Best way to import, edit video from TV broadcast???

[Shumandl]

I'm a writer and photographer by trade and a complete video newbie in every sense of the word, so please bear with me. I've looked for the answer to these questions throughout the site, and could only find bits and pieces. I don't want to cobble together a solution on my own to find it doesn't work, so I'm turning to you experts.

Here's my situation:

My office records on a standalone HDD+DVD Recorder all the TV news segments that involve the institution at which I work and any of our people. As it is, I burn straight to DVD from that DVR. I can cut out commercials using just the DVR, but it's an inexact method that leaves bits of footage hanging here and there.

I'm trying to find the simplest way to get that news footage I've burned (the file format is unclear ... On the computer the disc has two folders, Video_RM and Video_TS) into a simple editing program where I can more cleanly cut out commercials and stitch together numerous segments. I also want to add introductions to each spot (as in: "4D Sonogram, Channel 13, Dec. 10, 2008"). Our ultimate goal is to be able to show these broadcast compilations to committees affiliated with this institution.

We're also looking at replacing our HDD+DVD Recorder with something akin to a security system DVR that can record multiple channels at the same time. I believe some of those can record in WAV and/or MPEG formats, but it is my understanding that you lose frame rate recording speed with each additional feed.

In short: What is a simple method to get footage from a television news broadcast into a form that can be imported to a software editing program to cleanly remove commercials and stitch together multiple news clips? What is the most affordable, simple software by which to do this? And do I need a separate authoring program to accomplish the final step of making it playable in standalone and computer-based DVD players?

Any guidance you can give me to help thin the herd of options would be great. I'm a blank slate.

Thanks so much for your time and expertise.

- Dan

[Clevo89]

Ulead Video Studio 11+

Retails cheaply and although more powerful than what you need it for. it works.

[usually_quiet]

Since you asked for simple and affordable...

In 2005, when I first started out editing/authoring DVD video produced by my video recorder, I used TDA. The menus it creates weren't the most glamorous, but weren't ugly either, and as a complete newbie, I found it easy to use. It does have an editor, but it wasn't everything I wanted, though it may be better now.

Womble MPEG Video Wizard DVD, has a good MPEG editor, and includes authoring. The authoring feature had not yet been added when I tried it, so I can't say what it is like.

I think both have free trials, so you can download them and decide what suits your needs best.

[Shumandl]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate your help. And please, if anyone has any further suggestions, do contribute.