Read the topic. Answer. lol. I have a bunch of old VHS home movies that I'd like to move onto DVD using iDVD/iMovie. Any guides on this and which hardware I should use?
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Best and Most Cost Effective way to get VHS onto a DVD using my Mac.
- Thread starter neoelectronaut
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I've got a 160GB on this sucker, with about 120GB still available, so I think I'm fine for that.
Can you reccomend actual converter?
Can you reccomend actual converter?
Try the Formac TVR unit, avoid the Dazzle VD Bridge: http://www.formac.com/p_bin/index_uk.html?cid=solutions_converters_studiodvtv
You'll need 1Gig of storage for around 4 minutes of DVDstream storage, so you hav about 8 hours of storage, but you'll need space for render files, and DVD authoring and file management, call it 8gig.
You can also use some Digi cams to pass video and audio through to the Mac on a firewire link, if you have a decent digicam, check it out.
I guess you have iMovie and iDVD, otherwise you'll need editors and DVD authoring to. Remember, iDVD 3 only allows 1 hour of video currently, upgrading to iLife 04 will get you iDVD 4 and 2 hous on a disc.
P
paulc
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I keep reading knocks on the Hollywood Dazzle, but I transferred 4 or 5 hours of video using a borrowed one and it all came out flawlessly.
All of the various converters seem to be priced around the 300 dollar mark. Canopus just announced a lower cost version... not sure what the differences are, but Canopus seems to be the brand that most gets recommended.
One thing to be aware of. When "importing" the video in iMovie, it will create numerous 1.9G "clips." Freaked me when it happened, then I found out about the 2G file size limit (not sure if this changed, but I think I was using version 2 at the time). It was quite easy to dump the multiple clips to a single file; as this was dv to dv, there should be no loss of data or quality.
Also, be aware that you CAN burn those DV files directly to DVD by using Toast. If you want to put multiple clips, it will automatically create a "pick the clip" series of menus... yes, rudimentary stuff, but also quite effective and straightforward to accomplish. As with iDVD, you just can't vary anything to increase or decrease the amount of time that you can burn to DVD (i.e. increasing compression to fit more on).
All of the various converters seem to be priced around the 300 dollar mark. Canopus just announced a lower cost version... not sure what the differences are, but Canopus seems to be the brand that most gets recommended.
One thing to be aware of. When "importing" the video in iMovie, it will create numerous 1.9G "clips." Freaked me when it happened, then I found out about the 2G file size limit (not sure if this changed, but I think I was using version 2 at the time). It was quite easy to dump the multiple clips to a single file; as this was dv to dv, there should be no loss of data or quality.
Also, be aware that you CAN burn those DV files directly to DVD by using Toast. If you want to put multiple clips, it will automatically create a "pick the clip" series of menus... yes, rudimentary stuff, but also quite effective and straightforward to accomplish. As with iDVD, you just can't vary anything to increase or decrease the amount of time that you can burn to DVD (i.e. increasing compression to fit more on).
I got a hollywood bridge and it is fine, not sure why people dont like it?easy way to take old vhs and get it into your mac.
Re: DV cam
hmmm?! I'll have to check that out!
I've been doing it the longer way of recording from VHS->DVTape and then importing from the DVCam.
hmmm?! I'll have to check that out!
I've been doing it the longer way of recording from VHS->DVTape and then importing from the DVCam.
We bought a bunch at the Uni, 3 out of 6 had to go back within a week, and the others suffered from random clicking on the audio.
We eventually got 4 working OK, but it was a struggle. Others have said there are problems as noted, I've used one at home and had no problems, but the pass-through on my Sony camera works better.
I use my Sony camcorder to RIP video directly into my Powermac from the TV output of my PC, the analog outputs of my Tivo, and from the analog outputs of my VCR.
Since you already own a camcorder, an additional dedicated DV bridge(like the Dazzle) would not be needed.
Since you already own a camcorder, an additional dedicated DV bridge(like the Dazzle) would not be needed.
Just to let you all know, the only camcorder I have is a 8mm sony from like '94. None of that special digital stuff.