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Make Your Own DVD Movies
As technology advances and prices continue to drop, digital
entertainment through the use of DV camcorders, digital cameras
and other related equipment is becoming increasingly more common
in the average home. Research shows that digital camcorders are in
a period of high growth. In 2001, the sales of DV Camcorders
reached almost 6 million (double from 1999). However, taking
recorded video and creating stylish looking movies, in good
quality and in an easily shareable format, has been a challenge
since the inception of the camcorder.
In the past, most people have relied on the video stores and
professional video processing shops to help transform recorded
video from DV or analog camcorders into easily accessible VHS
tapes or DVD/CDs. But now, as PCs become more powerful and video
software become more easy to use, making your own CD or DVD movies
at home is something almost anyone with a camcorder can do.
With the help of the right software and hardware accessories,
it is now possible for you to create DVD or CD movies, at home! If
you are new to working with video on the computer and are looking
for an easy solution, than a program like
PowerProducer is right for you.
With PowerProducer, you can make movie disc in only 3 steps:
Capture video, create DVD movie menus, and then burn onto disc.
But what hardware accessories do you need? Don't worry; the
following article will help you find out what tools you need for
creating your very own movie disc.
Basic Tools - Must Have
Recording Tools: Before you start making movies, you
will need to get some video contents. Normally the video
contents comes from a DV Camcorder, Analog Camcorder, PC
Camera, Digital Camera, VHS Tape, or recorded TV programs.
PC: A computer is needed for processing video
contents. The faster the processor speed and the more RAM you
have, the more easy it will be to handle higher quality video
on your PC. Check the system requirements of the software you
are going to use before you begin.
Software Tool: It is required to have a software
program that can handle everything from video capturing to the
disc burning (or writing back to DV tape) process. The
following are two such solutions.
 For
those new to video editing and CD/DVD production,
PowerProducer is the ideal software. It does the job in
3 easy steps. It can captures video from various sources,
provides basic editing features, the option to create menus,
and then output videos in various disc formats (DVD, VCD,
SVCD, MiniDVD) or write back to DV Tape.
 For
more video editing and creative movie making features,
PowerDirector Pro is the most suitable software. It is
also packed with disc output features, but also includes
numerous video-editing features for those who want to add a
personal creative touch to their home movies. It provides
the option to add Transition Effects for that continuous
flow from scene to scene; Titles, Motion Video Special
Effects, Multiple Audio Tracks, and more.
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Video Capturing Tools
Depending on the source of your recorded video, you will need
a hardware device to assist in the process of getting the
video contents onto the PC. DV Camcorder Video: To
capture DV camcorder video, you'll need to have a IEEE1394
FireWire™ card and cable.
Video from Analog Device: To capture video from any
analog device (such as an analog camcorder and/or VCR), you'll
need to have the video source connected to a capture card on
your PC. For more information on
compatible capture cards for
PowerDirector (click here) and for
PowerProducer (click here).
TV programs: To record TV programs on the PC, you'll
need to have a TV tuner with a cable source connected to the
computer.
PC Camera, Digital Camera: Capturing contents from
most PC and Digital cameras only requires a USB connection,
and most of today's computers come with USB ports. |
To
output onto disc, you must have A) a CD or DVD writeable disc,
and B) a CD or DVD burner. Below, are the four major disc
types you can create, and the equipment needed for output.
DVD: Ideal output format for MPEG-2 quality video (DVD
movie quality) and audio files. It has an average of 4.7 GB
storage capacity (meaning you can store around 2 hours worth
of MPEG-2 video). DVDs can be played back on DVD players and
DVD drives for the PC. To output onto a DVD, a DVD-R/RW or
DVD+R/RW drive is required.
VCD: This format is basically a CD containing
digital video and audio files in MPEG-1 format (video playback
quality is better than VHS but not as good as MPEG-2). The
average CD has a 650MB storage capacity (meaning you can store
around 1 hour worth of MPEG-1 video). VCDs can be played back
CD-ROMs and most DVD players. A CD-R/RW drive is required for
outputting movies onto VCD.
SVCD: It is similar to a VCD in that it holds
digital video and audio files The difference is that SVCDs
offer better quality video through the use of MPEG-2 video,
while the audio track is still in MPEG-1 format. To make an
SVCD movie disc, a CD-R/RW is needed.
MiniDVD: It is a CD disc containing MPEG-2 format
video and audio files. An average CD can only hold up to 650
MB of data, therefore a MiniDVD only contains around 15
minutes worth of MPEG-2 video. MiniDVDs can only be viewed on
the PC and require an MPEG-2 software decoder for playback.
For outputting a MiniDVD, a CD-R/RW is needed. |
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