how to - Video editing from Mini Dv Tape

[photograpix75]

Hi,
I am new to editing and would like to know how to import clips from my Mini Dv tape to DVD/ Computer hard drive. I intend to get them on the hard drive to start editing the clips.

I want to know the name of the hardware that is connected to computer and where you load the tape to play it and import it. I think it is called a deck, am I right? but When I checked with stores at Sim Lim, I was told no one has it.. strange..

Photograpix75

 

[law_lim]

Actually for hardware, you can get a firewire card will do. I know what you meant by deck. By it is costly as you compared with a firewire. Software wise, Windows movie maker can import video from DV. If you want more powerful ones, it will be Adobe Premiere CS, Final cut pro etc.

 

[jaegersing]

You do have a miniDV camcorder to play back the tape with, right? The camcorder is the most obvious thing to use as a deck if it is only for occasional capturing.

As law_lim says, you would use firewire to get the video into your computer. Every DV camcoder has a firewire port, so you would just need to get a FW card for your computer and a FW cable to hook up your camcoder.

Of course if you don't have a camcorder to play the tapes, that's a different story....

 

[chanxj]

The cheapest decks are in the 1000 range at least btw.

 

[YDNERENDY]

you need to buy firewire to transfer.
i bought last time at sim lim around $40.

most of the current laptop also equipped with firewire already if i am not wrong.

if you have laptop check on it.

 

[Wzierbovsky]

I've done some miniDV editing in the last 10 years before switching to SD-based HD Camcorders; my input:

- As said above, check to see if your notebook has a firewire port. If not, you can get a PCI card to facilitate the transfer on your desktop. You'll need also a firewire cable, but many firewire PCI cards these days come bundled with one. Don't buy until you've checked. The PCI card should cost between $25 to $40.

- Assuming that you've got the right equipment, the device recognition process should be automatic on Vista at least once your source (e.g. a camcorder) is set to PLAY or switch it on.

- Vista however is notoriously finicky when it comes to camcorder recognition. I've got three miniDV-based camcorders over the last decade: two Panasonics and one Sony. The Panasonics always and still work 10 years now, but the Sony is temperamental. Connects on the desktop PC but not on the notebook.

- You also need a mini DV transfer program. I suggest not using Windows Moviemaker for the transfer process (though you can still use it for Authoring) as it doesn't IIRC indicate if you get dropped frames, which can occasionally occur if some intensive hard disk activity starts up concurrently when you're doing the mini DV transfer. I'm using this program instead: http://windv.mourek.cz/. It's a very small freeware program, works just fine, and indicates dropped frames.

- Once you've got the source AVI, you can go wild DVD authoring, or just convert to MP4 or other codecs using any one one of the many available video converter programs.

G'luck.

 

[photograpix75]

Thanks for the advice. I will try out the details suggested.