Sony DCR-HC21 Handycam - Best way to capture

[Intuit]

Hello All. I have a newly purchased Sony DCR-HC21 handycam. I know this isnt' top of the line by any means. However, I know I should be getting better quality video than I am. My recorded video on the cam looks great when ran directly into our tv. However, the pictures becomes grainy after capturing. I capture with Windows Movie maker via firewire to a new inspiron laptop. I set the capture rate to "high quality NTSC". Should I set to RAW AVI instead? I would like to edit the video and put on a DVD eventually. Will my file size always be at least the size of my RAW video or willl it shrink after encoding with Canopus to DVD format? If I capture RAW the file ends up being 12GB! Obviously this is way to large. Once again, as with any time I use computers, I want a simple thing and I have a feeling its going to get way way complicated. All I want is my final DVD's to look like my recorded video.

I'm a total newb to capturing, so if possible please keep it simple!!! Thanks!

[thecoalman]

When you capture "raw" you're essentially just transferring the footage to HDD. Like copying a file, it's lossless. From their you can edit and encode to MPEG2 and your computer can take all the time in the world to do it.

I don't use WMM but from my understanding it only does AVI or WMV, either stick with the DV-AVI or get something else to capture directly to MPEG2.

Diresctl capturing MPEG2 isn't exactly the best method either, In the end capturing DV-AVI is the best method to maintain quality. Capturing anything eles requires the video to be encoded on the fly and quality can suffer.

[Intuit]

Thanks Coalman. I have used DV-AVI setting and this results in a 12GB file. Assuming I don't cut out anything and I convert to DVD format with canopus, will this large file be reduced in size at all or will it continue to be 12GB?

[Richard_G]

Once you author the file to make it DVD compliant, it will be encoded to mpeg2. One hour of best quality video (noticably no different to watching straight from the camcorder) will be reduced in size from the 12 GB you have as DV avi down to around 4 GB to fit on a DVDR disc.

[redwudz]

Just to add, I would skip WMM and just use WinDV to transfer the files to your hard drive through the Firewire input. I use Type 2 DV.

You can use VirtualDub to do edits if you install a DV codec like the Panasonic DV Codec. VirtualDub can also frameserve your edits, filtering, directly out to a MPEG-2 encoder like TMPGEnc and save hard drive space by not making an intermediate file. I use VirtualDub Mod most of the time. That's the way I do it and it works quite well for me.

[Intuit]

Cool, thats what I needed to know. Now if I have my 12GB file, what prog would you recommend to use to take out unwanted scenes prior to encoding?

[Intuit]

Nevermind, it looks like its been answered. With a few more big words than I would like...as well as a little more complicated than I would like, but still...it works. Thanks!

[44echo]

Intuit,

I have a Sony HC30 and I use WinDV to transfer via Firewire. I do my edits/transitions/effects with Video Studio 9 and author with TDA.

[redwudz]

If you want easy, you can put your DV file into DivxToDVD and let it do the conversion to DVD format. Not as good of quality as the 'long' way, but it works well for a 'quick and dirty' conversion. There's still a freeware version of it available.

[Intuit]

Intuit,

I have a Sony HC30 and I use WinDV to transfer via Firewire. I do my edits/transitions/effects with Video Studio 9 and author with TDA.

Is Video Studio 9 Freeware? How about TDA? I have found that Canopus, which I usually use to Encode, has problems with my DV-AVI files and Vdub won't accept them.

[gadgetguy]

has problems with my DV-AVI files and Vdub won't accept them.

Are your DV-AVI files Type 1? VdubMod won't accept Type 1, but the latest base Vdub will.

[Intuit]

has problems with my DV-AVI files and Vdub won't accept them.

Are your DV-AVI files Type 1? VdubMod won't accept Type 1, but the latest base Vdub will.

Yes, I believe they are type 1. I will download the latest version of VDub. how about encoders. Any suggestions on shareware or software that accepts type 1 dv-avi files?

[gadgetguy]

You should be able to frameserve from Vdub to your favorite encoder.

Edit: I use QuEnc (free) for most of my stuff.

[t-h-e-w-h-o]

I have the HC-21 and im using it as my tape rewinder. lol. But despite what i use it for, its a decent consumer cam. WMM is a POS, get something like adobe 1.5 which is now available in most circuit city's/best buys in a bundle pack called "pyro video" which is very cheap. WMM wasnt designed to be a high quality NLE. Just go with adobe for capturing as it provides the most options and captures raw dv.