Panasonic VDR-D230- import data recorded as DVD-R's to PC for editing

[heyjplo]

We just returned from Kazakhstan and have hours of footage recorded on mini DVD-RW's in the "Video Format". This footage includes hours of shots of our soon-to-be adoptive son!

Unfortunately, we bought the camera literally hours before leaving and my hubby didn't take the time to read which types of discs/which recording format allows you to do what with the supplied Panasonic software.

Now we would like to export the videos we created into our PC so we can edit them using (hopefully) Windows Movie maker (or Roxio or Sonic) and then make a nice, enjoyable "condensed version" of our travels that we can burn to DVD and share with our friends.

I'm a complete idiot on the whole "video format" and conversion stuff, having been living in the analog world for so long...!

Would like input on the best/most straightforward way to do this for a newbie like me. I know there must be some way to do it - even though the Panasonic manual is telling me "no way"!

The mini DVD's we created are finalized and will play on the PC as well as any DVD player.

Thanks,
jplo - bewildered in PA

[Werder]

What type mini DVD's are you using -R, -R DL, -RW, or RAM ?

It plays on your PC... therefore I would first try if you can rip the DVD to harddrive - with free tools like

DVD Shrink
DVDFabDecrypter

If that works, then next steps are clear.