Video files need a lot of space. Digital video typically uses 3.6 MB (megabytes) of space per second, which (if you do the math) means that 1GB (gigabyte) will hold about five minutes of video. You’ll also need working space on the hard disk — so figure out approximately how much video you want to capture and multiply that number by four. For example, if you want to capture about 15 minutes of video, you’ll need at least 3GB of disk space to store it. Multiply that by four (as a rule of thumb) to figure out that you should have at least 12GB of free space on your hard disk to get the job done.
When I say you need at least 12GB of space for 15 minutes of video, I do mean at least. Even though hard disk space may appear empty, your operating system — as well as your video-editing program — has to use that empty space periodically while working in the background. When it comes to harddisk space, more really is better when you’re working with video. The first thing you need to do is figure out how much free space is available on your hard disk. In Windows, open My Computer (Start➪My Computer). Right-click the icon representing your hard disk; choose Properties from the menu that appears. A Properties dialog box appears. It tells you (among other things) how much free space is available. Click OK to close the box.
On a Macintosh, click the icon for your hard disk just once; then press Ô+I. An Info dialog box appears, showing you how much free space is available. Click the Close button or press Ô+Q to close the Info dialog box. some things to consider:
- Take out the garbage. Empty the Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash (Mac).
- Clean up unneeded Internet files. The cache for your Web browser could be taking up a lot of hard-disk space. The Windows Disk Cleanup utility can help you get rid of these and other unnecessary files. On a Mac, you can empty the cache or control how much disk space is devoted to cache using the Preferences window for your Web browser.
- Add a hard disk to your computer. Adding a second hard disk to your computer can be a little complicated, but it’s certainly one good way to gain more storage space.
