Tom's Hardware > Forum > Graphic & Displays > TV/Video Cards > What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV?

What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV?

Forum Graphic & Displays : TV/Video Cards - What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV?

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What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV and hopefully writing to
DVD? I'm finding the MotionDV Studio software bundled with my Panasonic
Mini DV bewildering and confusing. It also won't create anything better
than a MPEG1s from the .avi. Thanks for your opinions.

Paul

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"pjruiz(nospaam)" <"pjruiz(nospaam)"@charter.net> wrote in message
news:HJ77e.3594$OU6.769@fe02.lga...
> What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV and hopefully writing to
> DVD? I'm finding the MotionDV Studio software bundled with my Panasonic
> Mini DV bewildering and confusing. It also won't create anything better
> than a MPEG1s from the .avi. Thanks for your opinions.

You haven't said what kind of projects you're planning -- minimal editing of
family videos will result in a different recommendation than if your goals
are more ambitious.

I capture with Scenealyzer Live, edit in Adobe Premiere Pro, transcode to
mpeg with tmpgenc, author in Adobe Encore and burn to DVD with Nero.

Scenalyzer Live is a good choice for capturing, regardless of what you want
to do -- it's inexpensive, quite flexible and easy to use.

For editing, if you're more the family video type, I'd recommend Adobe
Premiere Elements or Studio 9 (if you can get the latter to run on your
computer). Note that, with these kinds of programs, you won't be doing much
in the way of correcting color or under/over exposure, compositing (special
effects that involve building up layers of video), elaborate transitions,
audio control, etc.

Tmpgenc is a good choice for transcoding -- you'll get extremely high
quality mpeg, though the program is very slow. Remember, though, that you
have to transcode only once, so the additional time is, in my opinion, worth
it.

I'm not familiar with the inexpensive DVD authoring packages. However, as a
general rule, the less expensive the package, the less flexible the DVD
structure with respect to doing menus (motion menus, thumbnails, etc.),
multiple videos on timelines, etc.

Most inexpensive DVD packages will also burn a DVD, though it's a very
simple matter to burn one from a good burning program like Nero, once it's
been authored.

>
> Paul

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"pjruiz" wrote ...
> What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV and hopefully
> writing to DVD? I'm finding the MotionDV Studio software
> bundled with my Panasonic Mini DV bewildering and confusing.
> It also won't create anything better than a MPEG1s from the .avi.
> Thanks for your opinions.

What are you trying to do? What is your budget?
Depending on parts of your situation you didn't reveal,
a standalone DVD writer may be the best solution.

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Paul,

I think I can handle all of those phases OK, but I'm not satisfied with
my editor. My editing needs are pretty simple - fades, cuts, titles,
basic transitions etc. No color, exposure correction or layers
anticipated. I need a more user friendly editor than my current program-
MotionDV Studio- seems to be. I'll check out the Adobe program you
mentioned. Thanks.

Paul

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"pjruiz(nospaam)" <"pjruiz(nospaam)"@charter.net> wrote in message
news:61a7e.3612$OU6.2124@fe02.lga...
> Paul,
>
> I think I can handle all of those phases OK, but I'm not satisfied with my
> editor. My editing needs are pretty simple - fades, cuts, titles, basic
> transitions etc. No color, exposure correction or layers anticipated. I
> need a more user friendly editor than my current program- MotionDV Studio-
> seems to be. I'll check out the Adobe program you mentioned. Thanks.
>
> Paul

Also check out Windows Media Producer free from Microsoft. I may have the
name not quite right. I played with it a year or so ago and became
convinced that it was simple to use and did most of what one asks of an
editing program for non-professional purposes --- even many professional
projects, now that I think of it.

Steve King

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Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

"pjruiz(nospaam)" wrote ...
> What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV and hopefully
> writing to DVD? I'm finding the MotionDV Studio software
> bundled with my Panasonic Mini DV bewildering and confusing.
> It also won't create anything better than a MPEG1s from the
> .avi. Thanks for your opinions.

I use Adobe Premiere to capture and edit and convert to MP2
I believe it actually uses the MainConcept MPEG engine.
I use Adobe Encore to author and write DVDs.
I am quite pleased with the combination as I went through several
DVD authoring programs before Encore with zero success.

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Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

pjruiz(nospaam)" <"pjruiz(nospaam) wrote:
> What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV and hopefully writing
> to DVD? I'm finding the MotionDV Studio software bundled with my
> Panasonic Mini DV bewildering and confusing. It also won't create
> anything better than a MPEG1s from the .avi. Thanks for your opinions.
>
> Paul

For $100 list (cheaper at the chain stores, I'm sure), it's hard to beat
Sony's Vegas Movie Studio+DVD.
More info and a trial download at
http://mediasoftware.sonypictures. [...] sp?PID=932
And if you ever want to upgrade to the full version of Vegas, there is an
upgrade path.

Mike

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

> What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV
Vegas Video - does all three just perfectly and so easy, I didn't have
to read the manual (although included one is very comprehensive). I'll
have to put in Windows XP Movie Maker here for the poor - it's free, in
XP, and does work fine for the basics here. But all of my weddings have
been done in Vegas Video.

http://mediasoftware.sonypictures. [...] family.asp

and hopefully writing to
> DVD?
Ulead DVD Workshop on the mid-end (powerful, does the trick for most
moderate complexity DVDs); Sonic MyDVD for the low-end (easy to use,
also does the capture, render, DVD part quite well if you don't want to
edit much at all).

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

Otherwise, Mac iMovie + iDVD for the lower end (free with new Macs, such
as the $599 Mac Mini); Final Cut Pro + DVD Studio on a Mac.

http://www.apple.com/macmini/

http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/
http://www.apple.com/dvdstudiopro/

eg. "Cold Mountain" movie editing on FCP
http://www.apple.com/pro/film/murch/

---

The Mac software are easier to use than the PC software for most users,
so I'd lean that way if you're looking into a new system as well. iDVD
has very, very nice layouts as well, and far better choices/selections
than anything on the PC side. So brain-dead easy, you've got kids
sitting in the Apple stores learning how to make their own DVDs from
camcorders on iMovie/iDVD in their free monthly lessons.

For the price, headaches you'll save, and time to setup and learn,
buying a Mac mini for $599 just for the iMovie, iDVD, Garageband trio is
a solid idea to consider.

http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/
http://www.apple.com/ilife/idvd/
http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/

http://www.apple.com/ilife/idvd/theater/newthemes.html

There are a lot of people (general users) who have spent hours and hours
on a PC trying to do the entire capture -> process -> edit -> render ->
DVD, but still can't make a DVD video look as good as what you can
easily produce on a Mac. Honestly, consider if you want the easy way or
the hard way through this process.

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

pjruiz(nospaam) wrote:
> What do you like for capturing/editing video/DV and hopefully writing
to
> DVD? I'm finding the MotionDV Studio software bundled with my
Panasonic
> Mini DV bewildering and confusing. It also won't create anything
better
> than a MPEG1s from the .avi. Thanks for your opinions.
>
> Paul

I've had really good luck with Cyberlink Power Director 4
http://www.video-editing-software- [...] +director.
It's cheap too, around 90 bucks

I can capture analogue or digi, edit clips, edit colors and brigtness
etc, easily, it has a range of conversion options too. Most importantly
it is pretty intuitive I think. They have a free download of the full
version you can try before you buy.
Cyberlink has a DVD burner program too but I've never bought or used
that.

Reply to Anonymous

Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (More info?)

Thanks to all for your input. I just sprung for the Adobe Elements
3/Premiere combo for $100 after $30 rebate and free o'night shipping
from Amazon. I'll try Premiere for awhile and hopefully won't have to
ask the question again.

Thanks again,

Paul

Reply to Anonymous

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