Your videotapes, camcorder tapes, photos, slides and negatives deteriorate over time. You no longer have the equipment used to play or view them. Our professional media services will import, scan and edit your old analog media for your digital use. We convert (and edit) your tapes and then output them to DVD, flash drive, hard drive or the cloud. For mixed media projects we can use your videos and photos in the same project to output a stunning video presentation. Digitizing and converting videotapes. Scanning photos, scanning slides and scanning negatives. Transferring videotapes to DVDs. Creating and editing your family or business video project. Unlike Costco, CVS, Walmart, Amazon, etc. you don't have to wait MONTHS for your video to dvd project or video editing project to arrive. Most of our projects ship within 2-3 days after we receive your project. Personalized media services for both business and personal customers. Email us today to get started on your custom media project!
https://yourmemoriesremembered.com/
Friday, June 18, 2021
Wednesday, June 2, 2021
Our video to dvd transfer service will import and digitize your VHS, VHS-C, Video8, 8mm, Hi8, Digital8, and MiniDV tapes as well as MiniDVD discs. Video editing also available which can include photos, videos, music, titles and text.
We also offer scanning services for photos, negatives and slides.
Contact us today to get your project started!
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
Check out our new Video to DVD Transfer Service Website!
We completely redesigned our video to dvd transfer service website: Your Memories Remembered
Check out our services such as:
Video to DVD Transfer
Video Editing
DVD Slideshows and Photo Slideshows
Photo Scanning Service
Slide Scanning Service
Negative Scanning Service
Wedding Video DVDs
Wedding Photo Slideshows
Sports Recruiting Videos
Memorial Slideshow DVDs
DVD Duplication Service
Fundraising DVDs
Custom DVD and Media Projects
...and much more!
Friday, March 29, 2019
Videotape Preservation and Transfer Service
Time is running out to save your camcorder tapes, photos, slides and negatives. Let us convert and transfer your camcorder tapes and videotapes to DVD or to digital files. We currently work with tape formats Video8, 8mm, Hi8, Digital8, VHS, VHS-C, MiniDV as well as MiniDVD discs. Do you already have a DVD of your family memories and need more copies? No problem--we can make DVD copies for you, or can even rip the video footage from the DVD and make digital files. All digital files can be sent to you over the internet, placed on hard drive or USB flash drive for your convenience. Video editing also available, as well as photo scanning, negative scanning and slide scanning. We specialize in mixed media project including your photos, video and music. Because videotape colors can fade over time, don't wait any longer--have us do custom video to dvd transfer of your important videotapes and camcorder tapes before it's too late. Custom media projects available on request. Our professional video to dvd transfer service will provide you with excellent results.
Your Memories Remembered
Your Memories Remembered
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate
Pinnacle Studio 20 was just released and we purchased Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate to use with our video to dvd transfer service projects and video editing service projects. It's a very powerful program that allows us to import all types of our customers' videotapes, camcorder tapes, digital photos, digital video, and digital files in order to edit their family video footage, wedding video footage, business video footage, etc. Once our video editing service edits customers' video footage, we can then transfer the resulting video files to custom dvds, hard drives, flash drives, etc.
Included in this new version is motion tracking which allows our video editors to track moving objects onscreen and allows text, logos and graphics to follow the motion of the chosen object. It's very easy to use and we were quite impressed with the results.
Our favorite feature in the new version is the track transparency. It allows our video editing service to adjust the opacity of clips so we can overlay them and see multiple clips at the same time. It has a very professional look and is probably the feature that we will use most going forward.
Both the motion tracking and the track transparency features make Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate a great upgrade for video to dvd transfer service projects and video editing service projects.
Your Memories Remembered - desktop/laptop users
Your Memories Remembered - mobile users
Included in this new version is motion tracking which allows our video editors to track moving objects onscreen and allows text, logos and graphics to follow the motion of the chosen object. It's very easy to use and we were quite impressed with the results.
Our favorite feature in the new version is the track transparency. It allows our video editing service to adjust the opacity of clips so we can overlay them and see multiple clips at the same time. It has a very professional look and is probably the feature that we will use most going forward.
Both the motion tracking and the track transparency features make Pinnacle Studio 20 Ultimate a great upgrade for video to dvd transfer service projects and video editing service projects.
Your Memories Remembered - desktop/laptop users
Your Memories Remembered - mobile users
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Pinnacle Studio 18.5.1 Patch
Pinnacle has released the 18.5.1 patch for Pinnacle Studio 18. If you want to convert videotape to DVD the patch now includes Pinnacle MyDVD which is a quick little program with some built in standard menus so that you can get your videotape footage to DVD quickly.
The patch also gives you the option of a new favorite folder for use with the content packages, such as transitions. Improvements have also been made to stability, crash logging, disc burning, smart encoding, effects, keyframes, and file formats.
You can download the new update from Pinnacle here.
Your Memories Remembered - desktop/laptop users
Your Memories Remembered - mobile users
The patch also gives you the option of a new favorite folder for use with the content packages, such as transitions. Improvements have also been made to stability, crash logging, disc burning, smart encoding, effects, keyframes, and file formats.
You can download the new update from Pinnacle here.
Your Memories Remembered - desktop/laptop users
Your Memories Remembered - mobile users
Monday, December 8, 2014
Pinnacle Studio 18
Pinnacle Studio 18 review
We upgraded to Pinnacle Studio 18 recently, and wow I'm glad we did. We have the Ultimate version which is made to work with 64 bit computers. This makes a huge impact on the actual editing process, as everything is much snappier--adding titles, adding special effects, working with video footage--everything is much faster. So far it doesn't seem to make that much of a difference in the actual rendering of the dvd project, but it's well worth it for the actual video editing.
There are alot of really nice extra effects including some effects packs from New Blue. They are ones that most video editors will use daily, and seem to be geared for the types of family and business editing that most of us do.
Studio 18 includes support for HD and 4K (if your computer is fast enough to work with those types of files); includes izotope music and speech cleaner; allows for bluray disc creation (if you have a bluray burner); includes 3D features (which we never use); includes 2000 transitions, effects, templates and menus; allows for unlimited editing tracks for superior editing capabilities; works with Sonifire music if you buy the optional plugin (and you've updated to the latest patches); includes Scorefitter and some other free royalty free music; photo slideshow features; and many other features.
We had been using Studio 16 for quite a long time, and it worked pretty well but was made for 32 bit computers. For our video to dvd transfer projects it worked quite well. We decided to upgrade to Pinnacle Studio 17 and it was a disaster--the program was crashing constantly and caused us enough grief to return it for a refund. We were a bit skeptical to upgrade to Studio 18 but now we're in video editing heaven!
We normally don't recommend new products so quickly, but Studio 18 is definitely ready for prime time. Give it a shot--you can request a refund within the first 30 days if it doesn't meet your video to dvd editing needs.
Friday, June 6, 2014
Scripting a Video DVD Project
One of the best ways to create a perfect DVD keepsake using video footage, photos and text is to write a video script. For our customers, most will send us a variety of photographs (regular or digital--each numbered), family videotapes, and a written script. The script helps our video editors to give customers the exact DVD in the order that they want. After we scan any physical photographs, we follow the customer script.
A sample video dvd script looks like the following sample:
1. Place a title "Smith Family Memories"
2. Fade in to photo #27
3. Use the first 5 minutes of tape #3
4. Fade in to a title "Emily's Birth 1967"
5. Use the first 12 minutes of tape #1
Etc. etc.
A sample video dvd script looks like the following sample:
1. Place a title "Smith Family Memories"
2. Fade in to photo #27
3. Use the first 5 minutes of tape #3
4. Fade in to a title "Emily's Birth 1967"
5. Use the first 12 minutes of tape #1
Etc. etc.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Convert Video Files Before Creating a DVD
Many times a video file that you want to use to create a DVD is in a different format than the other video files you are using for your project. For the vast majority of DVD projects, it is best to convert all of your video files to the mpeg2 format.
There are many free programs that will convert your video files to mpeg2. One of the best is a small program called Handbrake. Use it to convert each of your video files to mpeg2 first, and then import these newly converted files into your DVD creation software. It will make for a much easier time making your DVD.
There are many free programs that will convert your video files to mpeg2. One of the best is a small program called Handbrake. Use it to convert each of your video files to mpeg2 first, and then import these newly converted files into your DVD creation software. It will make for a much easier time making your DVD.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Helpful Tip for Pinnacle Studio 16
If you're having trouble when video editing with Studio 16, especially if you have trouble with the program not responding when using the Title editor and/or any of the video effects, change your Windows theme to the most basic so that Aero is completely turned off. You'll be surprised how much of a difference this makes when doing your video to dvd project.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Pinnacle Studio 16 Ultimate First Impressions
1. We're running Studio 16 Ultimate on a Vista 32 bit laptop with a good video card (Nvidia 8600M GT). We set the playback optimization slider to 25 (in the control panel under preview) and effects and transitions are quickly rendered in the background for smooth playback while editing. We also have the preview quality set to "fastest playback".
2. The ability to add custom collections in the library is awesome. We made a custom collection "favorite transitions" and put all of the transitions used the most in that collection. Now we can easily get to those through the library without having to scroll through ALL of the transitions.
3. For some reason if we run Studio 16 as "administrator" we see an marked increase in performance. Not sure why, but it's definitely noticeable.
4. In the control panel under storage locations, there is a button all the way at the bottom to "delete render files" and IT ACTUALLY WORKS! It actually deletes the render files!
5. The included video tutorials are excellent.
6. We like the feature that can toggle on/off transitions length using the dynamic button (to the left of the magnet). We have transitions length set to 1 second so when we drag transitions between clips it stops at the set length. When we want a longer transition, all we have to do is click the dynamic button, insert a transition to a length that we want, and can click the dynamic button back again so future transitions are at our set length.
7. LOVE the storyboard track and the checkmarks that show which items from the library are in a project.
8. The jog shuttle is excellent. If you move it just slightly to the left or right, you can move very slowly through the footage.
9. When you double click on a video source file, you can click on "transition in" or "transition out", choose your transition from that screen, move the white slider to increase the length of the transition and watch the transition into or out of your clip right on that screen. Nice.
10. When you double click on a photo or video and choose "corrections", there are tons choices to make adjustments (such as removing red eye), and these corrections are saved only in the project (so the original file is not affected).
11. You can change the aspect ratio of the project at ANY time and the timeline will re-render to the new ratio. Awesome.
12. When you hover over many of the buttons, you get a tooltip box where in most cases you can watch a video of the feature you're trying to use. Very, very helpful.
13. You can customize the toolbar to hide any features that you normally don't use. Makes for less clutter, and you can always add them back later.
14. The installation process takes longer than other versions, but you don't have to add all of those activation keys during the install. All of the Ultimate features are already activated during the installation. Since we already have Studio 15 and Avid Studio on this laptop, Studio 16 also entered the previous activation keys from those programs into Studio 16.
One feature that we would like to see is that when using the storyboard above the timeline, it would be SO handy to be able to drop transitions between source clips/photos right on the storyboard.
2. The ability to add custom collections in the library is awesome. We made a custom collection "favorite transitions" and put all of the transitions used the most in that collection. Now we can easily get to those through the library without having to scroll through ALL of the transitions.
3. For some reason if we run Studio 16 as "administrator" we see an marked increase in performance. Not sure why, but it's definitely noticeable.
4. In the control panel under storage locations, there is a button all the way at the bottom to "delete render files" and IT ACTUALLY WORKS! It actually deletes the render files!
5. The included video tutorials are excellent.
6. We like the feature that can toggle on/off transitions length using the dynamic button (to the left of the magnet). We have transitions length set to 1 second so when we drag transitions between clips it stops at the set length. When we want a longer transition, all we have to do is click the dynamic button, insert a transition to a length that we want, and can click the dynamic button back again so future transitions are at our set length.
7. LOVE the storyboard track and the checkmarks that show which items from the library are in a project.
8. The jog shuttle is excellent. If you move it just slightly to the left or right, you can move very slowly through the footage.
9. When you double click on a video source file, you can click on "transition in" or "transition out", choose your transition from that screen, move the white slider to increase the length of the transition and watch the transition into or out of your clip right on that screen. Nice.
10. When you double click on a photo or video and choose "corrections", there are tons choices to make adjustments (such as removing red eye), and these corrections are saved only in the project (so the original file is not affected).
11. You can change the aspect ratio of the project at ANY time and the timeline will re-render to the new ratio. Awesome.
12. When you hover over many of the buttons, you get a tooltip box where in most cases you can watch a video of the feature you're trying to use. Very, very helpful.
13. You can customize the toolbar to hide any features that you normally don't use. Makes for less clutter, and you can always add them back later.
14. The installation process takes longer than other versions, but you don't have to add all of those activation keys during the install. All of the Ultimate features are already activated during the installation. Since we already have Studio 15 and Avid Studio on this laptop, Studio 16 also entered the previous activation keys from those programs into Studio 16.
One feature that we would like to see is that when using the storyboard above the timeline, it would be SO handy to be able to drop transitions between source clips/photos right on the storyboard.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Pinnacle Studio 16 - Video to DVD Transfer
Pinnacle Studio 16 - Video to DVD Transfer
We recently purchased the newly updated video editing software Pinnacle Studio 16. We've been using it for a few days now, and here are some of our thoughts:
--we're using it on Vista 32 bit and have noticed significant speed improvements over Pinnacle Studio 15
--even though Pinnacle Studio 16 is optimized for 64 bit computers, there is a marked overall "snappiness" in the program on 32 bit computers
--the program really should have been called Avid Studio 2.0 as the interface mimics Avid Studio 1.1
--we've found that running the program as administrator seems to have a positive effect on the speediness of the program, but not sure why
--we purchased the Pinnacle Studio 16 Ultimate option, and even though the installation of the program takes a great deal longer than previous versions, the program automatically installs all of the plugins during installation so there's no losing serial number keys for add on content
--at the beginning of installation, you only have to input the serial number; if you already have an older version of Pinnacle Studio or Avid Studio, the program finds the version for you during upgrade so you don't have to input an old serial number
--for moving add on content from Avid Studio to Pinnacle Studio 16, compare the following folders, then copy/paste missing files/folders from C:\Program Files\Avid\Studio\plugins\RTFx to C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\Studio 16\plugins\RTFx and do the same C:\Program Files\Avid\Studio\plugins\RTFXV2\ to C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\Studio 16\plugins\RTFXV2. All of the files/folders in Avid Studio RTFx and Avid Studio RTFxV2 should be the same as their corresponding Pinnacle Studio folders
--Alpha Magic transitions are not included in Pinnacle Studio 16 but you can easily copy them over from Avid Studio. For Alpha Magic, again copy/paste all Alpha Magic folders and files from C:\Program Files\Avid\Studio\plugins\RTFx to C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\Studio 16\plugins\RTFx. Alpha Magic will be listed at the very bottom of the transitions library
--there is a storyboard option in Pinnacle Studio 16 and it puts a mini storyboard above the timeline (very useful); the only thing that would make the new storyboard better would be to be able to put transitions between the storyboard pictures/videos instead of having to do it from the timeline (which is more time consuming)
As we use the program more, we will post more information on Pinnacle Studio 16 Ultimate.
We recently purchased the newly updated video editing software Pinnacle Studio 16. We've been using it for a few days now, and here are some of our thoughts:
--we're using it on Vista 32 bit and have noticed significant speed improvements over Pinnacle Studio 15
--even though Pinnacle Studio 16 is optimized for 64 bit computers, there is a marked overall "snappiness" in the program on 32 bit computers
--the program really should have been called Avid Studio 2.0 as the interface mimics Avid Studio 1.1
--we've found that running the program as administrator seems to have a positive effect on the speediness of the program, but not sure why
--we purchased the Pinnacle Studio 16 Ultimate option, and even though the installation of the program takes a great deal longer than previous versions, the program automatically installs all of the plugins during installation so there's no losing serial number keys for add on content
--at the beginning of installation, you only have to input the serial number; if you already have an older version of Pinnacle Studio or Avid Studio, the program finds the version for you during upgrade so you don't have to input an old serial number
--for moving add on content from Avid Studio to Pinnacle Studio 16, compare the following folders, then copy/paste missing files/folders from C:\Program Files\Avid\Studio\plugins\RTFx to C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\Studio 16\plugins\RTFx and do the same C:\Program Files\Avid\Studio\plugins\RTFXV2\ to C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\Studio 16\plugins\RTFXV2. All of the files/folders in Avid Studio RTFx and Avid Studio RTFxV2 should be the same as their corresponding Pinnacle Studio folders
--Alpha Magic transitions are not included in Pinnacle Studio 16 but you can easily copy them over from Avid Studio. For Alpha Magic, again copy/paste all Alpha Magic folders and files from C:\Program Files\Avid\Studio\plugins\RTFx to C:\Program Files\Pinnacle\Studio 16\plugins\RTFx. Alpha Magic will be listed at the very bottom of the transitions library
--there is a storyboard option in Pinnacle Studio 16 and it puts a mini storyboard above the timeline (very useful); the only thing that would make the new storyboard better would be to be able to put transitions between the storyboard pictures/videos instead of having to do it from the timeline (which is more time consuming)
As we use the program more, we will post more information on Pinnacle Studio 16 Ultimate.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Avid Studio Part 2 - Video to DVD Transfer Service
We purchased and have been using Avid Studio for about a week. If you're thinking about purchasing Avid Studio, you can go to the Pinnacle website and download a trial. Included in the program is a small program called NemoCheck. This program tests the power of your computer and tells you if your computer meets the specs for different types of video. For example, our computer gets the message after running NemoCheck "Your computer is powerful and will run very well with 1080p HD video. Make sure when running the check that no other programs are running or you will get an inaccurate result. We recommend trying this with the free trial to make sure your computer has the horsepower to run Avid Studio adequately for your needs.
Some good things so far about Avid Studio:
1. The included short training videos are very good, and will help you make the transition from Pinnacle Studio.
2. Rendering times are much, much shorter than Pinnacle Studio.
3. When installing the programs and the included addons, you are asked for the codes before installation. No more adding code keys. This is a big plus.
4. There is a plugin (which can be purchased) which allows the use of SonicFire Pro. Works seamlessly from within Avid Studio.
5. The included content is impressive. Lots and lots of transitions, video effects, audio effects, titles, etc.
6. The Avid Studio window is very customizable.
7. We really like the unlimited tracks feature. You can add as many tracks as you wish, and can add tracks below or above the current track you are working on.
Some negatives:
1. There is only a timeline view, and NO storyboard view. For quick slideshows with transitions between each photo, Pinnacle Studio is much easier to use.
2. When working with motion titles, our program kept crashing. We found that inserting the text we want BEFORE choosing a motion title gets rid of this problem.
3. It's very, very difficult to use older Pinnacle plugins with Avid Studio, and those that have been successful in getting them to work with the interface have found all kinds of bugs, and they cause multiple crashes.
So far so good. We'll write more after we've worked with the program for a longer period of time.
Some good things so far about Avid Studio:
1. The included short training videos are very good, and will help you make the transition from Pinnacle Studio.
2. Rendering times are much, much shorter than Pinnacle Studio.
3. When installing the programs and the included addons, you are asked for the codes before installation. No more adding code keys. This is a big plus.
4. There is a plugin (which can be purchased) which allows the use of SonicFire Pro. Works seamlessly from within Avid Studio.
5. The included content is impressive. Lots and lots of transitions, video effects, audio effects, titles, etc.
6. The Avid Studio window is very customizable.
7. We really like the unlimited tracks feature. You can add as many tracks as you wish, and can add tracks below or above the current track you are working on.
Some negatives:
1. There is only a timeline view, and NO storyboard view. For quick slideshows with transitions between each photo, Pinnacle Studio is much easier to use.
2. When working with motion titles, our program kept crashing. We found that inserting the text we want BEFORE choosing a motion title gets rid of this problem.
3. It's very, very difficult to use older Pinnacle plugins with Avid Studio, and those that have been successful in getting them to work with the interface have found all kinds of bugs, and they cause multiple crashes.
So far so good. We'll write more after we've worked with the program for a longer period of time.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Avid Studio - Video to DVD Transfer Service
Pinnacle just released their new video editing software Avid Studio. We are not going to be using this video editing software for one important reason--it does not have a storyboard feature. For those who do not use the storyboard in other Pinnacle Studio products, the software gives you the following features:
--markers and keyframes
--a library that manages all of your media files
--an in-program editor to make changes to audio, video and photos without leaving the program
--unlimited tracks
--lots of extra plugins and transitions
Looking at everything that is available in Avid Studio vs. the new Studio 15, you would probably only want to choose Avid Studio if you absolutely must have unlimited tracks for your video to dvd transfer project.
--markers and keyframes
--a library that manages all of your media files
--an in-program editor to make changes to audio, video and photos without leaving the program
--unlimited tracks
--lots of extra plugins and transitions
Looking at everything that is available in Avid Studio vs. the new Studio 15, you would probably only want to choose Avid Studio if you absolutely must have unlimited tracks for your video to dvd transfer project.
Pinnacle Studio 15 - Video to DVD Transfer Service
Pinnacle just released Studio 15 video editing software (which in our opinion should have been the patch for Studio 14 that was never released). We purchased and are using this video to dvd program. It renders files much, much faster than any previous version of Studio and allows for video to dvd transfer. Some of the new features:
--new archive/restore tool which will make a backup of all files of the project you are working on so you can easily work on it later and not worry if all of your original files are in the correct place
Yep, that's about the only thing that has changed besides obvious coding changes that make the program much, much snappier and responsive. If you work with the program on a daily or weekly basis and were disappointed with Studio 14, the upgrade is worth it.
--new archive/restore tool which will make a backup of all files of the project you are working on so you can easily work on it later and not worry if all of your original files are in the correct place
Yep, that's about the only thing that has changed besides obvious coding changes that make the program much, much snappier and responsive. If you work with the program on a daily or weekly basis and were disappointed with Studio 14, the upgrade is worth it.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Video Editing with Serif MoviePlus X5 - Video to DVD Transfer Service
Video to dvd transfer and transfer video to dvd enthusiasts will be excited about the new video editing software from Serif--the Serif MoviePlus X5 high definition video suite. The new suite gives you the ability to edit and add effects to your video editing project, and then burn the project to DVD or Blu-ray. You also get a free green screen.
The suite includes lots of import and export options, no limit on the number of tracks in the timeline mode, lots of special effects and transitions, the ability to reduce shakiness in video, noise reduction, AVCHD, HDV, picture in picture, and Dolby Digital.
This video editing product will work with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
The suite includes lots of import and export options, no limit on the number of tracks in the timeline mode, lots of special effects and transitions, the ability to reduce shakiness in video, noise reduction, AVCHD, HDV, picture in picture, and Dolby Digital.
This video editing product will work with Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Video Editing Software - PowerDirector 9 64-bit
Video Editing Software - Cyberlink PowerDirector 9 64-bit
The Ultra64 edition of PowerDirector 9 is one of the first to allow full use of 64-bit consumer computers for video editing. The Ultra edition also allows Blu-ray disc creation and disc burning. This edition can make use of multiple cores of CPUs. Use this software for video editing and the creation of both standard and blu-ray discs.
Features:
--works with 64-bit CPUs
--works with multiple core CPUs
--TrueVelocity technology speeds up the video to dvd editing process
The Ultra64 edition of PowerDirector 9 is one of the first to allow full use of 64-bit consumer computers for video editing. The Ultra edition also allows Blu-ray disc creation and disc burning. This edition can make use of multiple cores of CPUs. Use this software for video editing and the creation of both standard and blu-ray discs.
Features:
--works with 64-bit CPUs
--works with multiple core CPUs
--TrueVelocity technology speeds up the video to dvd editing process
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Video to DVD Transfer Digital Video Formats
Although there are many formats, these are the most popular:
1. .mpeg or .mpeg2 - probably the most popular of the video to DVD transfer formats. Because of its moderate size, the mpeg/mpeg2 formats are well suited for transferring your home videos to DVD.
2. .wmv - also known as Windows Video Format. If you're going to be playing the video transfers on your computer and not transferring them to DVD, .wmv will do the job. This type of file is typical for use with Windows Media Player.
3. .avi - even though it's a very high quality video to DVD transfer format, choose wisely. If you are importing digital video from a video camera and choose avi, you should make sure that the length of your video is 1 hour or less. This will allow you to comfortably use the .avi file for transfer to a DVD. If your video footage is much longer than 1 hour, you will be better off choosing the .mpeg format to make your DVD.
4. .rm - Real Media - works mostly with the free Real Media Player.
5. quicktime or .mov - Apple uses this format. If you are doing a video to DVD transfer on a Mac computer, use either of these formats so you can import the footage into iMovie and you can then burn this movie to DVD.
6. MPEG4 - for your video to dvd transfer, use this format if you are going to export your footage to a handheld media player. If using the Zune, .wmv will work better. If using a video iPod, .mpeg4 and .mov work well.
7. flv - use the flash format for your video to DVD transfer if you are uploading your video to the web or to your own website, as it is much smaller in file size and works with all internet browsers.
1. .mpeg or .mpeg2 - probably the most popular of the video to DVD transfer formats. Because of its moderate size, the mpeg/mpeg2 formats are well suited for transferring your home videos to DVD.
2. .wmv - also known as Windows Video Format. If you're going to be playing the video transfers on your computer and not transferring them to DVD, .wmv will do the job. This type of file is typical for use with Windows Media Player.
3. .avi - even though it's a very high quality video to DVD transfer format, choose wisely. If you are importing digital video from a video camera and choose avi, you should make sure that the length of your video is 1 hour or less. This will allow you to comfortably use the .avi file for transfer to a DVD. If your video footage is much longer than 1 hour, you will be better off choosing the .mpeg format to make your DVD.
4. .rm - Real Media - works mostly with the free Real Media Player.
5. quicktime or .mov - Apple uses this format. If you are doing a video to DVD transfer on a Mac computer, use either of these formats so you can import the footage into iMovie and you can then burn this movie to DVD.
6. MPEG4 - for your video to dvd transfer, use this format if you are going to export your footage to a handheld media player. If using the Zune, .wmv will work better. If using a video iPod, .mpeg4 and .mov work well.
7. flv - use the flash format for your video to DVD transfer if you are uploading your video to the web or to your own website, as it is much smaller in file size and works with all internet browsers.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Video to DVD Transfer - Capture Problems
When doing a video to dvd transfer project, you may run into problem when capturing the video. This can happen in both analog and digital transfers. Here are some common problems and solutions:
1. Delay from the time video begins playing and video starts recording--this is quite common. In analog projects, this delay is usually 2-3 seconds; in digital video to dvd captures, the delay can be as much as 5-7 seconds. The delay occurs as the computer is converting the signal into digital format. Suggested solution--when recording your video footage (at a wedding, etc.), always start recording at least 10 seconds before the footage you actually want to capture begins. You can always edit out this footage later.
2. Computer you're using does not have a built in capture card--if it's a desktop computer, you can purchase and install a capture card. If this is not an option or if you're using a laptop computer, you can purchase a firewire or USB capture device.
3. Video skips when importing it - if the video is skipping, it usually means you need to turn off as many background programs as possible so the majority of your computer's installed memory can be dedicated to the capture process. Other less common reasons include a cable that has one or both ends not completely seated (into the camera/capture device or the computer); a faulty cable, especially if it has become bent; a background virus scan is taking place which uses up a lot of RAM memory; a final solution is to stop the capturing process, reboot the computer and try again. When in doubt--reboot!
4. Can't decide what video format to capture in - if your video is 1 hour or less, capture the footage in .avi format as it will fit onto a standard blank DVD disc. If the footage is between 1 hour and 2 1/2 hours, choose .mpg (mpeg2 if that's a choice). This format is smaller and size and should also allow you to fit the video footage on to a standard blank DVD. If you want to capture the footage for use with a portable device, check the owner's manual to that device and use the suggested format (usually .mp4 or .wmv).
5. Audio and video and not in synch (like a poorly dubbed Japanese horror movie) - the most common cause is not enough memory available for the capture. Turn off background programs to start. If you are able to resize the video capture window to a smaller size, that will also help. It can also mean your hard drive is getting too full.
6. Capturing video that was recorded from a digital camera looks low quality - many digital cameras allow you to capture short bursts of video footage. However, understand that this is not high quality video footage and is mostly meant for uploading the files to sites such as youtube to share with others. When you import these files to your computer, while they may look good when the window size is small they will lose a lot of quality when you convert them to .avi or .mpg and put them on a DVD.
7. The video capture used to work, but now it's giving me problems - in most cases, you need to uninstall the driver for your capture card or capture card, reboot the computer, reinstall the driver, reboot the computer and try again. That usually solves the problem.
8. Video freezes during capture - quite a common problem. Could be not enough memory, your computer has an older chip, or the tape itself has problems which causes the signal to be lost. In most cases you will have to keep what has been captured, cue the tape where it stopped capturing, and start capturing a second file. It can also mean that your hard drive is becoming too full.
9. I have captured video files on a CD that are in .mov (quicktime format) and I can't make a DVD with them - the easiest way it to upgrade your quicktime program to PRO, open the file and have quicktime convert it to either .avi or .mpg.
10. Frames are dropped during capture - this happens frequently. If it's just a few frames over the course of a large video, it's not a big deal. If you're getting lots and lots of dropped frames, it's usually a memory problem and your computer can't keep up with the capture.
1. Delay from the time video begins playing and video starts recording--this is quite common. In analog projects, this delay is usually 2-3 seconds; in digital video to dvd captures, the delay can be as much as 5-7 seconds. The delay occurs as the computer is converting the signal into digital format. Suggested solution--when recording your video footage (at a wedding, etc.), always start recording at least 10 seconds before the footage you actually want to capture begins. You can always edit out this footage later.
2. Computer you're using does not have a built in capture card--if it's a desktop computer, you can purchase and install a capture card. If this is not an option or if you're using a laptop computer, you can purchase a firewire or USB capture device.
3. Video skips when importing it - if the video is skipping, it usually means you need to turn off as many background programs as possible so the majority of your computer's installed memory can be dedicated to the capture process. Other less common reasons include a cable that has one or both ends not completely seated (into the camera/capture device or the computer); a faulty cable, especially if it has become bent; a background virus scan is taking place which uses up a lot of RAM memory; a final solution is to stop the capturing process, reboot the computer and try again. When in doubt--reboot!
4. Can't decide what video format to capture in - if your video is 1 hour or less, capture the footage in .avi format as it will fit onto a standard blank DVD disc. If the footage is between 1 hour and 2 1/2 hours, choose .mpg (mpeg2 if that's a choice). This format is smaller and size and should also allow you to fit the video footage on to a standard blank DVD. If you want to capture the footage for use with a portable device, check the owner's manual to that device and use the suggested format (usually .mp4 or .wmv).
5. Audio and video and not in synch (like a poorly dubbed Japanese horror movie) - the most common cause is not enough memory available for the capture. Turn off background programs to start. If you are able to resize the video capture window to a smaller size, that will also help. It can also mean your hard drive is getting too full.
6. Capturing video that was recorded from a digital camera looks low quality - many digital cameras allow you to capture short bursts of video footage. However, understand that this is not high quality video footage and is mostly meant for uploading the files to sites such as youtube to share with others. When you import these files to your computer, while they may look good when the window size is small they will lose a lot of quality when you convert them to .avi or .mpg and put them on a DVD.
7. The video capture used to work, but now it's giving me problems - in most cases, you need to uninstall the driver for your capture card or capture card, reboot the computer, reinstall the driver, reboot the computer and try again. That usually solves the problem.
8. Video freezes during capture - quite a common problem. Could be not enough memory, your computer has an older chip, or the tape itself has problems which causes the signal to be lost. In most cases you will have to keep what has been captured, cue the tape where it stopped capturing, and start capturing a second file. It can also mean that your hard drive is becoming too full.
9. I have captured video files on a CD that are in .mov (quicktime format) and I can't make a DVD with them - the easiest way it to upgrade your quicktime program to PRO, open the file and have quicktime convert it to either .avi or .mpg.
10. Frames are dropped during capture - this happens frequently. If it's just a few frames over the course of a large video, it's not a big deal. If you're getting lots and lots of dropped frames, it's usually a memory problem and your computer can't keep up with the capture.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Video to DVD Transfer - Roxio Creator 2010 Pro
We recently upgraded to Roxio Creator 2010 Pro. Nice interface, but be very careful to read the forums for the correct procedure to completely uninstall older Roxio software/registry entries before installing. We had no problems installing Creator 2010 Pro after following the recommended procedures.
What you get:
1. LightZone: for photos. Allows you to quickly add professional lighting effects and correct color balance; fix any lighting problems with your photo; adjust gray levels; change the exposure without changing the current color; will work with RAW, jpeg, tiff and png photo formats.
2. HiDef and Blu-ray: you must purchase the optional plugin. Allows you to author/create blu-ray dvds (we don't recommend this at this point, as most do it yourself blu-ray software has all kinds of problems playing back on current blu-ray dvd players).
3. Sonicfire Pro: allows you to make custom soundtracks (based on musical styles) for use in your video projects. We like this version of sonicfire alot. You can customize which instruments are used, the mood of the music, the tempo of the soundtrack and the pitch, then export the track to use in your video productions.
4. Soundsoap: with trial and error, you can remove noise from sound recordings (such as wind, background noise, etc.). It takes alot of playing around to get exactly what we're looking for.
5. BackOnTrack: allows you to back up your hard drive, OS, files, settings and programs. If you don't already have a backup strategy for your system, this will do it for you.
6. Burning DVDs/Copying non-copy protected DVDs: Allows you to burn and copy dvds from your desktop; burn a blu-ray data DVD; burn a regular data DVD; back up CDs and DVDs; copy DVDs you've already made; backup audio/movies/tv shows from iPod to your computer; render a dual layer DVD to fit on a standard 4.7GB dvd.
7. Video: Allows you to edit your video files; create and edit movie style DVDs; make movie presentations quickly using your imported video and photos, then using the Cinemagic feature; capture analog video; import video; import video from HDV camcorders and AVCHD camcorders; save videos you find on the web and play them back on your phone or iPod; upload your video to Youtube; preview video quality before you decide to render an entire project; add titles and credits to your video footage; basic video editing tools such as trim, cut, timeline, storyboard, transitions, etc.; fix the color, contrast and brightness of your imported video footage; image overlay, text overlay and picture in picture for your video footage.
8. DVDs: with the optional blu-ray plugin, you can play back bluray movies on your PC, burn blu-ray dvds and data dvds. Without the optional plugin, you can make standard dvds with menus and chapters; burn a project directly to dvd; play dvds on your computer.
9. Music: Allows you to convert audio book CDs to iPod and other compatible devices; create music mixes with transitional beats between songs; trim blank spaces at the beginning or end of songs; import audio from CDs, vinyl records, tapes, and the internet; capture internet radio songs; digitize analog/vinyl recordings, clean them up, and export them as MP3s; rip the music from CDs or DVDs; convert many types of audio files and export them as a new audio file type (convert); burn mp3 CDs; burn mp3 DVDs.
10. Photos: Allows you to edit photos; create DVD photo slideshows; share your photos online privately; fix red eye; erase wrinkles/blemishes; crop photos; create panoramas.
11. Other: create dvd/CD labels and inserts using templates or creating your own.
We liked Creator 2009 alot except the fact that when we upgraded to Creator 2009 the "Pro" version was not a choice. Then a month later they released the "Pro" version. We didn't get burned a second time. We waited until well after Creator 2010 was released, then upgraded from Creator 2009 to the "Pro" version of Creator 2010.
They have some nice tutorials, but your best bet is to READ both the downloadable manual and also the Roxio forums. Many users have been around for years and have found workarounds to common problems. Be respectful, however--read through the forums first to see if your question has already been discussed and answered. People on the boards are very helpful but they get frustrated at new users who just jump on and ask a question that's been asked and answered already (in some cases, MANY times).
If you have a fairly new computer and are running Vista or 7, you should have a good experience. We wouldn't recommend putting it on an older computer running XP.
What you get:
1. LightZone: for photos. Allows you to quickly add professional lighting effects and correct color balance; fix any lighting problems with your photo; adjust gray levels; change the exposure without changing the current color; will work with RAW, jpeg, tiff and png photo formats.
2. HiDef and Blu-ray: you must purchase the optional plugin. Allows you to author/create blu-ray dvds (we don't recommend this at this point, as most do it yourself blu-ray software has all kinds of problems playing back on current blu-ray dvd players).
3. Sonicfire Pro: allows you to make custom soundtracks (based on musical styles) for use in your video projects. We like this version of sonicfire alot. You can customize which instruments are used, the mood of the music, the tempo of the soundtrack and the pitch, then export the track to use in your video productions.
4. Soundsoap: with trial and error, you can remove noise from sound recordings (such as wind, background noise, etc.). It takes alot of playing around to get exactly what we're looking for.
5. BackOnTrack: allows you to back up your hard drive, OS, files, settings and programs. If you don't already have a backup strategy for your system, this will do it for you.
6. Burning DVDs/Copying non-copy protected DVDs: Allows you to burn and copy dvds from your desktop; burn a blu-ray data DVD; burn a regular data DVD; back up CDs and DVDs; copy DVDs you've already made; backup audio/movies/tv shows from iPod to your computer; render a dual layer DVD to fit on a standard 4.7GB dvd.
7. Video: Allows you to edit your video files; create and edit movie style DVDs; make movie presentations quickly using your imported video and photos, then using the Cinemagic feature; capture analog video; import video; import video from HDV camcorders and AVCHD camcorders; save videos you find on the web and play them back on your phone or iPod; upload your video to Youtube; preview video quality before you decide to render an entire project; add titles and credits to your video footage; basic video editing tools such as trim, cut, timeline, storyboard, transitions, etc.; fix the color, contrast and brightness of your imported video footage; image overlay, text overlay and picture in picture for your video footage.
8. DVDs: with the optional blu-ray plugin, you can play back bluray movies on your PC, burn blu-ray dvds and data dvds. Without the optional plugin, you can make standard dvds with menus and chapters; burn a project directly to dvd; play dvds on your computer.
9. Music: Allows you to convert audio book CDs to iPod and other compatible devices; create music mixes with transitional beats between songs; trim blank spaces at the beginning or end of songs; import audio from CDs, vinyl records, tapes, and the internet; capture internet radio songs; digitize analog/vinyl recordings, clean them up, and export them as MP3s; rip the music from CDs or DVDs; convert many types of audio files and export them as a new audio file type (convert); burn mp3 CDs; burn mp3 DVDs.
10. Photos: Allows you to edit photos; create DVD photo slideshows; share your photos online privately; fix red eye; erase wrinkles/blemishes; crop photos; create panoramas.
11. Other: create dvd/CD labels and inserts using templates or creating your own.
We liked Creator 2009 alot except the fact that when we upgraded to Creator 2009 the "Pro" version was not a choice. Then a month later they released the "Pro" version. We didn't get burned a second time. We waited until well after Creator 2010 was released, then upgraded from Creator 2009 to the "Pro" version of Creator 2010.
They have some nice tutorials, but your best bet is to READ both the downloadable manual and also the Roxio forums. Many users have been around for years and have found workarounds to common problems. Be respectful, however--read through the forums first to see if your question has already been discussed and answered. People on the boards are very helpful but they get frustrated at new users who just jump on and ask a question that's been asked and answered already (in some cases, MANY times).
If you have a fairly new computer and are running Vista or 7, you should have a good experience. We wouldn't recommend putting it on an older computer running XP.
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