Most user friendly software capture/edit mini dv fr camcorder?

Dew · 2nd July 2006, 18:56

I bought a mini dv camcorder (Panasonic PVGS300) and am new to all of this.
Did a lot of research before purchase as i was going to buy a Mini DVD camcorder until I read of the potential edit issues with this format.

Now I am looking for a user friendly capture and edit program for the creation of a dvd from my camcorder tape film. I don't like drag n' drop programs, so I am trying to stay away from that feature; I need something easy that won't create a lot of work b/c the program is very sophisticated.
Any suggestions.

I presently use Ulead Movie Factory 4 with my Hauppauge win tv pvr usb2 to create a dvd from my vhs tapes, however don't know if this program can do what I need from a camcorder.
I would appreciate all comments, thankyou.

CWR03 · 2nd July 2006, 20:14

You should be able to use Ulead with its "Import video" function and the firewire connection of your camera to import the video.

Dew · 3rd July 2006, 22:43

If I use the Ulead MF 4 to import, I imagine I will have to purchase a program to do the editing after it is imported?

As you can see I am a noob to this, just wondering if there is a user friendly program that can do both or does one usually edit after you import the whole film to the computer?

I ask this as I am used to editing with a sony editor when i used my super 8's and hi 8's.

Very dense in this area as you can see!!!

I appreciate all the help I can get!

ammck55 · 3rd July 2006, 23:55

From what I've read on MF 4, you can do a variety of editing/authoring/exporting of your personal files as well as an assortment of capture options. Get in your help files, it will be the easiest way to learn the software. It would appear that you have all the power you'll need for starters boxed up in this app.

ammck55

CWR03 · 4th July 2006, 07:42

I only suggested the firewire-to-Ulead option because you have it and know how to use it. Most programs will have an import option to allow you to bring in video from a device such as a DV camera. Have you tried it yet? If you're already capturing from your Hauppage and burning to DVD with it, you likely already have the MPEG-2 plugin you'll need.

terryt · 4th July 2006, 15:59

You might want to try Ulead's Video Studio 10+, it is a easy to use editor and gives you more editing capability than Movie Factory 4.
You can download the Try Before You Buy version here:
http://www.ulead.com/vs/trial.htm

Dew · 5th July 2006, 18:11

Thx for the suggestions, I haven't taken any video yet as we have been busy with Canada Day and I now will plan on taking some in the next day or 2 and hope to try to do some edits or at least transfer to dvd, which is all I want to do initially.

I used to add music with my older sony super 8's and hi 8's, however that was with my sony editor and that took some time to tackle.
I suppose it will be the same issue with this type of editing as well and with this camcorder there is no ability to do narration as there is with most home corders now.
You either pay $3000 cdn for such basics that used to be on my older units which i definitely cannot justify when the grandchildren don't visit that often.

I still have to go out and purchase the elusive firewire card for my notebook as well and some firewire.
The 6 to 4 fire wire as the card is 6.
Is there a difference in quality of fire wire?

I can get a 3 ft cable of it for $6 while Future Shop wants $29and the other place is a Generic Computer Store.

I should have added that the unit came with a cd with a couple of programs with it and as well usb 2 drivers??
Not sure if these drivers will allow creation of dvd's or not. I guess that I will have to phone panasonic support??

Any comments, thankyou

Dew · 7th July 2006, 13:40

Again a question on dvd capturing. What program is the most used and again user friendly of those out there to do the video capture and the editing.

Can they be done simultaneously, or does one have to import the video first and then edit.

I am not necessarily looking at keepin on with Ulead Movie Factory 4 if there is a more user friendly program for a Beginner like me and that has decent instructions to follow.

Remembering that the last editing I did was some 10 - 15 years ago from my sony super 8's and hi 8's and a separate sony editor was used to do that.

This now is a whole new technological ball game for me now and i would really appreciate experienced comments as I know we all had to be noob's at one time or another!

Googling and reviews are good to do, however I always find it is best to get the actual experience from a hands on software user.
Thankyou

CWR03 · 7th July 2006, 22:20

Is there something you don't like about Ulead? It's a very good program and gets some of the best ratings, plus it supports everything you need and you already have it and you're accustomed to it. I'll ask again: have you tried it yet?

Dew · 10th July 2006, 16:07

Thx for the reply, no I haven't tried it yet; let alone use my corder as I have been busy with other priorities.

No it is not that I don't like the program, I actually really like it and only thought that there might be something out there that was more user friendly for a Noob like me to start out with.
I will get into reading the "help" files and see if that will help me and carry on from there.
I appreciate all of your comments, many of which save me money since I already have MF 4.

I probably won't get into doing editing right away as just getting used to this conpact camera and the layout of its buttons etc. is a challenge.

Small is great, however the corder is heavy for its size and so I am going to look at getting a small light weight mono pod for it as my older sony super 8's and hi 8's were much more balanced and the buttons easy to access without to much fiddling around.
I did not like the new sonys b/c of the touch lcd screen and the price tag that came along with what I considered to be a pretty basic camera.

I would like to wait until next year to see what the manufacturer's put out as there is so much missing like an ear plug which is pretty basic, however i have a couple of major projects this year and so I don't have too much choice of what I can actually do right now and there is not much available.
I detest it when the big companies do this to users, they can't decide if they want to appeal to the point and shoot tourist type or whether they want to appeal with models that someone like myself who has been doing videos when the corders first came out, albeit that I did discontinue once the children were grown.
Now its necessary for me to pick up where I left off for the next generation since the children can't afford the hobby but really treasure what I did for them and I think it is a great part of ones family history.

Best regards

ammck55 · 10th July 2006, 20:11

Here's a simple capture tutorial using Ulead MF4. I found this the same way I find a majority of my information; using the search button. If you take the time to visit this link, hit the "Product Tutorials" button at the top of that page. There's also an active user's forum over at the Ulead site, get in there and poke around.

Many of your questions will be answered as soon as you take this simple step: Start your project. There's no such thing as "easiest", or "best". Take the tool you have in hand and learn to use it, after doing so, this will give you a baseline of experience upon which to label other software either "easier", or "harder" to use. Actually, the Forum Rules (top of page) discourage the asking of "best", it's a subjective call and can lead to discord.

As we've been urging you all along, load the software, get all your hardware in the same room, allocate a couple of hours, and....start. Until that occurs, we're all just wasting our time, you included.

ammck55

2nd July 2006, 18:56	#1 \| Link
Dew Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 93	Most user friendly software capture/edit mini dv fr camcorder? I bought a mini dv camcorder (Panasonic PVGS300) and am new to all of this. Did a lot of research before purchase as i was going to buy a Mini DVD camcorder until I read of the potential edit issues with this format. Now I am looking for a user friendly capture and edit program for the creation of a dvd from my camcorder tape film. I don't like drag n' drop programs, so I am trying to stay away from that feature; I need something easy that won't create a lot of work b/c the program is very sophisticated. Any suggestions. I presently use Ulead Movie Factory 4 with my Hauppauge win tv pvr usb2 to create a dvd from my vhs tapes, however don't know if this program can do what I need from a camcorder. I would appreciate all comments, thankyou.

5th July 2006, 18:11	#7 \| Link
Dew Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 93	Thx for the suggestions, I haven't taken any video yet as we have been busy with Canada Day and I now will plan on taking some in the next day or 2 and hope to try to do some edits or at least transfer to dvd, which is all I want to do initially. I used to add music with my older sony super 8's and hi 8's, however that was with my sony editor and that took some time to tackle. I suppose it will be the same issue with this type of editing as well and with this camcorder there is no ability to do narration as there is with most home corders now. You either pay $3000 cdn for such basics that used to be on my older units which i definitely cannot justify when the grandchildren don't visit that often. I still have to go out and purchase the elusive firewire card for my notebook as well and some firewire. The 6 to 4 fire wire as the card is 6. Is there a difference in quality of fire wire? I can get a 3 ft cable of it for $6 while Future Shop wants $29and the other place is a Generic Computer Store. I should have added that the unit came with a cd with a couple of programs with it and as well usb 2 drivers?? Not sure if these drivers will allow creation of dvd's or not. I guess that I will have to phone panasonic support?? Any comments, thankyou Last edited by Dew; 5th July 2006 at 20:07.

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2nd July 2006, 20:14	#2 \| Link
CWR03 Custom User Title Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 3,465	You should be able to use Ulead with its "Import video" function and the firewire connection of your camera to import the video.

3rd July 2006, 22:43	#3 \| Link
Dew Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 93	If I use the Ulead MF 4 to import, I imagine I will have to purchase a program to do the editing after it is imported? As you can see I am a noob to this, just wondering if there is a user friendly program that can do both or does one usually edit after you import the whole film to the computer? I ask this as I am used to editing with a sony editor when i used my super 8's and hi 8's. Very dense in this area as you can see!!! I appreciate all the help I can get!

3rd July 2006, 23:55	#4 \| Link
ammck55 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: U.S. of A. Posts: 1,307	From what I've read on MF 4, you can do a variety of editing/authoring/exporting of your personal files as well as an assortment of capture options. Get in your help files, it will be the easiest way to learn the software. It would appear that you have all the power you'll need for starters boxed up in this app. ammck55

4th July 2006, 07:42	#5 \| Link
CWR03 Custom User Title Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 3,465	I only suggested the firewire-to-Ulead option because you have it and know how to use it. Most programs will have an import option to allow you to bring in video from a device such as a DV camera. Have you tried it yet? If you're already capturing from your Hauppage and burning to DVD with it, you likely already have the MPEG-2 plugin you'll need.

4th July 2006, 15:59	#6 \| Link
terryt Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 12	You might want to try Ulead's Video Studio 10+, it is a easy to use editor and gives you more editing capability than Movie Factory 4. You can download the Try Before You Buy version here: http://www.ulead.com/vs/trial.htm

7th July 2006, 13:40	#8 \| Link
Dew Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 93	Again a question on dvd capturing. What program is the most used and again user friendly of those out there to do the video capture and the editing. Can they be done simultaneously, or does one have to import the video first and then edit. I am not necessarily looking at keepin on with Ulead Movie Factory 4 if there is a more user friendly program for a Beginner like me and that has decent instructions to follow. Remembering that the last editing I did was some 10 - 15 years ago from my sony super 8's and hi 8's and a separate sony editor was used to do that. This now is a whole new technological ball game for me now and i would really appreciate experienced comments as I know we all had to be noob's at one time or another! Googling and reviews are good to do, however I always find it is best to get the actual experience from a hands on software user. Thankyou

7th July 2006, 22:20	#9 \| Link
CWR03 Custom User Title Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 3,465	Is there something you don't like about Ulead? It's a very good program and gets some of the best ratings, plus it supports everything you need and you already have it and you're accustomed to it. I'll ask again: have you tried it yet?

10th July 2006, 16:07	#10 \| Link
Dew Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 93	Thx for the reply, no I haven't tried it yet; let alone use my corder as I have been busy with other priorities. No it is not that I don't like the program, I actually really like it and only thought that there might be something out there that was more user friendly for a Noob like me to start out with. I will get into reading the "help" files and see if that will help me and carry on from there. I appreciate all of your comments, many of which save me money since I already have MF 4. I probably won't get into doing editing right away as just getting used to this conpact camera and the layout of its buttons etc. is a challenge. Small is great, however the corder is heavy for its size and so I am going to look at getting a small light weight mono pod for it as my older sony super 8's and hi 8's were much more balanced and the buttons easy to access without to much fiddling around. I did not like the new sonys b/c of the touch lcd screen and the price tag that came along with what I considered to be a pretty basic camera. I would like to wait until next year to see what the manufacturer's put out as there is so much missing like an ear plug which is pretty basic, however i have a couple of major projects this year and so I don't have too much choice of what I can actually do right now and there is not much available. I detest it when the big companies do this to users, they can't decide if they want to appeal to the point and shoot tourist type or whether they want to appeal with models that someone like myself who has been doing videos when the corders first came out, albeit that I did discontinue once the children were grown. Now its necessary for me to pick up where I left off for the next generation since the children can't afford the hobby but really treasure what I did for them and I think it is a great part of ones family history. Best regards

10th July 2006, 20:11	#11 \| Link
ammck55 Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: U.S. of A. Posts: 1,307	Here's a simple capture tutorial using Ulead MF4. I found this the same way I find a majority of my information; using the search button. If you take the time to visit this link, hit the "Product Tutorials" button at the top of that page. There's also an active user's forum over at the Ulead site, get in there and poke around. Many of your questions will be answered as soon as you take this simple step: Start your project. There's no such thing as "easiest", or "best". Take the tool you have in hand and learn to use it, after doing so, this will give you a baseline of experience upon which to label other software either "easier", or "harder" to use. Actually, the Forum Rules (top of page) discourage the asking of "best", it's a subjective call and can lead to discord. As we've been urging you all along, load the software, get all your hardware in the same room, allocate a couple of hours, and....start. Until that occurs, we're all just wasting our time, you included. ammck55