what's the absolute best way to transfer mini dv to my pc...

[kidrocklive]

inorder to allow me to author the vids onto dvd(s). I read something about using a firewire, but that you also need a firewire card. Is this the best option to use? Thanks in advance for any help you could give me.

- Scott

[Chachi420]

miniDV > firewire > computer is the best option

[saltman]

you don't need a specific firewire card. If your computer has firewire already your set. if it doesn't you can buy a card for around $15.

[Evenreven]

Sadly, many PCs don't have Firewire. If you have this input on your pc, you're ok. Like Saltman says, many have one:
http://www.arkaad.com/MercadoLibre/firewire%206m4m.jpg
http://mediaworks.it.northwestern.edu/images/dv-pc/welles-firewire.jpg

Or you can buy a card:
http://www.cs.ucr.edu/~teodor/public/ECX.FIREWIRE.gif

[AAR.oner]

to add to the above, you'll also need a decent capture/editing program...as per usual, "you get what you pay for" when it comes to video editing...let us know what OS yer on and what kinda budget yer workin with and we can make some suggestions.

[kidrocklive]

I'm using windows xp (home edition). I have a friend that "has" sony vegas, is that the best program for video editing? I'm just not exactly sure how to use it and I don' think he does either :lol

when I get home i'll look on my pc and see if I have a firewire port or not already on it.

[bigwurock]

i had to put in a firewire card..works great!..i did use dazzle into USB port, but the daazle i was using was a lower capture...thus not the greatest made dvd...you can by a higher end dazzle capture but it will be cheaper to by the firewire cable & card if needed..

[onemanguitarband]

This is what I use....about $600 but it works great

http://www.canopus.us/US/products/TwinPact100/pm_TwinPact100.asp

You should use a firewire port with this as well though. And it really shines on doing analog (VHS) to digital conversions as well.

[kidrocklive]

This is what I use....about $600 but it works great

http://www.canopus.us/US/products/TwinPact100/pm_TwinPact100.asp

You should use a firewire port with this as well though. And it really shines on doing analog (VHS) to digital conversions as well.


that's way outta my league lol, I didn't even buy the camcorder, just borrowing a friends, but thanks anyway. I looked on my pc and it looks like I have the 6m and 4m firewire slots on my pc. There is a 4m on in the front and a 6m in the back.

[Chachi420]

to add to the above, you'll also need a decent capture/editing program...as per usual, "you get what you pay for" when it comes to video editing...let us know what OS yer on and what kinda budget yer workin with and we can make some suggestions.
WinDV is a freeware minidv capturing program

[kidrocklive]

i'd probably just try figuring out how to use my friends sony vegas and see how that goes, and if I can't get that to work right, then try other, possibly easier alternatives

[Chachi420]

DoubleTake is a free script for Sony Vegas to allow 2cam mixes.
Excalibur4 is way better vegas script for multicam, but it is not free...

[kidrocklive]

atm i'm just doing single cam authoring stuff and also not syncing the video with new audio, just using what is already on it.

[bigwurock]

if you are going to use the dvd for yourself...not adding new audio or anything..might want to just go out and buy a standalone dvd recorder...capture will not be the best as vegas but still will be good..but might just save alot of headaches + is really easy to do...

[AAR.oner]

since yer not synching multi-cams or seperate audio, Vegas shouldn't be that hard to handle...personally i'd use it

[kidrocklive]

ok, I think i'll try my friends out and if I have any problems with anything i'll be sure to ask you guys. Thanks again for all your help and i now know I don't need a firewire card too, so that's a plus

[kidrocklive]

is there a difference between the 4m and 6m firewire ports? like is one better than the other?

[lastepic]

if you are going to use the dvd for yourself...not adding new audio or anything..might want to just go out and buy a standalone dvd recorder...capture will not be the best as vegas but still will be good..but might just save alot of headaches + is really easy to do...

To be honest, this is as good a way to go as any - the conversion the standalone will give you should be every bit as good-probably better - than any software encoding done later. You could then transfer the DVD onto your PC and edit it if you so wished.

[kidrocklive]

i could see how it would be easier, but i don't see how it would be better

[Evenreven]

You could then transfer the DVD onto your PC and edit it if you so wished.
Can you edit dvd-video after it's encoded? I thought that would mean converting to another format for editing, and then RE-ENCODING again to dvd-video (producing a shitty image)?

[saltman]

stand alone is not better in any way other than it is easier. the menus are gonna suck and the highset bitrate of most is lower than what you can properly set if you know your calculations relative to bitrate and length. It has a default and doesn't adjust accordingly. Not to mention it's gonna put random chapter marks in that are not gonna match the songs. I don't think they're a good idea and you won't be happy with the product.

[onemanguitarband]

To be honest, this is as good a way to go as any - the conversion the standalone will give you should be every bit as good-probably better - than any software encoding done later. You could then transfer the DVD onto your PC and edit it if you so wished.

I'm no expert on digital to digital conversion of video, but on principal I don't think this is true. I know when I transfer Analog > HD via my Canopus capture device, it takes about 12 Gigs per Hour of video. Then I have to compress that to get it on to dvd (which takes hours of encoding time, on a pretty fast computer). I know I've done comparisions between the same video source transfered to a standalone unit vs. the same video source transfered to HD and comped to DVD size. The HD transfer looked MUCH better. I would have to imagine the standalone player would have to encode and compress on the fly even though we are talking about a digital to digital conversion as well, unlike a good computer interface.

All I can really say, is I wish more people had the Canopus Twin100 for conversions....too bad they cost more than most people are willing to spend.

[AAR.oner]

:thumbsup salt & oneman...

kidrock--use yer buddy's comp that has vegas...its only a one-cam and yer using the in-cam audio right? it'll be pretty easy...i'm sure one of us can walk you thru capturing and exporting

the TwinPact oneman mentioned is *really nice* for analog > comp...hell, even if folks would buy an ADVC model from Canopus, i think they'd see the difference

[ssamadhi97]

the TwinPact oneman mentioned is *really nice* for analog > comp...hell, even if folks would buy an ADVC model from Canopus, i think they'd see the difference
Yeah, especially on difficult sources where the ADVC300's LTBC comes into play (the TwinPact doesn't have one). ;)

[kidrocklive]

I got the uncompressed avi of the dv tape on my pc. it's like 10gb. What's the best way to convert the avi to mpeg2 now? I noticed some options don't even have audio, it's just the plain video, what's the point of that?

[saltman]

most non-proffesional encoders are not very good at what they do. it is best to encode the video and audio stream separately to get the best quality. If it's in Vegas video you just select a loop region, and go file>render using this thread as a guide

http://www.thetradersden.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14003&page=1

read the entire thread... noting there were some errors in the calculations at the beginning.... 8000-8200 vid and pcm audio is gonna be your best settings.

[onemanguitarband]

Yeah, especially on difficult sources where the ADVC300's LTBC comes into play (the TwinPact doesn't have one). ;)

I could be wrong, but I believe the TwinPact does have LTBC, this is a quote about the TwinPact100 (I couldn't paste the rest, the formatting looked messed up).

Digital Line Time Base Corrector (LTBC) – Detects images with strong horizontal jitter and employs powerful correction methods to repair the jitter

And I believe this is in the manual somewhere as well.

[kidrocklive]

so the best way for me to put this onto a dvd is to do audio and video seperate. How exactly do I put the audio and video together once I get into architect?

[kidrocklive]

also what's the difference between DVD Architect NTSC Video Stream and DVD Architect 24pt NTSC Video Stream?

[AAR.oner]

in DVD Arch you'll import both the mpeg2 video file and the LPCM audio file, synch them in the timeline, and then build.

24p is the frame rate of film [24fps]...you'd only use that if you were gonna be printing to film...just choose the standard NTSC option [which, fwiw, is probly 29.97fps]

[kidrocklive]

is used markers to do teh chapters, is that was I was suppose to do? I noticed there was also an option for video or audio track, but I wasn't sure how that worked

[saltman]

just thought of another option.... take your avi and use it straight into DVD architect. You don't have to use Veags to encode if your only mixing with one camera. Once you have it in there set your chapters with the "m" key. and you should be set. You'll see on the right side that once you import your avi... it will be using it for the audio and the video.... If you rendered in vegas this is where you would set your audio and video. If you rendered with the same loop region they will line up perfectly.

Sometimes it is easier to render in DVD architect for single cams.... Once you go Prepare DVD it will have an optimization utility that will auto max out the DVD with the correct bitrates. so you don't have to calculate them yourself.

Does that makes sense?

[kidrocklive]

yeh that does. so i'd just do that unless i'm wanting to mix 2 cams and junk together?

[saltman]

yep you got it. if you need to synch the video with other audio your gonna need to use Vegas too. unless you can figure out how to get them to line up correctly.... which i bet is gonna be tough.

just another option

[kidrocklive]

well if I just use the uncompressed avi, wouldn't it already be lined up?

[saltman]

yep sir. you got it.

if you wanted to to mix another audio without using vegas... I suppose you could open the audio from the avi in audacity, line it up, and crop it. then use that audio in dvd architect..... but at that point your not really saving time over just using vegas to begin with.

If you only have avi and don't want to synch with other audio all you have to do is use the avi and it will be synched up exactly.

[kidrocklive]

oh ok, i'm not trying to synch new audio with teh video i'm just wanting to use what it is originally. Thanks for your help, that seems a lot easier. Now I get to mess around with archtect for a menu and see what I come up with haha