Convert VHS home movies to DVD using freeware on a Windows PC

Can I simply convert home VHS tapes & 8mm & DV home movies to DVD with
freeware?

A few years ago, I converted a VHS tape to DVD using a horrendously
difficult and long process that took days - but worked. Is there a better
(freeware?) method today?

Here's what I did then.
* I played the tape in my VHS machine
* The VHS player analog out (red/white/yellow) went to my dv camcorder
* The firewire out of the camcorder went into my 1.2 Ghz PC
* Pinnacle Studio 9 created a huuuuuuuge avi file (17Gbytes/hour)
* Pinnacle Studio 9 allowed me to edit scenes, add menus, etc.
* Pinnacle Studio 9 converted to an MPEG file
* Pinnacle Studio 9 authored a DVD image (VIDEO_TS) directory
* My DVD burner program burned the DVD

The problem with this method was time. The DVD conversion step alone took
10 hours for a full 34Gbyte avi file of my home movie, so I gave up after
just converting a couple of VHS movies.

Is the state of affairs in freeware & computing better nowadays?
That is, can I simplify this horrendously long and complex task nowadays?
I know I have to start with a huge AVI file but can I simplify the rest of
the steps.

a) If I don't wish to edit, is there freeware that can convert the incoming
AVI file to DVD in a single pass?

b) If I wish to edit, is there newer freeware that replaces my old Pinnacle
Studio 9?

c) If I buy a VHS/DVD dual unit, how does it know how LARGE the incoming
data is (I don't get how it knows how much to compress if it does it in
real time).

Please help me!

In article , Tia B.
McMahon wrote:

A few years ago, I converted a VHS tape to DVD using a horrendously
difficult and long process that took days - but worked. Is there a better
(freeware?) method today?

Your life would have been simpler if you'd used a Mac. All the software
you need to make DVDs is included...and you don't need an instruction
book or 15 steps.

In article ,
says...
In article , Tia B.
McMahon wrote:

A few years ago, I converted a VHS tape to DVD using a horrendously
difficult and long process that took days - but worked. Is there a better
(freeware?) method today?

Your life would have been simpler if you'd used a Mac. All the software
you need to make DVDs is included...and you don't need an instruction
book or 15 steps.

What a great idea! Why didn't this nimrod even think of plunking down
$2500 for a Mac? I'm sure he has the cash in his front left pocket...
the dodo. As for you, Mr. Start... bravo!... for showing all of us PC
users what assholes Mac users can be. Thank you.

Al "my PC out performs your G5" Cat

http://www.megamacs.com/v1/index.php?cat=10004&G=1

Notice that even with these "super low" prices, they're USED Macs

Response from AlleyCat :

In article ,
says...
In article ,
Tia B. McMahon wrote:

A few years ago, I converted a VHS tape to DVD using a
horrendously difficult and long process that took days - but
worked. Is there a better (freeware?) method today?

Your life would have been simpler if you'd used a Mac. All the
software you need to make DVDs is included...and you don't need
an instruction book or 15 steps.

What a great idea! Why didn't this nimrod even think of plunking
down $2500 for a Mac? I'm sure he has the cash in his front left
pocket... the dodo. As for you, Mr. Start... bravo!... for showing
all of us PC users what assholes Mac users can be. Thank you.

Al "my PC out performs your G5" Cat

http://www.megamacs.com/v1/index.php?cat=10004&G=1

Notice that even with these "super low" prices, they're USED Macs

I agree. It served no purpose other than to show how useless they
and their opinion are.

Now, in a constructive manner -- it is funny because a Mac user would
have all of the available tools to capture video and burn it to DVD
in optimal situations.

However, even I would rather work on my PC. I am to the point where
I can do things equally fast on both systems, but I rarely do
anything other than graphics or test Web pages on my Mac.

--
-Lost
Remove the extra words to reply by e-mail. Don't e-mail me. I am
kidding. No I am not.

Mr. Strat wrote:
In article , Tia B.
McMahon wrote:

A few years ago, I converted a VHS tape to DVD using a horrendously
difficult and long process that took days - but worked. Is there a better
(freeware?) method today?

Your life would have been simpler if you'd used a Mac. All the software
you need to make DVDs is included...and you don't need an instruction
book or 15 steps.

fu set.

--
lsmft

-Lost wrote:
Response from AlleyCat :

In article ,
says...
In article ,
Tia B. McMahon wrote:

A few years ago, I converted a VHS tape to DVD using a
horrendously difficult and long process that took days - but
worked. Is there a better (freeware?) method today?
Your life would have been simpler if you'd used a Mac. All the
software you need to make DVDs is included...and you don't need
an instruction book or 15 steps.
What a great idea! Why didn't this nimrod even think of plunking
down $2500 for a Mac? I'm sure he has the cash in his front left
pocket... the dodo. As for you, Mr. Start... bravo!... for showing
all of us PC users what assholes Mac users can be. Thank you.

Al "my PC out performs your G5" Cat

http://www.megamacs.com/v1/index.php?cat=10004&G=1

Notice that even with these "super low" prices, they're USED Macs

I agree. It served no purpose other than to show how useless they
and their opinion are.

Now, in a constructive manner -- it is funny because a Mac user would
have all of the available tools to capture video and burn it to DVD
in optimal situations.

However, even I would rather work on my PC. I am to the point where
I can do things equally fast on both systems, but I rarely do
anything other than graphics or test Web pages on my Mac.

splendid. fu set

"Tia B. McMahon" wrote in message
. net...
Can I simply convert home VHS tapes & 8mm & DV home movies to DVD with
freeware?

A few years ago, I converted a VHS tape to DVD using a horrendously
difficult and long process that took days - but worked. Is there a better
(freeware?) method today?

Here's what I did then.
* I played the tape in my VHS machine
* The VHS player analog out (red/white/yellow) went to my dv camcorder
* The firewire out of the camcorder went into my 1.2 Ghz PC
* Pinnacle Studio 9 created a huuuuuuuge avi file (17Gbytes/hour)
* Pinnacle Studio 9 allowed me to edit scenes, add menus, etc.
* Pinnacle Studio 9 converted to an MPEG file
* Pinnacle Studio 9 authored a DVD image (VIDEO_TS) directory
* My DVD burner program burned the DVD

The problem with this method was time. The DVD conversion step alone took
10 hours for a full 34Gbyte avi file of my home movie, so I gave up after
just converting a couple of VHS movies.

Is the state of affairs in freeware & computing better nowadays?
That is, can I simplify this horrendously long and complex task nowadays?
I know I have to start with a huge AVI file but can I simplify the rest of
the steps.

a) If I don't wish to edit, is there freeware that can convert the
incoming
AVI file to DVD in a single pass?

b) If I wish to edit, is there newer freeware that replaces my old
Pinnacle
Studio 9?

c) If I buy a VHS/DVD dual unit, how does it know how LARGE the incoming
data is (I don't get how it knows how much to compress if it does it in
real time).

Please help me!

You wouldn't need a "dual format" recorder, a regular
DVD Recorder would do. That's assuming that you have
an acceptable means of playing the media you have. You
can probably do all the editing for a "home movie" using
an inexpensive MPEG capable editing package like those
offered by Ulead or Magix. There isn't much in the way of
free MPEG capable editing programs out there.


http://www.magix.com/us/movie-edit-pro/

http://www.ulead.com/runme.htm

Both have free trial downloads.

This approach will greatly speed up the process.


Luck;
Ken

"Tia B. McMahon" wrote in
. net:

Can I simply convert home VHS tapes & 8mm & DV home movies to DVD with
freeware?

A few years ago, I converted a VHS tape to DVD using a horrendously
difficult and long process that took days - but worked. Is there a
better (freeware?) method today?

Here's what I did then.
* I played the tape in my VHS machine
* The VHS player analog out (red/white/yellow) went to my dv camcorder
* The firewire out of the camcorder went into my 1.2 Ghz PC
* Pinnacle Studio 9 created a huuuuuuuge avi file (17Gbytes/hour)
* Pinnacle Studio 9 allowed me to edit scenes, add menus, etc.
* Pinnacle Studio 9 converted to an MPEG file
* Pinnacle Studio 9 authored a DVD image (VIDEO_TS) directory
* My DVD burner program burned the DVD

The problem with this method was time. The DVD conversion step alone
took 10 hours for a full 34Gbyte avi file of my home movie, so I gave
up after just converting a couple of VHS movies.

Is the state of affairs in freeware & computing better nowadays?
That is, can I simplify this horrendously long and complex task
nowadays? I know I have to start with a huge AVI file but can I
simplify the rest of the steps.
The state of affairs in computing is that a new computer will run about
three times faster than the one you have and do the conversion faster.


a) If I don't wish to edit, is there freeware that can convert the
incoming AVI file to DVD in a single pass?
It's not free, but ConvertXtoDVD will do this quickly and simply. I don't
think you will find a free program to do this since the software companies
must pay to license the MPEG2 codec.


b) If I wish to edit, is there newer freeware that replaces my old
Pinnacle Studio 9?
VirtualDub will do simple AVI editing and compress your giant file into an
AVI that is a more manageable size.


c) If I buy a VHS/DVD dual unit, how does it know how LARGE the
incoming data is (I don't get how it knows how much to compress if it
does it in real time).
It knows how much to compress because you manually set the compression
beforehand. They have settings for high, medium, low quality or 1, 2, 4
hours. These are really approximations because the complexity of frame
images and amount of motion are the real determinants.


Please help me!

On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:05:52 -0500, Ken Maltby wrote:
You wouldn't need a "dual format" recorder, a regular
DVD Recorder would do. That's assuming that you have
an acceptable means of playing the media you have. You
can probably do all the editing for a "home movie" using
an inexpensive MPEG capable editing package like those
offered by Ulead or Magix. There isn't much in the way of
free MPEG capable editing programs out there.

I'm confused. Wouldn't I edit using the uncompressed AVI file and not the
MPEG file? Wouldn't I need a freeware AVI editor?

And, I'm confused about the "regular DVD recorder". Are you suggesting I
can output from my regular VHS player directly into a regular DVD recorder?
I didn't know that was possible. Is it?

How do most of YOU convert your VHS home video tapes to DVD using freeware?

"Tia B. McMahon" wrote in message
et...
On Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:05:52 -0500, Ken Maltby wrote:
You wouldn't need a "dual format" recorder, a regular
DVD Recorder would do. That's assuming that you have
an acceptable means of playing the media you have. You
can probably do all the editing for a "home movie" using
an inexpensive MPEG capable editing package like those
offered by Ulead or Magix. There isn't much in the way of
free MPEG capable editing programs out there.

I'm confused. Wouldn't I edit using the uncompressed AVI file and not the
MPEG file? Wouldn't I need a freeware AVI editor?


Your post indicated that you were wishing to go from
VHS and other Analog video sources to edited DVD
compliant MPEG as it would exist in a DVD made on
your PC. You said that your main problem was the
great deal of time it took to convert (encode) your AVI
file to a DVD compliant MPEG file.

There are now inexpensive MPEG capable Editing
programs.

You mention buying a DVD Recorder that is a VHS
Recorder as well. The DVD Recorder can use some
form of DVD-RW or DVD-RAM disk to bring the
DVD Compliant MPEG (in the DVD .vob files) to
your PC for editing. There would be no lengthy
conversion required for the edited DVD Compliant
MPEG. You would just author your new movie(s)
into a DVD.



And, I'm confused about the "regular DVD recorder". Are you suggesting I
can output from my regular VHS player directly into a regular DVD
recorder?
I didn't know that was possible. Is it?


Yes, especially for your unencrypted/ copy protected
video. Also, I posted regular "DVD Recorder", the kind
of thing you put in your livingroom and connect to your TV.
They are very often connected to a VCR, as well.


How do most of YOU convert your VHS home video tapes to DVD using
freeware?

I do the following: Play the tape in my VCR providing a
composite video signal to my RCA DRC8000N DVD
Recorder (where the signal is processed by a TBC and
NR circuitry before it is output as S-Video) this I feed
through 4 R6 coax cables (2 audio and the 2 for the
S-Video) to a capture card in one of my PCs. I then
use software that I've paid for to edit the video, author
a DVD, and burn it to a blank disk. In some cases I
record to a DVD+RW disk and bring that to a PC,
for editing.

If you must have freeware DVD Authoring you can
check the "Tool" listings at

www.videohelp.com for the few that are available.

So of the options you presented, you have (1) letting
a DVD Recorder encode your VCR's output to DVD
Compliant MPEG and being able to quickly edit and
author to a new DVD, or (2) using your old method
and editing in DV25 AVI then encoding to DVD
Compliant MPEG (which on a 1.2 Ghz PC, will take
quite a long time), before you can author a new DVD.

Luck;
Ken