New here, Capture + editing + encoding + burning.

[Sikander]

Hello, I'm new to this, just bought a Canon MD 160 (ZR 250 for NTSC regions), took a one hour video on a MiniDV and now I want to put it on a DVD.
Okay, someone on this forum told me that I should use WinDV for capturing video from my camcorder, I used it and it works wonders, it's really good.
So i've got the capturing covered.
Now what I need to know is, which programme is the best for encoding my video files, it doesn't matter if the programmes you suggest are free or pricey, they should just get the job done good.
Also, I want to learn basics of editing and stuff, like removing parts of video I don't want, joining other parts, adding effects and stuff, I already have Sony Vegas Pro 8 on my PC, a friend installed it for me but it looks complicated.
The video from the camera is in DV AVI format which I need to convert to MPEG2 to burn on a DVD, I know that much. I don't have DVD architect installed. What I did was, I added all my captured WinDV "DV AVI" files to Vegas, then I didn't edit anything because I didn't want to mess with stuff yet, I just selected "render as" from the file menu and selected DVD MPEG2. Now the file was rendered and the output was MPEG2, I thought I'll put this in Nero in Burn DVD video and i'll have my disc but turns out, I need .vob files to do that.
Now I am using Tmpgenc or ConvertXtoDVD to make .vob files, but what if i want to edit the files first, do I first add the DV AVI's to vegas, edit them, then what??? render them as mpeg2 and add mpeg2 files to tmpgenc to convert to .vob and then burn? That's a long process.
I know it's all confusing but i'm in a mess here, please help me. I'd appreciate it if someone could put it in simple words for me.
Thanks.

[redwudz]

You would want to edit at a early stage, before converting or encoding the files. Two simple editors come to mind, Windows Movie Maker and VirtualDub. I prefer VD, or more often, VD MOD for simple edits of DV video, such as cuts and pastes. You will need to add a DV codec. The Cedocida DV Codec is popular and I also use the Panasonic DV Codec. Output as DV.

WMM may be a little more 'user friendly'. But make sure you output as DV AVI from WMM.

For encoding to MPEG-2, you have a lot of choices. Freeware encoders, HC is popular. Or you might use FAVC as that can encode and author to DVD format. Or there are quite a few payware MPEG-2 encoders. Just look in 'Tools' to the left side of this page.

Then you will need a authoring program to create the DVD structure. DVD authorgui is popular, or there are payware programs such as TMPGEnc DVD Author or DVD-lab, or DVD-lab PRO if you want more options. The DVD structure, format and specifications are detailed to the upper left on this page in 'WHAT IS' DVD.

I would also recommend ImgBurn to burn the DVD.

[Sikander]

Thanks for your reply, can you please point me to some useful starter guides where I can learn how to get virtualdub to work for me and/or vegas. I tried opening the multiple DV AVI files in virtualdub but it only opened one at a time for me.
Also, how do I do this? In the following order?
capture from WinDV----Open in virtualdub-----edit in virtualdub-----renderas?saveas?the edited file in DV AVI or MPEG2?-----open the edited video in tmpgenc dvd author/nerovision/dvd architect-----it will encode it again to make .vob files----burn the dvd

Is this correct or am I missing something or adding some extra step.
Thanks.

[redwudz]

If you go to the 'Tool page' for each of those programs. (Follow the highlighted link) and look to the bottom of that page, you will see some guides listed for most of them.

If you are just doing simple cuts and pastes with VirtualDub, you can save in 'Direct stream copy'. No encoding is done and it's very quick. Then you will have a edited file, ready for encoding to MPEG-2.

Optionally, you can 'frameserve' the edited file directly to an encoder like TMPGEnc encoder from VirtualDub. This saves hard drive space as you don't have to generate a edited file. There are guides for frameserving with VirtualDub on it's tool page.

Once you have the file encoded to DVD compliant MPEG-2, then you author it to the DVD format with the authoring program of your choice.

Other guides are in 'HOW TO' to the left. This is from a search for DV to DVD conversions: https://www.videohelp.com/guides?searchtext=&tools=&madeby=&formatconversionselect=DV+t...or+List+Guides

[kimco52]

Redwudz gave you some pretty good pointers. Seems like you are still stuck somewhere else.

On the left of this page, as Redwudz said, is a section near the top called "WHAT IS". Below that is a section titled "HOW TO". If you look there, you will find sections for each of your question areas. If I were you, I would start looking through there.

You can get 10 people to respond to your basic questions here and you will get 10 different variations on what to use for different things. At the end, you will probably still be just as confused. All the info you are looking for is there.

Normal flow is: Capture, Edit,Convert/Encode, Burn. There are many ways to do each one, depending on what you want to do and how you want to do it. You indicate you have already captured. Next you want to edit. There are many ways to do that. Redwudz gave you some ideas, I use Premiere. Just what I am used to and have. You said you have Vegas. That should work. I have no current experience with it so I cannot comment further. I can capture from within Premiere, sometimes I do. I can edit and then I can encode and burn the DVD directly from Premiere. I don't choose that route. I encode to MPEG in Premiere and use a different program to author and make the DVD's. Just what I do. It isn't necessarily any better or worse than anything anyone else uses. It is just what I am used to.

You said it did not matter if the programs are free or pricey. If it does not matter, go out and buy a good program and you will get a manual. Read it. You also asked which programs are best. Ask 10 people, you will get 10 programs that they all claim are the best. It usually is the best for that person, and many more.

You should slow down, take a deep breath, and click on the links within the "HOW TO" section and read them. You will learn a lot more quicker doing that than waiting for answers right here. You can ask questions about what you read there in those sections. There are many step by step instructions in those sections. I know. I have used some of them.

Added on Nov 7.... Just noticed that Redwudz posted a halfhour before this one, basically stating the same thing about the "How To" links. He must have posted it while I was composing mine so I didn't see it. Sorry for the duplicate effort there!!!

[harley2ride]

Not quite sure why everyone is steering you away from Vegas, when you already have it installed. Vegas is a very good program. Yes it is difficult to learn. There are quite a few tutorials (search google), and play around for awhile. It will take weeks of playing around to get a beginning comfort level with Vegas. I'm using Vegas 5, and I spent at least 6 weeks just doing tutorials, before ever messing with capturing, editing, encoding, and burning my first dvd. It came out better than I had expected. Sure there are a lot of different individual programs out there which do a good job, and are very easy to learn. But it is nice to master one program, not have to switch from program to program to do a project, and to have a very nice finished result. I suggest that you try the programs that others recommended, but then spend the time playing with vegas, and redo one of your projects in vegas (from scratch), and see which you like the best.