recording a mpg file right to dvd recorder

[abrand88]

Hi,
I am able to capture vhs tapes using the Pinnacle Ultimate Stick software on my hard disk and is saved as a mpeg file. I would like to record this file on to my Panasonic DMR-ES25 dvd recorder from my hard disk. How can I be able to record directly to my dvd recorder ? Any software capable of doing this or hardware ?

Pinnacle Studio 10.8 does see the Panasonic DVD Recorder but I need a driver to output a mpeg file to the dvd recorder

Thanks

[guns1inger]

How do you have the DVD recorder connected to your TV ?

You cannot output an mpg file to your DVD recorder. If you are using firewire, and if the DVD recorder supports being a device, you might be able to output DV directly to the recorder, which will encode it to mpg and allow you to burn a DVD, which you can then bring to your PC.

If you just want to get an mpg file of a VHS tape, recorder the tape to your DVD recorder, burn to a DVD RW, then use VOB2MPG to get an mpg file on your PC.

[abrand88]

I have my dvd recorder connected to a AdverTV Studio card and the output of the dvd recorder goes into this card composite input. After their software is installed, I can see any dvd disc I play on my monitor and I can see the Panasonic DMR-ES25 dvd recorder screen so if I were to want to make a direct copy of a vhs tape to the dvd recorder, I am able to format a dvd disc so it will record. I use a Pinnacle Ultimate Stick to record on my hard disc the VHS tape I want converted to digital and then if I import this file into Pinnacle Studio 10.8, I was able to make a dvd disc. The above Panasonic dvd recorder supposedly can record in LP mode near dvd quality and this means it would be a 4 hr. disc. So if I was able to make a 4 hr. file I would like to make a 4 hr dvd disc. The Panasonic has both types of inputs, s-video and firewire.

Is there a way to be able to record a 4 hr videeo file onto the Panasonic dvd recorder from my PC ?

Thanks

[classfour]

I personally take mpg captures and author to DVD using TDA3 and burn them (if under 4.7 GB). If over DVD 5, I use DVD Shrink to shrink them - or author 2 dvds using the editing feature in TDA3.

[guns1inger]

Your process is flawed, as is your thinking. What you are proposing is to

1. Capture a VHS tape to your PC - so far, so good
2. Edit on your PC - with you so far
3. Output over an analogue connection your edited work - quality just dropped at this point - not a good move
4. Use a DVD recorder to record in LP mode in the belief it will be "near DVD quality" - lost me completely.

You have everything on your PC. It is in a digital form. The best method to finish this off is to encode it correctly on your PC, and author it there as well. You can fit 4 hours on a SL DVD, but it is not "near DVD quality" in most cases. That said, with 2 pass rendering it will be far better than your DVD recorder will produce.

If Pinnacle won't do all this for you, get something that will. But if you are just going to go from tape to PC to DVD recorder, you might as leave the PC out of the process altogether.

[abrand88]

guns linger,

Panasonic advertised the DMR-ES25 as having "near dvd quality " in their ads so I bought this dvd recorder in the hope I could get good quality and make 4 hr dvd discs in LP mode on their dvd recorder.

I agree with you that no. 3 isn't a good move. What program do you suggest encode and author it on the PC. The only program I have right now is Pinnacle Studio 10.8 that came with the Ultiomate Stick.

What do you mean with 2 pass rendering will be far better than the dvd recorder will produce ?

I agree with you that going directly from tape to dvd recorder is best but I don't know if Pinnacle will allow me to use my dvd recorder. It sees the the dvd recorder but I do not have a driver yet that will work with Pinnacle Studio. I would like to make a 4 hr mpg file but I don't know if there is a program out there that will allow me to encode a 4 hr file and let me use my dvd recorder.

I look forward to your suggestions

[ieee488]

I'm not sure why you doing what you are doing.

If it was me, I'd just connect up your VCR directly to your DVD recorder and record at speed that let you get 4 hours on one DVD-R. I personally would just 1 to 1 since DVD blank media is so cheap.

The only reason to involve the PC is if you want to do "editing" on the mpg file.

[abrand88]

Many of my tapes are recordings of different members of my family and I would like to bring the entire tape into a video editing program and make small files from the mini dv tapes as well as my Hi8 tapes. I know this is a big job but I would like to give each member tapes of their children, not mixed tapes.

At this time I think I might be wrong in trying to figure out a way to output a file through the firewire output socket because I am not sure that there is a way to send a edited mpeg file to a dvd recorder. If there is a way I would appreciate knowing how to do it.

[guns1inger]

You cannot send an edited mpeg to the DVD Recorder. Period.

You can either edit in the PC, output through anlogue out to the DVD recorder and record it that way, in real time, with a quality drop, or send it down the firewire, in real time, as DV, and have the DVD recorder encode it to mpeg-2 as it goes (if your recorder supports this), or leave th erecorder out of the equation as it serves no real purpose.

Pinnacle will not talk to your DVD Recorder. The PC and the recorder are separate systems with no connection. Forget entirely any idea of using Pinnacle to influence the DVD recorder. Also, forget any marketing crap about Near DVD quality. It is a meaningless phrase designed to con people into buying a product. There is no measurement for 'Near'.

If you want to use the DVD recorder then use it to record to RW discs, bring them across to the PC and edit there. Use an editing tool like Womble Mpeg Video Wizard to edit the files so you don't needlessly re-encode them.

If you want to do it to get the best quality you will forget putting 4 hours on a disc unless you are going to use dual layer discs. Capture and edit on the PC, and burn your discs on the PC when you have finished authoring. The DVD recorder can be used to play the discs back when you are done.

[INFRATOM]

Make your video with the best quality you can and author it. Then run it through DVD rebuilder to shrink it down to dvd5 to fit on single layer dvd. I bet this will give a better result. Four hour is too long for dvd5 if you process it might become jittery in fast motion area. 2 hours will be fine.

[neomaine]

You cannot send an edited mpeg to the DVD Recorder. Period.

You can either edit in the PC, output through anlogue out to the DVD recorder and record it that way, in real time, with a quality drop, or send it down the firewire, in real time, as DV, and have the DVD recorder encode it to mpeg-2 as it goes (if your recorder supports this), or leave th erecorder out of the equation as it serves no real purpose.

Pinnacle will not talk to your DVD Recorder. The PC and the recorder are separate systems with no connection. Forget entirely any idea of using Pinnacle to influence the DVD recorder. Also, forget any marketing crap about Near DVD quality. It is a meaningless phrase designed to con people into buying a product. There is no measurement for 'Near'.

If you want to use the DVD recorder then use it to record to RW discs, bring them across to the PC and edit there. Use an editing tool like Womble Mpeg Video Wizard to edit the files so you don't needlessly re-encode them.

If you want to do it to get the best quality you will forget putting 4 hours on a disc unless you are going to use dual layer discs. Capture and edit on the PC, and burn your discs on the PC when you have finished authoring. The DVD recorder can be used to play the discs back when you are done.

Abrand88,

I was going to quote just the last paragraph from guns1inger but the more I read the whole post, the more appropriate and accurate it became. Between this post and the one after from infratom, you have all you need.

Your computer details list an external DVD writer...use it!

1 - Capture to PC
2 - Edit on PC
3 - Author on PC
4 - Burn on PC
5 - Play anywhere

Some tools combine the above steps, but there's no way around the basic procedure for what you're doing.

[Topp]

I have the following thumbmarks as to record on a 4.7 GB SL DVD:
HQ (1 hour per disc) is better than DVD
SP (2 hours per disc) is DVD quality
LP (3 hours) is SVHS quality
EP (4 hours) is "better than VHS"
EP+ (6 hours) is VHS quality.
If you are copying from standard VHS tapes, just use the EP. From Hi8 i would use at least LP or better, meaning that the end product quality cannot be better than the original.
You will be far better off as quoted: use the DVD burner in connection with your PC.
That's what I do, alas using the Microsoft video editing software, that came with the XPprof.
Also: Most DVD recorders are recording in no better than real time meaning 1x speed.
Cheers from Denmark