Sorry for being kinda OT, but 'tis the (off) season, right?

I recently got a video capture card for my PC that allows me to take the footage from my (old, non-digital) camcorder and convert it to mpg. The software that the card came with, NeoDVDstandard, is really set up to capture the video in the highest quality possible and burn to a DVD. The smallest file size I can get on a 30 second clip is 52.7MB!!

Does anyone have any sugestions for a software program that I can use with this card (it's an Avermedia if that makes any difference) to make more compressed, internet friendly mpg's or wmv's?

TIA

 

If you use XP, you have a built-in video editor called Movie Maker that works fairly well.

$.02

 

I second the Windows Movie Maker. Its incredibly easy to use, and it'll let you compress it to various levels depending on the connection speed you want to make it available for.

 

Thanks... I just upgraded from 98 to ME in order to make the card work.

Looks like I'll have to take it up another notch unless I can get Movie Maker for ME.

 

If you decide XP's features aren't enough, check out Screenblast "Moive Studio." Not expensive and very cool.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thumpu77 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Thanks... I just upgraded from 98 to ME in order to make the card work.

Looks like I'll have to take it up another notch unless I can get Movie Maker for ME.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Millennium Edition comes with an early version of Windows Movie Maker.

Not as robust of an OS as XP though

 

if you want the best buy pinnacle studio 8

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Targa250R &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Millennium Edition comes with an early version of Windows Movie Maker.

Not as robust of an OS as XP though </TD></TR></TABLE>

I just went to the windows update site and downloaded this... It doesn't support my video capture device, but it will convert the large mpgs from my other program into more manageable sizes.... They look like crap on my monitor, but that could be due to my crappy video card!

could somebody check this out and let me know what it looks like on a decent computer? TIA

http://www.msnusers.com/Thumpu...2.WMV

*not one of my better runs BTW, Just testing the software.

EDIT: aparently, you have to be an MSN member to use the direct link I posted, so here's the site.... anyone should be able to download it from there.

EDIT EDIT: forgot to put the link up:
http://groups.msn.com/Thumpu77sphotos/videos.msnw




Modified by thumpu77 at 10:19 PM 1/4/2004

 

I hate to say this, but Win ME is a pile of ****. Even Microsoft execs have admitted to its general crappiness. It just gets buggier and wierder the longer you run it. I suggest returning it and getting XP. You probably can't return it though :/

Anyways movie maker did come with ME too so if its not on your computer check your installation disk or windows update.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jaxle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> You probably can't return it though :/</TD></TR></TABLE>

especially since I got it for free.

 

once you have the video in mpg format, you can convert it to avi or anything else (with the proper program). Then you can condense it more, if you want to. I dont use to many video editing tools, so I cant point out which one is best, but I'm sure a google search can help. Also, try this webpage, it should also help:
http://www.dvdrhelp.com/

 

I capture in avi format using a very expensive program(Adobe Premiere), which yields a huge file size, and then use Microsoft's Windows Media Encoder(free download) to convert to a much smaller WMV (windows media file) I can usually get a minute of video down to around 10MB or a little less, at decent quality.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by thumpu77 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

could somebody check this out and let me know what it looks like on a decent computer? TIA
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Can't see it. Link seems to be unavailable.

 

Google for a program call "Stoik Video Converter"... It'll let you re-encode videos.

 

Please don't use .wmv

Its Microsoft's proprietary format and doesn't work for **** on other platforms (Mac, Linux) and even on older versions of Windows Media Player.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by johng &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Can't see it. Link seems to be unavailable.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Sorry, trying to get away with using free (MSN) storage instead of using a real host...

go here and try the "run2.wmv"
http://groups.msn.com/Thumpu77sphotos/videos.msnw


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jaxle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Please don't use .wmv</TD></TR></TABLE>

The smallest I can get the .mpg fomat to go is 9.37MB for the same file that only uses 697KB in .wmv.... my "free" host only allows me 3MB total per username. (I'm up to 5 hotmail adresses already to get the space for the pics I have posted.... yes I'm a cheap bastard!)

 

Make an account at We-todd and host it there.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jaxle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Please don't use .wmv

Its Microsoft's proprietary format and doesn't work for **** on other platforms (Mac, Linux) and even on older versions of Windows Media Player. </TD></TR></TABLE>

It's my understanding that Microsoft has codecs for Mac. And I can play WMV1 and WMV2 under Linux, just not the new WMV3 (media player 9 format) with several players (totem, mplayer, xine, and the ffmpeg encoder).

 

windows media player doesnt play video on my ibook only sound 90% of the time. I can usually get it to work in VLC though.

ive missed out on a few videos tho, mainly cos im too lazy to transfer it to my windows computer.

 

I have been playing around with several different software programs. Studio 6,Nero, Roxio, and Windows movie maker. While the Studio 6 allows some very serious editing it eats a lot of memory (upgraded to 1 gig), nero is very easy but I cant break down the frames as much as I would like. I have just finished the 12 Hours at the Point and Burned to DVD using both Studio 6 for editing and Nero for final touches, it came out great and NO comercials.

If anyone is interested in putting their 2003 Honda Challenge footage on to DVD let me know what format you have and we can work something out. If you have Sony digital 8 and or HI8 I can start on it right away, if it is in another format we will have to talk, just email me.

DZ-Racing will also be putting together DVD's for the 2004 ECHC series using both in car and exterior footage, if you would like to have your car and your team apart of this send me an email.

 

Thank you guys so much for being so patient with me... I finally set up a We-Todd-Did account (25MB for free.... very nice!!!) and uploaded my "sample" video.

this should be the link:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing....DE%3D

If not, let me know... If it is, let me know just how terrible the picture is on a good monitor.

Thanks again,
-Louie


...and yes, I did hit that cone just before the finish (the anouncer didn't catch it)

EDIT... I tried again with another clip and it seems to be a little better:

here's the .wmv (1.54MB)
http://www.we-todd-did-racing....DE%3D

here's the original .mpg capture for comparison (9.44MB)
http://www.we-todd-did-racing....DE%3D


Modified by thumpu77 at 7:39 AM 1/6/2004