Mini DV to PC

Hello,

I'm a complete newbie when it comes to this, so forgive me if my question is
a little odd. I've been given a tape (Mini DV) that says 60/90 ME on it, I
guess this is the length in minutes. I want to transfer the video from this
tape onto my PC, so that I can write some DVD's from it (it's wedding
footage). I have a DAT drive in my PC, and I was wondering if there was any
software available to read the video (is it avi?) from the tape?

Does this make sense? If not, what's the best way to do this?

Thanks for reading

Dan

-=Dan=-©

On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 16:36:15 +0100, "-=Dan=-©"
<> wrote:

>Hello,
>
>I'm a complete newbie when it comes to this, so forgive me if my question is
>a little odd. I've been given a tape (Mini DV) that says 60/90 ME on it, I
>guess this is the length in minutes. I want to transfer the video from this
>tape onto my PC, so that I can write some DVD's from it (it's wedding
>footage). I have a DAT drive in my PC, and I was wondering if there was any
>software available to read the video (is it avi?) from the tape?
>
>Does this make sense? If not, what's the best way to do this?

Firewire (IEEE-1394) to transfer DVcam/MiniDV. Borrow a camcorder
with firewire output and install a cheap firewire card into the PC.
That will allow direct transfer of the data from the tape onto the
PC's hard drive. You can then edit with Premiere or Ulead or even
VirtualDub if not much has to be done. The DVcam footage can then be
rendered to Mpeg2 with Tmpgenc or some such.

http://www.dvcentral.org/fireway.html

http://www.nextag.com/buyer/outpdir....rewire+editing

. Steve .
>
>Thanks for reading
>
>Dan
>

Steve(JazzHunter)

Hi Steve,

thanks for the reply. Is there any way I can do this without borrowing
someones camcorder and buying a firewire card? I'd hoped that having a DAT
drive, and a DAT tape that I would be able to use some software to read it
directly.

Dan


"Steve(JazzHunter)" <> wrote in message
news:...
> On Sat, 3 Apr 2004 16:36:15 +0100, "-=Dan=-©"
> <> wrote:
>
> >Hello,
> >
> >I'm a complete newbie when it comes to this, so forgive me if my question
is
> >a little odd. I've been given a tape (Mini DV) that says 60/90 ME on it,
I
> >guess this is the length in minutes. I want to transfer the video from
this
> >tape onto my PC, so that I can write some DVD's from it (it's wedding
> >footage). I have a DAT drive in my PC, and I was wondering if there was
any
> >software available to read the video (is it avi?) from the tape?
> >
> >Does this make sense? If not, what's the best way to do this?
>
> Firewire (IEEE-1394) to transfer DVcam/MiniDV. Borrow a camcorder
> with firewire output and install a cheap firewire card into the PC.
> That will allow direct transfer of the data from the tape onto the
> PC's hard drive. You can then edit with Premiere or Ulead or even
> VirtualDub if not much has to be done. The DVcam footage can then be
> rendered to Mpeg2 with Tmpgenc or some such.
>
> http://www.dvcentral.org/fireway.html
>
>
http://www.nextag.com/buyer/outpdir....rewire+editing
>
> . Steve .
> >
> >Thanks for reading
> >
> >Dan
> >
>

-=Dan=-©

"-=Dan=-©" <> wrote in message
news:KSAbc.15287$...
> Hello,
>
> I'm a complete newbie when it comes to this, so forgive me if my question
is
> a little odd. I've been given a tape (Mini DV) that says 60/90 ME on it, I
> guess this is the length in minutes. I want to transfer the video from
this
> tape onto my PC, so that I can write some DVD's from it (it's wedding
> footage). I have a DAT drive in my PC, and I was wondering if there was
any
> software available to read the video (is it avi?) from the tape?
>
> Does this make sense? If not, what's the best way to do this?

You simply need to hook up a mini-DV camcorder to your PC, usually via
FireWire. There are plenty of software choices to then read the file onto
your hard drive. I use Pinnacle Studio myself, but that a full-fledged
capture/edit/master program, and there's a wealth of other programs with
various capabilities (not sure if any are simple free capture programs, but
it wouldn't surprise me if there were). Yes, you'll want to capture to AVI,
which is uncompressed and will capture the DV source material as-is. I
don't believe your DAT drive will do the trick.

Make sure you have plenty of hard drive space, 12GB/hour of video. You'll
also need a hard drive fast enough to do the capture, the spec which I can't
provide right now because Pinnacle doesn't list it on the required specs on
their website and I can't remember the number off the top of my head...

Mike

Mike Kohary

I have managed to get files onto my PC and changed into MPEG. I then copy
them on CD as a VCD but all that appears on my DVD player is the menu. Any
ideas what I'm doing wrong?
"Mike Kohary" <> wrote in message
news:c4mokj$6bt$...
> "-=Dan=-©" <> wrote in message
> news:KSAbc.15287$...
> > Hello,
> >
> > I'm a complete newbie when it comes to this, so forgive me if my
question
> is
> > a little odd. I've been given a tape (Mini DV) that says 60/90 ME on it,
I
> > guess this is the length in minutes. I want to transfer the video from
> this
> > tape onto my PC, so that I can write some DVD's from it (it's wedding
> > footage). I have a DAT drive in my PC, and I was wondering if there was
> any
> > software available to read the video (is it avi?) from the tape?
> >
> > Does this make sense? If not, what's the best way to do this?
>
> You simply need to hook up a mini-DV camcorder to your PC, usually via
> FireWire. There are plenty of software choices to then read the file onto
> your hard drive. I use Pinnacle Studio myself, but that a full-fledged
> capture/edit/master program, and there's a wealth of other programs with
> various capabilities (not sure if any are simple free capture programs,
but
> it wouldn't surprise me if there were). Yes, you'll want to capture to
AVI,
> which is uncompressed and will capture the DV source material as-is. I
> don't believe your DAT drive will do the trick.
>
> Make sure you have plenty of hard drive space, 12GB/hour of video. You'll
> also need a hard drive fast enough to do the capture, the spec which I
can't
> provide right now because Pinnacle doesn't list it on the required specs
on
> their website and I can't remember the number off the top of my head...
>
> Mike
>
>

Winslow

"-=Dan=-©" <> wrote in message
news:qvBbc.15358$...
>
> thanks for the reply. Is there any way I can do this without borrowing
> someones camcorder and buying a firewire card? I'd hoped that having a DAT
> drive, and a DAT tape that I would be able to use some software to read it
> directly.

No. DAT = Digital Audio Tape. DV = Digital Video (Tape). Since both tapes
contain ones and zeroes, I suppose it's technically possible for software to
read a DV tape in a DAT drive, assuming the DV tape would even fit (which I
don't know to be the case), but it sounds like such an obscure application
that I doubt something like that exists.

Barring that near-zero possibility, there is no other way for you to capture
this information. The firewire card is very cheap, maybe $20-30. The
camcorder is expensive, which is why you'd obviously rather want to borrow
one than buy one. Don't try to buy one, use it, and then take it back -
most retail outlets have very strict policies on returns for DV and digital
camera items, for this very reason. Chances are that if you open it, it's
yours with no possibility of refund.

I'm curious - why do you even have a DAT drive? I though that was pretty
much a dead product.

Mike

Mike Kohary

"Winslow" <> wrote in message
news:c4mqb3$cbg$...
> I have managed to get files onto my PC and changed into MPEG. I then copy
> them on CD as a VCD but all that appears on my DVD player is the menu. Any
> ideas what I'm doing wrong?

Sorry, I have no experience with VCDs; never burned one myself.

Mike

Mike Kohary

Hi Mike,

the two tapes are identical, that's what made me think there must be some
software to read the video from the tape. I think I'll have to just borrow
my friends camcorder and link it up to a laptop with firewire, rather than
buying a firewire card for mine. Come to think of it, I'm surprised my PC
hasn't got firewire.....maybe it has!

DAT isn't dead, it's used widely for backing up servers etc, although not
with the capacity of DLT.

Dan

"Mike Kohary" <> wrote in message
news:c4mtjn$gut$...
> "-=Dan=-©" <> wrote in message
> news:qvBbc.15358$...
> >
> > thanks for the reply. Is there any way I can do this without borrowing
> > someones camcorder and buying a firewire card? I'd hoped that having a
DAT
> > drive, and a DAT tape that I would be able to use some software to read
it
> > directly.
>
> No. DAT = Digital Audio Tape. DV = Digital Video (Tape). Since both
tapes
> contain ones and zeroes, I suppose it's technically possible for software
to
> read a DV tape in a DAT drive, assuming the DV tape would even fit (which
I
> don't know to be the case), but it sounds like such an obscure application
> that I doubt something like that exists.
>
> Barring that near-zero possibility, there is no other way for you to
capture
> this information. The firewire card is very cheap, maybe $20-30. The
> camcorder is expensive, which is why you'd obviously rather want to borrow
> one than buy one. Don't try to buy one, use it, and then take it back -
> most retail outlets have very strict policies on returns for DV and
digital
> camera items, for this very reason. Chances are that if you open it, it's
> yours with no possibility of refund.
>
> I'm curious - why do you even have a DAT drive? I though that was pretty
> much a dead product.
>
> Mike
>
>

-=Dan=-©

"-=Dan=-©" <> wrote in message
news:8sDbc.15913$...
> Hi Mike,
>
> the two tapes are identical, that's what made me think there must be some
> software to read the video from the tape.

Oh, ok. Maybe there is; I wouldn't really know. I guess you could try a
search on Google and see what turns up.

> DAT isn't dead, it's used widely for backing up servers etc, although not
> with the capacity of DLT.

Interesting to know...I haven't seen a DAT deck in ages.

Mike

Mike Kohary

Winslow wrote:

> I have managed to get files onto my PC and changed into MPEG. I then copy
> them on CD as a VCD but all that appears on my DVD player is the menu. Any
> ideas what I'm doing wrong?
> "Mike Kohary" <> wrote in message
> news:c4mokj$6bt$...
>
>>"-=Dan=-©" <> wrote in message
>>news:KSAbc.15287$...
>>
>>>Hello,
>>>
>>>I'm a complete newbie when it comes to this, so forgive me if my
>
> question
>
>>is
>>
>>>a little odd. I've been given a tape (Mini DV) that says 60/90 ME on it,
>
> I
>
>>>guess this is the length in minutes. I want to transfer the video from
>>
>>this
>>
>>>tape onto my PC, so that I can write some DVD's from it (it's wedding
>>>footage). I have a DAT drive in my PC, and I was wondering if there was
>>
>>any
>>
>>>software available to read the video (is it avi?) from the tape?
>>>
>>>Does this make sense? If not, what's the best way to do this?
>>
>>You simply need to hook up a mini-DV camcorder to your PC, usually via
>>FireWire. There are plenty of software choices to then read the file onto
>>your hard drive. I use Pinnacle Studio myself, but that a full-fledged
>>capture/edit/master program, and there's a wealth of other programs with
>>various capabilities (not sure if any are simple free capture programs,
>
> but
>
>>it wouldn't surprise me if there were). Yes, you'll want to capture to
>
> AVI,
>
>>which is uncompressed and will capture the DV source material as-is. I
>>don't believe your DAT drive will do the trick.
>>
>>Make sure you have plenty of hard drive space, 12GB/hour of video. You'll
>>also need a hard drive fast enough to do the capture, the spec which I
>
> can't
>
>>provide right now because Pinnacle doesn't list it on the required specs
>
> on
>
>>their website and I can't remember the number off the top of my head...
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>
>
>
>
Check the faqs, etc. on www.dvdrhelp.com (it used to be called
vcdhelp.com). Perhaps it's a problem with your player, the media, the
burn speed, etc.

Adios,
~Nick

Nicholas Andrade