I have a power dvd package which says I can convert my videos from my vcr player into dvd's by plugging into the svideo outlets on both computer and vcr and off you go. I have had a try but not really much to show for it yet.
One thing I really want to know is should the microphone on my camera ( for msn) be disconnected as the only bit that worked of the attempt was the heated discussion recorded between me and my other half as to where to stick the cables!!
Disconnect the mike unless you want to "dub". As for the rest, I tried power dvd a while and couldn't make it work.I now use dvd shrink to get the dvd on my harddrive, and burn dvd's from there with cdburnerxp. You can also convert formats with divxtodvd (and a few other in/out codec) Maks sure you have a good codec pack installed. Divx has them. You also need gspot for solving codec quandries.
Disconnect the mike unless you want to "dub". As for the rest, I tried power dvd a while and couldn't make it work.I now use dvd shrink to get the dvd on my harddrive, and burn dvd's from there with cdburnerxp. You can also convert formats with divxtodvd (and a few other in/out codec) Maks sure you have a good codec pack installed. Divx has them. You also need gspot for solving codec quandries.
Thanks for the reply gunner. I will take out the mike and try power dvd again. I don't know if you realised that I am trying to get old videotapes from my vcr to the computer and then burn them to dvd. (I already use shrink for copying dvd's)
Also which codec pack would you recommend that I get for general use?
You did say vcr. I must learn to read! I use" the codec" from www.free-codecs.com. I have never converted a tape, but have some so I will try and see what I learn. The only converters I could google were too expensive.
I have had a look at "the codec 3 from your site.
Question 1. It says it's tested on 32 bit computers mine is 64 bit(not that I really understand that), will this make any difference?
Question . Do I have to get rid of Free cd-da extactor prog for .ogg file to mp3 converter before download?
64 bit broke the 4GB limit that an application could use (I should be so lucky) and most manufacturers have a built in transition for 32 bit. I would remove that app. You can always add it back. Heres some further info I found:Convert VHS Tapes to DVD
Convert, Edit & Enjoy for Decades to Come
Do you have a large number of VHS tapes with back episodes of your favorite sitcom, memories from your adventure trips, or excerpts of family genealogy? Whatever the content, now is the time to convert your VHS tape to DVD. By keeping pace with emerging technologies, you are guaranteeing that your memories will be accessible for years to come. And you won't mind the picture quality either!
Once you have identified which VHS tapes you want to preserve, decide whether you want to do the conversion yourself or hire someone to do it for you. There is some investment in equipment required. If you have only one or two tapes to convert, it may be wise to hire someone to do it for you. Numerous companies will convert your VHS tapes to DVD for reasonable prices. However, if you have a large number and feel fairly familiar with your computer and DVD burner, converting a VHS tape to DVD can take only a few hours per tape.
Here's what you need to get started:
Computer with a large hard drive with considerable free space - allow at least 2.5 MB of disk per minute of video; allow twice that per minute if you intend to edit the video file
Video Capture Card - either a USB video-capture device or a PCI-based FireWire card
Video editing software
DVD Burner
Blank DVD media compatible with your burner and DVD player
Here's how to do it:
Connect your VCR or camcorder to the 'Analog-in' ports on your video capture card.
Exit all other programs open on your computer except the recording software that came with your capture device. This will help your software run faster and minimize 'crash' risks.
Specify a video source within the recording software. Most software and devices offer several options - VHS tape, camcorder, TV show, etc.
Record video to your hard drive - Depending on the source video quality and the DVD quality you hope to make, this will take up a lot of space. Be sure you have it by checking disk space before you start, and moving old files off your hard drive onto CD or DVD backups.
Edit your video - if you use Windows? XP?, you may already own Windows Movie Maker, which is a free and easy-to-use program for beginners. Most G4 Apple? Macintosh? computers include iMovie editing software that is also very easy to use with many features for beginners and advanced users alike. More advanced video editing programs are available from Avid?, Adobe?, and Roxio?, among others, once you've gotten some experience.
Assemble ('Author') the DVD - Most video editing programs will allow you to create menus and prepare your video creations for burning. The burning software that came with your DVD burner will also aid you in this process, if your editor can't.
Burn that Disc - Get your masterpiece onto DVD by burning it. Use DVD-R or DVD+R, depending on your burner and DVD player, to make a permanent copy. If you're worried about 'not getting it right,' try a DVD-RW or DVD+RW disc - they can be erased and you can try again with the same disc.
After you've tested your DVD in your player, be sure to either erase your raw original transfer from your hard drive, or back it up to another piece of media if you think you'll want to edit from the raw copy again later (once you've got more editing experience!). This frees up hard disk for other transfers, and will help your computer's overall performance in other applications.
Similarly, always defrag your hard drive after performing a VHS to DVD transfer. Using Windows, shut down all programs and disable your screensaver. Then, click Start and select Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Disk Defragmenter. This may take a while. On the Mac, you'll need to use a commercial utilities program, such as Norton Utilities, to perform the defragging. I need to look into video capture berore I attempt this. Good luck!
I will try all this out over the next few days and let you know how it goes.
Thanks for your time
Please do! I'm very interested in your results and comments since I tried three different hardware type components over the past 1 1/2 years to convert VHS to DVD however all three components failed miserably as each one crashed my system, which was the reason I then bought a JVC home DVD recorder which unfortunately turned out to be ultra buggy, but nonetheless I was able to convert my most favourite VHS tapes.
I have managed to burn a videotape to dvd and this is what I did.
Bought a composite video and audio cable kit consisting of 3 double ended cables with a red ended one, yellow ended one and white ended one. (these were reasonably cheap)
Plugged them first into the corresponding colours on the back of my vcr player, the bit that said video and audio out. Then I plugged the other ends into the corresponding colours on my computer.
Next I brought up Power producer gold (part of the powerdvd package that came with the computer) put a dvd disc in, chose analog as the place I was recording from, chose PAL because I will play it in uk, opened tools and selected things like composite and the audio source .Started vcr playing, pressed record on computer and I was really amazed at the picture quality of the finished dvd. I didn't need a lot of space as it burned the disc straight from the source and not onto the hard drive first.
PS Had to out my microphone while I did this.
I have managed to burn a videotape to dvd and this is what I did.
Bought a composite video and audio cable kit consisting of 3 double ended cables with a red ended one, yellow ended one and white ended one. (these were reasonably cheap)
Plugged them first into the corresponding colours on the back of my vcr player, the bit that said video and audio out. Then I plugged the other ends into the corresponding colours on my computer.
Next I brought up Power producer gold (part of the powerdvd package that came with the computer) put a dvd disc in, chose analog as the place I was recording from, chose PAL because I will play it in uk, opened tools and selected things like composite and the audio source .Started vcr playing, pressed record on computer and I was really amazed at the picture quality of the finished dvd. I didn't need a lot of space as it burned the disc straight from the source and not onto the hard drive first.
PS Had to out my microphone while I did this.
In case anyone has a nero package I have also managed to do it with this, but had to put on the hard drive first before burning to dvd