MTV At Home

Madison Heights computer company Slipped Disk introduces
desktop video technology to metropolitan Detroit.

PHOTO BY G LENN TR IEST

JENNIFER JOY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Slipped Disk president Jeff Moskow shows off desktop video technology equipment.

B

usinesses and home video
buffs in the Detroit area
can now develop exciting
visual productions without
spending a fortune.
Using the desktop video tech-
nology offered by a local business,
people can create commercially
acceptable video without leaving
their personal computers.
Slipped Disk Inc. of Madison
Heights, a computer retailer and
0 user support center, recently in-
troduced the technology to the
Detroit area.
With the popularity of MTV
and other fast-paced visual pro-
grams, it is clear that society is
expecting more from video pro-
ductions, according to Slipped
Disk president Jeff Moskow.
"MTV has everyone spoiled. If
things aren't flashing and flying
around, we get bored," Mr.
Moskow says.
"A lot of people are shooting
home videos when they go on
trips and they want to show
them. But if you weren't on the
trip, you're bored to death watch-
ing them.
"Now, people can edit out all
the bad parts, add some upbeat
music and create something
friends would enjoy seeing."
In the past, video production
services could cost thousands of

dollars. But with the advent of
desktop video technology (DTV),
it is now affordable.
Small businesses that could
not afford a 15-minute training
or promotional video can now do
it themselves.
More and more businesses are
leaning toward video as a way of
communicating, Mr. Moskow
says. Just as desktop publishing
has made producing brochures
and flyers simple and affordable,
desktop video technology is apt
to make video production com-
monplace.

"People will start
talking about getting
junk videos in the
mail."

—Jeff Moskow

"I think people will start talk-
ing about getting junk videos in
the mail," Mr. Moskow says.
Instead of taking home a glitzy
brochure when shopping for a
new automobile, people may start
taking home videos, demon-
strating the car's capabilities.
Mr. Moskow says we should

expect to see invitations, business
resumes and holiday letters on
video soon, among other items
traditionally seen on paper.
"Before, it took hundreds of
thousands of dollars worth of
equipment," he says. "Now, you
can do the same whiz-bang kind
of things that the Lucases and
Spielbergs are doing."
The new desktop video tech-
nology systems feature a soft-
ware and hardware combination
that links VCRs with PC, Amiga
and Mac-based computer sys-
tems.
To get the basic system run-
ning costs between $3,000 and
$11,000, depending on the brand
ofsystem, Mr. Moskow says. The
new non-linear (tapeless) system,
which produces material of com-
mercial quality, costs between
$11,000 and $15,000.
Introduced just this year, the
non-linear DTV is destined to be-
come a staple for both profes-
sionals and enthusiasts, Mr.
Moskow says.
Information is stored on the
system's hard drive, where it can
be easily accessed, changed and
saved. When the product is fin-
ished, it can be reproduced to
film.
Using non-linear DTV, con-
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