Desktop video refers to a phenomenon lasting from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s when the
graphics
Graphics () are visual images or designs on some surface, such as a wall, canvas, screen, paper, or stone, to inform, illustrate, or entertain. In contemporary usage, it includes a pictorial representation of the data, as in design and manufa ...
capabilities of personal computers such as the
Amiga
Amiga is a family of personal computers produced by Commodore International, Commodore from 1985 until the company's bankruptcy in 1994, with production by others afterward. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16-b ...
,
Macintosh II, and specially-upgraded
IBM PC compatible
An IBM PC compatible is any personal computer that is hardware- and software-compatible with the IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC) and its subsequent models. Like the original IBM PC, an IBM PC–compatible computer uses an x86-based central p ...
s had advanced to the point where individuals and local broadcasters could use them for
analog non-linear editing and
vision mixing in video production. Despite the use of computers, desktop video should not be confused with
digital video
Digital video is an electronic representation of moving visual images (video) in the form of encoded digital data. This is in contrast to analog video, which represents moving visual images in the form of analog signals. Digital video comprises ...
since the video data remained analog and it uses items like a
VCR and a
camcorder
A camcorder is a self-contained portable electronic device with video and recording as its primary function. It is typically equipped with an articulating screen mounted on the left side, a belt to facilitate holding on the right side, hot-sw ...
to record the video. Full-screen, full-motion video's vast storage requirements meant that the promise of
digital encoding would not be realized on
desktop computer
A desktop computer, often abbreviated as desktop, is a personal computer designed for regular use at a stationary location on or near a desk (as opposed to a portable computer) due to its size and power requirements. The most common configuratio ...
s for at least another decade.
Description
There were multiple models of
genlock cards available to synchronize the content; the
Newtek
NewTek, Inc., is a San Antonio, Texasbased hardware and software company that produced live and post-production video tools and visual imaging software for personal computers. The company was founded in 1985 in Topeka, Kansas, United States, by ...
Video Toaster
The NewTek Video Toaster is a combination of hardware and software for the editing and production of NTSC standard-definition video. The plug-in expansion card initially worked with the Amiga 2000 computer and provides a number of BNC connect ...
was commonly used in Amiga and PC systems, while Mac systems had the
SuperMac Video Spigot and
Radius
In classical geometry, a radius (: radii or radiuses) of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its Centre (geometry), center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The radius of a regular polygon is th ...
VideoVision cards. Apple later introduced the Macintosh
Quadra 840AV and
Centris 660AV systems to specifically address this market.
Desktop video was a parallel development to
desktop publishing
Desktop publishing (DTP) is the creation of documents using dedicated software on a personal ("desktop") computer. It was first used almost exclusively for print publications, but now it also assists in the creation of various forms of online co ...
and enabled many small production houses and local TV stations to produce their own original content for the first time. Along with the advent of
public-access cable channels, desktop video meant that television advertising became affordable for local businesses such as retailers, restaurants, real estate agents, contractors and auto dealers.
As with the phrase ''desktop publishing'', use of the term died out as the technologies to which it referred become the norm for any kind of video production.
Broadcasting
Home video
Film and video terminology
Film and video technology
Multimedia
Video editing software
References
{{video-tech-stub