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about four years ago, we reviewed a $12,000 dedicated PC that captured a live video feed, rendered it, and wrote its file to DVD in almost-real time. Now, Serious Magic offers Visual Communicator 2 (VC 2), a software program that performs virtually the same tasks on any high-end, standard PC for less than 4% of that price. The program comes in three versions: Web, Pro, and Studio. We reviewed VC 2 Studio, which is probably the version best suited to the needs of professional videographers.
All versions of the program will run on a Pentium 3class processor; the company suggests more processing power for live video and "green-screening." So, to give the program its best shot, we tested it on the new Sun W2100z with dual 64-bit AMD Opteron processors, running Windows XP Professional. (Yes, Sun now runs Windows.)
By default, the program opens to a wizard that helps you select-and then guides you through the customization of-one of the program's pre-built templates. VC 2's "Studio" version first lets you optimize your project for either broadcast (with high-resolution graphics and titles and a "safe" viewing area) or Web content (which fills the entire screen at a lower resolution). You then pick a theme irom among 25 broad categories, each with a particular look, from antique to contemporary. In turn, each of those templates offers a wealth of options, from "opening slate" to "closing graphic." Unfortunately, VC 2 doesn't display a sample of the screen you're creating as you go along, so it takes a keen eye and a good memory to put together a unified look.
Need to get something on the air fast? When you're in a hurry, you can simply pick a "professionally made, TV-quality show ready for your content." Alternatively, you can save your settings from any show that came out especially well as a "one-click" video, which you can thereafter launch directly from VC's "Start" menu. This is particularly helpful for regular segments that need to be updated frequently, such as traffic reports or daily briefings.
Once your template is set, you can begin adding content. VC takes input from either a camcorder or a Webcam. In deciding which to use, remember that "you get what you pay for." Accordingly, Serious...