Sony Giga Pocket/Click To DVD

[micnite]

I have a Sony Vaio with Giga Pocket software. I am trying to import video from a vhs tape through my vcr using the Giga Pocket and Sony's Click To DVD software. The problem with this is that the longest video clip I can import is 2 hours long. I would like to import about 4 hours at a time and then edit the video using Premiere. Is there any other software that supports Sony's Giga Pocket? Thanks...

[guns1inger]

Just out of curiosity - does it hold audio sync over that length of time ?

[maverick]

I had that same problem. I found a program called Sage TV recorder (free trial available) that can capture from the Giga pocket directly to an mpg. Alternatively, you can capture the video using the Media Center capture like if you were capturing from TV (I assume your computer is a media center computer, because you have the giga pocket engine and Click to DVD) and then use some authoring software that can recognize media center files (I prefer capturing directly to mpg).

PS. yes, it does hold sync over the 2 hours.

[Captain Satellite]

Your hard drive must be full. I have the same set-up. I can get up to 40 hours on one clip in SP mode or 20 hours in HQ mode. So, the length of your recording is determined by available space on your hard drive.

[maverick]

Cap Satellite: That is true for Media Center capture (limit is the hard drive), but when using Click to DVD, it limits the maximum capture time to 120 minutes. So you need to capture using something else and then reencode to fit.

[Captain Satellite]

Oh, OK. Well, GigaPocket produces a mpeg file so if he records at SP speed he can use that file in the authoring software of his choice.

[maverick]

Well, sort of. Apparently older versions of the series do include some GigaPocket software to capture mpeg files. Mine is an PCV-RZ44G (which includes Media Center). Sony decided to pull off the GigaPocket software, and now the only way to capture video is using the Media Center software and the Click to DVD program that comes with it. That why the description of newer models say something like: "powered by the gigapocket engine". It does has the GigaPocket hardware, but there is no GigaPocket software, and most capture programs do not recognize it.

[Captain Satellite]

OK. I have the RZ34G with a lot of major upgrades. Yep, you're right, it does capture mpeg files. I've only used it a few time and use my DVD recorder for everything. Thanks for the tutorial! Oh yeah, DVD Workshop supports Gigapocket capsules.