MiniDV to MPEG

[kimomakano]

I am not sure if this is the right place, but here goes.

I recently purchased a DV Camcorder that uses MiniDV tapes. Previously I had an analog behemoth that I used.

It seems to me like there is no real advantage (time wise) in using Digital vs Analog since I still can only import to my pc as an AVI file and need to encode it to MPEG (I use TMPGEnc) and it seems to take the same amount of time.

Am I missing something?

[Floppy]

Maybe...

Have you tried using a diferent capture and editing software like Ulead VideoStudio 8?

I am sure you can capture from DV to PC as a Movie file not just AVI...

[sfheath]

Originally posted by kimomakano
It seems to me like there is no real advantage (time wise) in using Digital vs Analog since I still can only import to my pc as an AVI file and need to encode it to MPEG (I use TMPGEnc) and it seems to take the same amount of time.

Am I missing something?

But you are now doing a file transfer between the machines?
This should be far more reliable than the precarious art of 'streaming' an analogue signal into your PC for capturing into the AVI?
So, you have in fact eliminated 'capturing'?

[kimomakano]

Originally posted by sfheath
But you are now doing a file transfer between the machines?
This should be far more reliable than the precarious art of 'streaming' an analogue signal into your PC for capturing into the AVI?
So, you have in fact eliminated 'capturing'?

Thanks for the feedback, BUT, it is still actually capturing regardless because there is no way to do a "file transfer" between a PC and a MiniDV tape. It still has to go through the process of 'playing the tape' and receiving it in the PC via the firewire.

What I am talking about is the encoding process from AVI to MPG. This process seems to still take the same amount of time as with analog.

Does this make sense?

[setarip]

Do a search for capture software that allows you to CAPTURE as MPEG.

(Ulead as mentioned by "Floppy", and Pinnacle are a couple of publishers that come to mind)

[Floppy]

Ulead VideoStudio 8 for one will let you tranfer your finished project back to the camcorder's DV tape.... In the same format...

I never tried single files of an unfinished project...

[sfheath]

Originally posted by kimomakano
Thanks for the feedback, BUT, it is still actually capturing regardless because there is no way to do a "file transfer" between a PC and a MiniDV tape. It still has to go through the process of 'playing the tape' and receiving it in the PC via the firewire.
....
Does this make sense?

Ah, my mistake. Thanks for correcting me.

[kimomakano]

I did a search of "Capture as MPEG" and found some info. One search result led me to check out a Hauppauge DV-Wizard Pro Model 848 Digital. I am led to believe from the information that this capture device will let me capture as MPEG.

Is anyone aware of this device and if it will do what I want?

Thanks.

[setarip]

Rather than a HARDWARE solution, you still may want to do a search for capture SOFTWARE that allows you to capture as MPEG.

E.G. Do a Googlesearch (INCLUDE quotes and "AND") for:

"software" and "MPEG" and "capture"