SPJ

I am wanting to transfer DV video from a Digi Camcorder, to my PC, and then top create a CD which will play in a CDR/RW DVD Player.

1st question:Is it easily possible?

2nd Question:What gadgetry do I need to make it work?

I've been looking at various video editing packs, some of which have a card I'd need to indtall into my PC, other have a USB device with composite connectors.

My current PC doesn't have a video capture device, as far as I can tell.

Can anybody offer any advice on the subject, as I'm totally in the dark.

Many thanks.
Steve

dharbige

It is very easy, with the required hardware and software.

Your DV camera will most likely have a digital output, labelled DV, DV-out, i-link or some such thing.

You need a compatible input into your PC, plus some editing software, plus some software to create a CD/DVD.

The type of connection you need is commonly known as "Firewire", and it is basically a very, very fast serial connection. You can by USB Firewire ports, but I personally have doubts about them due to the shear quantity of data and the rate at which it is transmitted. This data also needs to be stored on your hard disk, very quickly. You therefore need a lot of free space (we're talking Gigabytes for 20 minutes of video), and a fast hard disk interface - EIDE will not cut it, you need Ultra ATA-66 or above (or SCSI).

Editing software will probably come with whatever hardware device you buy for video capture, and if you are willing to pay a bit extra you should be able to find a package that can burn CDs/DVDs for you. The packages from Pinnacle Systems are a good place to start.

Hope this helps get you started.

jamesjones

I'v just done the very thing you're looking for.
I purchased a Firewire card for the PC with Videowave bundled in. Cost about £80. You get the lead that connects your DV Camcorder to the Firewire card and it's fairly easy to transfer you video and/or smartcard photos.

Just search for Firewire cards (they appear to be the standard).

J

alistair

You can save the film clip as a VCD provided that your player will support it.

Try VCD Help for detailed info.

You can check player compatibilty here.