Video Capture Help Wanted

[jlex]

I have video on 8mm that I want to put in digital so that I can edit it and burn it to a DVD for viewing. My digital camera has composite and S-video outputs. What is a complete scenerio for what I need to video capture/edit?
(example: What MAC system? What OS? What Capture card? What software?)
Thanks,
Jen🙄
P.S. My PC with Uleads video capture/edit provides a really grainy picture after capturing it from my camera to AVI or MPEG. I was hoping to maintain the quality?

 

[rjphoto]

I have video on 8mm that I want to put in digital so that I can edit it and burn it to a DVD for viewing. My digital camera has composite and S-video outputs. What is a complete scenerio for what I need to video capture/edit?
(example: What MAC system? What OS? What Capture card? What software?)
Thanks,
Jen🙄
P.S. My PC with Uleads video capture/edit provides a really grainy picture after capturing it from my camera to AVI or MPEG. I was hoping to maintain the quality?

We need a little more info:

1. Digital Camera...Brand and Model?
2. 8mm? Standard 8mm (really old), Hi8mm (some what old), Digital8 (not too old)
3. How did you hook up to the PC?
4. What settings did you use for quality and image size on the PC.

All of these things factor into the quality.

As for what Mac System...any Mac with a FireWire connection is capable of downloading and editing video.
The most current low end being the Mac Mini from $499 up.
Any new system you puchase will include Apple's OSX 10.4 AKA Tiger.
It will also include iLife 6 which includes iMovie HD (That's for High Definition) that you can use to edit video very easily.
After the editing is done, you can send it straight over to iDVD to create and burn your DVD.
Also included is iPhoto for still photos and it can also port to iDVD to make DVD slide shows from your still photos.
Also included is iTunes to manage you music. It is also integrated into the other programs to use you music as in your video productions.

Whew, anything else?

 

[LethalWolfe]

Pretty much any Mac made in the last 5 or 6 years can do what you. But your first hurdle is how to get your footage into the system. Your camera has no digital out and Macs don't come w/ analog video in so you can either buy an ADC (analog/digital converter), or you can buy (borrow?) a MiniDV camera as most of these allow "pass through" (you plug the analog outs of your camera into the analog ins of the MiniDV camera than connect the MiniDV camera to the computer via Firewire).


Lethal

 

[jdechko]

P.S. My PC with Uleads video capture/edit provides a really grainy picture after capturing it from my camera to AVI or MPEG. I was hoping to maintain the quality?

As LethalWolfe said, buy an ADC (a firewire one preferably-PCI if you have a tower-as it produces superior results to a USB one) or buy a miniDV camera with pass through. I'd suggest the latter as you can use it to film new material at DV (better than 8mm) quality. Unfortunately, for your current situation, I believe that there will be some unavoidable grainy-ness, as you're converting from an analog source.