Honestech VHS to DVD Deluxe 5.0 is up and running!

[lucienalta]

Thanks everyone. I gave up on the DVC Dazzle capture device. I was able to transfer VHS tapes to DVD, but couldn't bring the sound along. Corel online support was slow so I returned it and purchased Honestech VHS to DVD Deluxe 5. I transferred eight tapes to DVD-Rs with no problems. Then I decided to edit and give the tapes a title and to split portions and other such editing. Only thing is I had copied the tapes to DVD-Rs and have to create new DVD after editing. I went back to store and purchased some DVD-RWs.

The hardest part for me is the files it creates. Somehow after editing I would up with choices in the Clip Panel, a Video Editing Box icon, a second box showing the title icon, and after editing the title for a second time--yet another title icon. Finally, called Honestech and the Support person patiently talked me through it. Still a little fuzzy. I like to keep my files organized and I accidentally deleted some files on one tape because I didn't understand the file names. I had to capture that tape a second time.

Both Best Buy and the online Honestech.com Customer Support took time to answer my questions. Kudo's to both!

Here's my next dumb (yes, dumb) question. For my family who do not have DVD players, is there a way I can transfer DVDs to CD's or as a file on my computer? Then I could put the file on a flash drive and copy to their computer?

Lucy

[Brad]

For me the question is: why don't they have a DVD player? I can't imagine it's out of technophobia if you're suggesting loading them onto a flash drive for computer viewing.

I would either:
- tell them to buy a DVD player
- buy one for them

Around here the thrift stores have them for $8-20. Retail stores sell the non-brands for $30. And a branded Blu-ray player recently on sale for under $50.

[lucienalta]

LOL. Wait until you are 88 and 92. Two of them have so much stuff near or next to their chairs, (wheel chairs, walkers, stacks of reading material, stacks of mail and things they want to sort and never get sorted) there wouldn't be room for one more contraption. But no matter, neither I or any of my family are not far behind. It's definitely technophobia! But I have learned yet one more thing since posting here. I had called the Honestech site with a question and I am pretty sure the support person said DVD-RWs would not play on a DVD player. Of course, I went ahead and transferred a tape to a DVD-RW disk for the first time. You know what, I stuck it in my VCR/CD player. Walla! I can play it on my TV.

Please don't tell me we would be better off outta here. Anyway, can anyone else answer my question?

Lucy

[TreeTops]

Well that's a new one for me. I never thought a CD player could play a DVD.

[lucienalta]

My device is a Sylvania Video Recorder and DVD/CD Player. I can't record a DVD on it, but it will play CD/DVD disks. I am mostly playing using it to view DVD-RW disks right now, as I never get things right the first time. When I am done editing my captures I will burn them to a DVD-R disk. Hey, I did a Google on how to erase DVD-RW disk and it says you can erase both CD/DVD-R disks in some instances--if the disk has not been finalized?

[TreeTops]

OK that explains things. I was going on what you said here: "I stuck it in my VCR/CD player"

[DB83]

Ok. So they do not have a dvd-player but you said they have a computer. So do they have a dvd-drive in that computer ?

[sanlyn]

Some DVD players can play CD's and DVD-RW. Some can play neither. Some can play DVD+R and/or DVD+RW. Some can't. DVD-R is the universally accepted standard. They should play on all DVD players. If you want to make a DVD-R out of your other discs, copy the Audio_TS and Video_TS folders to a PC, then burn a new DVD-R disc from that. Don't try to "copy" a DVD-RW to a DVD-R.

[jman98]

Some DVD players can play CD's and DVD-RW. Some can play neither.

You mean CD-R and CD-RW and not just CD, which could be interpreted to mean commercial audio CDs. The DVD and BD standards actually require that all players support commercial audio CDs.

[lucienalta]

I called Honestech for help on this, but I haven't gotten the correct terminology down enough to make myself clear. So I downloaded SnagIt and learned how to take screen captures; hope this will help.

First I split a video and captured the second half of the video and saved it in Projects folder. (see Arrow 1, attached image "Edited Video" and Arrow 2, it added a new file to the Clip Panel). Do a have to save as a New Project--because I never remember to? I just saved under Project.

Second, I edited the title, (see Arrow 3, it added new file to the Clip Panel).

Thirdly, I didn't like the edited title so I did yet another edit (see Arrow 4, it added another new file to the Clip Panel).

I then clicked on the Arrow 4 file and burned the final edited file to a DVD-RW. Tried different ways to burn, but I keep getting the original title (Arrow 2, on the Clip Panel).

Oh, when I called the support person, he said I wouldn't be able to play my DVD-RWs on my Sylvania Video recorder and DVD/CD player. But I am able to, and thank goodness I can now erase data from the DVD-RW disks as needed. I did a Google on how to erase DVD-RW disks. It also says you can erase CD's if they haven't been finalized. How do I know if a CD has been finalized? That's news to me.

Finally, I think I read it saves files for future editing, but somewhere one has to make sure it will know where to look. Which of the four files above need to be together and or can be renamed or deleted without messing up the ability to edit later on?

Now I am off to try to figure out how to add Categories to my blog and to learn how to make video tutorials about what I have learned. It takes an air head to teach another air head (I have lots of sisters)!

OMG, that didn't come out right. I am NOT calling you guys air heads!



Also, maybe I have to import the file first?

[sanlyn]

You mean CD-R and CD-RW and not just CD, which could be interpreted to mean commercial audio CDs. The DVD and BD standards actually require that all players support commercial audio CDs.

Thanks for the update. As I have a dedicated CD audio player and outboard DAC, I never tried audio-only CD's on my DVD players, but I know the ones I have will play them. Handy to know that all are required.

[Brad]

Advice about distributing to the relatives will need to be based on the answer to this:

So do they have a dvd-drive in that computer ?

Or how about just posting your files to YouTube and telling them the link to your channel?

[lucienalta]

A couple or more of my relatives have no VCR/DVD Players and they don't have access to YouTube. Their TV's are probably 20 years old and they wouldn't want their family pictures to be on YouTube (technophobia). When I get the DVDs edited, I will play the DVDs on my laptop (it has DVD recorder) when I visit them. They will probably fall asleep watching. Actually, I just like to see what I can do as much as anything.