My Video Problems

izprod · Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 2 Location: San Diego, CA

I finish editing w/ Movie Maker, I am ready to burn/save my work into a DVD, I want to
create a DVD that can play on regular household DVD player as well as a computer. I know I need to covert my work into a different format so it can play back on a DVD player, what format is that?
In addition, which conversion program, software, or free download do U people recommend?
& what CD/DVD format should I stick too as far as: DVD+R/DVD-R/CD-R/CD-RW . . . . . . . . . . etc?
I want to keep my clients/customers happy w/ their final footage & great DVD quality.
Thanks 4 ur responses, U can also email me @: izprod@yahoo.com
Israel

flyfisher · Joined: 02 Apr 2007 Posts: 133 Location: Hertford, UK

I've never used MovieMaker but I know it can't burn DVDs. As mentioned in your other post on this subject, avi files must be converted to mpeg2 before you can make a video DVD. There is also specific disc formatting involved as well, as well as all the 'authoring' necessary to create DVD menus etc. So, if you're editing with MM, you need additional software to handle DVD production.

PapaJohn is our resident Moviemaker expert and has a lot of MM information at http://www.papajohn.org. I found this link on his website to an article that seems to describe exactly what you want to do.

There are also many video editing applications that will handle the entire process of capture, editing, authoring and burning all within a single package. Examples include Pinnacle Studio, Adobe Premiere Elements (or 'Pro' if you have the budget), Ulead VideoStudio, and there are many others. There are satisfied users of all these packages lurking on this forum as well as 'higher-end' packages that tend to be used by the professionals among us.

I don't think that the DVD format is too important these days. 3 or 4 years ago I would have said that DVD-R was probably best in terms of compatibility with older DVD players, but modern players can play all formats of DVDs: DVD-R/RW & DVD+R/RW. I have a dual format burner and use both DVD-R and DVD+R discs and have not noticed any difference between them. I've used Sony, Maxell and TDK discs and have not noticed any difference either.

As for the final DVD quality, this will be mostly dependent on the quality of the original video recording. Quality can be measured in many ways but, IMHO, it's the camera work that's the real differentiator between a high quality and average production. It's one thing to worry about the technical quality of the video signal coming off the final DVD but if the content is badly filmed then all the technology in the world isn't going to make much difference.

The 'science' of creating a good quality DVD is more or less a solved problem these days - it's the 'art' of the process where the real skill lies!
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A SimplyDV refugee - no longer wandering aimlessly through cyberspace

Colin · Joined: 13 Apr 2007 Posts: 117 Location: Milton Keynes, UK

There's a new version of Ulead DVD MovieFactory (version 6) due out any second now, and you can try before you buy in the form of a download from the Corel website. This will take the completed AVI project files from MM2 and do what's required to make the DVD for you.

I think I'm supposed to be reviewing it for Computer Buyer magazine sometime soon.

Colin
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Look out for some great digital video-making features in "Digital Video" (Issue 0232), "Computer Buyer" (Issue 195) and "Computer Shopper" (Issue 235) magazines. And others I can't remember!!!