Editing DVD recorded using Sony DVDirect

[Bryce2k5]

I'm a novice at this technology. I bought Honestech's VHS to DVD 3.0 Deluxe software and Vidbox to convert VHS tapes to DVD. What I didn't realize is that my pc is not quite powerful enough to capture the video from the VHS analog camcorder without some choppiness in video and sound. In talking with Honestech they tell me it is my Celeron chip that is the problem. It's not a full fledged Pentium IV.

So, to work around the problem I'm thinking of purchasing the Sony DVDirect unit. It's both a USB drive for my pc but it can also burn DVDs directly with my VHS camcorder hooked up to it via a composite or S-video connection. It doesn't require a pc at all to burn the DVDs.

What I am wondering is if I can take the DVDs burned in the Sony unit and edit them on my pc and burn the edited version to DVD with my pc and get an edited DVD without the choppiness.

My son played elementary, junior high and high school sports so I take highlights out of the games and burn them to a DVD, adding music etc. Since the original video would be from the Sony unit and free of choppiness I am thinking the PC can edit this video, save it, and burn it and it will be free of any choppiness or stuttering of video or sound. What do you think? Thanks for any replies. If you have other suggestions please let me know.

[Baldrick]

Yep, you can edit dvds using software like tmpgenc dvd author, videoredo (basic editing cut and join) or if you want more advanced editing use mpeg video wizard, ulead videostudio, etc. And it wont be any choppiness because no capturing is involved.

And read our sticky topics, https://forum.videohelp.com/topic323286.html

[Bryce2k5]

Thanks Baldrick for your reply. This helps a lot.

[Bryce2k5]

I purchased the Sony DVDirect recorder yesterday. It does record the videos without any choppiness. It looks good on the DVD player, but on my pc there seems to be some degradation of the video. On my pc the video is not quite the quality of the Honestech software I was using and getting some choppiness with.

I'm going to have to work with it a little to better understand what is happening. The Sony recorded video played back on my pc shows small black lines seperated by small white lines for the outline of objects in much of the video. I can see lines throughout a scene when I pause the video. I don't understand what is happening. It's hard to describe.

I think I am just going to have to upgrade to a new pc and then use the Honestech software with it to hopepfully get what I am looking for - video comparable to my VHS tape that I can edit on my pc and play on any DVD player. The Sony is good for recording and playing only on a DVD player, but it's not so good for using on a pc.

[Bryce2k5]

By the way, the reason I purchased the Sony unit was to both record VHS tapes to DVD AND be able to edit the DVD on my pc. I can not edit the DVD on my pc. For whatever reason the format of the DVD is not completely compatible with my pc. I can watch the DVD on my pc, but I can not import it or edit it in the editing software which came with the DVD drive I recently installed in my pc without major degradation of the video. I can not recode the DVD at all.

I've tried to record the same video twice on the Sony unit using two newly purchased dual layer DVDs. One disc was ruined during the process and the other is very glitchy meaning many parts of the video were left out totally. These discs cost me $2.65 a piece.

With another editing software which came with my son's computer, I can import the video but not the sound. I am fed up with the whole process.

[don0820]

I can understand your fustration ,as i have had your same problem trying to convert tape to d igitial on my various compurters for many years nowo i went on the internet purchased some high end linear editing vcrs for very little dollars(30-50 dollars) and now am very successfull in converting.I recently converted some old vhs tapes for a family reuion to dvd ,the servo motors on an old jvc br500&800u work really well for editing and there is no compression bull to fight with. you can edit to svhs from the player to the recorder then record to a dvd recorder(dv to dv direct,no compression) .I think computers are great and i use them for manydiferent things but video has a vvvery lllong learning curve and the simple programs that make movies are all just comicial.so after years of trying to conve rt and edit my 1000's of vidieo tapes(i started making them in 1973 with a studio 3/4 inch sony vo-1800 machine and a $3000.oo surveilance camera with a fixed focus 25mm lens)linear editing has worked for me. hope this will help you. ps i also have sony dvddirect(an older one and the latest model)-can't really edit with either one--my old sony 12 inch studio monitor still works great --it used to be sony no balony but now it is sony full of balony.....

[Bryce2k5]

Thank you for your reply, Don. After trial and error I was able to recode the Sony unit DVD and bring it in to my edit software and edit it. I tried to bring it into the recode software from the disk itself and couldn't. So, I tried copying the Video_TS folder from the disk to the hard drive, then bring it into the recode software and that worked. Why it makes any difference I have no clue, it's the same data, right? Why would that make any difference, go figure.

But the quality of recording on the Sony unit is not as good as using the Honestech software. Taking still photos of the video makes the poor quality stand out like a sore thumb. That surprises me. The Honestech software was just $80, the Sony was $230. I'll have to wait on converting my VHS tapes to DVD until I get a more powerful computer and use the Honestech software with it. It will probably work fine then, so I am told. My PC is an Intel Celeron D based on the Pentium IV running at 2.66Ghz. What I needed, I found out, was a full fledged Pentium IV. In the mean time, taking high lights of my son's games and adding music to them is enjoyable. In most cases they are free of choppiness from the Honestech software since they are only 15 to 20 seconds of video at a time. With the Honestech software, the video and sound quality are excellent when it is free of choppiness.

I relied on a major PC mag article for buying the Sony which was a mistake. So far I've ruined 4 dual layer DVDs trying to record 1.5 hours of video from VHS. I'm using DVD+R DL which the unit says it supports. I'll have to buy another brand of dual layer DVDs to see if the unit messes them up as well. If it does I'm taking the Sony unit back and get a refund.

In my opinion, video editing on PCs is simply "not ready for prime time". Too many incompatibilities such as disks, software, hardware, etc. I read of horror stories with conversion software/hardware a couple of years ago. Now I have my own.