<p>My wonderful Canon started eating tapes, so I borrowed my friend's Sony to record D singing the Flower Duet last night. This is the type of camera that records to DVD. I taped other things than her duet, but now want to edit out that clip to post on FB. </p>
<p>I'm dyin' here! I've downloaded several freeware conversion programs, and nothing is working. I was used to capturing the video through firewire, editing with Movie Maker, and getting exactly what I wanted. I've tried converting these files, Movie maker crashes. It seems I can get audio with no video or the opposite. </p>
<p>Any of you technophiles out there have a Sony and can give me advice?
Second question: Since I'm in the market, what are suggestions for camera's that do a great job recording in theaters/concert halls, etc.?</p>
<p>Thanks! It's been a long day!</p>
<p>I don’t have that combination of gear, but how are you transferring the files from the DVD? Have you tried both playing the DVD in your computer’s drive and transferring the files via the camera’s digital interface? When using your computer’s DVD player, have you tried copying the file from the DVD onto your hard drive before working with it?</p>
<p>BassDad -
I’ve tried copying, importing, converting, renaming, etc. I think I may have found my solution but it’s going to cost me - the freeware route isn’t cutting it. AVS Video editor seems to be working. I’m surprised Nero wasn’t (I have a fully licensed, paid for copy). </p>
<p>Sony’s don’t import video like the old mini-DV tape cameras. None of the software packages seem to recognize them as capture devices. They appear as mass storage devices - which is exactly the same as copying from the DVD. Grrrrr.</p>
<p>There’s one quick trick that might work, but first MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD COPY OF THE FILES THAT YOU DO NOTHING WITH!! Have the camera make a DVD of what you got and LOCK THAT AWAY before you make another copy to “play” with…</p>
<p>You must convert the DVD VOB files to MPEG-2 files, which is what they basically are. Have the camera make a DVD and put that into a computer. Open the DVD using Windows Explorer. Go into the VIDEO<em>TS folder and you’ll see VOB files, VTS</em>0X<em>Y.VOB, where X and Y are numbers. Copy down VTS</em>01<em>1.VOB into your computer and rename it as VTS</em>01_1.MPG and see if when you double click on it, it will play, sound included. If it does, try to open that file with your video editing program. If that all works, then rename all the VOB files that have significant size (there may be some with a few bytes of size) to corresponding MPGs and you’re all set.</p>
<p>This trick worked very well in the early days of DVDs, but has limited success nowadays. Since Sony is so anal about copy protection of their movies, they actually break the rules of DVD navigational structure, but I don’t know how that translates in the structure of their camcorder produced DVDs.</p>
<p>If you’re unsuccessful in the above and you don’t know anyone who rips DVDs down to their iPods (they’ll have the software, tell them to convert the VOBs to full DVD quality MPEG-2s, WMVs or AVIs, all formats MovieMaker can read). If you don’t have any such pirates handy, then one program that I’ve used with success is MOVAVI Converter. You only need the converter, not the whole suite. On the other hand, you might want to better spend your money with a good video editing/DVD assembly program like Pinnacle Studio 14 Ultimate which will import your DVD and then allow you to edit, add titles, menus, etc., and then burn a “real” DVD. Windows MovieMaker is an “OK” program, but lacks the breadth of better programs like Studio.</p>
<p>Good luck, you’re entering a brave new world here…</p>
<p>Imperial - I’d found those steps online yesterday, and followed them. Eventually it worked, but again, only with a trial copy of software I’ve got to purchase. I had Movavi earlier, but it was again, a trial copy, and my trial had run out.<br>
Thanks - I was eventually able to get a copy on FB for my friends and family that couldn’t see her live. The only reason I hesitate to purchase a full package is that this isn’t my camera - I’m most likely going to get one that records to flash mem.</p>
<p>So, on to question 2 - any suggestions of good cameras out there?</p>
<p>All cameras pretty much the same. Spring for an HD one at this point and one that lets you use an external microphone, internal ones are horrid. An HD camera will negate the flash memory route since you’ve got to store very large amounts of data. With HD, you’ll want at least 60 GB HD on board, or better yet, get a tape machine. I like them best too, but they seem to be a dying breed.</p>
<p>Be careful though. Even though you’re recording to flash memory, it may still be a funky file format so make sure you get a program with the camera that lets you “capture” to AVI, MPG or WMV…</p>
<p>Thanks for the info. I’ve had my Canon for 10 years - and I agree about the ease manipulating tape. But after hearing it eat the tape while I was recording D singing at an award ceremony, I figured that perhaps it was time to change formats!</p>
<p>You may want to post this over in one of the Parent’s Forums- I’ve had to call on folks for assistance to keep me from sending nasty notes to the people at Apple who change things around each day just to drive consumers crazy!</p>