uh, somebody help the new guy with editing, & software?

[SumHungL0]

hello everybody and thanks for your time. i have a problem getting started here. i need software to edit home movies for putting on dvd. im not looking for somebody to give me software, im looking for names of software that i can use to do certian things. i just dont know what im looking for yet. one thing i need is to put in captions or subtitles on top of my mpg home movie files. can anybody tell me what software i can use to do this? i have looked in the tools section and havent come up with anything. maybe because i dont know what im looking for. another thing im stuck on is making video play in reverse. anybody?

once again, thanks for your time...

[qlizard]

You are going to have to read the guides. There is plenty there to get you started. when asking questions, you will have to describe your equipment and what you are trying to do in more detail. I suggest doing a search in the forums using keywords specific to your needs. it is all there.
For a start, if you are editing mpeg and trying to add titles, transitions, etc., I would recommend ulead VS7 or MSP7 and authoring with TMPGenc dvdauthor. But you will soon find that mpeg is not very good for editing and most everyone will recommend against it. Not sure on the "playing in reverse" thing, I haven't tried it. Not sure if possible in MPEG.

[SumHungL0]

ok i will check the guides. dont know if that will help cuz ive done searches on here and also looked at the tools but searches didnt help much and the tools have small descriptions that dont tell me much. i made my first post (this one) to maybe get some direction...... so, if i need to tell what i have and what im using, here we go-----

i have a hp pc with 2.7gh celeron
i have 512mb ddr
my vid card has 64mb of memory
im running xp home on a 40gig hd
with another 160 external usb2.0 hd

dont know if that helps but um..... thanks anyway..

[DigitalNewbie]

It is hard anwer question if you do not know yourself what you looking for... but I can recomend for home movies... just to play with those ..filters and capture.. etc .. easiest to learn is Pinacle.. and Ulead Studio... Adobe Premiere is ok.. but i guess expensive.. and i personally had many problems with it.. of course you need authoring softwares like TMPgenc... i used .. also virtualDub.. various filters .. like logo etc.. and it is also easy and free ... but not for dvd as such.. just to apply various effects for avi files...

if you want good titles and great intros.. you can learn Flash.. and then ad to your movies... opportunities are endless.. with so many programs on the markets...
I create some titles with Ulead cool 3d.. good program then ed them to my movies.. some with flash .. some effect with swift.. so you see.. it is not only about dvd as such.. to create movie.. if you just wanna transfer only movies.. to dvd..that is deifferent story..then you do not need alll those .. read basic info and that would be enough...
Good luck with your movies.. i am sure you will have a lot of fun

[qlizard]

Be careful when looking at software. If as you are saying in your original post, that you are capturing straight to mpeg, that your software supports it. Premeire doesn't. Pinnacle (in my opionion) is weaker than ulead at editing mpeg. Actually there is no good way to edit mpeg, so if you can capture to avi, you have many more options.
Again, you have described your computer, but you will have to describe your capture device for people to understand your capabilities.

[DigitalNewbie]

i have to agree with glizard .. there is no good software to edit mpg.. at least i haven't find myself .. that is why i am using many depending on task i need... and i am using as i mention vitualDub.. to edit avi file..too..and few more...

Anyhow.. i forgot to mention too.. that if you looking for software.. .. what i usually do. i am going to sites like CNet for example and look at reviews.. than info about software.. then ..also look at downloading at CNet at chosen categories.. and look at users reviews.. as well as cnet reviews.. downloading times.. info..
They are many sites.. like Cnet.. twocows..znet etc.. where you can find source of quite reliable info about softwares categorised like for example.. media.. vidio editing etc..
But one of the best resources are forum like this one .. just search a bit .. and you will find many good anwsers..
Have fun

[SumHungL0]

ok im still lookin on my own, but this is getting informative.. my capture card is TV@nywhere and that is what i made the mpg files with. i didnt know that avi was better. i just thought that avi was always smaller in file size so it was less quality. am i wrong? and i do know flash, im not the best but i am profisiant. so if i can use flash and swift 3d then i should be able to use those to make my intros and captions correct? wow, and here is another reply, and another. ok better read these...... you people are fast. thanks everybody!

[DigitalNewbie]

Anyhow.. the only reason i mention Pinnacle and Ulead.. cause they are not expensive .. and very easy to learn.. so for new person in digital area.. they are not so bad to start with.. they got capture.. then edit.. and transform.. and editing sound tracks.. etc.. I found adobe harder to learn.. even though i master pice first both pinnacle and ulead.. . I am still newbie.. myself..so.. far from perfection...
that is why i though i mention those programs.. cause of very easy to understand them...And one have to learn first basics.. to start to perfect things.. same way you learn Adobe Photoshop..Paintshop etc..

Again have fun

[SumHungL0]

ok, i gotta hit the sack. i gotta be up in 3hrs for work. i will check this in the morn. you two have been a great help, and i thank you very much. i will keep searchin, but now i have some direction.

thanks again you two!

[qlizard]

You do have a lot to learn. Avi is uncompressed and is therefore better quality and takes much more space than mpeg. Mpeg is usually the final step before dvd authoring. Usually the preferred route is...
1) Capture in avi using virtualdub (someone will undoubtably argue with me here) and various filters, then 2) edit in avi (premiere or something else), apply transitions, etc. then 3) encode or in other words, convert to mpeg (tmpgenc plus is the best) again, an argument forthcoming, then 4) author with tmpgenc dvd author, dvdlab, etc etc etc (check the tools) and burn with nero or whatever.
I don't know much about your capture device. but now that you've narrowed it down, others who have it may respond.
good luck from another newbie.

[DigitalNewbie]

Glizard .. you doing what i am doing most of the times.. i am by the way love to use VirutalDub.. but as iam new in all DVD areas.. i did not mention .. cause was not sure if i am doing thing right or not.. i just found it great to capture with virtual dub too ... Actually virtual dub was first program i used .. not cause it is free ..but cause it works . .and cause of forum.. there i learn a lot about videos.. not necessary DVD...most of all .. if i am in trouble .. virual dub many times give me hints what is wrong lol.. and i can fix it.. You can learn there all about compression.. frame rates .. check file info.. etc etc.. i use vdub a lot..

so i do agree with you.. but i am just a NEWBIE

[qlizard]

Funny... Actually I don't use virtualdub at all. I just know it is the preferred method with tmpgenc to encode. My capture device only goes to mpeg2 and for my purposes that is acceptable. I have found my own method using ulead software to edit the mpeg and then use tmpgenc dvd author to make the dvd files and burn. I am converting old bad ep VHS recordings and am finally able to do it.
DVDRHelp helps those who help themselves!

[DigitalNewbie]

lol.. pity .. virutal dub is really good.. was my first one i learn.. cause i needed remove some logos and bright and contrast ...Now getting better and better and got great forum.. with realy fantastic people there ..
It is quite easy to understand .. and i use it a lot of time when i am in big trouble with downloaded movie to check and correct..for newbie is great.. will check what compression is movie audio and video info .. you can change there anything you want ...I think it is the best freeware.. at this moment
it shows you corrupted frames.. errors etc.. You should try it glizard.. really good one...
i used it also if i want send movie to someone by email.. i could compress it with virtual dub ..last movie i send was avi 2.3mb 12 min.. of course it was not good quality.. but.. someone could watch quite clearly.

most of all virtual dub has hips of plugins by other parties.. you can download and they are quite useful.. if you play around with movies...
i have not found single one program that would have all I need for creating movies - that is why i use interchangably ulead pinnacle adobe and virtual dub as well as other applications...

[SumHungL0]

well i tried to use flash and then layer the video but that didnt work. any advice on using flash? i exported as .mov first, then i tried .avi, but still didnt get it. that would be nice because i can use flash. ya know how thats done?

[sacajaweeda]

Source->VirtualVCR->AVI file->VirtualDub for edit/scene chopping, etc->Direct Stream Copy w/VDub->Edited AVI file->AVISynth to filter/join/resize,etc->Frameserve with AVISynth to CCE, encode M2V video ES file->then frameserve edited AVI file with AVISynth to TMPGEnc to encode MPA audio ES file->M2V & MPA file to DVDLab for authoring title set->Nero->DVD-R

That's my basic process for making a DVD