HOW TO TURN VIDEO TO DVD

Take one old videotape, one laptop and the right software and turn those fading memories of yesteryear into digital footage and even DVD discs

Domestic technology does not evolve as quickly as modern computing as it takes longer for technologies to mature and be adopted by the mainstream. In living memory this can be seen in how long it took for the video recorder to become commonplace in most homes. It’s only within the past 18 months that DVD has established itself as an affordable format and overtaken video in terms of sales. The chances are that you have a stack of VHS tapes somewhere in your house that you no longer watch. While many of us still use a video to record TV programmes, 65 percent of homes regularly watch movies on DVD. So, it makes sense that copying data over to DVD helps to minimise the amount of clutter in your home as well as offering a more convenient way to view footage.

If you were an early adopter of camcorders, then you’ll have tapes of the children growing up, or weddings and other special occasions. Using your laptop you can give this footage a new lease of life. While camcorders have allowed users to edit footage for some time, copying it over to a digital format allows for this editing process to be performed quicker. The advantage of editing files is an obvious one; you can edit out any footage you do not want as well as get the running order of events in chronological order. You may not know this, depending upon the quality of the tape in the first instance, all video tape has a lifespan of between five and 15 years before it will be un-viewable. The most common cause of degradation is from the lubricants between the layers of tape drying out and leaving a white powdery substance on the tape. This powder will then clog up machine heads of any VCR it is played in. The best, and easiest, way to save data is to transfer it over to a digital form using your laptop. To do this you will need to connect your VCR up to the laptop using a converter box.

THE TECHNIQUE

There are a number of ways in which you can connect your laptop and VCR. You can use either a SCART converter, or through the S-video port using composite leads. Videotape is analogue in nature and will need to be converted to a digital source. To this end, a number of manufacturers offer conversion-boxes. We review a selection on the following pages. Data that is to be captured can be converted as either an MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format. MPEG-1 creates smaller data files but the quality is less impressive than MPEG-2. If you will be copying data over to DVD as soon as it is encoded then MPEG-2 is the best solution. Converting videotapes is a time consuming business, as data cannot be converted at a compressed rate, so must be recorded in real time. Typically, a three-hour tape will take three hours to copy. Inevitably, there will be footage that you do not require, so we suggest choosing a package that allows you to edit the final file, as this will allow you to remove footage you don’t want, making for a smoother finished product.

WHAT TO USE

ADSTECH INSTANT DVD+DV

ADStech offers possibly the widest array of devices pitched at all sections of the market. At the entry-level they offer the DVD Xpress (£99 inc. VAT) up to the ADStech Instant DVD+DV (£249 inc. VAT), which we review here. The Instant DVD+DV hardware device features DV, composite video and left and right audio inputs on the front of the box and composite and SVHS on the rear, as well as audio ports and the USB port. The software package that ships with the Instant DVD+DV includes ADStech’s Capture Wizard 3.0, which is the main interface for capturing footage, as well as Ulead’s VideoStudio 7 for video-editing and DVD Movie Factory for creating DVDs. When launching CapWiz, you select the video standard based on your country as well as your video source (RCA or S-Video). The Instant DVD+DV captures video at 25fps PAL. It offers real-time encoding of analogue video to VCD (352 x 288 pixels at 1.2MBs), or at the higher definition of SVCD (480 x 576 2.4MBs), and DVD (720 x 576 up to 15MBs depending on video quality selected). CapWiz opens with a preview window so you can see your video as it is played back on the source device. Pressing record will quickly begin the converting process. A feature that the instant DVD+DV offers is one of decoding the files on the fly, which can save a great deal of time when it comes to saving your files off in digital format.

RATING: 8

PRICE: £211/£249 (EX/INC. VAT)
REQUIREMENTS: WINDOWS 98/XP, 500MB FREE SPACE, 4GB+ SPACE FOR VIDEO CAPTURE AND EDITING, USB2.0/FIREWIRE
CONTACT: WWW.ADSTECH.COM

ADAPTEC VIDEOH! DVD

The Adaptec VideOh! DVD offers everything you need to convert your analogue tapes to DVD format. The VideOh! hardware is a horizontally-oriented silver box that sports the required inputs – in this case, it’s RCA phono jacks for composite video and stereo audio channels, as well as a S-Video connector. The hardware connects to the PC using the clipping path USB 2.0 cable. The hardware is only half of the equation and works in a similar fashion to the Instant DVD+DV, but it is left to the software to be the selling point. VIDEOh! comes bundled with software for editing and authoring the final DVD. Footage can be capturing in either MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 formats at a minimum capture rate of 352 x 288 pixels at 1.2MBs or up to 480 x 576 pixels at 2.4MBs. DVD authoring is better, since VideOh! comes with a full copy of Sonic Solutions’ MyDVD, which is easy to use. The VideOh! hardware certainly works well. The solution works well but the software is a little on basic side and far from being as intuitive. If you’re looking for something that offers a little more, then the recently released Adaptec VideOh! DVD Media Centre (£160 inc. VAT) also adds TV recording functionality to the mix.

RATING: 6

PRICE: £100/£125 (EX/INC. VAT)

REQUIREMENTS: WINDOWS 98/XP, 250MB FREE SPACE, <450MB PER 10 MINS CAPTURE, USB2.0/FIREWIRE
CONTACT: WWW.ADAPTEC-UK.COM

DAZZLE DIGITAL VIDEO CREATOR 80

As a no-frills package, the Dazzle Digital Video Creator 80 (£60 inc. VAT) is the most basic of the three devices on test and consists of the small handsized adapter and a CD-ROM comprising of drivers and editing software in the form of MGI’s VideoWave4. This is a basic application that allows users the option to capture and edit footage from either a DV-cam or VHS. The device comprises Video-in, S-Video, and audio left and right in ports and a USB lead to plug into the computer.

A handy countdown of frames captured, and those dropped, is indicated on the viewing screen, which allows users to keep track of image quality. As you would expect, the Video Creator 80 can capture in MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 formats at up to 480 x 576 pixels. With no real-time compression, the Video Creator 80 is rather limited as capturing footage and editing it takes longer than with the more expensive devices. However, the software also allows you to send your saved MPEG-1 footage as an attachment for uploading to the Internet. Ideal if you want distant relatives to see your latest family movies.

The Dazzle Digital Video Creator 80 is beginning to show its age and the limited software and connections make it less than perfect for long-term use. If you have minimum needs then the Video Creator 80 will suit you fine, but there are better solutions available.

RATING: 6

PRICE: £51/£60 (EX/INC. VAT)

REQUIREMENTS: WINDOWS 98/XP, 300MB FREE SPACE, 4GB SPACE FOR VIDEO CAPTURING AND EDITING, USB2.0
CONTACT: WWW.DAZZLE.COM