VHS to DVD (and file conversion question)

321estrellas said:

I'm doing my first VHS to DVD transfer as we speak and I am using ADS Tech DVD Xpress for PC. I loaded up Windows on my MBP and it captured the VHS to what I believe is a MPEG-2 file. However, I transferred the file to my Mac OS drive so I could burn it in either iDVD or DVD Studio Pro. The MPG file isn't compatible with either of these programs.

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Since you've already captured in a Windows codec, why not author the DVD in a Windows program? Either that, or recapture using iMovie for editing then iDVD for disc authoring.

321estrellas said:

I tried it once using the setting "DVD Best Quality 90 minutes" which converted it to a .m2v file..which didn't work in iDVD but worked in DVDSP...but there was no audio in the file. Is that normal?

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Yes ... that is quite normal. iDVD doesn't work with pre-made m2v files. DVD-SP does. When you encode for DVD-Video, you would normally create an m2v video file and wither an AC3 (Dolby Digital) or AIFF audio file. DVD-SP then uses those files to multiplex (mux) and compile the two files into VOB files which meet the DVD-Video specification. iDVD works a little differently. It take QuickTime movie files (exported from iMovie, FCE or FCP) and does ALL of the encoding, muxing and compiling in a one-button type process. Naturally, a Compressor/DVD-SP will provide much more control over the various parameters of encoding and authoring.

321estrellas said:

Life would be so much easier if they made this program for Mac

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They do. Capture with iMovie, QT Pro, FCE or FCP, then use iDVD for authoring and burning.

-DH

321estrellas said:

So can I use the ADS Tech capture device hooked up to a VCR and capture it straight to iMovie/FCP (I've never used iMovie so I'm going to try with FCP) via USB? Cool...is it easy to do? Any links or anything that will give me an easier time?

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Nope. Not at all. You purchased hardware that wasn't Mac compatible ... so either use a Windows system for the whole process or bypass the ADS stuff and use any qualified DV device with iMovie, FCE or FCP. But if you don't need to edit, just buy a stand alone DVD recorder or the Sony DVDirect® MC5 Multi-Function DVD Recorder.

-DH

Do you have a mini DV camcorder? If so then yo have an excellent firewire video capture device. Most camera have a video input and will pass this to the firewire output. You can also record to DV tape. Any of the Mac video apps will read from firewire.