Must-Have Downloads from VH?

[ahhaa]

I have a Sony Digital8 camcorder that gives great results when Firewired to my standalone DVR burner, and even with standard AV jacks. I've now fooled around with a number of editing programs, and I can't say the output quality seems very good. I also have a lot of trouble when the software gets into making clips, or doesn't, and I have to re-add the same sequence over & over.

Started wondering about the VOB editors/recoders here, but there's a lot of choice, to say the least. I was thinking why not burn the raw tape to a DVD first & edit from there- it would save a lot of cuing wear & tear on the camcorder.

Do any of the downloads here control a DVD player the same way a camcorder is controlled, with in & out points?

& my main question- being on dialup... which are the 'must have' downloads for working with DV camcorder sources & DV/film quality output?

[gadgetguy]

I'm a little confused about your methodology. To save wear and tear on the camcorder, just capsfer the the entire video via firewire using WinDV, then use that avi file as your source in whatever editing tool you want to use. You will need plenty of hard drive space, but you will be starting with the best quality (same as on the tape) without having to recue the tape.

[jagabo]

I was thinking why not burn the raw tape to a DVD first & edit from there- it would save a lot of cuing wear & tear on the camcorder.

It sounds like you're using Pinnacle Studio. That program has always been full of bugs. Take gadgetguys advice, download with WinDV. Then use a better editor. Ulead VideoStudio is very stable though not as intuitive as Pinnacle Studio. Stepping up from there is Sony Vegas, Adobe Premiere.

I see you only have a 40GB hard drive. Spend $70 and get a 250 GB drive. Or even $50 for a 120 GB drive. You're going to need it if you plan on working with DV.

[thefiddler]

Yeah, not sure exactly what you're doing, but if you transfer from tape to your computer via Firewire, it's an exact digital copy of what's on the tape. You say the results aren't too good, it must be either because you're starting with the DVD's you already made (which have been compressed once), or you've got software problems.

However, also note that most editors only make new clips each time you pressed the record button on your digital camcorder. So if you left it recording but changed locations or whatever, don't expect it to detect a new scene. I highly recomend the Vegas Video lineup from Sony. The Movie Studio versions give you ease of use, at a great price, or the full Vegas package is still fairly easy to pick up, but with the full range of features of a professional editing suite. www.sonymediasoftware.com