Geek Speak Forum?

[wkid_one]

Can we please add an IT Forum for those that wish to talk PC how to's/probs etc?

[Deano]

Can we please add an IT Forum for those that wish to talk PC how to's/probs etc?

I have a question - what do I need (plugs, software etc) to copy from a video player to the computer?

I have some video footage I would like to burn to dvd. Can I copy to computer using something like a .wmv, convert to DVD format then burn to disc ?

[R6_kid]

as far as the video situation is concerned, unless you have a new digital cam that has the plugs in the box it might be kinda hard.
UNLESS
you have a good graphics card that will let you have AV input to your monitor through the back of the comp. I showed my sister how to do this and she recorded a 7min video using a video capture program. Only problem is file sizes grow exponentially as the quality/length does but if youre writing to DVD you should be ok.

[Yamahamaman]

I have a question - what do I need (plugs, software etc) to copy from a video player to the computer?

I have some video footage I would like to burn to dvd. Can I copy to computer using something like a .wmv, convert to DVD format then burn to disc ?
Believe me - it's not that easy and be prepared to throw away a few DVD's in the process.

[wkid_one]

Believe me - it's not that easy and be prepared to throw away a few DVD's in the process.
Man - I have never made coasters yet.

Copying to your PC is easy if they are in close proximity to one another. Just use the video out feed and it should plug straight in to your video card. Then just copy it as .wmv file. Then is Smart Video Converter to convert it to .mpeg2 (DVD) and rip a copy. Simple!

[Yamahamaman]

Man - I have never made coasters yet.

Copying to your PC is easy if they are in close proximity to one another. Just use the video out feed and it should plug straight in to your video card. Then just copy it as .wmv file. Then is Smart Video Converter to convert it to .mpeg2 (DVD) and rip a copy. Simple!
C'mon WKid, not everyone has the bottomless pit of resources that you have.

[wkid_one]

HAHAHA - this should be simple.....

Question: Does the card have RCA in? If so - sweet!!!

[dss3]

kinda have to agree with wkid here guys, just got dvd writer in weekend, have allready quite easily converted the gp from wmv to dvd succesfully and also 'backed up' a few dvds, all successfully. Just use the sofware wkid recommeds and you should be sweet. Plus the softwares free!

-Daryl

[Shawn]

if ur AGP card doesn't have the RCA in , then buy one of those cheap TV card...a lot cheaper then buying a AGP card...that's what i use actually...

[wkid_one]

As posted on the previous forum



DVD Copying software
DVD Xcopy Platinum is the best
Get this from www.magicalsoftware.net (http://www.magicalsoftware.net/) (in the DVD Warez - you will need to login tho). This is one of the few DVD Copying tools that will do it in one step, will copy large format DVDs down to a single blank 4.7gb Disk with minimal (read: NOT NOTICEABLE WHEN WATCHING) impact on quality. It will also copy ALL the audio streams for Prologic and DSP. It will do it all in a copy of steps (if you wish to remove chapters/features) or one step (DVD Xcopy Express).


For converting video formats
Use Smart Video Converter (fucken small, quick and works mint) hellishly good, hellishly small and compact and wickedly simple to use.
Get that here D/L:http://www.doease.com/smartvc.exe

Code:
Email: /artes@iskushenie.ru
Code: HQB79JEV44YJO09TGJ64PUBJ9KIV9
Email: /warez@iskushenie.ru
Code: 02MTJJ7HHC3JDVW97JIP52UJI27PK

Between these two tools - you should never make a coaster again and should be fine to 'backup' most if not all DVD's.


My thoughts anyway - they work well and are simple.

[Yamahamaman]

Fine if ya got a 29 inch monitor. My 'dedicated stand-alone DVD' justs gives up in disgust when ya throw one of those Xcopy jobbies in it.

[wkid_one]

Works mint on my PS2, DVD Player, parents DVD player, brothers PS2 - weird yours doesn't work

[Yamahamaman]

Works mint on my PS2, DVD Player, parents DVD player, brothers PS2 - weird yours doesn't work
Yeah, well I'm prolly only getting half the story as usual.

[FROSTY]

Ducks down as all the computer talk goes over his head. :spudwhat: :spudwhat: :spudwhat:

[riffer]

Thanks for that wkid.

I needed something to cheer me up after pulling the bike apart tonight

Sounds like Smart Video Converter may do the trick with the MotoGP for me once my demo on FX Video Converter runs out.

Also for backing up DVD's a good freeware program is DVDShrink, which enables you to selectively set the compression on a DVD.

What I tend to do is rip out the 5.1 channel audio (as I only have stereo) and compress the menus and special features to hell (unless I really want to watch them) and then I can get the compression to bugger all on the main feature.

Only hassle with DVDShrink is that it requires Nero 6 installed to burn DVD's. But as I have Nero 6 its not a problem.

[scumdog]

Yaeh-yeah, but where do you get a flux-capacitor for all this and what's the tappet setting and end-float clearance?????

[MikeL]

Yaeh-yeah, but where do you get a flux-capacitor for all this and what's the tappet setting and end-float clearance?????

You don't need to worry about any of that shit. Your basic model hydrocillator as found in any garge should take care of all that.

[scumdog]

You don't need to worry about any of that shit. Your basic model hydrocillator as found in any garge should take care of all that.

Roger, gotcha!! now if I can only find a "garge" I should be sweet!! :laugh:

[Dr Bob]

I have a question - what do I need (plugs, software etc) to copy from a video player to the computer?

I have some video footage I would like to burn to dvd. Can I copy to computer using something like a .wmv, convert to DVD format then burn to disc ?
I think that some responses have made the copying of footage from a video camera seem a little simple. There are possibly a few issues not mentioned, primarily the hardware needs to be there. One person mentioned an rca input etc. in actual fact there are a half dozen different formats for digital media download. Memory card, firewire, Integrated Video (S-Video), RCA cables (separate sound and video (maybe: black, red, yellow)), or plain old coaxial cable. It all depends whats on your camera and your videa capture card or sound card. Software can also be an issue, although in all likelihood there will be some free stuff around that you could use a few times etc just for your current needs.

The big issue though is bandwidth. You will not normally be able to go straight to DVD unless there is some form of software buffering going on, you will probably have to go to hard disk first. This brings in questions about the speed of the hard disk and the method of transfer. If you are just using field based format (normal analog TV is 485 by 330 lines interlaced at 25 frames a second) then you shouldn't have any problems. Any larger digital format will rely on proprietary tech to get the data into an appropriate file (the software should come with the camera).

[bungbung]

...normal analog TV is 485 by 330 lines interlaced at 25 frames a second..

PAL is accepted as having 625 lines vertical, NTSC 525.

Most capture cards utilise some variety of hardware compression, so your hard disk speed is less of an issue. i.e. DV is about 25mbps, well within the capability of a modern IDE hard drive.

Your main concern for making DVD's from existing footage, say from vcr or direct from a sky decoder, is the difference between the video standard your pc captures footage at, and the video standard required for DVD.

e.g. your capture card might capture a 640 x 480 avi, which needs further conversion to be ready for DVD (720 x 576, mpeg)

www.dvdhelp.com is a great site with plenty of information about making/copying/shrinking dvds.

[MikeL]

If image quality is important try to use the highest quality input compatible with your source. In order, these are:

1 firewire (digital): also carries encoded audio
2 Y/C or S-Video (separates the luminance and chrominance but still analogue)
3 composite (RCA/phono or BNC plugs): also an analogue signal and the only one output by VHS players

For 2 and 3 you need to connect audio separately

RF (coaxial aerial input: video and audio modulated on a carrier frequency) may be found on TV tuner cards but is not recommended - crap quality.

I know a bit about the video side of things but once the signal is in the computer it's all a complete mystery to me.

[Ghost Lemur]

Another useful site is Doom9.org.

[Deano]

Man - I have never made coasters yet.

Copying to your PC is easy if they are in close proximity to one another. Just use the video out feed and it should plug straight in to your video card. Then just copy it as .wmv file. Then is Smart Video Converter to convert it to .mpeg2 (DVD) and rip a copy. Simple!

Methinks I might request your services at some stage in the future - for a few :apint: of course.....

[wkid_one]

Methinks I might request your services at some stage in the future - for a few :apint: of course.....
Sweet man - I can bring the whole computer around as well.....what that has to do with BEER I have no idea....but anywho

[wkid_one]

If image quality is important try to use the highest quality input compatible with your source. In order, these are:

1 firewire (digital): also carries encoded audio
2 Y/C or S-Video (separates the luminance and chrominance but still analogue)
3 composite (RCA/phono or BNC plugs): also an analogue signal and the only one output by VHS players

For 2 and 3 you need to connect audio separately

RF (coaxial aerial input: video and audio modulated on a carrier frequency) may be found on TV tuner cards but is not recommended - crap quality.

I know a bit about the video side of things but once the signal is in the computer it's all a complete mystery to me.Finding systems which are typically analogue (ie TV's, VCR's etc) which operate with 1394 Devices (FIREWIRE) is next to impossible. Firewire isn't necessarily the best for quality - if you are transferring straight video - Component RCA will work just as well - remember - you are only transferring low resolution TV signal in most instances - which computer monitors are more than capable of displaying. You also have to remember - in many instances the use of FIREWIRE is not better for quality as your raw data is often analogue also. Firewire only makes a difference if you medium is DIGITAL - in which case - if you can play it in a DVD Player/CD PLayer - you can play it in your computer and the use of Firewire is redundant.

Optical Digital Cable is the best for sound. This is the small round cable that will connect your DVD player to your stereo. Many mid to high end sound cards have Optical In ports on the back for streaming audio data in. Many also have Optical Out to so you can play the sound of your DVD players through your stereo.

The best option is to entirely seperate your audio (Using Optical Digital) and video (Component RCA) for analogue source.

For sending a signal to TV - the best quality are either SCART cables or Component RCA Cables - which break the video in to RGB rather than in to two channels. You will struggle to find many retail home entertainment equipment with a 1394 Device out to plug in to your Computer - so this option is largely useless.

The only difference between Firewire and USB is its transfer rate. Most DigiCams will have an mini-USB cable which will connect straight in to your computer USB Ports (PS: MAKE SURE YOU ARE RUNNING USB v2.0 - much quickly than v1.1). This is MORE THAN ADEQUATE for streaming data to your PC.

USB is NO DIFFERENT the Firewire. The principal difference is Firewire has a higher transfer rate - and carries power to the device it is plugged in to.

You can speed up live video on your computer by running Serial ATA Hard Drives, striping them, upgrading your sound and video card, installing more RAM, running Dual Channel RAM, etc etc

The single best way is to copy source to destination - Ie - DISK TO DISK - and not run in through any intermediate source.

[MikeL]

Firewire only makes a difference if you medium is DIGITAL - in which case - if you can play it in a DVD Player/CD PLayer - you can play it in your computer and the use of Firewire is redundant.

But I was assuming the original source was tape, and possibly a camcorder - most camcorders these days are digital (DV or D8).

Interesting that digital home VCRs (e.g. DV) never really took off because of the development of optical disk formats, and even in broadcast where Digital Betacam, DVCAM, DVCPro etc. are still predominant, the days of videotape are definitely numbered. Sony has a new disk camcorder system for broadcast use and a consumer version will no doubt follow.
Now I still have a soft spot for the old Umatic... whirr, clunk..., ouch! as I strain my back lifting a 32 kg VCR into the boot of my car...

[bungbung]

Finding systems which are typically analogue (ie TV's, VCR's etc) which operate with 1394 Devices (FIREWIRE) is next to impossible. Firewire isn't necessarily the best for quality - if you are transferring straight video - Component RCA will work just as well - remember - you are only transferring low resolution TV signal in most instances - which computer monitors are more than capable of displaying. You also have to remember - in many instances the use of FIREWIRE is not better for quality as your raw data is often analogue also. Firewire only makes a difference if you medium is DIGITAL - in which case - if you can play it in a DVD Player/CD PLayer - you can play it in your computer and the use of Firewire is redundant..

Most consumer miniDV cams use firewire for transfer of data. The reason firewire is great is your camcorder does the analogue to digital conversion for you, not your pc. The picture quality from VIVO style vid cards generally is not as good as a camcorder conversion. So you feed your TV/Sat/VCR into the "line in" (be it composite or S-video) on your camcorder. And then take the firewire to your pc.



Optical Digital Cable is the best for sound. This is the small round cable that will connect your DVD player to your stereo. Many mid to high end sound cards have Optical In ports on the back for streaming audio data in. Many also have Optical Out to so you can play the sound of your DVD players through your stereo...

There is little chance of finding optical or coax digital (SPDIF) sound from a vcr or sky box.



The best option is to entirely seperate your audio (Using Optical Digital) and video (Component RCA) for analogue source.

While firewire is a bitstream, the audio and video are seperate.

The only difference between Firewire and USB is its transfer rate. Most DigiCams will have an mini-USB cable which will connect straight in to your computer USB Ports (PS: MAKE SURE YOU ARE RUNNING USB v2.0 - much quickly than v1.1). This is MORE THAN ADEQUATE for streaming data to your PC.


USB is NO DIFFERENT the Firewire. The principal difference is Firewire has a higher transfer rate - and carries power to the device it is plugged in to. .

Attack of the pedant: USB can power devices.



The single best way is to copy source to destination - Ie - DISK TO DISK - and not run in through any intermediate source.

In an ideal world, but depending on the equipment you have available to you, results may vary. There are three general steps:

1. Capture source (to pc hard disk) using

a - source->camcorder->pc via firewire or usb
b - source->capture card in pc
c - source->pc video card with capture capability

2. Convert captured file on pc to DVD format
3. Burn to DVD

Some software will roll steps two and three together.

[wkid_one]

I was oversimplifying for those that don't speak geek.

My main points are that
1. Firewire and USB are typically for exclusive digital data transfer.
2. Most data is still collected in analogue format, rendering the benefit of FW or USB obselete.
3. It is actually a simple process to get data to pc and then to DVD
4. Regardless of how you transfer data - if the source is analogue - your quality is always limited.


I should elobarote on the power comment - USB can POWER a device - but can't charge it. Essentially, as USB is a PC invented product, INTEL were happy to include compatibility in their Chipsets. Firewire however, was invented by Apple Corp - and accordingly - for an extended period of time, they didn't include the firewire tech in the chipsets as they refused to pay royalties. Firewire actually has a lower transfer rate than USB 2 (400 v 480mbps).

My comments re Digital Optical related to this being the BEST source of audio transfer, and the most preferable if the source permits.

My comment still stands - if you are taking the data from a digital source (DVD Recorder, DigiCam etc) - you should have NO problems converting this to PC. Most peoples problems arise when you are taking it from an analagoue format - which you will almost NEVER find a USB or Firewire output.

Also - bear in mind that many PC's still don't have Firewire options.....unless upgraded or bought recently.

[Hitcher]

Roger, gotcha!! now if I can only find a "garge" I should be sweet!! :laugh:

That's a "gargre", boi! (Cool bling bling, by the way)

[riffer]

Firewire actually has a lower transfer rate than USB 2 (400 v 480mbps).[/QUOTE]

You can get Firewire 800 cards now (800mbps).

Newer macs have it built in, natch.

Oh hang on, you don't like macs, do you?

[FzerozeroT]

I don't want to be the spoilsport here (have rewritten this post 3 times) but this is verging on "how do I rip movies".

A dangerous thing for IT professionals to be discussing on a public, permanent? forum.

Yes, you know who you are. :sly:

[danb]

Oh hang on, you don't like macs, do you?


I seccond that. :yes:

[wkid_one]

Firewire actually has a lower transfer rate than USB 2 (400 v 480mbps).
You can get Firewire 800 cards now (800mbps).

Newer macs have it built in, natch.

Oh hang on, you don't like macs, do you?Yah - like the G5 - and fucked if I am going to pay $3600 for the CPU alone - and then buy the 21" Flat Screen Monitor for another $2500 on top of that!!

(He says sheepishly having a 1394b card in his PC to make updating the iPod quicker and for the hard drive tower- LOL)

I don't 'mind' Mac's - it is just with spending about a gizzlion years playing with PC's - I find them easier. Mac's are an arse to upgrade yourself, parts are diabolical, software to 3 times more expensive, and seldom available through more dubious channels. Interestingly enuf - for a system founded and lauded for its intuitiveness - I find them a pain in the arse to negotiate my way around.

Comestically, really nice machines - they are less resource hungry than PC's etc....however I still don't see the need for them.

As with anything - there is a technology that is quicker - however for the purposes of my post - I am referring to the benchmark or common technology that is most likely in the average PC or source.

Fuck - in an ideal world I would be running to 64bit system etc etc etc etc etc.....actually - thinking about it...I just may

[riffer]

in an ideal world I would be running to 64bit system etc etc etc etc etc.....actually - thinking about it...I just may
Yeah but you're gonna have to go with a *nix system to get anything decent going on it matey :sneaky2:

[wkid_one]

I am running Linux at the mo...fucken hate it.

Meh who cares - I will look at a new mobo in 6 months time - the one I have is only 3 weeks old.

[dss3]

All info appreciated here.

I am looking to update my hard drive, I currently have a 35 GB hard drive. Im looking to get a bigger one. I have seen seagate 80 GB -120GB for around $150-$200. Are these a good brand? Also how do you copy everything from current HD to new one?

As you can probably see I don't know too much about this!!

-Daryl

[Antallica]

Yep, Seagate is the most reputable brand around, Western Digital have a rep for being rather loud, Samsung is good, but usually only for the 3 year warranty which you will no doubt need ;). I can sell you a HDD if you're interested. Just give me a buzz if I can help ya.

As for copying the data, you can use such utilities as 'Norton Ghost' to clone your old HDD to the new one.

Ants.

[riffer]

As for copying the data, you can use such utilities as 'Norton Ghost' to clone your old HDD to the new one.

Ants.
Correct me if I'm wrong Ants, but won't Ghost only work if you have two partitions of equal size?

[Antallica]

As long as you don't exceed the size of the destination partition with your data you'll be ok.

[wkid_one]

Correct me if I'm wrong Ants, \

Consider yourself corrected!

[riffer]

\

Consider yourself corrected!
Very pleased with this answer. SWMBO (an IT manager on sabbatical) had informed me Ghost was useless for copying my old drive onto a new one unless I partitioned it first to make the new drive EXACTLY the same size as the old one, then used Partition Manager to make it a big partition again.

[bungbung]

You have the option with Ghost of modifying your partition(s) size as you copy. As long as your data still fits into the new partition.

E.g. old 10gig with two 5 gig parts
can go into a new 40gig as two 5gigs and leave the free space for later, or expand them into two 20gig parts.

[wkid_one]

Partition Manager
I prefer Partition Magic - much easier.

I don't used Ghost - shit I just delete everything and clean install it, that way I can reset up my partitions, file structures etc.