Apple Final Cut Pro 5 - Manual (Page 165)

164 Part III Setting Up Your Editing System
Video and Audio Input and Output Devices
To capture and output media, you need to connect video decks, camcorders, and audio
players to your computer. If your camcorder, VTR, or audio device doesn’t connect to
your computer’s built-in ports (such as FireWire or USB), you may need to purchase and
install a third-party video or audio interface.
Video Device
This is a VTR or camcorder you connect to your computer to capture and output media.
The connectors and signal format on your video device determine what kind of video
interface your computer needs to connect to your device.
Audio Device
This is a device, such as a DAT or multitrack audio recorder, that lets you capture or
output audio independently from video.
External Video Monitor
When you edit your video, it’s ideal to watch it on a monitor similar to the one you will
use for the final screening. An external video monitor can display color, frame rate, and
interlaced scanning more accurately than your computer display.
If you are working on an NTSC or PAL project, you should watch it on an external video
monitor that shows the video interlaced. Your ability to color correct is limited by the
accuracy of your monitor. For more information about external video monitoring, see
Chapter 16, “
External Video Monitoring ,” on page 209.
External Audio Speakers
As with video, it’s important to monitor your audio so that it matches the listening
environment where the final project will be shown. Although you can use your
computer’s built-in speakers for monitoring audio, any critical audio work should be
monitored on external speakers (also called audio monitors). For more information
about external audio monitoring, see Volume III, Chapter 2, “Setting Up Audio
Equipment.”