Advice Needed on Making a Low Budget Instructional DVD

[PleaseHelpMe]

Great website and forum!

I'm hoping for advice on making a low budget instructional DVD.

Here's my current plan.


1. Buy a used Sony Bloggie Touch camcorder for under $100.

• Video Format : MP4 (MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)
• Recording and Playback Times : MP4 format:12M 1920x1080 (29.97p): 40 min - 6M 1280x720 (59.94p): 80 min - 4M 1280x720 (29.97p): 120 min.

• ISO: Auto / 80 - 1600

2. Record in 720p - 60fps
3. Edit with free editing software.
4. Produce with free DVD authoring software.
5. Copyright, burn DVDs on my PC, and sell.

My PC Specs:
OS: Windows XP
CPU: X64 Dual 2.4 GHz
Video: 7600GS
RAM: 3 Gigs
Editing Software: None

Questions:

1. What suggestions do you offer to improve my plan?

2. Is 720p - 60fps the best option for recording fast moving objects with this camcorder?

3. What free editing software program(s) do you suggest for slow motion to 24fps?

Thank you!

[jman98]

I have no camcorder experience so I can't speak to that but reading your plan to burn DVDs on your PC and sell I do have some advice. Note that no matter what you do, you'll probably encounter a few supremely moronic customers who will not be able to play your DVDs and will blame you for trying to rip them off. For the fewest problems with playback stick to single layer media and use either Verbatim (NOT their Life series, but everything else is OK - DataLifePlus is the best though) or Taiyo Yuden. It doesn't really matter if you use DVD-R or DVD+R.

[yoda313]

For a 100.00 you can buy a brand new camcorder with virtually the same specs. It won't be a sony but I'm sure you could find a new flip camcorder with those specs around that price.

And jman98 is right unless you get factory pressed dvds you can't be 100% sure hat every disc you make will work on every dvd player out there. It would be a high success right with burning with imgburn and using verbatim or taiyo yuden blanks but it won't be 100%.

Doing press orders requires a minimum order but I have never done it so I don't know all the particulars about the process or where to start with it.

If you wanted to avoid all of it look into buying a website and hosting the video online. Than you could sell unlock codes to view the whole video. That way you'd get your money and they would be able to get the video with no issues.

[PleaseHelpMe]

Wow - great advice! My Sony Bloggie Touch is all but bought. New or used isn't really an issue as I plan on reselling the camcorder for a loss of < $20. This camcorder can simultaneously take pics and video, which is a usable feature for my production. I never considered the website solution, but that is a great idea!

[yoda313]

I never considered the website solution, but that is a great idea!

Well just thought I'd toss it out there.

You could hook up paypal to it somehow. You'd have to check out tutorials online to find out the best way to secure the video so it can't be accessed until payment is made. I guess it would be by email link or something.

But just something to think of. There are free hosting websites available but I think hosting video will cost money. How much depends on how many videos and how long they are I'm sure. That would require research on your part.