Import home-burned DVDs to PC for simple editing?

[cookieJones]

I'm completely new to video recirding and editing, and would like to know if this is possible/practical:
I'm converting home-made VHS tapes using a DVD burner (Magnavox ZV427MG9). I considered a VHS/DVD converter to record directly to PC, but it seemed too involved. I've already converted about half the 50+ tapes using the DVD burner, and it works fine but has limited editing (no splice/merge). What I'd ike to do is take the DVDs I've already burned, import them to my PC for further editing, then re-burn the edited content to DVD - without losing too much quality.

Is there any editing software that will import content from my PC's DVD player, edit, then burn to DVD, without too much loss? I don't need fancy editing, just combine content from 2+ disks, cut, splice/merge, mark chapters, add titles, and burn.

If it matters, I've been using DVD+RW disks in LP mode (3hr), and so far have not done final steps like "finalize disk" or "Make edits compatible", whatever that means. I could re-record everything in higher quality if necessary. p.s. Nothing is in HD.

My OS is Win7 HomePrem x64 - but I can use XP Pro x32 if necessary.

[Baldrick]

Tmpgenc authoring works or Mpeg Video Wizard DVD or VideoRedo TvSuite. They wont reconvert so no quality loss.

[cookieJones]

Thank you - looks like exactly what I need.

p.s. Before I import them, do I have to finalize the disks, or do the "make edits compatible" step?
Thanks again..

[sanlyn]

I believe the only drive that can read un-finalized DVD's is the drive that recorded them. If these were transferred to disc from your Magnavox and are complete videos that play in another DVD player, they're finalized. If not, you have to finalize them in your Magnavox.

[TBoneit]

If you haven't finalized them you should really finalize all the discs you have burned. If the player goes bad you may be left with a bunch of hard to recover videos.

The VideoRedo TvSuiteworks pretty good for me. One thing to do is be sure to get the Trial Key for it. Without the trial key it only save up to 30 minutes or so. With the trial key it runs complete for a period of time to allow you to decide if you want to purchase it. Their forum will be glad to provide help even while you are in trial for any issues or "How do I do this".

Good Luck

[cookieJones]

Thanks sanlyn and TBoneit.

If I finalize the disk (DVD+RW), will I still be able to edit it and/or record more later, or does it become read-only?

[usually_quiet]

Thanks sanlyn and TBoneit.

If I finalize the disk (DVD+RW), will I still be able to edit it and/or record more later, or does it become read-only?

You can use the disc again. I don't think you need to reformat a DVD+RW disc to re-use it for recording after making edits compatible. (Technically, you can't finalize a DVD+RW) I'm not sure about whether it is possible to make additional edits to recordings where edits have already been made compatible.

[TBoneit]

Since it is a RW disc you need to understand that rewritable discs are not made for long term storage. The same dye that makes them rewritable also makes them much less durable than a +R or -R DVD blank.

Rewritable are not for archiving. You would use a rewritable disc to record to for import into the computer for final editing and then reused.

If you want to edit in the recorder you should get something like the Magnavox 513 or 514 DVD Recorder that has a Hard Disk Drive that you record to, edit and then burn the edited video from the hard drive.
I should mention that I use one to record local channels to the hard drive and watch later then erase.
Example:
Magnavox MDR515H/F7 500GB HDD and DVD-R Recorder with Digital Tuner:

• Records up to 620 hours of video on the built-in hard disk drive
• 1080p Up-conversion
• Watch, forward, rewind or freeze live TV while recording
• Magnavox HDD/DVD recorder with digital tuner provides 4-way dubbing (HDD to DVD, DVD to HDD, DV to HDD, DV to DVD)

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Magnavox-MDR515H-F7-500GB-HDD-and-DVD-R-with-Digital-Tuner/15080509
$224.88 Was: $299.99

There is a wealth of information at this link: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=940657

[sanlyn]

Consumer DVD recorders with editing capability are key-frame editors. The PC software mentioned earlier are also limited to key-frame editing. In particular, most authoring programs will introduce a brief pause into the video where cuts are made. To get accurate frame editing, you need an MPEG editor designed for it. TMPGEnc Editor 3 is one such editor.

[TBoneit]

Key frame editing is good enough for most people. If they needed better they could have bought The Hard Drive equipped Pioneer DVD recorders which let you do either.

These also do frame accurate edits by only re-encoding the GOP at the cut, Mpeg Video Wizard DVD or VideoReDo TV Suite Which is the one I use. It works great.

[sanlyn]

Key frame editing is good enough for most people.

Most people, yes. Ask the OP.

[cookieJones]

I really appreciate everyone's help.

Thanks for pointing that out, usually_quiet. I'll experiment with "make edits compatible" to see if it's editable afterwards, as I can't find the answer either.

sanlyn - i'm glad you warned me about the pauses. Yikes this is getting complicated.

TBoneit - thanks for the links, esp the part on finalizing. As for buying yet another machine ... my first thought was, no more $$$. But with all these gotchas and extra steps I'm learning about, and time, and software to buy,... I'm considering it. According to the manual it has all the editing functions I'd need, like deleting scenes, etc. But boy I sure wish I'd known before I bought my 'lesser' unit. The price diff would definitely have been worth it. At this point, it's a maybe...

[TBoneit]

Just remember the most important point that Rewritable discs are temporary storage and not to be considered permanent.

Good Luck

[sanlyn]

The advantage with an HDD recorder is that you can do some simple editing. For instance, I usually start recording off cable 2 minutes early and stop 2 minutes late (Turner Classic Movies isn't know for precision when it comes to start/end times). That worksd about 90% of the time, but occasionally I've had to do something this: many really great classic movies are well over 2 hours in length. Rather than cut the bitrate to fit more movie on disc, I record at higher bitrates onto the hard drive. I can then split that video into two parts for 2 discs or a double-sided job at a good bitrate. But sometimes you want to make a neat cut that makes a good lead-in to the next disc. So you can cut fairly close to what you want, burn each part to disk, put it on the PC's MPEG editor, and cut and join exactly where you want -- as well as make little lead-in leaders and trailers on the PC ("Continued on Disk 2...", etc.). That's the advantage to having a frame-specific MPEG editor on the PC.

If I did for everything I record on DVD, I'd never get anything done.

[usually_quiet]

I really appreciate everyone's help.

Thanks for pointing that out, usually_quiet. I'll experiment with "make edits compatible" to see if it's editable afterwards, as I can't find the answer either.

sanlyn - i'm glad you warned me about the pauses. Yikes this is getting complicated.

TBoneit - thanks for the links, esp the part on finalizing. As for buying yet another machine ... my first thought was, no more $$$. But with all these gotchas and extra steps I'm learning about, and time, and software to buy,... I'm considering it. According to the manual it has all the editing functions I'd need, like deleting scenes, etc. But boy I sure wish I'd known before I bought my 'lesser' unit. The price diff would definitely have been worth it. At this point, it's a maybe...

You don't have to spend much to edit recordings made by a DVD recorder, or to re-author them and burn to DVD again. For years I did it using only freeware tools. I had to spend a lot of time learning how to use all these programs, but I didn't have to pay a dime to be able to use them.

I used Rejig or VOBEdit to demultiplex audio and video, Cuttermaran to make frame-accurate edits on the demultiplexed audio and video files, GUIfordvdauthor to author the DVD, and ImgBurn to burn the DVD. Cuttermaran is the only free frame-accurate MPEG-2 cutter that I know of, and there is no better DVD burning software than Imgburn. However, there are other free demultiplexers and other free DVD authoring software.

[cookieJones]

The advantage with an HDD recorder is that you can do some simple editing. For instance, I usually start recording off cable 2 minutes early and stop 2 minutes late (Turner Classic Movies isn't know for precision when it comes to start/end times). That worksd about 90% of the time, but occasionally I've had to do something this: many really great classic movies are well over 2 hours in length. Rather than cut the bitrate to fit more movie on disc, I record at higher bitrates onto the hard drive. I can then split that video into two parts for 2 discs or a double-sided job at a good bitrate
.... .

Stop! you're making it hard for me to resist buying one! I really can't spend more $$. No, I shouldn't. ...
While I'm agonizing over that, I'm going to look at the freeware that usually_quiet mentioned because I REALLY like the idea of doing it all with freeware.

Ok, thanks again guys.

[sanlyn]

Agreed, you don't really need an HDD recorder. You can work with single-disc recordings on your PC just as well, when desired. And as usually_quiet has noted, there's plenty of good freeware around.