Video editing-can someone please help

[wtnhunt]

Finally got a computer that should by all means be very capable of handling the software that came with our camera and doing what I would like to do. We have had our handycam, a sony dcr-hc96 for a couple months now and I have been waiting to try out the editing features on the computer and so far am pretty disappointed. I figured out how to burn to a dvd, and the quality is really lousy when I playback what I burned from the computer on our dvd recorder connected to the tv or the other dvd players in the house. I can burn directly from the cam to dvd on our rca dvd recorder and get much better quality, but the dvd recorder does not have the ability to utilize the edit features the computer is supposed to.

This new computer is a 3 ghz machine with 1 gb of memory running xp media center edition and has a graphics accelerator, but does not have a tv tuner card with any additional dedicated video memory. Do I need to get a tv tuner card to better the performance, or do I need to look at different software? I am really kind of lost about figuring out why I am getting poor quality and would welcome and appreciate any help or suggestions I can get.

[VermontHunter]

William check out this link I found on Sony's website..

http://esupport.sony.com/perl/model-...pl?mdl=DCRHC96

Click on .....

How to transfer video from a video camera to a computer using an audio/video (A/V) connection

I'm not sure If you have the correct video capture card in your computer to convert the digital signal from analog....

[smallmunster]

Are you using the Picture Package Program for your editing? Can you change the bitrate settings for the dvd in your program? If the picture is good on the PC and poor on the DVD the first thing I would check is the bit rate settings. From what I saw on the net, the picture package progam was for making video cd's, these don't usually have the quality of a true DVD so more can fit on the CD.

You might also try to put the footage on the PC. Edit it, then instead of outputing it to the DVD, output it back to the camera via the firewire port (make sure you don't record over the original footage). Then use your camera to the dvd recorder and see if you still get the better results that you got before. You shouldn't have to do this, but if it works it might be a temporary solution.

I don't think you should need a TV tuner card, I don't have one. I have an old AGP graphics card. It might slow things down a bit, but has not affected the quality. A new lower end graphics card or on-board graphics chip on a new machine would probably be fater than my older one and I don't have any problems. I would look at your program first.

[VermontHunter]

Sure sounds like great advice to me..... Sure wish I new more about this video editing stuff,, but I don't even own a video cam...

[wtnhunt]

Thanks guys, the picture is fair on my screen in preview until I go to full screen, then it looks kind of pixelated when I am playing it while is being captured. Tried using the picture package software to capture, then used windows movie maker and tried that to burn from the captured video to dvd. Then also tried to capture with roxio's dvd software and burning to dvd from there. Think I can change some settings have not tried, but everything should still be on the default settings now.

The quality of the video on the lcd screen on the camera is awesome, is also great on the dvd I burned from our dvd recorder that is connected to the tv. Thanks for the link to the video there Luke, but, I am using the usb cable that came with the camera, that is how the owners manual shows connecting it. It should not be losing quality there should it.

[VermontHunter]

[ QUOTE ]
It should not be losing quality there should it.


[/ QUOTE ]

I honestly couldn't say William.... If I had the option I would use S-Video or the I-Link,,,

I agree with smallmuster tho,, I would look into the bitrate recording within the software package, and change that to it's highest rate possible, to improve to quality to DVD instead of CD quality..

[smallmunster]

Is the camera USB 2.0 or 1.1? I can't find anywhere on the net where it says that camera is USB 2.0. From what I have found it is USB 1.1 which is the old standard and not capable of transferring digital video at the highest quality. I think you are using the USB port that is designed to make your camera a web cam, which is not nearly the quality of DVD video.

If I am right (can't say for sure since I don't have the box or manuals) you will need to use the firewire (also called i.Link or IEEE 1394) port to transfer the video to your PC. Your computer will need to have a firewire port and you will need the proper firewire cable.

[wtnhunt]

Thanks guys. Dont have an i-link or s-video ports on the computer, just usb ports and a card reader. Pretty sure the cam should be up to date as it is one of sony's latest model mini dv cameras. Looked through the manual and on the box both and did not find anywhere it says whether it is 1.1 or 2.0. Would seem with the diagrams in the manual showing connection to a computer with the usb cable or with rca type patch cords or s-video that it should yield the same quality either way. Guess I might just have to call or send a message to sony asking them.

[VermontHunter]

William, I did some more digging for you on this issue, and think I have discovered what your problem may be....

Accordding to Sony's Info the software and USB Connection you are trying to use is specifically to be used for creating a VCD2, CD and not a DVD....

And YES, the USB connection will produce a lower quality imge than the I-Link connection....

I would definately contact either DELL or SONY to see what they recommend for a video capture card for making DVD's...

Below is 2 pages from Sony's User Manual where I found my conclusions from.... If I'm wrong, maybe another user on the forums can better clarifiy these 2 pages for you...





Hopefully some of this info is helpful...

[wtnhunt]

[ QUOTE ]
Is the camera USB 2.0 or 1.1? I can't find anywhere on the net where it says that camera is USB 2.0. From what I have found it is USB 1.1 which is the old standard and not capable of transferring digital video at the highest quality.

[/ QUOTE ]

OK, found in the specs where it says the docking station is usb 1.1.

Guess I need to get a firewire pci card?

[wtnhunt]

You know I read that part of my owners manual Luke, and I dont remember seeing the part that said that usb would provide lesser quality in my manual.

Any firewire card should work right? Think wal mart has some.

[VermontHunter]

[ QUOTE ]
Guess I need to get a firewire pci card?


[/ QUOTE ]

Before I did that William, I would truely see what Sony recommends...

It appears that you are definately losing quality by using the USB Connection....

[wtnhunt]

Thanks again Luke. Sent sony tech support a message earlier, have not heard back yet. Might have to send another.

[VermontHunter]

I still don't understand why DELL didn't include these features in your computer, considering it was speced out with Media Center..... What did they think you were going to do with that type of software ??? That's NUTS...

I didn't even consider and Media Software in mine and my system came with a Nvidia FX Video card which has S-Video intergrated on it....

Good Luck with everything William...

[wtnhunt]

Yeah would have thought so too Luke. Kind of wondering now too about getting a video card while I am it. Can hear the wife fussing at me now about not having everything I needed like I told her it would. Not sure how the onboard graphics accelerator compares to a video card. Sent sony another message, apparently my last one went to sonystyle support instead of sony tech support

After looking more closely at the manual, looks like with the I link I would have the ability to burn directly from the camera to a dvd.