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  1. Member
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    Background: I have three videos which I want to edit and transfer to DVD. One is from an old VCR camera and the others are from a not-as-old Hitachi video camera (Hi8 cassettes). I have available a VCR player and all the cables for the Hitachi to connect to a TV - RYW RCA plugs. Total video time should be less than 2 hours. My computer is an HP Compaq with 3.10 GHZ and 4.0 G memory.

    (More Background) I have a newer Canon Vixia video camera which records in AVCHD format. A couple of years ago I transferred some files to DVD and it was a nightmare. I don't remember the program I had to use but I do remember that the editing was easy enough but I had to make two conversions to get to DVD and then there were four formats to choose from which I never was able to understand. The DVD's only worked on newer players.

    Now, I'm asking the experts for some guidance. What adapters or devices and software do I need to convert these? I would think it should be easier than with the AVCHD but then again I'm not an expert. I did find in a drawer an old adapter which looks like it might be helpful. It's labeled Pinnacle Systems AV to USB2 adapter. So that's what I have to work with. Also, what DVD format is appropriate?

    Thanks for any assistance.
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  2. Member
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    Originally Posted by rdoty View Post
    Background: I have three videos which I want to edit and transfer to DVD. One is from an old VCR camera and the others are from a not-as-old Hitachi video camera (Hi8 cassettes). I have available a VCR player and all the cables for the Hitachi to connect to a TV - RYW RCA plugs. Total video time should be less than 2 hours. My computer is an HP Compaq with 3.10 GHZ and 4.0 G memory.

    (More Background) I have a newer Canon Vixia video camera which records in AVCHD format. A couple of years ago I transferred some files to DVD and it was a nightmare. I don't remember the program I had to use but I do remember that the editing was easy enough but I had to make two conversions to get to DVD and then there were four formats to choose from which I never was able to understand. The DVD's only worked on newer players.

    Now, I'm asking the experts for some guidance. What adapters or devices and software do I need to convert these? I would think it should be easier than with the AVCHD but then again I'm not an expert. I did find in a drawer an old adapter which looks like it might be helpful. It's labeled Pinnacle Systems AV to USB2 adapter. So that's what I have to work with. Also, what DVD format is appropriate?

    Thanks for any assistance.
    You may need other items as well, but let's figure out if you need a different video adapter first. An adapter that pre-dates Windows 7 may not have drivers available that will work with 64-bit Windows 7. Do you have a model number for the Pinnacle Systems AV to USB2 adapter?

    The standard for NTSC DVDs includes MPEG-2 video, 720x480 resolution, 29.97 frames per second interlaced video and AC3 or LPCM audio. See What is DVD? for further details
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  3. Member
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    The adapter is pretty old, maybe 8-10 years, no model no, only says AV USB2 Rev 1.1A. Did an internet search but no luck. Also looked for a newer adapter but they all seem to be D-conn to USB. I need something that takes the RCA type plugs. Any suggestions?
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  4. Banned
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    Are you ever realistically going to do this kind of thing again? If not, it would probably be cheaper and quicker to just pay a video shop to do this for you. If you can't find a shop where you live, forum member Lord Smurf can do it for you. You'll have to contact him for prices.http://www.digitalfaq.com/


    If you really want to do this yourself, are you using a laptop? If so, we need to know. That limits your choices.
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    Thanks for the tough question. The short answer is yes...but only because 1) I need to do some editing, and 2) I still have a bunch of AVCHD recordings that I want to convert. (Also I have some free time). That said, I looked again at adapters/converters and the scary thing was the reviews...more 1's than 5's. BTW I'll be doing this on a desktop, not a laptop.
    It seems that there are two distinct softwares: one for analog (VHS & Hi8) to DVD and one for digital (AVCHD). Unless somebody knows of one that does it all (with an adapter) I'm thinking of getting the latest version of Honestech VHS to DVD which includes the adapter - seemed to have pretty good reviews - and downloading one of the digital converters for the AVCHD. So I guess my last question is which software is best (user friendly, versatile, input/output formats supported, user support, etc.) for converting and editing digital formats. The ones that I came across were AVS, Wondershare and Movavi but I'm sure there are others.
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  6. Member
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    Originally Posted by rdoty View Post
    Thanks for the tough question. The short answer is yes...but only because 1) I need to do some editing, and 2) I still have a bunch of AVCHD recordings that I want to convert. (Also I have some free time). That said, I looked again at adapters/converters and the scary thing was the reviews...more 1's than 5's. BTW I'll be doing this on a desktop, not a laptop.
    It seems that there are two distinct softwares: one for analog (VHS & Hi8) to DVD and one for digital (AVCHD). Unless somebody knows of one that does it all (with an adapter) I'm thinking of getting the latest version of Honestech VHS to DVD which includes the adapter - seemed to have pretty good reviews - and downloading one of the digital converters for the AVCHD. So I guess my last question is which software is best (user friendly, versatile, input/output formats supported, user support, etc.) for converting and editing digital formats. The ones that I came across were AVS, Wondershare and Movavi but I'm sure there are others.
    The Hauppauge USB Live 2 is better than the software and bundled crap analog capture device packages that you have been looking at. If you don't like the capture software it comes with, there are other good options available, both free and paid.

    There are better paid digital converters than ones you are looking at as well. For converting to DVD you could also try try AVStoDVD which is free. Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 12 is a popular choice on these forums for editing HD camera recordings. Another favorite is TMPGEnc MPEG Smart Renderer 4.
    Last edited by usually_quiet; 27th Sep 2013 at 20:51.
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  7. Sorry for resurrecting an olde thread, but I was having a similar issue. I came across a piece of hardware labelled "Pinnacle Systems GmbH AV to USB2 Ver1.1" A Google search didn't help me find drivers, but after some more detective work, this device is used with Dazzle Digital Video Creator 85.
    http://sishardware.com/unt/21495-dazzle_digital_video_creator_85.html

    I hope this info helps out.
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