^{Getting started}

You can use Windows Movie Maker to capture audio and video to your computer from a video camera, Web camera, or other video source, and then use the captured content in your movies. You can also import existing audio, video, or still pictures into Windows Movie Maker to use in the movies you create. After editing the audio and video content in Windows Movie Maker, which can include adding titles, video transitions, or effects, you can then save your final movie and share it with friends and family.

You can save the movies you create to your computer or to a recordable (CD-R) or rewriteable (CD-RW) CD (depending on your CD recorder). You may also choose to share it with others by sending the movie as an attachment in an e-mail message or by sending it to the Web. If you have a digital video (DV) camera connected to your computer, you can also choose to record the movie to a tape in your DV camera and then play it back on the DV camera or on a TV.

This section covers:

• Key concepts. Explains concepts and terms that are referred to throughout Help.
• Preparing to create your video. Provides suggestions for improving the quality of the recorded video and audio you can later capture in Windows Movie Maker and use in your movies.
• System requirements. Describes the minimum and recommended system requirements for Windows Movie Maker.
• Supported file types. Lists the file formats that you can use for your Windows Movie Maker projects and saved movies.
• Keyboard shortcuts. Provides a list of shortcut keys that you can use to perform common tasks in Windows Movie Maker.

Related topics

• Windows Movie Maker