HELP! How to download DVD to computer and edit, etc.?

[dmger14]

Hello. My wife and I got the Sony Handycam DVR-DVD500 about a year ago. It is a digital camcorder that tapes to a small DVD disc. After we finalize the disc, it's just like a DVD. We have quite a few of our finalized discs, and regular DVD discs from friends with digital cameras who burned to DVDs, mostly football games of my sons.

I can put the software in my computer and play the DVDs, but don't know how to copy to the computer or edit. How can I get software that will transfer the DVD to the computer and allow me to edit so I can make a highlight film collage of the entire year's footaball season to a song? We were supposed to get a disc with the video recorder, but it isn't in the box and I don't know if we ever did get one. Even still, I figured that since it is in DVD format, any software that can handle that format would do, it doesn't have to be Sony software. Any help would be greatly appreciated! We have the DVD-R format of mini disc and regular DVD, if that helps.

Thanks!!!!!!!!

[blutach]

Use ImgBurn in 2 steps - read mode first, then switch to write mode.

Regards

[dmger14]

Thanks Les! I will try this tonight!..........

[dmger14]

I loaded imgburn on my computer and burned a video disc from my CD ROM drive to my desktop, which automatically saved the file with the extention ".ISO". However, when I click on the file on my desktop to play it on my computer, it tries to open it with "RecordNow" but can't do it because it is unavailable or something to that effect. I also tried opening the video on my desktop with other applications like Windows Media Player, QuickTime and another I can't name off the top of my head, but cannot play it through name due to the video file being in a different format. (The only thing I can do is play a video from the CD Rom with my current software installed before imgburn).

How can I play videos on my computer that were transferred from imgburn to the hard drive? What I want to be able to do it edit them to make a single highlight video, but I at least need to be able to play them as well.

If I burn the video file now on my hard drive to a disc, will it play on a DVD player that plays DVD - R discs, or may there be formatting issues that will render it unable to play?

[blutach]

Get VLC Media player (free) - it can play ISO files. www.videolan.org

If you burn it to a DVD in write mode, it will play.

Regards

[dmger14]

Great, I will try it. This solves my play and copy problems, which is most of what I want to do. At some point, however, I will want software to edit video files so I can (1) email family small clips taken from an hour long video file, and (2) make a single highlight video from small video clips taken from many different video files.

Baby steps for me since I am new to all this. I really appreciate your help Les!!!

[blutach]

Great editing software is mentioned in our Authoring & Editing forum. In particular, stuff like PgcEdit, VobBlanker and DVD Remake Pro are excellent tools.

Regards