, intuative steps through the digital video process. From buying the right camera and PC equipment, through to shooting techniques, editing and final production. At no stage would the reader feel frustrated by overly complex explanations. By the same measure, the book's presentation and layout gives it more sophisticated feel, with the use of images and annotations providing easy reading.

Divided into logical sections, the book makes for an ideal hand book for the complete novice. However, I must stress that this book is aimed for the complete beginner and ideally suited a spring board for going beyond the rudimetary basics. Master the techniques and tips explained in this guide, and you'll soon be using digital video to your best advantage and making your home movies (almost) watchable!

In summary, I found a beginner's guide to digital video to cover all the basics of digital video. Although all the information contained can be garnered from the internet, it does provide a rich source of material instantly available and neatly packaged. If you're thinking of buying a digital camcorder, take a look at this book.