I know...really simple.

[TTT]

I know...I am embarressed. I am having trouble with getting to grips with creating movies that will play on my Stand Alone Home DVD player.
I have a Panasonic Mini DV camcorder and I use Pinnacle Studio 7 to get the Tapes onto my PC and edit them. From there I can change them into MPEG AVi etc and this seems ok.
I can then play them on my Computer without any problems. The problem I have is that I cannot play them on my stand alone DVD Player (Oritron 600). The machine does not recognise the disks I insert.
Then a mate of mine suggested that I have to author the disks. I simply used Adaptec Easy CD Creator to copy the data (MPEG and also tried VCD) and thought this would work. He said no and suggested I should use another product to author them.
This is where I get confused...is it ok to edit using Studio 7 and even create the MPEG or VCD like that and then use another product to copy onto CD-RW or must I change the whole way I have went about it.
Now I have read the lists and suggestions but being so new and there being so many it made things worse and got me more confused. I have even dowloaded VCD Easy but dont know how/what to do with it or if it will work at all.
Any suggestions would be helpfull please.

Cheers TTT

P.S. The DVD Player can play VCD ok I am sure.
P.P.S Could you also suggest what format is best for me to save to. They are videos of my family and would love them to look good but also stay good for years.

[devinemi83]

It also has to support a cdr or cdrw as well. VCD is only the video standard, like how a music cd can be a pressed(commercial) cd or a CDR(burned). You player may not support CDR, try and RW disc. Try another brand of cdr to. Some players dont like certain colors of dyes.

[Tivo Homer]

I looked up your player on this forum (see DVD Players link in the left screen column). The info states your player can play VCDs when burned on a CD-RW.

You need to use a program to burn the CD-RWs that can create a VCD compliant CD. I don't know Adaptec's software, but I know NERO can do it. If you want to download a trial copy go to http://www.nero.com For other info on how to author VCDs, look at the AUTHOR link in the left screen column.

As far as sharing them with your family, find out what kind of DVD players they own. Their units may/may not support VCDs and may/may not support CD-R or CD-RWs. You can research their capabilities in the DVD Players section on this website. (Left screen column, under the Header of OTHER).

Good Luck.

Tivo Homer

[holistic]

1. I can then play them on my Computer without any problems.

2. The problem I have is that I cannot play them on my stand alone DVD

3. P.P.S Could you also suggest what format is best for me to save to. They are videos of my family and would love them to look good but also stay good for years.

To answer some questions .... I will start at #3 first .

The best format to save your family DV videos in is of course on the original DV tape. Second best would be to edit/reencode them into high bitrate mpeg2 files. Expect to fit 15-20 minutes of high quality MPEG2 per 700mb CD. Store the DV tapes safely till a better compression alogrithm becomes available or until you get a DVD burner and can author the MPEG2 to DVD.

2. For playing on you DVD standalone just make a VCD from the 3 or 4 high quality MPEG2 you encoded or from the original DV avi whichever is easiest.


1.Consider what you said here - play them on my Computer - The way things are evolving it won't be long before computers replace DVD standalones .It is possible now with an entry level laptop .Put a DVD rom, a 5.1 sound chip ,and TV out in a laptop and you have the makings of an all-in-one entertainment centre.


][

[KingJohn]

I know...I am embarressed. I am having trouble with getting to grips with creating movies that will play on my Stand Alone Home DVD player. .

Reading this, makes me think you are copying the video on to disks and expecting them to play, the VCD is not a data disk, its not made the same way you make a data disk or audio disk, you need to load a VCD authoring program, Easy cd creator (platinum) has VCD in its list NOT Data !

When you select VCD it then asks you for your 80 Min mpeg 1, which you should have already made with some other program like TMPGEnc, that mpeg 1 should also be fully compliant. When you have added this to the list, Easy cd creator will make a VCD !!

Hope this helps with the confusion, see the guides opposite if you need a more in depth explanation.

Start Program Files > Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 >Creatr50.exe
Data CD
Music CD
MP3 CD
Mixed Mode CD
Enhanced CD
Bottable CD


Start Program Files > Roxio Easy CD Creator 5 >vcdcr32.exe
VCD

[TTT]

Cheers for the help everyone. I think I may be able to get it now.


Cheers T