Making DVD's from tapes

Hello All,
I'm one of those guys that knows enough to get myself in trouble with these things. I have a TDK 880 +/- internal burner and am having a heck of a time trying to convert my video tapes to DVD's. I copied a video to my HD and tried to drag it into the program..first frisbie. Was told to let the program convert..second frisbie..no sound. Next try, sound was good, video was all pixels...third frisbie. Next,sound was good, video quality was almost as good as my Hi-8, but was almost in B & W...fourth frisbie.
I'm using the Roxio full program that came with the DVD. What am I doing wrong? Are there step by step instructions for those of us that have no idea what we are doing??
Thanks for your help!

 

What Type of Capture Device do you have??? What Format are you captureing to??? And DONT use Roxio to Create a DVD, Roxio is one of the Worst Software Companies there are and the Programs are all Flash and No substance and the Mpeg2 encoder used By Roxio Sucks so you will never get the best Quality useing it...To do this Stuff Properly with any sort of Quality there is a Bit of Work Involved cuz if you leave it up to a Program to make decisions for you you will allways get Crap...
To do this the easy way but with a Bit less Quality than a More Complex way you Could use a Mpeg Capture Program Like "Intervideo WinDVR 3.0" you can use it to Record the Hi-8 Footage directly to a DVD Compliant Mpeg2 File and then you would Just need a DVD Authoring Program to create the Menu"s and Chapters and to Burn the DVD, Something easy would be "Tmpgenc DVD Author" but I prefer "DVD-Lab"..You can download a fully working version of "Tmpgenc DVD author" at http://www.pegasys-inc.com/en/index.html
of if you want to use a More complex Program to author the DVD then you can try DVD-Lab here: http://www.mediachance.com/dvdlab/ .....
You can get a Demo of WinDVR 3.0 here :
http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/Product_Download.jsp?p=WinDVR .....
A more complex but the Best quality way would be to use a Capture Program Like Virtual-Dub or Virtual-VCR or IU_VCR to Capture the Hi-8 Footage to AVI useing the HuffYUV Codec and then Useing a High Quality Mpeg2 Encoder to encode the AVI file to Mpeg2 for DVD and then Author the Mpeg2 file to DVD useing a DVD authoring program Like one of the ones I mentioned before....
Well after 4 Frizbies I"d think it was time for a Differant technique and this will work better than the one you are useing Now so give it a Shot and if you need any help let me know....Cheers

 

Wow Minion, I broke out in a sweat reading that one!
I'm using an ATI AIW Radeon AGP video card, with S-Video. I'm recording in MPeg 2 as the format. AMD 2100 with 512DDR, 20 & 120 gig HD. Amazing, I was told by Best Buy that Roxio was the best DVD burner program out there! I guess I will download a couple of those programs and try not to make any more frisbies. When I bought this I was told all I have to do is drag the video to the program and burn it!!! No, I don't want to buy beach front property in the desert!! Since my CD burner was like that, thought this would be the same. I used the Roxio program to convert the video from the HD to something the program would recognize. I didn't try menu's or chapters. Just tried to burn as is. I was disapointed that it didn't have some type of software to add titles and some type of lead. I will try the programs you mentioned. I would be happy with the quality that I have on the tape.
Thanks for your help!

 

The Format On DVD"s is Mpeg2 so if you Capture your Mpeg2 file Useing the ATI Multimedia Center at 720+480 and 29.97fps and a Video Bitrate under 9000kbs at the Highest Quality your CPU can handle without dropping Frames then all you Need to do is take that captured File and Load it into a DVD authoring program Like "Tmpgenc DVD author" and you add you menu"s and Chapters and create the DVD ,There will Not be any Re-encodeing at all so the Quality of the File you capture will be the Quality of the Final DVD ,The Roxio Software Peobably re-encodes every file which Lowers the Quality..Poeple at retail Stores Rarely Know what they are Talking about ,They just want to sell you stuff and becides Most of the Good Software can not be Bought in most retail Stores only on Line or in specialty stores...Well Good Luck

 

I guess this is one of those learning curves, and I am about ready to leave the road. I'll figure it out eventually.
Thanks for your help Minion.

 

Minion,
I have been reading around these forums and I am trying to figure out my best method of converting VCR to DVD.
I have a Leadtek WinFast card for capture. I was going to use WinDVR to get the video at the high bit rate you suggested. 20,000.
Which program can I use,(that is farely inexpensive) to re-convert the mpeg to dvd standards as well as keeping the ac3 format.
I see most encoders only have pcm format that takes up more disk space.
I eventually want to use DVD-Lab to complete the project. I just don't know what to do with this middle step? Thanks for any suggestions.

 

also...
Is it safe to convert to mp2 for audio? I believe the standard for audio playback is AC3 or PCM, but not 100 pos on the subject.
Any suggestions would be great! thanks!

 

Well What you Can go to re-encode the File to DVD Specs is to first use "DVD2AVI" to Make a D2V project File and to demux the AC3 audio from the Mpeg2 file, and then you Load the D2V project File into Tmpgenc and encodeing it useing DVD Specs but make sure the Bitrate is Low enough so the Movie fits on a DVD-R, then after encodeing Just the Video you Load it and the demuxed AC3 into DVD-Lab and Author your DVD...I don"t know if you have ever used DVD2AVI to Frameserve Mpeg2 Video to Tmpgenc but if you have this is Basicly the same Method you would use if you were to Back up a DVD to VCD or SVCD useing Tmpgenc...If you want me to explain the steps in More detail Let me Know and I"ll Post step Bt Step Instructions....Cheers

PS: Generally Speaking Mp2 audio is Not 100% DVD Compliant on NTSC DVD"s unless there is either a AC3 or LPCM Audio Track also Present but I have never heard of a DVD Player refuseing to Play Mp2 audio..Mp2 is 100% DVD Compliant as the Only audio Track on Pal DVD"s though.....

 

Thanks for the Reply
Dvd2Avi looks easy enough to use. I think I can figure it out. It looks like you just open the mgpeg and then demux under the audio feature.
A couple more questions:

Is this going to cause any audio video sync problems? Is their anything I should look out for to keep this from happening if so?

If I record to mp2 or pcm for that matter, Is their a way to convert these audio files to AC3? I have heard of Besweet but read it wasn't to Dolby standard. Any other handy audio encoders? Thanks again.

I am just learning all the different products and you seem pretty knowledgable with this stuff.

 

Yes, In DVD2AVI you Just set the Audio to Demux and then go to "File" to "save Project" and save the Project File ,and then use the Project File as the Video source in Tmpgenc , You should also Copy and Paste the "DVD2AVI.vfp" file from the DVD2AVI folder to the Tmpgenc installation folder, This will Make sure that Tmpgenc can read the D2V project File...If you are Useing WinDVR 3.0 you shouldn"t have any Sync problems ,Well I never did...It would be better if you Captured directly to AC3 with WinDVR 3.0 instead of Trying to encode Mp2 or LPCM Audio to AC3 because there aren"t really any Freeware AC3 encoders accept Besweet which Isn"t a Very Good encoder and Most other AC3 encoders require that you use Mono Wav/PCM files as the source to make the AC3 files, So if you wanted to make a 6 chanell Dolby Surround File you would need a seperate Mono Wav file for each Audio chanell..I use the AC3 encoder that comes with the Vegas Video 4/DVD architect Package but it is a $600 Software Package...Some DVD Authoring programs will encode the Audio to AC3 for you Like Tmpgenc DVD author has a AC3 Plugin , and the New Ulead DVD Workshop 2.0 also has AC3 encodeing..I actually just got the New DVD Workshop 2.0 yesterday and it was selling for allmost $500 But it seems Like a pretty Cool Program so Far , it supports Multiple selectable audio Tracks and you can Make your Own Subtitles by Typeing them in Scene by scene useing your own Fonts and Colors ,It is Pretty Cool as I have never seen a feature Quite like that in a Authoring Program..Well Good Luck

 

Thanks,
This info is very helpful. I think I am about ready to start my conversions. I only have one more question.

What authoring program do you think is better. DVD-LAB or Tmpeg DVD author. I like the idea of DVD-Lab not re-encoding with some crappy encoding engine. Thanks

The process I think I have decided to take is:
1 Copy the VHS using WinDVR3
2 Demux the AC3 file with DVD2AVI
3 Re-encode just the video with tmpeg
4 Use the authoring tool to put it together.

Sound about right?
You have been a great help. CAn't wait to start

 

Yes it sounds Like you have got it down...DVD-lab is definately the Much better DVD authoring program But neither of them will re-encode the File if is sees it to be Non-DVD Compliant as Neither of them have a Mpeg encoder built in, Tmpgenc DVD author will Just refuse to Craete the DVD if it thinks the Files are Not DVD Compliant and DVD-Lab will Just warn you that it isn"t DVD Compliant and then procede to create the DVD anyways which is why It is so Good for Putting SVCD"s On to DVD also....well Let me know how it turns out....Cheers

 

Hey Minion,
I downloaded the trial for WinDVR 3 from Intervideo. I don't see anywhere the ability to record in AC3 Audio. Is this in the full product or is it a seperate codec? I just want to make sure before I buy it. Thanks!

 

I don"t Know about the Demo version But I know there is an option in the Full version that Lets you capture to "Dolby digital" or "LPCM" or "Mpeg1 Layer 2" ..I just checked and all of the NTSC DVD profiles also have Dolby digital as the default Audio format so it should be there...I usually go and Make my Own Custom profile and set the Stream Type to "Mpeg2 Genaric" and then it will let you put the bitrate up to 20,000kbs..You will need a pretty Fast PC to be able to capture at 720+480 at 20,000kbs ,Like at least 2ghz but 2.5+ would be better....well good luck

 

Ok, I will take the gamble and buy it. Thanks again for the help. I have a pretty sufficient computer. 2.8pentium and a gig of ram. spare 120 gig hard drive. I think that should get the job done.

 

Minion,
I just bought WinDVR3 and all my NTSC formats have
Mpeg1 Layer II as the default forma. I tried to create a new profile but I am only given the pcm or Mpeg1 Layer II format. No AC3. This is under the record tab in setup.

Strange that you have it and I don't. I am going to try and get a refund if I can't figure this out

 

For me== I use the Dazzle and a DVD and VHS player 321 DVD X Maker,shrink and the Roxio Easy CD & DVD Creator 6 is only for solfware and wav 2 or MP3 back up It will take up to 5 hr. to do one VHS Her is a little info for you if you have not seen it in outher posts

http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/SCMS/training/general/details/ntsc.html

As for the =knows enough to get myself in trouble =I was that way for all of the 16 years I was in the Corps
_X_X_X_X_X_[small]Here's health to you and to our Corps If the Army and the Navy Ever look on Heaven's scenes;They will find the streets are guarded BY UNITED STATES MARINES.[/small]

 

Hi, It will not Say "AC3" it will say "Dolby digital" as the Audio format Which is what AC3 is...I"m sure it"s there and you Just haven"t found it because I got my Version at the same Place you did and I"m sure there aren"t 2 seperate Versions...Go into the "Setup" to "Record" and click "Customized" and then the "Profiles" button and then click the "Create" Button ,Under "General" give the Profile a Name and choose "Mpeg2" then go to the "System" tab and choose "Mpeg2 Genaric" and set the File Split size to something like 20gb, Then go to the "Video" tab and set the resolution to "720+480" and set the Bitrate to "20,000kbs" and then click the "Advanced" Button and set the "Framerate" to "29.976fps" and then set the "Gop" to "9" and set both the "Motion Vectors" to "32" and then click "OK" and then go to "Audio" and set the "Sample Rate" to "48khz" and set the Format to "Dolby Digital" and then click "Apply" and now the Profile should be in the list and you just choose this Profile as your recording Profile....If it turns out that these Options aren"t there in your Version Maybe we can make sore arrange ment were you can install the version I have and you can register it with the registration information that you just got when you bought the version you have...well Let me know how it works out...Cheers

 

I did a lot of my DVDs with DVD Shrink it works good as the DVD X Copy XPress cond't do it I all most did it with DVD X Copy and 2 DVDs
_X_X_X_X_X_[small]Here's health to you and to our Corps If the Army and the Navy Ever look on Heaven's scenes;They will find the streets are guarded BY UNITED STATES MARINES.
Once A Marine, Always A Marine:[/small]

 

Thanks for the offer Minion.
I called the company and they do not support dolby digital (AC3). What you have must be a codec from another software installed. That is all they could think of. They said that they would refund it. Just need to wait and hope billing replies . I am going to just record through my PVR software. I can set the bitrate to 10000 in there. I also will record mpeg2 audio and see how that comes out.