Camcorder Help Please - Editing And Capturing Etc

[Sam Nichols]

Ok basically my parents bought me a DVD camcorder for my 18th birthday as they 'knew I'd been thinking about buying myself a camcorder'

Unfortunately, as you're well aware if you know about camcorders and stuff, DVD is not the best type of camera to film with if you want to edit the footage properly.

Now, there are a couple of routes I have thought about. The first was too simply use Firewire which I hoped would work but it doesn't. Well it didn't for me.

Secondly the editing programme that came with the camera (which is absolute bollocks) has a function that allows you to upload your footage to your PC in a format that will allow editing in any programme. However to sue this function I have to upgrade my package which will cost £35.

Thirdly I have a programme called FlaskMPEG which allows you to convert the file, forgot what format it is, but whatever the actual DVD file is. When I tried this I ended up with footage I could edit but then the actual movement of the rider was like all blocky and jittery.

Is there something I'm doing wrong? If I buy the programme I mentioned in method two do you think it will be just the same as what I have in method three?

I'm really am at a loss. PLEASE DON'T SUGGEST I GET A MINI DV CAM, I know that this is what my parents should have bought but it's already too late to take the camera back and I don't have the heart to tell them they wasted their money.

Help me

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

get a dvd ripping program?

[BikeDotStuffAtOnzaDotCom]

EDIT: This post is a mess. I would delete it, but I was trying to be helpful. Ah,well.

Firewire should work, if the hole is there in your camera for it. Find out why not.

Flask isn't a video editor if I remember rightly.

EDIT: just re-read your original post. You need to find out what settings to use, because it should convert it OK as long as you have the right software (codec) to convert to something useful, rather than whatever it is you're converting to.

What format are the DVDs you end up with? Can they be played straight away in a player? If so, then the DVD ripping software will get you MPEG2 format VOBs onto your hard drive. I've never tried to edit a VOB file, so can't advise.

Can you choose to record on the little DVD disc in different formats?

I would be interested to know if there's a converter...

Edited March 17, 2006 by BikeDotStuffAtOnzaDotCom

[Sam Nichols]

Firewire should work, if the hole is there in your camera for it. Find out why not.

Well I thought there was, But its a 5 pin hole.. Which means I need a 5pin to 6pin firewire cable - which I can't seem to find... perhaps my googling skills aren't up to scratch.

just re-read your original post. You need to find out what settings to use, because it should convert it OK as long as you have the right software (codec) to convert to something useful, rather than whatever it is you're converting to.

Yeah, do you have any idea what these might be?

What format are the DVDs you end up with?

I can choose between .vro or .vob. .vro allows me to cut up clips on the camera and delete clips and stuff whereas .vob just records straight on and stays there. As far as I'm concerned I dont care about editing and deleting scenes so either format will do.

Can they be played straight away in a player?

If I use .vob.

If so, then the DVD ripping software will get you MPEG2 format VOBs onto your hard drive.

I actually hadn't thought about trying to import the .vobs into Adobe. I've only tried the .vros and presumed they would be the same. I'll give that a go.

Can you choose to record on the little DVD disc in different formats?

No.

I tried to answer your post as clearly as possible!! Hope it worked and cheers for the help so far

[Has anyone seen my shoe?]

I assume you've had a try by now, did it work?

Ive (i say i've i mean my mum and dad) got a dvd camcorder so I am fairly interested to see how this works

[Sam Nichols]

I assume you've had a try by now, did it work?

A what now?

[PaRtZ]

I can't understand why the firewire wouldn't work I suggest keep trying with that (possibly on another computer?)

Also did any conversion software/editing software come with the camera? anything in the handbook?

[BikeDotStuffAtOnzaDotCom]

that came out seeming ruder than it should have... when I said "just re-read" I meant I just re-read it, not that you should.

What settings did you use? Maybe someone else will know better.

.vro: never heard of it. It won't be the same as .vob See if you can just rename .vro to .mpg or .mp2 , or as you say, drag the .vob into the editor.

It's a four-pin-to-six-pin connector.

Picture of the four pin one:

Edited March 17, 2006 by BikeDotStuffAtOnzaDotCom

[PaRtZ]

OH wait I have a good idea

Eo Video

Universal convertor might work if you have the right codecs (for vob etc) installed, may require setting up ill talk you through it if you like

[Greetings]

that came out seeming ruder than it should have.

[...]

seconded, that's the cable you should use, then get yourself a smart program like Premiere to properly capture your video in DV (should work with DVD recorders after all the signal is the same).

if you still have problems with the cable, just go to a local shop. they should be able to help you. after all the DV cable is a standard cable when it comes to feeding a digital signal from a camera into a DVD stationary recorder

it seems you're a bit unhappy with what you have but trust me, it will do fine once you get over the teething problems dvd is inferior to dv but it's a small difference, and once you record your footage onto the pc in DV format (i'm almost certain premiere will cope with it) the editing will be quick and easy.

don't give up!

get a bittorrent client (and go here) or e-mule and start downloading Adobe Premiere 1.5. it's an awesome tool and you'll love using it.

Edited March 17, 2006 by Inur

[Sam Nichols]

that came out seeming ruder than it should have... when I said "just re-read" I meant I just re-read it, not that you should.

...

It's a four-pin-to-six-pin connector.

Don't worry I understood what you meant I'll try what you said about doing it in .vob

And what I meant about 5pin to 6pin is that the only output on my camera that could possibly go into my firewire card i a 5pin usb...

OH wait I have a good idea

Eo Video

Universal convertor might work if you have the right codecs (for vob etc) installed, may require setting up ill talk you through it if you like

I have absolutely no idea what to do with that so i'll download it and then add you to msn if that's cool?

seconded, that's the cable you should use, then get yourself a smart program like Premiere to properly capture your video in DV (should work with DVD recorders after all the signal is the same).

Thing is the cable I need <b>has</b> to be a 5pin to 6pin otherwise it wont fit into my camera And I use Adobe Premiere pro

What sucks is that I know all about the editing and capturing and everything after completing an A Level in media studies HOWEVER I've only ever used MiniDV so this has really thrown me!

A very confused sam. xx

[Tomm]

What's the model number of the camera?

I have a program here for the mac called handbrake, which will rip any DVD into whatever format you set. So you could easily rip to uncompressed avi and then whack that into Premiere etc. Obviously that's no use to you, but you should be able to get an equivalent for the PC. I've not really used a PC for stuff like this for a while so I'm not sure what's available.

But like other people have said, you must be able to use Firewire and/or USB to capture stuff.

Good luck

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

cant you just rip it from the dvd then convert it? hassle i know but oh well.

also premier captures based on timecode and is an absolute pig to use.

if you do get it to work with firewire , i suggest using the software it came with (if it had some).

failing that does it not have a usb/usb2 port?

whats that? sounds like Tomm beating me to it

Edited March 19, 2006 by Charel

[Sam Nichols]

What's the model number of the camera?

Canon DC10

also premier captures based on timecode and is an absolute pig to use.

if you do get it to work with firewire , i suggest using the software it came with (if it had some).

failing that does it not have a usb/usb2 port?

Adobe is sound, it's all I want to use to be honest, I wouldn't feel comfortable with anything else to be honest.

And it does have a usb port, but that's not really the problem.

[Dr. Nick Riviera]

i've only ever had nothing but trouble capturing in premier , but it is sound for editing.

[Sam Nichols]

Silly billy, I'm not capturing in adobe!!

I hope this doesn't seem rude but...

Sorry

[manuel]

So Its USB 2.0 to attatch to the pc . . . .

so plug it in and tell us what happens .. ? does it come up as a drive or what ? if so what do you see on it ?

you may just be able to rip straight from there

other options

1. stump up the cash

2. stump up for a capture card and go analogue - seems pointless but will work.

[Sam Nichols]

Well it reads my camcorder as a third drive, a dvd drive.

Sooo, if I get a dvd ripper... and rip this as I would a normal DVD, will I be able to import it straight into adobe and edit it without the quality being whack?

Oooh, I'm excited now

P.S. in suggestion one.. stump up the cash for what??

[PaRtZ]

Tell us if it works BTW if you still want me on msn, I've updated my profile with my PROPER hotmail address :$

[Greetings]

Silly billy, I'm not capturing in adobe!!

why not? it works pretty well, never had problems with it.

Well it reads my camcorder as a third drive, a dvd drive.

Sooo, if I get a dvd ripper... and rip this as I would a normal DVD, will I be able to import it straight into adobe and edit it without the quality being whack?

Oooh, I'm excited now

P.S. in suggestion one.. stump up the cash for what??

yes a dvd ripper will work, as long as you can make it to compress it in DV which as you know works best with premiere. the only problem is that it will probably take very long...

Just to let you know, Premiere Pro 2.0 has been released and is available for download on this site

edit: turns out it requires SSE2 so don't waste your time downloading if you don't have it

And get that bloody cable! It must exsist otherwise they wouldn't have made an output.

edit: I took on the challenge of finding the cable you need. Following the saying that if you can't find something on google, it doesn't exsist... well I didn't find anything The only 5-pin cables I could find were USB. Maybe you're not looking hard enough? My camera has loads of hidden connectors, some of which I found after a year of using it. I mean maybe the connector you are thinking is DV, is in fact just a USB connector?

Edited March 19, 2006 by Inur

[Danny]

And get that bloody cable! It must exsist otherwise they wouldn't have made an output.

edit: I took on the challenge of finding the cable you need. Following the saying that if you can't find something on google, it doesn't exsist... well I didn't find anything The only 5-pin cables I could find were USB. Maybe you're not looking hard enough? My camera has loads of hidden connectors, some of which I found after a year of using it. I mean maybe the connector you are thinking is DV, is in fact just a USB connector?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B...1570806-7339100 states that the camcorder uses usb2.0 and not firewire.

http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/108963 lists several methods for converting vob files to avi files which should import straght into premiere.

[Sam Nichols]

Ok, thanks for all your help so far guys.

New problem though

I am now able to get my footage onto my computer in a format that is ready for editing, avi or mpeg whichever I chose HOWEVER for some reason the actual camera footage appears to be really poor quality in terms of movement (it's sort of liney)

Here's a quick example of an uncompressed mpeg (avi's come out the same)

Left Click Me

Any ideas?