mini dv converter

[chaini14]

Hello guys,

I have a question. I want to transfer my video from my camocorder (mini dv) to my computer that I can write those video to cd or dvd so I bought a PCMCIA (IEEE 1394 cardbus PC card)which can convert video from mini dv to my computer. However, those files are quite big. For example, Only 45 mins of video, I need to use my hard disk's space about 10 GB or more, which need more than 2 DVD. So I wonder how can I convert my whole video (1 mini dv) to only one CD or DVD. Which converter should I buy or which way should I use (I see in some websites, they have program that can convert DV to DVD)?

p.s. If I need to buy converter, how much of those stuffs because I just an amateur so I don't want to spend a lot of my money.

Thanks

[guns1inger]

DV requires approx 13 GB per hour of footage. You can transfer to mpeg-2 on the fly using mainconcept or Ulead products, however you might find your laptop isn't the best tool to do so as you have to be able to sustain throughput from the DV in to HDD while converting.

I do not know of any freeware apps that can do this, so you will have to pay for one, however I believe you will find 30 day trials of the products to try out.

An alternative that will produce better results but is more costly to begin with would be an eternal USB2 HDD that would give youe the spec required to capture the DV footage without encoding to mpeg-2, so you can encode at your leisure later on.

[edDV]

That is the correct file size for DV format. You next ...

1. Edit the DV material (if you desire) then

2. You encode to MPeg2 in DVD format.
See https://www.videohelp.com/dvd for supported formats

3. Then you author the DVD. This adds menus and chapters (if you desire) and creates the Video_TS folder and files required for a DVD player to play the video.

4. Next you use a burning program to create the DVD disc image that actually gets written to the DVD blank.

Or you can buy a DVD edit suite that does all these steps like.

Adobe Premiere Elements
Sony Vegas Media Studio
ULead Video Studio (editing emphasis) or
ULead MovieFactory (menu structure emphasis)

PS: I was writing while the previous post was made.

[chaini14]

Actually, when I bought PCMCIA, it also gave me a Ulead Video Studio cd. So are there any possible to transfer my video to only one CD rom or one DVD that is the real problem for me. File from DV is too big for cd or dvd. And I already have external HDD.

Thanks for quick reply ^_^

[edDV]

Actually, when I bought PCMCIA, it also gave me a Ulead Video Studio cd. So are there any possible to transfer my video to only one CD rom or one DVD that is the real problem for me. File from DV is too big for cd or dvd. And I already have external HDD.

Thanks for quick reply ^_^

It will be an older version of Video Studio but it should work for DVD.

1. Import your DV-AVI file to timeline and edit it if you want.

2. Then "Share", "Create Disc", choose DVD (other choices are VCD and SVCD)

3. Add menus and chapter points if you want.

4. Select your DVD drive burning speed etc. and burn the DVDR.

Newer versions of VS have streamlined no options DV to DVD wizard.

We are assuming here that you want this DVD to play on a DVD player.

[KenJ57]

Your edited video is converted to MPEG2 for burning to DVD. Where DV video requires about 13 GB per hour on your HDD, a single-layer DVD can hold about an hour of video which equals about 4 GB.

[guns1inger]

A single layer DVD (DVD5) can easily hold 2 hours of good quality video, and if you are prepared to start reducing the resolution, a lot more than that. It's all about bitrate.

[KenJ57]

guns1inger -- we are talking about DV video here. In the US that is always 720 x 480.

A single layer DVD (DVD5) can easily hold 2 hours of good quality video,

IMHO, all video needs to be preserved at maximum bitrate. Your "good quality video", would not be acceptable to me. I guess it depends on how much compromise is acceptable to the OP.

chaini14 -- I suggest experimenting to see how much compression is acceptable to you. As guns1inger says, you can compress more and squeeze more video onto a DVD. Try burning one hour of video onto a single-layer DVD and then try burning 90 minutes or two hours onto another DVD and see for yourself what is acceptable to you. I don't recommend more than an hour on one SL DVD. And, that is especially true if you ever decide to recapture that video and edit it in the future. Preserve as much information as you can.

[edDV]

And my usual two cents here is higher bitrate (7-9Kb/s) should be used for handheld camcorder video because of less efficient MPeg2 motion encoding. This results from shaky video (x-y and rotational motion), typically poor lighting and noise.

Programs captured from broadcast or DVD have been professionally produced. As such they can take much more compression.