Mini Cam to DVD quality

[mhesidence]

I with several false starts I created a DVD from a Sony handycam with a 60 min digital video cassette.

1. Used WinDV capture and create avi file.
2. avi2dvd using QuEnc encoding (correct terminology?) to create iso and DVD. Maybe I should have used HCEcn.
3. imgburn to burn the DVD.

I also created a DVD by connecting the handycam directly to a DVD recorder with a/v cables.

The second method produced a much better quality and auto generated chapters every 5 mintues.

Now I know enough to be really dangerous.

Moving foward from here what method would I use to insert chapters where I wanted them and edit out video I didn't want? Peferably freeware, this just video of my kids. Okay and maybe add a nice menu if it isn't too hard.

Would I still start with WinDV and an avi file? I really wasn't happy with the quality of that method, but that's probaby due to my ignornace. Or should I start with the 2nd DVD created by the DVD recorder?

[daamon]

Hi mhesidence,

You're right, you should be able to get excellent quality going the WinDV - AVI - Encode - Author and Burn route. But it does require some detailed knowledge of different settings and how best to use the seperate tools.

For what you want to do, it's a long time and a lot of work before you'll get results that you're happy with. If I had your needs, I wouldn't bother.

You've got two other oprions:

1) Still use WinDV and get a DV AVI, but use something like ConvertXDVD - it's a one-click solution to meet all your needs that's regularly recommended here.

2) Or go the DVD recorder route. There's a number of options for tools here:

a) Edit with Mpeg2Schnitt (free, and I've seen it recommended) but it requires the footage you get from the DVD recorder to be extracted out of the VOB or VOR files. You'll need a tool to do this - it's demuxing, short for demultiplexing.

Or edit with payware versions like Womble MPEG-VCR or VideoReDo - not sure if these take VOB or VOR files, or whether they too need demuxed files.

Then author (menus and create DVD file structure, and often burn) using TMPGEnc DVD Author (or similar, inexpensive) or freeware like GUI for DVDAuthor or DVDAuthor GUI.

b) Fork out a little bit more for Womble MPEG Video Wizard DVD - it accepts VOB files (not tried VORs) and authors decent looking DVDs. It's worth tinkering with this one to get to grips with it - you can edit footage and insert chapters where you want, amongst other things. I've only just tried it out and like its features - it's pretty intuitive and I picked it up quickly. I haven't referred to the help file... yet!

For the extra few $ you'll spend on this, it'll be worth it in terms of time saved faffing around with the alternatives.

P.S. Double click on text in the DVD menus to edit it - it took me a short while to figure that one out!

Good luck!