A question about movie clips
#1
I have a bunch of analog stuff, thousands of feet of 8MM film and a whole bunch of personal VCR tapes that I've decided it's about time to digitize them and get them on DVD disks. I have an A/V to USB converter for the VCR tapes, and I have a way of copying the 8MM film as well. My problem is that the software that came with the converter is absolutely impossible to work with. The printed manual was obviously written by a programmer who assumes we know as much about the program as they do. Curse I've been able to capture a tape into an .mpg file and I can run it with Windows media viewer, but I've yet to convert it to a DVD since the software creates the file, but won't let me use it to burn a DVD, and otherwise crashes when I use their native file. The program that came with the converter is "Honestech VHS to DVD". I have also downloaded "MoviePlus, starter edition" since I'm familiar with some other of Serif's software, and, I also have "Windows Movie Maker" on this XP machine. MoviePlus did create some .wmv files which I can also read with the Windows media viewer but have not yet tried to burn a disk using one.

My question is, do any of you put your videos on a DVD disk, and if so, what software do you use? I've got far too much time working with the Honestech and will switch to one of these others if need be, but if you are using some other software that is more intuitive and easier to use, I'm willing to give that a try.

The big plus with the three programs that I already have, is that I've paid for the one, and the other two are free... A definite plus.

One other frustrating thing is that one would think that a company that makes video capture software would have a video on how to use it. 35
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#2
I had that done many moons ago by a third party...You might try searching on "the web" for a service that does it...Saves a lot of hassle... Big Grin
Gus (LC&P).
Reply
#3
(Personally, I use Linux.)

You might like to take a look here, (free software).
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page">http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Category/Video/manipulation">http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Category/ ... nipulation</a><!-- m -->

F.S.F. - Free Software Foundation

Edit: Usually, each program has it's own help forum.
Reply
#4
Steamtrains Wrote:I had that done many moons ago by a third party...You might try searching on "the web" for a service that does it...Saves a lot of hassle... Big Grin

Thanks, I thought about that, I've seen ads for places locally that do just that. It's just that they wouldn't know what to keep and what not to, so they'd transfer the whole reel or tape. I couldn't tell them either since I haven't a clue as to what's on most of it.

There must be an easy way. Honestech says that it's software is easy for anyone to use, just, "capture, edit and burn". I have the capture and edit down, it just won't let me burn or use the file that it created, and doesn't say why. Their manual is confusing at best. I guess if I upgrade to their "professional" version, then they might let me know.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#5
switcher1 Wrote:(Personally, I use Linux.)

You might like to take a look here, (free software).
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page">http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Category/Video/manipulation">http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Category/ ... nipulation</a><!-- m -->

F.S.F. - Free Software Foundation

Edit: Usually, each program has it's own help forum.

Thanks, I'll give that a look.... Thumbsup
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#6
ezdays Wrote:
switcher1 Wrote:(Personally, I use Linux.)

You might like to take a look here, (free software).
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page">http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Main_Page</a><!-- m -->
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Category/Video/manipulation">http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Category/ ... nipulation</a><!-- m -->

F.S.F. - Free Software Foundation

Edit: Usually, each program has it's own help forum.

Thanks, I'll give that a look.... Thumbsup

You might check Sourceforge.net as well. Search "DVD burn" or something like that. Then if you see one that looks popular, search for reviews to see if it does what it says.

Good luck!

Andrew
Reply
#7
Well, I think I'm doing OK now. I downloaded a popular movie making app from one of those sites that was suggested, but it looked like it was as complicated as any other and I was looking for easy. I ran the "Starter Edition" of MoviePlus, and although it was easy to use, I found out why they call it a "starter edition". You can start, but you can't finish :o ... It will only let me post to the Internet or save the file, but not burn a DVD without buying the full edition. So much for that. Shoot

Anyway, I did some digging and found out why my original program wouldn't write to a DVD is that the "DVD/CD-RW" in the machine I was using meant that you could burn a CD, but only read a DVD disk on it. Icon_lol I guess that I let that one get by me. :oops: My main computer has a DVD-RW, and I was successful in burning a DVD on it yesterday. Now that I did that, I just need to learn how the rest of the program works.

I guess that program knew more about my computer than I did... :oops:

Thanks for your suggestions... Thumbsup
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#8
What format does it let you save the files as?

You can download another program to burn the file to dvd
Tom

Model Conrail

PM me to get a hold of me.
Reply
#9
tomustang Wrote:What format does it let you save the files as?

You can download another program to burn the file to dvd

MoviePlus starter edition only allows you to save it in MWV, while the other one saves it in MPG, AVI, MWV and it's native format as a working file. I think I'm OK now that I found the problem since I did burn one DVD yesterday using the program that came with the device. I could even use Windows to burn it if need be. Like I said, I'm not looking for fancy, just easy.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#10
I just ran across this...Check it out...

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.nomorerack.com/daily_deals/view/863427-honestech_vhs_to_dvd_4_0_conversion_software_kit">http://www.nomorerack.com/daily_deals/v ... ftware_kit</a><!-- m -->

In case you still need it...
Gus (LC&P).
Reply
#11
Steamtrains Wrote:I just ran across this...Check it out...

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.nomorerack.com/daily_deals/view/863427-honestech_vhs_to_dvd_4_0_conversion_software_kit">http://www.nomorerack.com/daily_deals/v ... ftware_kit</a><!-- m -->

In case you still need it...

Thanks Gus, that's basically what I have now. The cable is a bit different but the Honestech software is the same. I finally just abandoned the manual and started pushing buttons and clicking on icons to see what each did. Like a lot of programs, some work a bit different depending on what phase of the program you're in, but after a while I was able to record, edit and burn DVDs that I can actually play on a DVD player.

Most of these programs are difficult to learn, but this one has a manual that only the programmer can understand. Confusing terms, icons that are not even mentioned and instructions that seem to be just plain wrong. :o I have a feeling that the main purpose of doing things this way is to get you to upgrade to a version that they do support better. I found support forums for these upgraded versions, but nothing on this one. Even clicking on "help" only brings you to a copy of the manual, the same one that needs more help than I do. Tongue
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#12
OK, it's been a good five months since I started this project and I've been able to transfer all of my 8MM movies, 35MM slides, VCR tapes, camcorder video and some still pictures to DVDs. Everything I had was analog, so I either had to scan it in using the Honestech software, a slide scanner or my photo scanner. It took a long time to conquer the Honestech program. Trial and error was the only way, and sometimes very frustrating as you could tell by my earlier posts Curse . The hardest media to transfer was the 8MM, since it all was all around 50 years old or better, it was brittle and I now have a whole box of little 8MM bits I can't splice together. Nope I had to project the movies onto a screen, then use a camcorder to record them before putting them into the computer, so the quality isn't great, but at least they are now preserved for posterity. Thumbsup

I also found another program called PhotoStage that let me create slideshows and overlay sound. It worked really well on the slides from our wedding, which again, were well over 50 years old Icon_lol . I was able to use the Honestech software to create DVD using the slideshow plus adding some video clips to them. Between the two programs, I was able to do everything I set out to do, and had my frustrations turn into a happy face. Big Grin I've still got a few hundred still photos to finish scanning, and then create slideshows for them as well, plus a friend is going to scan some negatives that are too big for my 35MM photo scanner.

I just thought you might be interested in how I made out, plus, if any of you have the desire to do the same, I think I can help you get through the process. 2285_
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#13
I have to say after reading what you went thru I have decided to take all my slides and tapes and throw them in the trash and go 219 .

Eek Nope
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
Reply
#14
Tyson Rayles Wrote:I have to say after reading what you went thru I have decided to take all my slides and tapes and throw them in the trash and go 219 .

Eek Nope

A man's got to do what a man's got to do, so they say. If I fished, I think I might have taken that option. Thumbsup Since I don't, but I do target shoot, I could have taken it all out and used them for targets Nope Shoot , but I've seen what other people had left behind after they did that and so I thought I should just copy them as best I could. Icon_lol
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Reply
#15
Yeah Don I thought about using em' for target practice but that does leave a mess that has to be cleaned up Shoot . If I go 219 I can at least put dinner on the table. Misngth
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)