anyone have a dvd camcorder?

Mister CCJ · #1 07-18-2006, 12:06 PM

hi guys. i just got a sony dcr-dvd505 camcorder which records on the 8cm mini dvd-rs. i cant figure out how to edit or transfer to a full size dvd through the computer, i guess i dont have the right programs. i tried adobe premiere but the files are not compatible. does anyone here have a dvd cam (particualry sony) and knows how to edit and put on 12cm dvds?

Eggy · #2 07-18-2006, 12:11 PM

When you save what you have on your 8cm dvd's onto your PC what file type is it?

If it's just MPEG then you can get something free from www.download.com to burn it onto a normal DVD.

Ben

Mister CCJ · #3 07-18-2006, 12:13 PM

its mpeg-2

davester1234 · #4 07-18-2006, 01:40 PM

i have the sony 405 and I know from reading up on it that transfering movies to full size dvd's is a royal pain. Need special things, special wizardry etc...haha

Simply put, its not easy to do unless you do some extensive research. I was dissapointed to hear that, as obviously that was one of my main objectives.

That said, if you pop out the mini dvd and try it in your dvd player, there's a good chance it will just 'play'! Mine does.

Try going to camcorderinfo.com, and find the forum designated for these types of camcorders.

davester1234 · #5 07-18-2006, 01:42 PM

http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/f157

This is the forum, find the appropriate thread. if you can't find anything, then check the 405 forum, the functionality is apparently very similar.

Eggy · #6 07-18-2006, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mister CCJ

its mpeg-2

MPEG2's fine you should be able to get something for free at the link I mentioned. Otherwise get yourself a copy of Vegas Video and then you can have some fun editing your films before you burn them to DVD.

Ben

**jemsite** · #7 07-18-2006, 03:23 PM

i'd use the return policy and take it back.

davester1234 · #8 07-18-2006, 04:52 PM

Glen's got a point!

But, rest assured if you want to do it, it can definitely be done. It's easy I hear, once you know how to do it. Vegas will absolutely do the trick, I remember reading that.
I WOULD have returned mine, if not for me being sold on the dvd format (although no doubt other formats out there actually have some advantages over it).

kennydoe · #9 07-18-2006, 07:08 PM

it was recommended to me by a salesperson that Mini-DV is a better route.

Mister CCJ · #10 07-18-2006, 10:50 PM

well i cant return it cuz its scratched up already cuz ive been using it a lot and i know theres a way i dont wanna give up on it... i tried every program concieved pretty much except the vegas one so im gonna look into that... i appreciate it guys and plan on puttin up some stuff with it when i figre it all out lol... thnx

**jemsite** · #11 07-18-2006, 10:54 PM

does windows recognize the DVD... can you rip those dvds with dvd shrink or something?

i'm sure it's just highly, highly compressed MPEG-2 files.... glen

shredmaster · #12 07-18-2006, 11:08 PM

mpeg2 files should be able to be copied and pasted from that dvd to your hard drive. from there a DVD authoring program will be able to encode that mpeg2 video and audio file into a dvd. just drop the mpeg2 video and audio file into the program and once the encoding is done, you can burn to DVD. there is more to it but that is it in a nutshell. also, get a dvd authoring program that encodes the mpeg2 AUDIO file to dolby digital / AC3!!! this is very important. if you don't, there are many dvd authoring programs that keep the audio file as mpeg audio. this can be fine BUT can also cause your DVD to freeze in certain players since some players don't know how to read mpeg2 audio files. that's a tip you should look into. i use minidv. there is no compression like there would be with what you have now with mpeg2 files. glen is right...they are HIGHLY compressed, just as mp3's are. granted the quality is great i'm sure. it all depends on what you're doing.

kirk · #13 07-18-2006, 11:28 PM

I have the Sony DCR-DVD100. It came with a program called "Pixela Image Mixer." The program is a little tricky to learn how to use because the menus suck. But once you get the hang of it, you'll be fine. Once you connect the camera via USB cableto your computer, you should be able to import the video and save it on your hard disk, then burn to a full size DVD.

Another option is to "finalize" the DVD in the camcorder. You can now play your camcorder DVD on any DVD player. Put the little DVD into your computer's DVD player/burner and then copy the DVD to a full size DVD using any of the stock Windows copying programs. You can burn several of the small disks to a larger one in one session. I always use DVD-RW, so that I can erase and reuse the small DVD again. This option will prevent you from having to download or purchase any software.

If you're trying to capture something to post here or on a site like "youtube" you could always run your camera through a TV Tuner and capture your video right on your harddrive. Windows Movie Maker can be used to capture and edit your videos when done this way.

Or, you can go to the pros: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/mod...?mdl=DCRDVD505

Mister CCJ · #14 07-19-2006, 11:08 AM

yea theyre compatible with windows to play them; every program i tried there was a different problem: one wouldnt import the file, one wouldnt have audio, one wouldnt save as an mpeg-2. i downloaded the vegas one last nite and its actually made for dvd handycams so i guess thats what i need (the full version, the demo doesnt allow mpeg-2). im only concerned with AC-3. what is this exactly? its a 5.1 camcorder is this gonna be downgraded to 2 channel stereo with this ac-3?