hello - can anyone advise on the following video related problem ?

Overview:

I got ULEAD STUDIO 9 and a TV/video capture card
I use a Hi 8mm analogue video camera
PC is P4 etc ( no DVD recorder)
DVD recorder is external using USB connection
had someone else make me a MPEG file of footage

Problem: 1

TV card captured footage but colours where not original to even what was viewed on ulead software, – in playback of recorded footage, the colours where too dark esp in shadow area

Thus I got someone else to capture and give me an mpeg file of footage – any idea way capture card would give bad colours , ie not original ? Does this constitute a “generation “ loss ?

Problem 2

Using the MPEG file recorded by someone else (of my footage) ….

I then edited the footage (taking out bits and adding text) and saved it using ULEAD studio – then also saved it with same software to HDD as DVD VOB files (an option in Ulead) – then I asked it (an option in ulead) to save to DVD disk – which it willingly did

However. The DVD has “mosaics” (blocky lines) at intermittent points in footage and at different heights – audio makes a scratchy sound when they appear …

The VOB files on the HDD are fine … makes me think problem lies in communications to DVD

HELP = can you advise ?

…. Why do you think I am getting mosaics ? what solution do you recommend ?

…. Could the problem be that USB is too slow to write to DVD a Video file (38min long)

…. Should I rather use firewire ?? is that 1348 or what ever it is called?

…. What cabling is best for recording / DVD cutting footage ?

ALSO…. I was thinking of recording the analogue footage to a DVD recorder (TV TYPE) with a HDD internal and then cut to disc , take to pc and edit VOB’s

Would that give a better quality footage and is it possible to do it that way ? comment ?

Hope you can offer some comment and solutions !

Thanks ... Newbie !