What is the difference between “linear” and “non-linear” editing?
Most video is still distributed on a long, continuous strand of tape. Tape is a linear medium. To get from one point to another on the tape, one must physically wind or rewind the tape; there are no shortcuts from one point to another non-contiguous one. With the advent of digital media, recordings could finally be accessed in a non-linear manner. One could instantly move from one point in the recording to another without having to pass physically over the intervening material. Examples of non-linear media include computer disks, memory cards, miniDiscs, CD-ROM, and DVD (but not DAT audio recordings, computer backup tapes, or Digital Betacam, which are linear). Traditionally, video editing was linear. A video program was assembled onto a finite length of tape, usually starting from beginning. Changes to the program could be made after the initial edit was completed; however, the overall length of the program could only be changed by adding or deleting material from the end of the progr
