Newbie looking for advise: DV to DVD

[DC]

Hi,

I have captured video from my cam in DV format (.AVI). Those files are
huge. I would like to convert the files into DVD compliant MPEG2
files. Then open these, detect clips and cut the movie with movie
maker. Then burn to DVD with windows DVD maker, hopefully without
another encoding process.

I played around with MediaCoder, which converts to MPEG2, but the
quality is mediocre and I get no audio. Also, the recoding date of the
clips is being lost (I guess there is no way around this?)

Can someone recommend good settings (or a different tool) to get done
what I want? I cannot keep the 300 GB+ of AVI files on my disk but I
want to be able to cut different movies from the footage. Ideally, I
would just shrink the files and still be able to do what I can do now
with Movie Maker and the files.

TIA for any hints,
Regards
DC

 

[DC]

Hi,

I have captured video from my cam in DV format (.AVI). Those files are
huge. I would like to convert the files into DVD compliant MPEG2
files. Then open these, detect clips and cut the movie with movie
maker. Then burn to DVD with windows DVD maker, hopefully without
another encoding process.

I played around with MediaCoder, which converts to MPEG2, but the
quality is mediocre and I get no audio. Also, the recoding date of the
clips is being lost (I guess there is no way around this?)

Can someone recommend good settings (or a different tool) to get done
what I want? I cannot keep the 300 GB+ of AVI files on my disk but I
want to be able to cut different movies from the footage. Ideally, I
would just shrink the files and still be able to do what I can do now
with Movie Maker and the files.

TIA for any hints,
Regards
DC

Please excuse me, some of what I wrote was baloney: actually the MPEG2
files generated by MediaCoder have audio and decent quality (and
factor 10 less bulk), I was just using the wrong player I think
because then I imported the file into Movie Maker it really looked
fine.

Still my (now minor) problems are: DVD Maker will encode the files
again, the clips have no capture date and when I switch from one clip
to the other, it takes a couple of seconds until the picture is clean.

If someone knows more... optimal MediaCoder settings maybe...

I am using Vista Ultimate BTW

 

[John Inzer]

Please excuse me, some of what I wrote was baloney: actually the MPEG2
files generated by MediaCoder have audio and decent quality (and
factor 10 less bulk), I was just using the wrong player I think
because then I imported the file into Movie Maker it really looked
fine.

Still my (now minor) problems are: DVD Maker will encode the files
again, the clips have no capture date and when I switch from one clip
to the other, it takes a couple of seconds until the picture is clean.

If someone knows more... optimal MediaCoder settings maybe...

I am using Vista Ultimate BTW

=========================================
Do you wish to archive the edited files on a Data DVD
or do you wish to create a Video DVD that will be playable
in a free standing DVD Player?

--

J. Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[DC]

=========================================
Do you wish to archive the edited files on a Data DVD
or do you wish to create a Video DVD that will be playable
in a free standing DVD Player?

--

      J. Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

            Notice
This is not tech support
      I am a volunteer

 Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

Thank you. I want to create DVD's playable in a DVD player (with menu
and stuff). I want to keep the raw material in a high quality but
compact format on the harddrive.

Regards
DC

 

[John Inzer]

Thank you. I want to create DVD's playable in a DVD player (with menu
and stuff). I want to keep the raw material in a high quality but
compact format on the harddrive.

Regards
DC

================================
OK...I suspect that you know the file will be
rendered when you burn a Video DVD. Just
burning the existing files on a DVD will not
create a Self Launching DVD that will play
on a Free Standing DVD Player.

As for archiving the original footage...the best
idea may be to leave it as is and store it on
an external hard drive. High capacity HDs...
1 TB and higher are available now at reasonable
prices.

Here's some info ona free DVD Authoring
program that may be worth a try:

DVD Flick
http://www.dvdflick.net/

Be sure to read the Guide:
http://www.dvdflick.net/guide.php

If you have problems downloading DVD Flick...
try the following direct link:
http://tinyurl.com/bvtfza
or...
http://voxel.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/dvdflick/dvdflick_setup_1.3.0.6.exe

Save the file to a folder on your hard drive and
install from there.

Tutorials:

DVD Flick Tutorial
http://beginwithsoftware.com/videoguides/dvd-flick-guide.html

Burn Any PC Video Format into DVD
http://www.freevideoworkshop.com/dvdflicktutorial.htm

To create a basic Video DVD that should play in a free
standing DVD player...try the following...

Good luck.

First...read the DVD Flick Guide to familiarize yourself
with the program.

Open DVD Flick and insert a blank DVD in your burner.

If your computer's Autoplay window opens....just close it.

Click the Project Settings button and go to...Video /
Target format...residents of USA...choose...NTSC /
Accept.

Left click the Add title button and browse to your
Movie Clips and select the ones you want on the DVD.

You can arrange them by selecting one and then use
the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

Left click the Create DVD button / OK / Yes / Yes.

Wait while the DVD is created.

When the text "Finished Successfully" appears you
may close DVD Flick. Now you can eject your DVD
and play it in your DVD player.

At some point you may wish to purchase more
advanced software like Cyberlink, Nero, Roxio,
Ulead, etc...but at least this is a start.

Good luck.



--

J. Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[DC]

================================
OK...I suspect that you know the file will be
rendered when you burn a Video DVD. Just
burning the existing files on a DVD will not
create a Self Launching DVD that will play
on a Free Standing DVD Player.

As for archiving the original footage...the best
idea may be to leave it as is and store it on
an external hard drive. High capacity HDs...
1 TB and higher are available now at reasonable
prices.

Here's some info ona free DVD Authoring
program that may be worth a try:

DVD Flickhttp://www.dvdflick.net/

Be sure to read the Guide:http://www.dvdflick.net/guide.php

If you have problems downloading DVD Flick...
try the following direct link:http://tinyurl.com/bvtfza
   or...http://voxel.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/dvdflick/dvdflick_setup_1...

Save the file to a folder on your hard drive and
install from there.

Tutorials:

DVD Flick Tutorialhttp://beginwithsoftware.com/videoguides/dvd-flick-guide.html

Burn Any PC Video Format into DVDhttp://www.freevideoworkshop.com/dvdflicktutorial.htm

To create a basic Video DVD that should play in a free
standing DVD player...try the following...

Good luck.

First...read the DVD Flick Guide to familiarize yourself
with the program.

Open DVD Flick and insert a blank DVD in your burner.

If your computer's Autoplay window opens....just close it.

Click the Project Settings button and go to...Video /
Target format...residents of USA...choose...NTSC /
Accept.

Left click the Add title button and browse to your
Movie Clips and select the ones you want on the DVD.

You can arrange them by selecting one and then use
the Move Up and Move Down buttons.

Left click the Create DVD button / OK / Yes / Yes.

Wait while the DVD is created.

When the text "Finished Successfully" appears you
may close DVD Flick. Now you can eject your DVD
and play it in your DVD player.

At some point you may wish to purchase more
advanced software like Cyberlink, Nero, Roxio,
Ulead, etc...but at least this is a start.

Good luck.

--

      J. Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

            Notice
This is not tech support
      I am a volunteer

 Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

Thank you! I will try the suggested authoring tools. I understand,
that it is probably best to stick with the huge avi files in DV
format.

Regards
DC

 

[John Inzer]

Thank you! I will try the suggested authoring tools. I understand,
that it is probably best to stick with the huge avi files in DV
format.

Regards
DC

==================================
You're welcome.

Thanks for the update.

--

J. Inzer MS-MVP
Digital Media Experience

Notice
This is not tech support
I am a volunteer

Solutions that work for
me may not work for you

Proceed at your own risk

 

[Saga]

I understand the issue of having 300GB of raw footage on the hard drive.

What I have done is simply keep the raw footage on the mini DV cassette and
import it into Movie Maker when it is necessary. I find that when I process
the
raw footage I rarely go back to it, so in my case it is more of a problem
(and
cost) having the raw footage on a hard drive. Of course, needs may vary.
Saga

 

[DC]

I understand the issue of having 300GB of raw footage on the hard drive.

What I have done is simply keep the raw footage on the mini DV cassette and
import it into Movie Maker when it is necessary. I find that when I process
the
raw footage I rarely go back to it, so in my case it is more of a problem
(and
cost) having the raw footage on a hard drive. Of course, needs may vary.
Saga

My raw video spans over ten years now. I wanted to make movies showing
the kids grow up, so it is much more comfortable to have all clips
available for cutting. Also, my Canon MV20 cam does not communicate
with Windows Vista via Firewire... it still worked with XP. I have
this feeling that the technology I am using is aging and I better back
up my footage.

Regards
DC

 

[walter]

My raw video spans over ten years now. I wanted to make movies showing
the kids grow up, so it is much more comfortable to have all clips
available for cutting. Also, my Canon MV20 cam does not communicate
with Windows Vista via Firewire.

Sadly, that does not surprise me in the least. Vista may very well go down
in history as the biggest OS turd ever laid. And the fact that the GIANT
who pooped it out pretty-much chose to flush it, rather than support it,
says quite a lot as well.

.. it still worked with XP. I have
this feeling that the technology I am using is aging and I better back
up my footage.

Can you "downgrade" to XP or are you (like a lot of other people) stuck in
driver hell?

 

[DC]

Sadly, that does not surprise me in the least.  Vista may very well go down
in history as the biggest OS turd ever laid.  And the fact that the GIANT
who pooped it out pretty-much chose to flush it, rather than support it,
says quite a lot as well.


Can you "downgrade" to XP or are you (like a lot of other people) stuck in
driver hell?

I do not capture much video at all, and I just transfered all my old
footage with an XP machine. So it won't be that troubling.

Regards
DC