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Community Newsletter: Q&A: 6/30/06 Helpful advice for converting camcorder video to DVD
- 6/29/06 5:28 PM
Followup == HP Moviewriter breaks down, ADS starts working!
by mcwong2000 - 7/3/06 3:52 PM In reply to: Converting Analog to DVD format is trickier than you think by mcwong2000No sooner do I write the piece about HP Moviewriter working for me than the darned thing broke down -- I mean, physically ceased to work.
In desperation I plugged the ADS DVDExpress gadget back in -- this is a small analog-to-digital input device that I hadn't had luck with in the past. This time I fired it up, plugged my analog Sony camcorder into it, and used the software that came with the HP Moviewriter: ArcSoft's ShowBiz DVD 2, burning to the DVD+R burner on my Dell.
To my surprise, THIS combo worked. I transferred a couple of tapes over to DVD, and they worked on my newer consumer DVD player.
The third tape I tried to transfer, however, just hung up the computer for a few hours, to no end. I had to throw the Big Red Switch and shut off the computer.
So I did what was suggested by others in this forum, and went down to Video Only (which I heartily recommend, by the way) and bought a low-end Toshiba that burns DVD -R /-RW (to increase my compatibility). I hooked my old VCR into it to copy over some old VHS tapes, and discovered I needed to hook the DVD burner to a TV set to set it up and monitor the results. I went down to Radio Shack, which was selling a 5inch black and white TV for -- get this -- $14.95!
I hooked everything together and copied a VHS tape over to DVD (fortunately I had a small box of dVD -Rs around) and yes, that worked too!
(My plan is, at a much later date, to suck the DVDs back into the computer and edit some of the movies down to manageable shape, One Day Real Soon Now. For now I just need digital copies before my analog tapes keel over.)
The ONLY problem is that the playback of the DVD copies the Toshiba makes have this tendency, every two or three minutes, to hiccup, or HESITATE, or lag for a second while playing, then continue. INterestingly, it doesn't affect the audio playback. If anybody has thoughts on this, I'd appreciate hearing them. It's so consistent that I have to assume the DVD burner's buffer isn't keeping up with the input, for some reason. No idea what I can do about that.
Hope this update helps....
--mac
Optimizing playback of recorded video streams
by aahomecare - 7/3/06 8:18 PM In reply to: Followup == HP Moviewriter breaks down, ADS starts working! by mcwong2000First of all CONGRATULATIONS, it's "loud and clear" you have the "nerv" and intelligence to bypass various impassing situations.
I read your profile and, for an "International Data Group" active author as well as for a brilliant, generous and creative man like you seem to be (Disk Operating System's professionals have this quality), I have some ideas to communicate:
Common hardware-related causes
1.- Data storage support(CD/DVD) scratches and/or Toshiba's optical sensor needs clean-up.
2.- Data transfer wide-cable must be adequate (example: please use full available data transfer capacity of your Dell architecture: ATA or SATA interface requires drifferent data cables than IDE)
- Use different databus channel for Toshiba Combo than for the physical drive containing the Operating System (Windows XP Home Edition).Positive example:
OS drive: Primary Master
Media drive (Toshiba): Secondary Master/ Secondary Slave
Less positive example:
OS drive: Primary Master
Media drive (Toshiba): Primary Slave
3.- Video Adapter :
- available RAM memory (it may be sometimes increased with memory chips on ZIF sockets).
- Video Processor temperature and data load while the playback is running must be kept into a range of values specified by the chipset producer/(re)seller. Take advantage of the software control upon Video Adapter features, using OS or legacy applications (ex. NVidia, ATI, INTEL etc.)
Common software-related causes
1. - The tranfer rate between Toshiba Combo and the system mainboard databus may be tested and, if needed, optimized. We assume the Toshiba Combo drive works itself properly and there are no hardware problems.
2. - The "player" software works better with certains video formats (ex. *.AVI, *.wmv, *.mpeg). See the "help"/ "readme"/ advanced installation and tunning instructions for your "player". Please notice that MS Windows Media Player works different with analog/ digital formats and it really makes great display (CRT, LCD, Plasma) output.
I need to stop here. Good luck!!!
Like some of your's ancestors, try to use charm and patience while experimenting some issues in free shop tests events before buying. And, for the God Sake, explain what you need to the vendors/ sellers - they might have technical support "at a glance".
With aplologies for the "teacher" tone,
Andi Ganescu
8mm to digital
by familyof6onthego - 11/4/08 8:03 AM In reply to: Converting Analog to DVD format is trickier than you think by mcwong2000I want to convert my 8mm tapes to digital so I can edit & burn DVDs. My old camcorder still works. I've been told to purchase Pinnacle Capture box to run it back to my Mac. Any comments?
Another way to go
by jkmcginty - 10/29/06 8:13 AM In reply to: No, your case is different by mabradleI had a collection of 8mm tapes and had long since discarded the 16 year old camcorder I used to make these tapes. I sent the tapes off to a conversion company I found by Googling "tape conversion." This was not very expensive. The dvds they returned to me within a week were high quality, and I then used DVDXDV to extract clips from the dvd. I copied the clips to my Mac computer's iMovie program. Then I edited into a nice movie and burned a dvd for family distribution using iDvd. The original dvds serve as a good archive backup that will outlast the 8mm tapes.
8mm to Digital?
by tbuconjic - 6/30/06 11:18 PM In reply to: Convert 8mm to Digital by mabradleI have been trying to convert 8mm to digital and burn a DVD and went and got a firewire and I still have the scan lines and distortion on the bottom of the screen and slow rendering sometimes along with out of sync voices, Any recommendations. My computer is up to speed and I have Ulead 10.
8mm to Digital
by mabradle - 7/1/06 4:39 AM In reply to: 8mm to Digital? by tbuconjicWell, you have not given me much to go on. Since your question is in response to my post where I talk about playing an analog 8mm tape in a Digital-8 camcorder, I assume that is what you are doing. Ulead makes several video products. I use Ulead Media Studio Pro. It is only at version 8 so I'm not familiar with the one you are using. Actually I like Scenalyzer to copy video from my camcorder to my PC. http://scenalyzer.com/ They have a free version that you can try. I like it so I paid for the full version. I get perfect results every time. Then I use Ulead to edit the video.
You may need to try different settings. Ulead likes to work with DV Type 1 files. Adobe likes DV Type 2. When you start to edit, the project settings are very important. If you are asking it to render to a different codec it can be much slower. You may want to render to the same type as your original, then render your finished video to Mpeg before you make the DVD.
This is all way beyond the scope of what I can explain here. All I can suggest is to try different settings until you find a combination that works.
Use a standalone DVD recorder
by vwmark - 7/3/06 7:28 AM In reply to: 8mm to Digital? by tbuconjicYour problem is one reason why, so far, I have not pursued importing video to my computer. As you may see from other posts I have made to this discussion, I enjoy importing video to my Toshiba DVD recorder (which also is my house's DVD player). I put my old Hi-8 cassettes into my Digital8 camcorder (which I continue to use to make new videos), and run a Firewire cable from the digital camcorder to the DVD recorder. I get good-looking DVDs as a result, have the satisfaction of digitally archiving my aging tapes (one of which did not rewind through the camcorder very well--glad I got it digitally copied!), and once a master DVD is made, can duplicate it very easily and cleanly on my computer.
I have not had the artifacts that you mention when I digitally transfer my old analog Hi-8 recordings this way.
Yes, you will have to spend $300-$400 for a good DVD standalone recorder. But preserving your memories is worth it. It is also convenient--pop in the cassette, hit "record" on the DVD recorder, and go do something else for an hour or two. On mine, I set up automatic chaptering every 5 minutes. This method is, naturally, not specific to scene changes, but I found that this works better than when I would try to manually insert chapter points--the finished video would momentarily freeze the image at these points. I am still very happy that I can preserve these memories from long ago, in very nice quality.
convert 8mm to Digital another question
by xl_rider - 7/3/06 7:49 AM In reply to: Convert 8mm to Digital by mabradleI see, that you have a TRV510. Do you use a the LANC connection to control the Camcorder, with your software?
I inferred from Lee's article, that A true DV camera, can be controlled through the firewire connection, well anyway.
If you do use the LANC, on the camera, I would interested to know which Video Capture card you are using to do this.
Thanks
8mm to Digital another answer
by mabradle - 7/3/06 9:51 AM In reply to: convert 8mm to Digital another question by xl_riderI do not use the LANC because I don't have anything to operate it. I connect my TVR510 to my PC with Firewire and use Scenalyzer Live to transfer the video. You can find it at scenalyzer.com They offer a free version. It takes over control of the camcorder. It displays the VCR tape motion buttons on the screen. All camera control functions work via the Firewire.
Your method sounds like a good one. My method does tie up my PC for an hour for each tape. I like using Scenalyzer because it eliminates the need to create a log of my original video. I hate logging tapes so much I would never finish a project if I had to log my tape before I started.
You can index your tape and capture just the clips you want or capture the entire tape. It puts each clip in a separate file. It uses the time code for digital tapes and auto scene detection for analog tapes to decide when to start a new file. Version 4 also provides for simple file editing which I have not used.
I edit my video and format it for DVD with Ulead Medida Studio Pro. I then burn the finished DVD with Nero. It is a slick process that has taken me several years to figure out. I have not found a good manual that explains everything you need to know to do this start to finish.
8mm to Digital another answer reply
by xl_rider - 7/4/06 8:08 AM In reply to: 8mm to Digital another answer by mabradlemcbradle:
Thanks for your reply, to my last e-mail. Since I wrote my last submission to this forum. I did some Web surfing, and came up with these links for making a cable to connect the camera's LANC to a PC.
If you are interested:
http://www.hardwareanalysis.com/content/editorials/article/1464.2/
http://pinouts.ru/DevicesCables/sony_lanc_cable_pinout.shtml
http://lea.hamradio.si/~s51kq/DV-IN.HTM
These are all good links, I have three more. They all refer to an ''RM95'' software program, I still am not sure what that is for...
You can use pass through on some mindv camcorders
by synmag - 7/6/06 12:58 PM In reply to: 8 MM Camcorder converting to digital by psteibI didn't see this mentioned but if you decide to get a new camcorder try to get one with video in. You should be able to buy a used 8mm camcorder for dirt cheap these days and all you need it for is the transport. You hook it's video out to the minidv camcorders' video in then connect the minidv camcorder to your PC using a firewire cable. The PC will treat your video as minidv with timecodes and all the benefit of using firewire.
This is not the cheapest solution but presumably you will replace your broken 8mm with a new camera. If that's the case I would not spend money on an outdated 8mm digital camera but do what I say above. This way you end up with a current camera (HD camcorders not withstanding) to use for future and be able to convert your old 8mm tapes.
Good luck and enjoy
Thanks for the advice
by psteib - 7/10/06 8:31 AM In reply to: You can use pass through on some mindv camcorders by synmagI will try to find a used 8 mm camcorder to transfer the tapes (or borrow one). I do have a Mini DV camcorder so I think I will try your method. Do I just used the software that came with the camcorder (I think it is Pinnacle Studio 8.
If it's a recent version it should be ok
by synmag - 7/11/06 10:53 AM In reply to: Thanks for the advice by psteibI use premiere pro but any recent editing software should accept firewire as a source as long as you have a firewire card. I think windows moviemaker will accept firewire as well just to import then use your preferred software for editing/burning.
If you are borrowing an 8mm cam you can convert your 8mm tapes to miniDV at the same time. You could probably record it with your cam as you pass it through to your PC at the same time. If not you can always send it back from the PC to the miniDV cam. If your cam doesn't have the video in you can always rent one that does, to convert if you don't have a lot of tapes. Just remember you'll need 2:1 tapes as miniDV is 1hr and 8mm is 2.
Good luck.
A (closer to) free solution
by jskrenes - 6/30/06 7:20 AM In reply to: 6/30/06 Helpful advice for converting camcorder video to DVD by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you don't have a software program yet, you can get avid free dv for, of course, free. It's a little complicated but it can do a lot, and it has free tutorials. Windows movie maker works well too for free. Most DVD burners that you buy for your computer also come with software to create a DVD, and some, like Sonic, allow you to create menus and scene selections.
Making movies
by emillay - 6/30/06 7:22 AM In reply to: 6/30/06 Helpful advice for converting camcorder video to DVD by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
This is so timely - thanks everyone! Such good information to read, digest and put to use. I am in the middle of movie making right now and appreciate the help. I did have some success with the stand-alone DVD player recorder, hooked directly up to a Canon Digital Video Camera and am still experimenting. Thanks!
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