Digital Video -- DV for short -- is perhaps the hottest of the hot new approaches to genealogy. Remember home movies? They're back! This time with punch. They have gone digital! To video!

At one time or another most of us have fallen asleep watching a neighbor's home movies. And the situation didn't improve when home movies moved to video tape,  recorded on a camcorder and played back on a TV. So why all the fuss?

Your neighbor's one-hour home movie probably included a few minutes of genuinely interesting footage. The problem was he could not edit out all the other junk. Now he can.

New DV camcorders are smaller, lighter, more expensive. But you can copy their tapes to your hard disk, and edit your masterpiece on your PC.

Moreover the sound is CD quality. So with a tad of effort, your neighbor could soon be the  Steven Spielberg of his neighborhood. More importantly, so could you.

Why should a genealogy be just words on paper? Why not make a movie of it? One with DVD-style menus so viewers can pick and choose which parts they watch; the one with Uncle Max telling the story of the time he ... 

Rather than say "Jimmy was a great little baseball player" why not show him knocking one out of the park? Or pan his shelf of trophies.

Add fades and wipes between scenes, a soundtrack automatically generated by your PC, professional style titles and credits, and presto you really have something special.

You could record a short effort to CD for just 50 cents per blank CD and mail it to distant friends and family.  (Longer, full-length (two hour) versions are more appropriate for DVDs. Movies over the Internet require a broadband connection.)

You'll need some tools you probably don't have to go Hollywood. A reasonably fast PC, a camcorder (preferably a DV model for its higher quality output), and video editing software. You'll find links to suppliers and more under: External Links | Technology Links.

One potential drawback for some: in the beginning, the local commercial wedding videographer may become your new best friend as you climb the learning curve.

DV camcorders from Canon and Sony are typically compatible with video editing software. Models from Panasonic, JVC, Sharp, and other manufacturers may not provide this prerequisite compatibility.