Newbie moviemaking, three questions to get going...

[George]

Wondered if someone could offer insights to a newbie...

As background, the setup here is... the basics... IEEE1394, small Sony DV
cam, WinXP-pro PC, Recordable combo CD and DVD+RW drive (has RW emblem on
front), WinMovieMaker, Roxio VideoWave Movie Creator, Sonic MyDVD. So
questions are...

1) WHAT MEDIA PLAYS ON HOME PLAYER? I'm trying to make first DVD and wanted
to ask if my home Sony DVD player, about 3-4 years old, will play a DVD+RW.
In other words, is that the correct media to use for home playback? Or do I
need a one-time recordable DVD like the music CD scenario...where a car/home
player won't play a PC-made CD unless you use a CD-R...they never play one
made on a CD-RW.

2) CAN I CAPTURE VIDEO USING MOVIEMAKER. Looks like WMM has three options
for capturing... a) use on PC, b) use on DVD, c) custom. Would I just
choose the second one... DV-AVI... the biggest file? Does that preserve
"everything" on the camcorder tape... no loss? Is WMM as good as anything,
or would Roxio or Sonic be "better" for capturing?

3) DO I JUST "BURN" THE DVD, THEN IT'S READY? Is next step to just "save"
it on PC as an "avi" file, then "burn" it using Roxio DVD or Sonic MyDVD to
a DVD burner? (These are the only two DVD things I have right now.) Isn't
it true that WMM can NOT at all make/burn a DVD, right?

Thanks, my apologies for elementary questions,
George

 

[decoder]

Wondered if someone could offer insights to a newbie...

As background, the setup here is... the basics... IEEE1394, small Sony DV
cam, WinXP-pro PC, Recordable combo CD and DVD+RW drive (has RW emblem on
front), WinMovieMaker, Roxio VideoWave Movie Creator, Sonic MyDVD. So
questions are...

1) WHAT MEDIA PLAYS ON HOME PLAYER? I'm trying to make first DVD and
wanted
to ask if my home Sony DVD player, about 3-4 years old, will play a
DVD+RW.

This is an unknown issue? As your DVD player is "3-4" years old (that short
space
of time can be influenced by the progress of time!) and we don't know the
model
number?
But I recommend you try DVD+RW, if it is Unsuccesful, you won't have wasted
a
disk, just erase and use agin, if successful - if it plays DVD+RW, it will
definately
also play DVD+R

In other words, is that the correct media to use for home playback? Or do
I
need a one-time recordable DVD like the music CD scenario...where a
car/home
player won't play a PC-made CD unless you use a CD-R...they never play one
made on a CD-RW.

You have got the basic's right, DVD-RW/R is/was the preferred format of the
majority
of hardware manufacturers, but Sony machines are ameniable to both -/+
It is the issue of REwritable disks requiring the lens mechanism to focus to
"lower"
pit reading levels - if it can read a +RW, it will not have a problem with
write once +R
disks. The real issue of compatibilty is with DVD *Writers*, many older
models could
only write to one or the other of the -/+ formats (not so with recent
models).
Playback should not be a cause for concern though with -/+. It is really
only of issue
with recording. Reading should not be a prob for a Sony, regardless of age.

2) CAN I CAPTURE VIDEO USING MOVIEMAKER. Looks like WMM has three options
for capturing... a) use on PC, b) use on DVD, c) custom. Would I just
choose the second one... DV-AVI... the biggest file? Does that preserve
"everything" on the camcorder tape... no loss? Is WMM as good as
anything,
or would Roxio or Sonic be "better" for capturing?

Use DV-AVI, and indeed it is as "faithful" to the source as possible, and
your burning
software is less likely to have problems converting this format to the
required
specific DVD disk VOB mpeg2 format.

3) DO I JUST "BURN" THE DVD, THEN IT'S READY? Is next step to just "save"
it on PC as an "avi" file, then "burn" it using Roxio DVD or Sonic MyDVD
to
a DVD burner? (These are the only two DVD things I have right now.)
Isn't
it true that WMM can NOT at all make/burn a DVD, right?

Yep, you've got it basically in the bag...........
Save as DV-AVI to a folder on HD, and in your desired burning software
import and burn to disk........
You should have no problems.

Thanks, my apologies for elementary questions,
George

No prob's, let us know how it all works out.

 

[George]

Hello Decoder... Great, thanks, that really helps. Can I ask a few more
clarifications, I know this is an elementary (the True or False Q&A
method...) but it was only way I could think of that would make it easy and
fast for anyone to kindly respond. Thanks again. Here we go...


BURNERS, DVD PLAYERS, AND MEDIA

1. ( )T ( )F. To make a DVD movie to be readable/playable for the widest
possible audience of home DVD players, old and new, and all kinds of brands,
the best media to burn to is DVD-R (or is it "either" DVD-R or DVD-RW?)

2. ( )T ( )F. As long as someone has a newer DVD home player, maybe ___
years or less old, then the DVD+RW should still play just fine in it. And a
DVD+R should play fine also.

3. ( )T ( )F. If you buy a 'new' DVD burner, it's almost certain to burn to
DVD-RW/R, which is widely readble by most all (new and old?) DVD home
players. And, a newer DVD burner will also burn to DVD+RW/R.

4. ( )T ( )F. Once you have a newer DVD burner, which can burn to multiple
formats, you just put any DVD media in it (DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD+R), it
will then recognize it and "knows" to burn that format to that disc.


CAPTURING EVERY "BIT" OF A MOVIE

5. ( )T ( )F. Whether you use Win Movie Maker, Roxio, Sonic, or anything
else, capturing is capturing... it's like 'copying a file' is 'copying a
file'...it's a 1 for 1 transfer as long as you choose DV-AVI to get
"everything"....That is, all the bits from your DVD digital camcorder go
into the PC hard drive without any loss/deterioration/compression/etc. And
no software application or version is better (more faithful) than the other.
So, you can use whatever software you like or is most convenient.


Ok, that's all. Greatly appreciate the insights, and thanks again,
George

 

[decoder]

Hello Decoder... Great, thanks, that really helps. Can I ask a few more
clarifications, I know this is an elementary (the True or False Q&A
method...) but it was only way I could think of that would make it easy
and
fast for anyone to kindly respond. Thanks again. Here we go...


BURNERS, DVD PLAYERS, AND MEDIA

1. ( )T ( )F. To make a DVD movie to be readable/playable for the widest
possible audience of home DVD players, old and new, and all kinds of
brands,
the best media to burn to is DVD-R (or is it "either" DVD-R or DVD-RW?)

I'm afraid it's not a simple T or F response..........
Reading RW of either format (-/+) were and can still cause compatibilty
issues
with some early DVD players. But apart from some very first generation
(now ancient) Philip's players, Playback of either -/+ R (Write Once) won't
be
a problem.
-/+ format is really only of concern with some *burners.*

2. ( )T ( )F. As long as someone has a newer DVD home player, maybe ___
years or less old, then the DVD+RW should still play just fine in it. And
a
DVD+R should play fine also.
True

3. ( )T ( )F. If you buy a 'new' DVD burner, it's almost certain to burn
to
DVD-RW/R, which is widely readble by most all (new and old?) DVD home
players. And, a newer DVD burner will also burn to DVD+RW/R.

True
(Only Philips stuck religiously to the "plus" type, but now they too produce
burners that cope with all formats - apart from DVD-RAM)
Once again, sorry to stress the point, but *Playback* was never really the
prob.

4. ( )T ( )F. Once you have a newer DVD burner, which can burn to
multiple
formats, you just put any DVD media in it (DVD-RW, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD+R),
it
will then recognize it and "knows" to burn that format to that disc.
TRUE

CAPTURING EVERY "BIT" OF A MOVIE

"BIT".........Binary Digit?

5. ( )T ( )F. Whether you use Win Movie Maker, Roxio, Sonic, or anything
else, capturing is capturing... it's like 'copying a file' is 'copying a
file'...it's a 1 for 1 transfer as long as you choose DV-AVI to get
"everything"....That is, all the bits from your DVD digital camcorder go
into the PC hard drive without any loss/deterioration/compression/etc.
And
no software application or version is better (more faithful) than the
other.
So, you can use whatever software you like or is most convenient.

True(ish)
DV consumes vast hard disk space, But if your PC is "efficient" enough,
you can opt for software to "on the fly encode" capture to mpeg2 without
any discernable loss in quality.

 

[George]

Great, thanks for answers to last questions, ok just one more on media...

THE DEAL ON WRITE-ONCE MEDIA

A blank DVD, like a DVD-R, holds 4.7 GB right? ____

So, suppose I want to burn a movie to use on widest possible audience of
home DVD players, I would use a DVD-R (or DVD+R), right? ____

Suppose that my movie with everything (menu, movie, etc.) is 1.1GB. I burn
it to the DVD-R, then see a mistake and decide I want to make a minor
change...

( )T ( )F. Too bad. I have to scrap the old DVD-R altogether, get a brand
new one out of the box, and start all over by burning the new one. The old
one is scrap, unless I don't mind the mistake in the movie.

( )T ( )F. No problem. Write-once really doesn't totally mean that. In
fact, I can go back and re-burn 3 more times since each burn takes off 1.1GB
of space...(a total of 4 burns at 4.4GB is less than the 4.7GB capacity).

( )T ( )F. If I re-burn on same DVD-R, I would need to "delete" the old
movie, so the DVD player isn't confused, or...

( )T ( )F. If I re-burn on same DVD-R, I don't need to worry about the old
movie, it doesn't show up in the directory at all...but is actually still
resident on the DVD...it's just on abandoned space so to speak

ok, thanks,
George

 

[decoder]

Great, thanks for answers to last questions, ok just one more on media...

THE DEAL ON WRITE-ONCE MEDIA

A blank DVD, like a DVD-R, holds 4.7 GB right? ____

So, suppose I want to burn a movie to use on widest possible audience of
home DVD players, I would use a DVD-R (or DVD+R), right? ____

Suppose that my movie with everything (menu, movie, etc.) is 1.1GB. I
burn
it to the DVD-R, then see a mistake and decide I want to make a minor
change...

( )T ( )F. Too bad. I have to scrap the old DVD-R altogether, get a
brand
new one out of the box, and start all over by burning the new one. The
old
one is scrap, unless I don't mind the mistake in the movie.

( )T ( )F. No problem. Write-once really doesn't totally mean that. In
fact, I can go back and re-burn 3 more times since each burn takes off
1.1GB
of space...(a total of 4 burns at 4.4GB is less than the 4.7GB capacity).

( )T ( )F. If I re-burn on same DVD-R, I would need to "delete" the old
movie, so the DVD player isn't confused, or...

( )T ( )F. If I re-burn on same DVD-R, I don't need to worry about the
old
movie, it doesn't show up in the directory at all...but is actually still
resident on the DVD...it's just on abandoned space so to speak

ok, thanks,
George

Hi George,
You're making a meal of it?
Blank media cost pennies!
You can add video clips upto the disks capacity,
The video has to be converted into a specific
type of mpeg known as a VOB. ALL burning
software perform this function, you need do
nothing, just add the desired content.
The DVD won't be playable until it's "Finalised" - this is
adding a TOC (Table of Contents).
Once a disk is "Finalised" no more content can be
added.
DVD cannot accept individual files larger than 2gb,
so burning software split a large file into 1gb segments,
Your burning software will do the deed, and it is
Indiscernable on playback, it will be continuous.
It is this simple, if you add a 1gb video file, The disk
won't playback on a standalone DVD player unless it
is finalised. If it is finalised then you cannot add any
further content!
Have fun.