Automated Process - DV Camcorder to DVD?

[Peench]

I've reviewed the forums and haven't quite found an answer to this question. We have a few (read quite a few) tapes of our children from years past. I have been remiss in transferring these to DVD because it takes so long to capture, edit, encode and then burn. For the most part these old videos don't need too much editing and whatnot so I'm hoping to speed things up with an automated process.

Ultimately what I'd like to do is plug in the digital camcorder through firewire, click on a button in whatever software you all recommend and have it capture the video, create a simple menu, insert chapters every so often and burn the DVD - all without further intervention from me.

I tried one program that claimed to allow me to do just that, but it didn't work quite right. The video transferred, but there was no menu, and no chapters had been inserted.

I've read that others have had success by purchasing a standalone DVD writer and used that for transferring the video. I'd like to avoid having to purchase anything else if possible.

So here I am before you all hoping that one of you has some suggestions in terms of automated software to do what I'm looking to do. Help please!

[jimmalenko]

NeoDVD might be able to do it. It can certainly "capture" and author in one and in realtime, and can add menus. It then takes a couple of minutes after you're finished capturing to finalise, but leaves you with a VIDEO_TS folder, IFO, BUP & VOB files, ready to burn.

[pippas]

Buy a standalone DVD recorder with a Firewire input --- anything else is going to take a lot more time!

I like the Panasonic recorders, but on this site I'll probably get a lot of flak for saying that!

[p_l]

Here's something you might want to try...


http://www.ulead.com/vs/features1.htm

[Baldrick]

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=267926

[Peench]

Thanks for the tips everyone. So it looks like there are a couple of software solutions out there that might do what I want to do. I can try neoDVD and if that doesn't work I guess I can try that Ulead product.

I guess if all that fails and/or is a pain in the rear I will have to break down and buy a standalone DVD recorder. I guess at the end of the day I have to figure out if the $150 or so it will cost me is worth the headaches and time finding and figuring out a viable software solution.

If anyone else has run across a direct to DVD solution (or something else I can try), I'd love to try it out so please let me know.

Thanks!

[wwjd]

For video quality and a straight transfer of DV avi to DVD, a standalone recorder would be the optimal way to go. Most, not all DVD recorders have excellent DV to mpeg conversion, usually better than most software apps.

Since you want to insert chapters and possibly do some cutting/trimming then a DVR could become pretty complicated. Some DVRs do let you insert chapters but not all. More than likely you will need to transfer the DVR DVD file to a HDD, do your cuts, chapters and menus then author and burn back to a DVD. Many software apps will not recognize video_ts folders, which is what is on a DVD so you will need to get software that does that.

I have tried NeoDVD and it is pretty slick but I did not like the DV to mpeg conversion.

I am sorry but I do not know of any software app that will meet your criteria. I am not saying there is not one, just that I am not aware of one.

What I do for home DV video is;

1. Transfer to HDD via firewire using WinDV (freeware) Type 2 DV
2. While still in DV avi form, cut/trim, create chapters, menus and a video_ts folder using Ulead Videostudio 8. The file is large but easy to work with. VS8 has a good GUI and the mpeg encoding is better and faster than most.

You could also burn to DVD with VS8 but I prefer using DVD Decrypter (freeware)

If you are going to convert the DV avi to mpeg before dropping it into VS8, I do not recommend doing this, I suggest you use some other program like Videoredo to do your cutting and trimming, VS8 is not good at cutting/trimming mpeg.

Just over (3) years ago I started out just about where you are now. Looking for the all in one software app that did everything from start to finish. I have learned the hard way that you can achieve better, more reliable, more predicatable results using software apps that have been specialized for various parts of the analog to DVD process. Also, when possible do your cutting/trimming and editing while the file is DV avi. You will have a lot less trouble with audio sync.

Good luck!

[stantheman1976]

even though it will cost a little bit, go ahead and buy a standalone recorder with a dv input. a decent standalone does a great job of encoding and most, if not all, will do auto chapters or even let you add chapters where you choose. use a dvd+/-rw to record onto, then copy that over to youd hard drive with dvd decrypter and use something like tmpgenc dvd author to make simple menus. tda is a very good program for beginners who don't want to make anything super fancy.

[Peench]

wwjd - wow, thank you for the very detailed response!!

I've done most of my capturing, editing and burning with Pinnacle Studio 8. I have used DVD dectrypter before and it seems fairly stable (even though it tends to hog resources), but I've never tried WinDV for capturing. I'll have to try that. I've also tried Avid Xpress (but it was far too complex for me) as well as some Cyberlink programs (which seemed too basic and didn't author the DVD the way I wanted).

I've never tried any of the Ulead studio programs - oh wait, I take that back, I think a stripped down version of one came with one of our camcorders, but it was pretty basic and I did not use it very much. Based on your suggestion I might try out Ulead Videostudio 8 to see how stable and friendly it is to use.

I've never heard of video redo, but I imagine the quality would be better editing with DV so I'll try the route you suggested instead.

Thanks again for the detailed response. I now have something concrete to try out to see if I can master it fairly simply. I guess what I have to do is make some time every now and again to actually do what needs to be done. I was hoping to find something automated so that I wouldn't have to spend any time editing, etc, but I guess that's probably not optimal anyway. Thanks!

[Peench]

Stantheman - that's another route I could go I guess, but I was hoping to avoid spending too much more on hardware. Do you have any standalones you can recommend? Or if all else fails and I break down and buy a standalone, can anyone recommend any particular brand/model? Thanks.

[wwjd]

Peench,

The reason I use WinDV for transferring DV avi to my HDD is because you can not accidentaly re-encode. It is a very simple program, just be sure to choose Type 2 avi. Also, it is not uncommon to not have sound during capture with WinDV so do not panic the sound will be there!

I used to use Pinnacle Studio 8 before Ulead Video Studio 8. The two are quite similar but I went for VS8 because of the following;

1. VS8 has the option to NOT re-encode compliant mpeg2 and PS8 does not. This can save a great deal of rendering time and heartache.
2. With VS8 you can write a video_ts folder that is greater than what will fit on a DVD and with PS8 you can not. Many times I have found myself with a file that was slightly too large. With VS8 I can still author it and then use DVD Shrink or DVD Rebuilder to reduce it down just enough to fit on a DVD.
3. I like the GUI on VS8 a little better.
4. The mpeg encoder, in my opinion is better in VS8.

Again, good luck!

[Peench]

Very cool - thanks for the comparison wwjd. That helps out quite a bit. Nice to know the subtle nuances that I might not pick up at first. Now you've piqued my interest even more! I'll definitely be giving that a shot.

[thecoalman]

Sounds to me like your more interested in authoring than editing, there is a difference. Ulead Movie Factory is about half the price of VS and I'm pretty sure it has more authoring features than VS. VS has a lot of editing capbilities you won't find in MF but if you only need to trim and add transitions between the video it should more than fit your requirements.

[Peench]

The coalman - thanks for the tips. For this go around (i.e. the massive collection of tapes backed up and yet to be transferred) yes, I'm more interested in authoring than editing. I'll take a look at Movie Factory to see if that would be easier (and less expensive). Thanks!

[Peench]

Did a little searching on the products and found that Movie Factory is a bit less expensive ($79 v $99) and offers these two options:

Effortless Video-to-Disc Burning
In just a few steps, you can burn digital video, VHS movies , or TV programs straight from your camcorder, VCR, or TV to discs without storing the video on your hard drive. Burning Video-to-Disc is faster and easier than ever.

Automatic Chapter Points ENHANCED!
For easy navigation through your DVD movies, you can choose to create automatic chapter points by scenes or by date according to the DV source tape.

Sounds to me that this may be the ticket for getting all the old videos to DVD quickly so my wife can view them. But then I reviewed the info for Video Studio 9 and found this:

DV-to-DVD Wizard makes the process of video-making even more simple for you. Hook up your camcorder then choose which clips you want with DV Quick Scan. VideoStudio does everything after that. In just two easy steps you’ll have an authored DVD - with menus, titles, transitions and music!

so..... I guess for another $20 I can have the option of cranking the existing tapes we have out to DVD right away and then the doing some heavier editing in the future if I'd like. I may end up going that route. Thanks again for all of tips and help!

[thecoalman]

Effortless Video-to-Disc Burning
In just a few steps, you can burn digital video, VHS movies , or TV programs straight from your camcorder, VCR, or TV to discs without storing the video on your hard drive. Burning Video-to-Disc is faster and easier than ever.

Yea umm ok. It's not quite that easy, I haven't seen any success stories with that. Not saying it can't be done but most likely your heading for a sub standard end result and/or nothing but headaches if you try to capture/convert/burn at once. Don't let that sway your choice, both of those products do come with free trial periods BTW.

If you want really good quality from a DV-CAM capture DV-AVI which is direct transfer from tape. You then import this video into your preferred application, make your simple edits, then author. It has to convert the video which can take a long time but it does it itself. Ulead allows for direct mpeg capture which will remove the mpeg conversion time.

If your looking for the simplest and fastest method you should seriously consider just getting a DVD Recorder. The better ones produce great results (I'm told :P ). This of course limits your authoring options unless you imoort the captured footage onto your comp for editing/authoring. This will save you the conversion time. nothing is fast doing this if you want a half decent product.

Keep in mind that mpeg such as a what you'll get from a DVD recorder or capturing direct to mpeg on your computer is not really meant for editing. Simple edits yes but if your capturing this for archiving it's not the best way. Make sure you save your tapes for the future.

[kickbxn5]

Sonic My DVD also has a direct to DVD burning/authoring app

[Peench]

Thecoalman: Thanks for the words of caution. For the time being I just want to get them onto some form that my wife can watch. I do not plan on writing over the tapes so I can always go back and re-capture them and edit them at a later date (if I ever find that always elusive "extra time" ).

Sounds like there are quite a few options out there. I will definitely take advantage of the trial periods for the software to see if it works out well (or at least decently enough for the time being).

kickbxn5 - thanks for the suggestions. I had heard about this program thru Tivo's TivoToGo option as they suggested using it to burn Tivo programs to disc. I never tried it though. I guess I'll have to give it another look. It looks simple enough and if it is simple enough I can always teach my wife how to capture and convert and let her have fun with it!

Thanks again everyone and keep any other suggestions coming!

[Nelson37]

Ufortunately, most of the apps which produce best quality are single-purpose programs. Not all, but most.

I use a simple scripting utility to run my captures through several different procedures for demux, regenerate PTS, strip audio to WAV, encode to AC3, remux, etc. I just name the file and come back 30 minutes later, put in a blank and start the burn. Autopilot by arcsoft, I think it is.

For chapter points, unless you want every 5 minutes or similar, this will be difficult to automate effectively. I find my home movies are usually quite short and serve as their own chapters, as I use 6-8 seperate videos on a disk.

Menus are nice and all but frankly I could care less. How much time do you spend staring at the wonderful menu?

[alesspunk]

yeah

[ipdave]

I don't have time anymore for the software capture/convert, nor the HD space.

Use a Walmart Sharp DVD recorder to -RW, pull it off and edit in TMPG DVD Author with motion menus, etc. Then burn back with Nero or Burnatonce.

So much easier, faster, get AC3 sound and all.

[Peench]

Looks like I may end up going the standalone route. I tried the DV to DVD auto settings last night in Ulead video producer 9 and ended up with:

1) an error at 98% burned saying that the program could not reach the target device (huh, didn't it just burn most of it? I confirmed that the DVD had been written to at least partially although nothing was accessible)

2) an mpeg file in the temp directory with no audio

3) empty video and audio TS files in the temp directory.

Soooooo... I guess I'll give it another go 'round and see if I can capture it to the computer and then edit it w/ simple menus rather easily, or I'll break down and buy a standalone DVD recorder to make it even easier on me. If I end up getting one, I'm looking for one that will burn onto DVD-Rs or DVD-RW's. Any recommendations (other than the already mentioned Walmart Sharp one - thanks ipdave for the suggestion)?

Thanks again everyone.

[thecoalman]

Looks like I may end up going the standalone route. I tried the DV to DVD auto settings last night in Ulead video producer 9 and ended up with:

1) an error at 98% burned saying that the program could not reach the target device (huh, didn't it just burn most of it? I confirmed that the DVD had been written to at least partially although nothing was accessible)

2) an mpeg file in the temp directory with no audio

3) empty video and audio TS files in the temp directory.

If your using some kind of direct to disc option as I mentioned before that will usually rsult in problems in any program. Try it step by step. It does take some time but most of that is computer time. You can for example capture to a DVD compliant mpeg2 format, go to the DVD authoring component and put your video as the first play video and burn it to DVD. No menus or anything but it would be very fast.

[Peench]

Thanks thecoalman, I think that's what I'm going to try next. I guess there are no simple solutions in life eh? Thanks again for all of your help.

Hopefully if I have some time tonight I'll give it a shot and do a step by step. Is there any advantage of capturing the video with WinDV over merely using Ulead?

[gadgetguy]

I've never had a problem using Ulead to "capture" DV, however Ulead allows options to encode on the fly ("capture to mpeg") that in my opinion is substandard. WinDV can not encode, so there is no chance of accidently having it set to encode while capturing, so you can be assured that the file will be DV. (I personally use Type1 but it can do either Type1 or Type2). Also WinDV has the buffer that all but assures no dropped frames.

[thecoalman]

Thanks thecoalman, I think that's what I'm going to try next. I guess there are no simple solutions in life eh? Thanks again for all of your help.

Hopefully if I have some time tonight I'll give it a shot and do a step by step. Is there any advantage of capturing the video with WinDV over merely using Ulead?

When your "capturing" from a DV-Cam in DV-AVI format your really transferring the file to HD, it's a copy. You will get the same result from whatever you use. Different programs offer different options with what it does with the file, some will split the file by size, scene etc. Other than that it's the same.

The file should be about 14 gigs per hour. I see you have two CPU's listed, use the machine with the 3.0, that will greatly reduce processing time compared to the 2.6

A rough estimate for 1 hour of video with menus and burn time would be 1.5 to 2 hours. With the 2.6 ..... you don't want to know. It's substantially longer.

[Peench]

So last night I tried to capture with Ulead and the program completely shut down after about 11 seconds, which was very strange - no error code or anything, it just stopped running and closed itself. So I tried a different mode and then it gave me an error and wouldn't run.

So I downloaded WinDV and tried that. It copied the entire DV tape (1 hour) of it and I had quite a few AVI files. (aside - is there a way to set it to stop after 1 hour so I don't have to wait and watch?).

Everything seemed fine until I started to play the AVI files. Each one had about every 25 seconds or so a slow down, dropped frames and loss of audio. WinDV reported that it dropped 90 frames after the capture.

My initial guess is that it was my anti-virus which I forgot to turn off before the capture trying to scan the files while they were being created, which may have caused a slow down in the system and created the glitches. At least that's what I'm hoping anyway since I can turn that off.

So tonight I'll turn that off and try again. I'll tell you all what though - once I'm done with this particular DVD, I don't ever want to watch it again!! LOL.

[gadgetguy]

It copied the entire DV tape (1 hour) of it and I had quite a few AVI files. (aside - is there a way to set it to stop after 1 hour so I don't have to wait and watch?).

Check the Max AVI size in the config, I use a value of 109690 to "capture" 1 hour 1 min. To have WinDV stop after one hour use the command line option. For example:

WinDV capture -exit 01:01:00.00 G:\Video\MyVideo

will capture 1 hour and 1 minute to the Video folder on the G drive with the filename prefix of MyVideo.

[stiltman]

When your "capturing" from a DV-Cam in DV-AVI format your really transferring the file to HD, it's a copy.

Do you mean HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or HD (High Definition)?

[thecoalman]

When your "capturing" from a DV-Cam in DV-AVI format your really transferring the file to HD, it's a copy.

Do you mean HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or HD (High Definition)?

HDD, I've always used that for hard drive. Guess it would be better using HDD.