what hardware to buy editing computer
 

Hi,
My cousin wants to buid an editing computer. Basically I need to know what hardware to buy to be able to capture video. She currently owns Premiere 5 LE. She also has a dvd rw and nero software to burn. I am not sure if she will need a firewire card and some kind of breakout box or not. She doesn't want to spend a ton of money so what is her cheapest route to take?

It will depend in part on what camcorder she has. If the computer doesn't already have a Firewire port on it she will need a Firewire card but they're not at all expensive, often less than $50. Whether she will need a "breakout box" depends on the camera - most DV cameras have a port to plug directly into a firewire port and so the card is all you really must have, though a simple breakout box will help avoid having to crawl around under the desk to connect the camera every time you want to capture some footage. Analog cameras, VHS VCRs, etc don't have firewire outputs and so will require a video to DV converter box (I presume thats what you mean by "breakout box") such as the ones from Canopus, Pinnacle, ADS, and others. If she's planning to be more than a casual user and wants to view her video on a proper video monitor instead of just the computer screen, a bi-directional converter from Canopus etc can also act as the interface between the computer and the monitor as well as capturing video from the camera.

What kind of camera is it?

With miniDV cameras, all she will need is a firewire card and a 6pin-4pin firewire cable. Some of the firewire cards will have a bundle/package with the card, the cable, and sometimes even a watered down version of some editing software (it might be better than Premiere 5). They should be about $30 online or less (incl. shipping) in the US.

Other formats of cameras will need an alternate route.

Thanks,
She has an 8mm digital 8. I will let her know about the list of boxes you have suggested. She does have s-video on her camera, so that is good.

Digital 8 is essentially the same as MiniDV in terms of capture, so she will need firewire input.