What are “virtual” Non-Linear (PC) videos / editors?
The classic way to edit video is cut-to-cut or by an AB roll system, where one VCR receives video via a video switcher/editor from several VCRs. VIRTUAL or DISK editing uses a computer and a hard disk. Selected video scenes from several sources are digitally recorded on a hard disk, mixed and edited in digital form, and transferred back to an analog or another digital VCR after editing. The advantages of this editing system are speed of editing, as access to every scene instantaneous due to the random access capability of hard disks, and the fact that there is no submaster stage which might reduce image quality. The drawbacks are the price of the system, which is usually higher than an analog system, the limited recorded time possible on a hard disk and, in some cases, glitches and other unwanted effects from the digitization process.
