Converting Mini-DV to DVDs - seems a bit long winded? Am I doing it efficiently?

judosteffer

Hi all,

Have ben transferring a lot of my mini-DV tapes to DVD.

Just wanted to check I am doing it in the most efficient way possible as it seems a bit long winded to me.

This is what I do:

1) Plug in camcorder using firewire cable - using Windows Movie maker to automatically download in and turn it into an AVI file. (Takes about 1 hour per tape)

2) Use VSO DivX to DVD to turn it into the Video TS files. (Takes about 1-2 hours)

3) Use DVD Shrink to turn it into an ISO file. (takes about 20 mins)

4) Finally use Nero to burn the ISO so my DVD player can play it. (Takes about 20 mins )

Is this is fastest way to do it? Is there any other method that uses free software that eliminates some of these laborious steps??

I dont have a DivX capable DVD player, and as I lend them out to relatives they might not either - I realise if I and my relatives did, this would be quicker. but I dont!

ashlea170706

Hi there! this has come from my OH!

He hasnt tried this yet because he hasnt finshed any discs but the way that he would of done it would of been by copying the movies onto his harddrive either by drag and drop or try dvd dycryptor and then using nero vision to make dvds. hope this helps anymore probs pm me! and i will ask my OH hes the expert! Ash x

albertross_2

You could probably skip step 3. if you have the correct size vob's, in the ts folder, you can just burn the video_ts to (Video) dvd in Nero. You could also capture it direct to mpg, rather than avi then convert, think movie maker in Vista can do this, have a look here for some alternative tools

http://www.videohelp.com/

Easiest way is a under the telly recorder with a firewire input.

BillScarab

What I would do is

1. Connect camcorder via firewire and use Movie Maker to turn it into an AVI

2. Load the AVI into DVD Flick and that will convert it and burn it to DVD

DVD Flick is free and can be found here

It may not be a lot faster as video converison does take a while but it's a lot simpler.

unrich

On a mac.

run iMovie 06
load your footage
edit your footage (optional)
create movie

run iDVD
import movie
create and burn DVD

wonka

If you have Nero, does that come with Nero Vision Express?

I use that to turn miniDV into DVD.

1) Just capture onto AVI
2) Edit if necessary
3) Define menus / chapters
4) Burn to DVD

Simple.