I think the type of post I'm suggesting is called a Sticky, the kind that you always see at the top regardless of the date of the latest post.

While this site has been the best single source of information on video capturing and editing, my one frustration has been finding recommendations for hardware and software. I realize there is not 100% agreement on the best hardware or software, on the other hand there does seem to be some consensus. For example, the Datavideo DAC 100 and Canopus ADVC 100 seem to be generally considered the best capture devices especially for analogue capture, although certainly not the cheapest. Recommendations for All-in One software, i.e., a software package that will capture and then can be used for editing and burning, seems to be more difficult to find. Maybe it’s me but I ended up overwhelmed when I read and tried some of the How To guides that rely on different software for capturing, editing, converting, and burning. I don’t doubt that the software recommended or the guides themselves will give the best results. On the other hand, when you are starting out, just being able to capture, convert, edit a file down to the size that will fit on a CD, or edit out sections of feet, sky, etc., is a major accomplishment. I guess what I’m suggesting is software recommendations that emphasize ease of use and stability as the most important features. For example, after trying out various software, trial versions as well as OEM that cam with my video card and the ATI AIW 8500, which I ended up returning, I found the Easy CD DVD Creator 6 the easiest to use regardless of its other limitations. But I’m sure there is other software that may be just as easy to use.

I’m not suggesting that this Post would be the only one that should be read for all of the answers but it would be a good starting point for those of us that know little or nothing about video capturing, converting, editing, or burning. Nor am I suggesting that it is a Post to simply promote particular hardware or software. However, it would be a good starting point for what at least I have found to be the most difficult undertaking I’ve ever encountered using a computer.