Aren't there "Capture Services" - pay a service to

[patrickjos]

Question:
Since good real-time encoder cards seem to be expensive, aren't there Companies that specialize in this kind of service and can do it for a reasonable fee - considering that DV Camcorders are common nowadays? I have 4 Mini-DV tapes shot by a friend of mine (over 5hrs total video). I want to get them to MPEG2 as quickly and easily as possible (preferably as straight data files on DVD). I tried a firewire card but capturing to ".wav" eats up about 2gigs per 5-10min of video -then requires additional time-consuming software conversion to MPEG2 (if the software doesn't crash).

I live in Southern California (near the west end of San Fernando Valley). It seems to me that there must be a company nearby that I could simply give these tapes to and get back the MPEG2 files as data files on DVD ...right? How much might one expect to pay for such a service for 4tapes?

Patrick

[SLICK RICK]

All the information you need to do it yourself is right here and it is quit easy if you take the time to read some of the great guides available here. I know you already stated that "I tried a firewire card but capturing to ".wav" eats up about 2gigs per 5-10min of video -then requires additional time-consuming software conversion to MPEG2 (if the software doesn't crash)." It might take a little more time to do it yourself but you would definitely save money. By the way what encoders have you tried that crashes on you?

SLICK RICK

[patrickjos]

My time is valuable; I don't want to capture as ".wav" and then re-encode.

All the information you need to do it yourself is right here and it is quit easy if you take the time to read some of the great guides available here. I know you already stated that "I tried a firewire card but capturing to ".wav" eats up about 2gigs per 5-10min of video -then requires additional time-consuming software conversion to MPEG2 (if the software doesn't crash)." It might take a little more time to do it yourself but you would definitely save money. By the way what encoders have you tried that crashes on you?

SLICK RICK

[DaveS]

My time is valuable; I don't want to capture as ".wav" and then re-encode.

one other way to go would be to use a standalone set-top recorder and burn them directly to DVD and you could access the files that way..this way the encoding is done real-time .. if you used a format like DVD-RAM you could then copy the files, or if you use another format you could edit the vob files or extract the mpegs from the vobs and edit. the key would be getting a recorder that supports firewire input (e.g. from a dv cam - you then just play the tape in your cam and the recorder puts it onto dvd realtime)

[patrickjos]

My time is valuable; I don't want to capture as ".wav" and then re-encode.

All the information you need to do it yourself is right here and it is quit easy if you take the time to read some of the great guides available here. I know you already stated that "I tried a firewire card but capturing to ".wav" eats up about 2gigs per 5-10min of video -then requires additional time-consuming software conversion to MPEG2 (if the software doesn't crash)." It might take a little more time to do it yourself but you would definitely save money. By the way what encoders have you tried that crashes on you?

SLICK RICK

[patrickjos]

Interesting idea ...but these set-top recorders aren't cheap either ...seems like a comparable quality real-time encoder card would probably be comparable in price.

Sorry about the double-post above, everyone; it was a mistake (hit back button on my browser).
-Patrick

My time is valuable; I don't want to capture as ".wav" and then re-encode.

one other way to go would be to use a standalone set-top recorder and burn them directly to DVD and you could access the files that way..this way the encoding is done real-time

[SLICK RICK]

My time is valuable; I don't want to capture as ".wav" and then re-encode.

So, lets be real here. You want these Mini-DV tapes to be burned to dvd but you just dont want to do any of the work yourself. Is that why you want to pay someone else to do it?

SLICK RICK

[budz]

If you won't do it yourself then expect to pay quite a bit for someone else to do them. There's a place here that charges starting price of $40.00 for video transfering from vhs, dv, camcorders to DVD. The prices depends on how long the dv tapes or vhs tapes are.

In my opinion I would suggest you either do it yourself or buy a standalone recorder. The money you'll spend on having someone else doing it can be used to purchase a standalone recorder or get a CANOPUS ADVC-100 DV CONVERTER. They have standalone recorders for like under $400.00. The CANOPUS is $249.00.

[patrickjos]

Thanks budz ...I wasn't aware that the Canopus was available for $249. I'm pressed for time on this... do you think I might be able to find one locally (could you mention stores that might carry it in the LA area) ?
Fry's doesn't seem to carry it (at least the one near me) but they do have the Hauppage WinTv-PVR-250 ...do you know if this is a good card?

If you won't do it yourself then expect to pay quite a bit for someone else to do them. There's a place here that charges starting price of $40.00 for video transfering from vhs, dv, camcorders to DVD. The prices depends on how long the dv tapes or vhs tapes are.

In my opinion I would suggest you either do it yourself or buy a standalone recorder. The money you'll spend on having someone else doing it can be used to purchase a standalone recorder or get a CANOPUS ADVC-100 DV CONVERTER. They have standalone recorders for like under $400.00. The CANOPUS is $249.00.

[SLICK RICK]

wasn't aware that the Canopus was available for $249.

I own a Canopus ADVC 100, even if you buy one of these, you will still have to encode to MPEG-2. Which I thought was the very thing you were trying to avoid.

SLICK RICK

[SLICK RICK]

If you are wanting to capture straight to MPEG-2, then you might want to look at ATI AIW cards and check out lordsmurf.com.

SLICK RICK

[FOO]

Why do you want an analog capture. You have DV.
TMPGenc has a free demo . Just transfer the DV to your
computer and encode at night. Gotta be faster than having it done
. You can start right now and be done tomorrow morning. For free

[Will Hay]

Ignore all that bollocks.
This site is for nerds like me and the rest of these arseholes.
**** it, pay someone to do it.
If you don't have the interest and pride in doing it yourself then really, sincerly, don't piss about.
If you can afford it then pay someone.

Will


Anyway, capturing to .wav?


Oddly enough I had my ADVC-100 shipped to my pal in Sebastopol, and then over to me in England.
Small world eh?

[patrickjos]

I don't have this option. Five hrs of ".avi" = about 120G of Hard Drive space.

Besides these huge ".avi" files require a very powerful PC to manipulate. MPEG2 files are much easier to handle. That's why I'm thinking I need either a firewire card with a realtime encoder - else it makes more sense to just pay someone to do it. I don't have a steady need to do this kind of thing. I don't even own a camcorder.

Why do you want an analog capture. You have DV.
TMPGenc has a free demo . Just transfer the DV to your
computer and encode at night. Gotta be faster than having it done
. You can start right now and be done tomorrow morning. For free

[Will Hay]

I don't have this option. Five hrs of ".avi" = about 120G of Hard Drive space.

Five hours of DV .avi = 65gb.
I've been down the analogue to mpeg2 route and trust me, the option you have of:
camcorder > firewire to PC > TMPGEnc Plus >mpeg2 is the easiest process their is.
But like I say, if you want to keep people like me in the money, feel free.
Will

[patrickjos]

Well, I'd have to buy a new hard drive....

The card I was using was an "IOGear" firwire card from PC club for $35 (tried another one from best buy but couldn't get it to work at all). For software capturing, I was only able to use the bundled arcsoft "showbiz". When I tried to take-in the ".avi" file to TMPGenc Plus, it took-in the file and even allowed me to view it and set many paramenters for the encoding but then when I pressed the button to start re-encoding it gave me an error message saying it didn't support the filetype.

My PC is a 1.3Ghz Athalon. I know it's not a screamer but I also know that I can get by with it. I don't want to go out and buy a new PC ...as I said, I don't do this often.

I don't have this option. Five hrs of ".avi" = about 120G of Hard Drive space.

Five hours of DV .avi = 65gb.
I've been down the analogue to mpeg2 route and trust me, the option you have of:
camcorder > firewire to PC > TMPGEnc Plus >mpeg2 is the easiest process their is.
But like I say, if you want to keep people like me in the money, feel free.
Will

[patrickjos]

One more thing...
I tried to use "ShowBiz" to do the encoding from avi to mpeg but it failed - it gets to a frame somewhere in the middle of the 30-min clip and then freezes on that frame. The display freezes on that frame and then when the encoding completes the resulting mpeg will show moving video till it reaches that frame -from there on it's a frozen image.

Five hours of DV .avi = 65gb.
I've been down the analogue to mpeg2 route and trust me, the option you have of:
camcorder > firewire to PC > TMPGEnc Plus >mpeg2 is the easiest process their is.

[SLICK RICK]

You should try something better, such as TMPGEnc Plus.

SLICK RICK

[Will Hay]

I was using TMPGEnc Plus with my Duron 800

(looks up dreamily to the sky...."...oh my Duron, where for art thou?")

Okay, so it took six week to encode but hell, we all gotta start somewhere.
Will

[DaveS]

Patrickjos - I sent you a PM on this - from the forum page, click on the link just to the left of 'logout' at the top of the page...

One more thing...
I tried to use "ShowBiz" to do the encoding from avi to mpeg but it failed - it gets to a frame somewhere in the middle of the 30-min clip and then freezes on that frame. The display freezes on that frame and then when the encoding completes the resulting mpeg will show moving video till it reaches that frame -from there on it's a frozen image.

Five hours of DV .avi = 65gb.
I've been down the analogue to mpeg2 route and trust me, the option you have of:
camcorder > firewire to PC > TMPGEnc Plus >mpeg2 is the easiest process their is.

[Will Hay]

Patrickjos - I sent you a PM on this - from the forum page, click on the link just to the left of 'logout' at the top of the page...

Isn't this a forum?
"for the benefit of all" ?
Or was it sensitive information?
Will

[Alan69]

You're not willing to dig a ditch, but you can't find someone else to dig your ditch the way you want. Well guess what, forget about your ditch if you don't want to do it, there is no one else.

Think for 5 seconds and you'll realize most anyone who needs this already has their own stuff. Expecting that 'Oh there is some little store down the street I can get this done overnight or in an hour' is absurd. If you're lucky, you may actually find someone. But just expecting that there is one is silly considering the small utility of it. Almost no one but you would pay them to do this. And if your time is so valuable, then why haven't you bought 4 computers to do these all at once? And why do you balk at buying a 120 gig hard drive when it's guaranteed to be less than the cost of having it done? Doesn't matter if you only use it once if you NEED it the once.

You can't go buy hydrogen yet at every corner store either. You exclaiming you're willing to pay doesn't do a single thing towards making it actually available. And I don't think you're willing to pay nearly as much as on demand service for this would cost, given you haven't already gone out and bought a larger HD and more computers to do it.

If you're only willing to pay, then you have to suffer with only what is available. And what you want is only going to be available as a service in very few areas if at all. You will likely be forced to decide either you don't need it at all, or you have to do it 'your own damn self' as the saying goes. May as well figure that part out now. You can of course keep looking, but you better be working on one of these too if you expect to get it done. And if it's actually important you'd be nuts to entrust it to a third party in the first place when the cost of buying any equipment to do it yourself is likely to be around the same.

This is relatively easy stuff, and a light pass with an encoder doesn't take as long as you're saying. You don't have to do dual pass VBR for something quick and dirty, just live with a somewhat larger file size.

[budz]

patrickjos wrote:

I wasn't aware that the Canopus was available for $249. I'm pressed for time on this... do you think I might be able to find one locally (could you mention stores that might carry it in the LA area) ?

I don't know of any store in the LA area that has it. I ordered mine through ecost.com.
http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=973572
The price went up to $254.95, it was $249.00 yesterday as a bargain countdown item.

Good luck on whatever you decide on. As Will Hay said if you don't intend on doing this as a hobby then pay someone to do it for you. Too bad I'm not in the LA area I'd take a stab at it.

[twinches]

Well, to answer your original question "aren't there Companies that specialize in this kind of service and can do it for a reasonable fee " and not just tell you to do it yourself, as that is not what you where asking....

Just Do a quick search at www.google.com for "transfer videos to dvd" and you will get a lot of companies that provide this service. for example http://www.high-techproductions.com/dvd.htm This site says it charges 24.95. Seems pretty reasonable to me. Only bad thing is having to send them your tapes in the mail. You might also look at your local camera shops or look in the yellow pages for "digital editing" shops. My local Ritz Camera shop offers this service. Actually, I think I saw that Target is doing it now too.

Understand that most people on this site are avid hobbyist and would much rather do themselves and help you learn to do it. They need to understand that the average consumer may not have the time, hardware, or resources, and patients to do it themselves.

[twinches]

Think for 5 seconds and you'll realize most anyone who needs this already has their own stuff.

You actually think that everyone that has the need to transfer 4 tapes to DVD has their own equipment to do so. Just like everyone that has the need the develop pictures from film has their own dark room. News for you buddy, I have several friends that would love to transfer their home videos to dvd and don't have the equipment. Not everyone is a hobbyist or is computer literate or technical savy enough to do these things. that is why people can go into buisness and make money providing a service.


[quote="Alan69"] If you're lucky, you may actually find someone.

Not true, there are TONS of places online to send in your tape to get it transfered and most editing shops have the equiment to do it and offer the service. Even Target is doing them now and serveral local camera shops like Camera Hutt, Ritz etc. provide this service. You should get out of the house more.

Almost no one but you would pay them to do this.

Not true again... otherwise these companys would not be providing the service. Actually there are more people in this world with out the equipment, knowledge etc. that would pay for this service.

[SLICK RICK]

They need to understand that the average consumer may not have the time, hardware, or resources, and patients to do it themselves.

Well if that is the case, dont you think this is the wrong site to be looking for answers regarding what he is wanting.

SLICK RICK

[patrickjos]

Well yes, I was aware of these companies ...many of them seem to be more geared toward AnalogVHS-to-DVD conversion. Mini-DV to DVD, of course, is different. It just seems to me that with so many people buying Digital Camcorders, it makes more sense for the transfer to be handled by specialists.

In the days before digital photography, it was quite possible to buy darkroom equipment and develop your film yourself but most people took the shots and gave them to a processor to develop. Lots of non-technical people are buying camcorders these days....
If target isn't already doing it, I think they or companies like them may be soon.... Thanks for taking a stab at the original question -your response was helpful.

-Patrick

Well, to answer your original question "aren't there Companies that specialize in this kind of service and can do it for a reasonable fee " and not just tell you to do it yourself, as that is not what you where asking....

Just Do a quick search at www.google.com for "transfer videos to dvd" and you will get a lot of companies that provide this service. for example http://www.high-techproductions.com/dvd.htm This site says it charges 24.95. Seems pretty reasonable to me. Only bad thing is having to send them your tapes in the mail. You might also look at your local camera shops or look in the yellow pages for "digital editing" shops. My local Ritz Camera shop offers this service. Actually, I think I saw that Target is doing it now too.

Understand that most people on this site are avid hobbyist and would much rather do themselves and help you learn to do it. They need to understand that the average consumer may not have the time, hardware, or resources, and patients to do it themselves.

[SLICK RICK]

Taken from DVDRhelp.com home page:

What is this site about?
This site will help you to make your own VideoCDs, SVCDs or DVDs that can be played on your standalone DVD Player from video sources like DVD, Video, TV, Cam or downloaded movie clips like DivX, MOV, RM, WMV and ASF. We also have an extensive list of standalone DVD Players with compatibility information such as CD-R/W, DVD±R/W, VCD, SVCD, MP3 and more. Use the menu to the left to navigate our site. Enjoy.

SLICK RICK

[MrMungus]

The standalones are neither cheap nor easy. I was thinking about getting a standalone to do video capture until I read all the problems people have been having with them.

To answer your original question, I'm starting exactly that business (tape to DVD conversions).

Interesting idea ...but these set-top recorders aren't cheap either ...seems like a comparable quality real-time encoder card would probably be comparable in price.

Sorry about the double-post above, everyone; it was a mistake (hit back button on my browser).
-Patrick

My time is valuable; I don't want to capture as ".wav" and then re-encode.

one other way to go would be to use a standalone set-top recorder and burn them directly to DVD and you could access the files that way..this way the encoding is done real-time

[MrMungus]

The 250 is a GREAT card (I just got one). Of course, you'll need a DVD burner, too...

Thanks budz ...I wasn't aware that the Canopus was available for $249. I'm pressed for time on this... do you think I might be able to find one locally (could you mention stores that might carry it in the LA area) ?
Fry's doesn't seem to carry it (at least the one near me) but they do have the Hauppage WinTv-PVR-250 ...do you know if this is a good card?

If you won't do it yourself then expect to pay quite a bit for someone else to do them. There's a place here that charges starting price of $40.00 for video transfering from vhs, dv, camcorders to DVD. The prices depends on how long the dv tapes or vhs tapes are.

In my opinion I would suggest you either do it yourself or buy a standalone recorder. The money you'll spend on having someone else doing it can be used to purchase a standalone recorder or get a CANOPUS ADVC-100 DV CONVERTER. They have standalone recorders for like under $400.00. The CANOPUS is $249.00.