video from camcorder to pc...

[oceaneer]

OK, never tried this before. My wife recently purchased a camcorder, and would like (me??) to download the footage to the PC, edit a little, then burn it to a cd.

I have seen firewire kits with card, cable and s/ware. Would someone care to recommend something in the $50 - $100 dollar range that would get the job done?

We are talking basic home movie stuff here, simple editing, an email clip or a still for the folks, not Spielberg stuff.

Thanks

[Ray Austin]

Sorry, but honestly you aren't going to find anything worth a damn for $50-100.

If you're on such a limited budget just use the Window's movie maker software that comes with WinME and I think it comes with XP too.

Just make sure that you have a fairly fast system {fast and big hard-drives}... you'll need it if you try and do anything serious.

To get any decent software to do this you're looking at a minimum of a few hundred dollars. {And that is just getting started}

You will also need a firewire card to hook a DV camera to. If you have an analog camera.... for get it.... You won't be able to do it for $50 - $100.

You get what you pay for in this segment... and sometimes you can pay for it and still not get it. Do your homework carefully.

[Brian Ellis]

The DVCombo kit at

http://www.asiapac.ulead.com/vs/features_dvcombo.htm

gives you capture card for DV, editing and VCD recording features for exactly USD 99.95

What are you going to do with the 5 cents change?

Many of the cheapo offers bundled with a card may use software that is 2 or more versions old and may not offer features like burning CDs.

[fberger]

My recommendation: get a Pyro PRODVD kit for $98 at http://www.Pagecomputers.com. It comes with:

- Pyro IEEE1394 DV capture card (aka firewire)
- Ulead MediaStudio Pro Director's cut 6.5
- Ulead DVD Workshop SE 1.0 with free upgrade to 1.3
- Ulead DVD Picture Show 1.0

This is the best deal around to get started with DV in my opinion.

[Patrick]

"We are talking basic home movie stuff here..."

To get any decent software to do this you're looking at a minimum of a few hundred dollars. {And that is just getting started}

I beg to differ. I enjoy using Ulead MediaStudio Pro 6.5, but this is overkill for what Oceaneer needs or wants.

To cover all bases, Pinnacle Studio DV 8 should also be checked out in addition to the kits mentioned earlier.

[Ray Austin]

Well if you take a look at his system specs you can see he isn't going to do much of anything for $50-100.

Where the heck is he going to put all the files at???

Athlon XP 1600 on EPOX 8KHA+, 512M Crucial, MSI GF4 4200, 40.41 drivers, Voodoo II in SLI, TB Santa Cruz, 30G Maxtor DMax 7200 ATA 66, 400W PS W98se DX8.1

30G Maxtor DMax 7200 ATA 66


So I will tell you again you will not do much if anything for $100.

Heck you could take your footage as long as it is not copy righted to Walgreens and they can make you a DVD for around $30.

That way you don't have to do anything and get to keep your hair in the process. Although you won't have the bragging rights to say you did it, but we're talking about being cheap not having bragging rights.... right?

[Patrick]

I understood the $50 - $100 figure to be the amount to be spent on a DV card and (relatively) simple editing software. If so, that's not out of line. Obviously a second hard drive would be an advantage, but no one has to break the bank to do that either. For less than a hundred bucks a 40 Gb drive can be had which will provide more than enough space for most people's projects. I don't believe the originator of this thread plans on editing a remake of "Gone With The Wind" his first time out.

[oceaneer]

Thanks for the input guys. The stuff I (my wife) plan is little more than cleaned-up 20~30 minute clips of my daughter's gymnastics efforts, with possibly some shorter clips of vacation stuff. Very basic, I assure you.

I realize a bigger HD would help, but this one has only 9G on it.

The kits mentioned seem fine for my present needs. Should I get the bug and go on to greater things I will up the ante, but for now one of those should fit the bill. Again, thanks for helping out a novice.