Capture video - need baby steps

[grammy444]

I have a Canon ZR65 camcorder, and am using Windows XP home edition and had some very newbie questions about capturing video. I have had the camcorder 3 years, and never did anything with any of the video, but would now like to capture to my HD and then burn to DVD. At this time I dont have any interest in editing, just getting what I have from point A to point B.

I connect the camcorder via a firewire, and am offered several options
1. Record video, using Windows Movie Maker
2. Capture and edit video using Ulead Video Studio 7
3. Start encoding, using Windows Media encoder 9
4. Capture video with NeroVision Express
5. Do nothing

I first tried, using the NeroVision, as it seemed easy to use, but the audio was garbled. Next tried the Windows movie maker, and used CD Burner XP Pro3 to burn to a DVD, but seemed to have a problem playing it back on my laptop, which gave me the option of using either Windows media player or IntervideoWinDVD4. It played with the Media Player, but not the other.
The format is .wmv.

So, main question is, what is the easiest way and easiest program to use to capture video and audio, and then burn to a DVd so it can be viewed on both a computer and a DVD player? I really liked the Nero program, but with the audio not coming thru would not want to use it. Maybe there is some setting in the program to capture the audio better?

As I said, I know nothing about any of this, other than the fact that I do have the programs to make this work!

[drfsupercenter]

What format is the camera using, is it DV or does it use analog tapes?

[paglamon]

U said u have Ulead Video Studio 7.This should be ur best option with the available resources.See this for help with Ulead.http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewfor...?f=1&sid=cNero Serial Removed7be

@DRF, he said he could transfer using firewire;so,he is using DV.

[grammy444]

Sorry, I should have said, it is DV, not analog.

[grammy444]

U said u have Ulead Video Studio 7.This should be ur best option with the available resources.See this for help with Ulead.http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewfor...?f=1&sid=cNero Serial Removed7be

Thanks, I will check out the Ulead forum and see if it helps. I think part of the problem is 1)having too many choices and 2)not knowing about the different formats when the video is saved to the HD.

[paglamon]

When u use firewire,transfer the video to PC as DV-AVI(about 13GB per hour).Now edit this video in UVS and produce ur final DVD files using UVS.It is not very difficult and the HELP files of UVS may be all u need to guide u in the right path.Good luck.

[grammy444]

When u use firewire,transfer the video to PC as DV-AVI(about 13GB per hour).Now edit this video in UVS and produce ur final DVD files using UVS.It is not very difficult and the HELP files of UVS may be all u need to guide u in the right path.Good luck.

Thanks - I will play around with it over the weekend and if I am still having probelms will be back on Tues.

[grammy444]

Still having problems

OK I have played around with my camera, and connected the firewire to capture the video. I used the free Win DV to capture it, in the AVI format and saved to my desktop. Then used my Ulead program to create a project, or join the clips/frames together. Could not do much more there as I have found that my Ulead program is Ulead basic, and my Nero is Vision Express, both of which are not complete programs and only allow capture and editing, but no DVD burning.

I did some very basic editing (which right now is more than I want to do) and saved it, both as an AVI file which was over 2gb, and as a MPEG file, which for some reason shows up on my desktop as a Nero MediaPlayer file. Tried to burn the AVI file using CPBurner XP Pro3, and for some reason could not. Used the other file and could burn to DVD but quality is terrible - colors are faded and video not sharp. Am I saving it in the wrong format to burn to DVD, or what? At this point I only want to get the video from the camcorder to the HD and then to the DVD, nothing fancy!
BJ

[wayupnth]

DVD burner

You may want to try updating the firmware in your DVD burner. I have seen that be the problem more than once

[grammy444]

How do I update the firmware for my DVD burner? I did find some other reference to doing that, and was directed to some site to do it, and there was a caution that it should be done only be experienced users, which I most definitely am not. How do you know if it needs updating?

[toomanycats]

Go to the manufacturers website for your DVD player. If it caame with your computer look up the model number then go to manufacterer's site and download the firmware to a folder. Run the firmware from that folder. Do not run the firmware from the site save to a folder first. You will most undoubtedly(SP?) have to reboot your computer, not a big deal really. I have Ulead Studio 7. I used to convert AVI's to MPEG without much loss at all. It may be easier to burn to a DVD in that format. It's a good ideal toupdate firmware for DVD drives as they do find bugs.