Linux now Good for Video Recording and Editing

I used to use a Mac (OS-X) for video editing, format conversion and the like. But as I was preparing an old MiniDV camcorder to record a talk tomorrow, it appears that on my Ubuntu Linux I now have everything I need. Rock!

The functional recipe is:

  • Old JVC camcorder with firewire (IEEE 1494) cable to laptop;
  • Ubuntu GNU/Linux 11.04 (aka Natty Narwhal);
  • Kino recorder app;
  • OpenShot edit/export app.

I didn’t have to read any manuals or mess around, it “just works”. Using this setup I’m actually able to record directly on the laptop (rather than recording to a miniDV tape then copy it for editing), this is a great advantage as otherwise you’re always restricted by the capacity of the tape. The laptop’s harddisk is not going to run out of space these days.