DVD conversion

[Rob L]

Recently, I purchased a cheap video camera to record some homilies at church for a class that I am taking. I would like to make a DVD that can be shown through a regular DVD player/TV combination. What do I need to do or buy??

[russell_bynum]

PC or Mac?

[Rob L]

PC

[russell_bynum]

OK.

 

You'll need some way to connect the camera with the PC. The most common choices are USB or Firewire. Find out which your camera and PC supports.

 

Once you get the two physically connected, you'll need software to pull the video off the camera onto the PC, Edit it, then rip it to DVD. This can often be done all with the same software.

 

One of the more popular choices is Adobe Premier Elements (around $100).

[ghaverkamp]

Once you get the two physically connected, you'll need software to pull the video off the camera onto the PC, Edit it, then rip it to DVD. This can often be done all with the same software.

 

One of the more popular choices is Adobe Premier Elements (around $100).

 

Can't Windows MovieMaker do this?

 

Just to back up, you're going to need a DVD writer on your computer. If you don't have one, you'll need to buy one of those first. All the software in the world won't help.

 

Another possibility is to avoid the computer stage entirely and buy a standalone DVD recorder (which will also double as a DVD player.) I have mixed feelings about this, because the one I bought ate about half of all DVDs I tried to record.

[russell_bynum]

Once you get the two physically connected, you'll need software to pull the video off the camera onto the PC, Edit it, then rip it to DVD. This can often be done all with the same software.

 

One of the more popular choices is Adobe Premier Elements (around $100).

 

Can't Windows MovieMaker do this?

 

The last time I played with it (a year or so ago), it could not handle getting the video back out to DVD. Everything else...yes, it does that, and it's free.

 

Just to back up, you're going to need a DVD writer on your computer. If you don't have one, you'll need to buy one of those first. All the software in the world won't help.

 

Right...good point. I assumed he already had that, it's good to make sure.

 

Another possibility is to avoid the computer stage entirely and buy a standalone DVD recorder (which will also double as a DVD player.) I have mixed feelings about this, because the one I bought ate about half of all DVDs I tried to record.

 

Another good option. You don't get the same kind of control that you'd get by importing/editing/etc on the computer and then writing to DVD, but it is very simple. We've got one of those VCR/DVD-R burner combos and I've used it a handful of times with great results.

[velomoto]

Rob, sorry but there is no "simple" answer. Depending upon what camcorder you purchased, how it operates and what you are looking to have for a final result there are many-many "answers". Check out this forum for more info which will most likely produce more questions: CamcorderInfo.com

 

For example, if your camcorder saves to DVD, flash or a hard drive it will save the data as compressed MPEG. If you've got a miniDV or 8mm digital camcorder the data is in DV format (slightly compressed video). Some camcorders will talk to the PC via USB, others via 1394 (aka Firewire). If you picked up an analog camcorder it won't talk to your PC at all - in which case your simplest option would be to get a DVD recorder.

 

Some folks just want a quick and easy DVD are are willing to accept whatever they get. Others want chapters, titles and maybe dubbed over music in places. Then you'll find those who want to master the raw video into a (near) production quality DVD.

[Rob L]

OK. I have a DVD burner available at work and I have already down loaded the video to a memory stick and to the computer at work. apparently I need some kind of software to complete the transition from the type of video created on the camera and what can be placed on a DVD which can be played on a standard player/TV combination. I may give up if this is all too complicated or expensive.

[Joel]

Rob, you might come out ahead by bribing some tech-savvy teenager in your extended family or parish with a pizza of his choice to convert, edit and burn the video to a DVD. I've used Adobe Premiere Elements and I like it, but the learning curve is a bit steep for non-geeks. Unless you want to do a lot of this in the future, learning to use it might not be worth the effort. I think I spent 6 hrs generating a 10 min. vacation video, that included titles and music. I like the result, but it took a lot of time. It might have helped if I'd RTFM, but I only do that as a last resort.

[ghaverkamp]

OK. I have a DVD burner available at work and I have already down loaded the video to a memory stick and to the computer at work. apparently I need some kind of software to complete the transition from the type of video created on the camera and what can be placed on a DVD which can be played on a standard player/TV combination. I may give up if this is all too complicated or expensive.

 

Here's a guide from Microsoft on doing it simply and relatively cheaply. If you could find a Mac, you could just import the file into iDVD...

 

Maybe Vista has it built-in, too?

[velomoto]

OK. I have a DVD burner available at work and I have already down loaded the video to a memory stick and to the computer at work. apparently I need some kind of software to complete the transition from the type of video created on the camera and what can be placed on a DVD which can be played on a standard player/TV combination. I may give up if this is all too complicated or expensive.

 

Here's a guide from Microsoft on doing it simply and relatively cheaply. If you could find a Mac, you could just import the file into iDVD...

 

Maybe Vista has it built-in, too?

+1 on the recommendation to find someone with experience making movies - if for no other reason than to be a tutor (consultant?). I'd also like to second the suggestion to use Apple's iDVD - very simple and intuitive to operate.

 

BTW, here's a link to download MovieMaker from MSFT: linky

 

One thing to note - MovieMaker is for just that, making the movie. One also needs DVD burning software to burn the movie to DVD such as Roxio MyDVD or Nero Burning ROM.

[Rob L]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. The best one was.....find somebody else to do it for you

 

I got the tech guy at work interested and he would not give up until he figured out how to do it. Kinda like Tom Sawyer saying that Aunt Polly won't let anyone else whitewash the fence

This guy is 72, maybe by the time I get his age I will be able to do this myself

[VinnyR11]

Thank you for all of the suggestions. The best one was.....find somebody else to do it for you

 

I got the tech guy at work interested and he would not give up until he figured out how to do it. Kinda like Tom Sawyer saying that Aunt Polly won't let anyone else whitewash the fence

This guy is 72, maybe by the time I get his age I will be able to do this myself

 

Sorry I'm late, but for future reference you may want to check this out. Dazzle DVD recorder $46 It's gotten excellent reviews from Wired and other tech/gadget sites. Downside is that the original software download takes a long time, and you will need a DVD recorder.

It not only works on transfers from your camera, but it simplifies all those VHS, hi-8, and whatever other types of media you want to get on disk. Which BTW, we'll all be transferring to a new "better" media in another year, and then change again until we finally get everything we could ever want on one, tiny, easy to lose, memory device.

[velomoto]

...Which BTW, we'll all be transferring to a new "better" media in another year, and then change again until we finally get everything we could ever want on one, tiny, easy to lose, memory device.

Hmmm, I've yet to find an ideal memory device. Tapes, disk drives, flash memory, DVD's - they all fail over time for various reasons. I recently read an article on how much MORE Hollywood is spending to store digital movies than the old celluloid reels. Who'd have ever thought that all the new technology wasn't everything it was promised to be!