Need Computer Geek Help - Video Conversion

[LowDown Hal]

I am in the process of learning how to convert a VHS tape to a DVD. I have a capture device and it's included SW application. (It's a Pinnacle DVC-80, Analog Video -> USB)

I captured the video to my PC as an AVI file. The files play back fine in either WinAmp or Windows Media Player but they are huge. A half hour is almost 6.5GB

- What is the correct format to later burn to DVD? Is it MPEG-2?

- Are there any good converters or should I start over and capture to the right format?

THANKS,

[Eric Perry]

If you legally own the VHS, there's no harm or ethical dilemmas to just downloading the movie (assuming it is a movie) via a torrent site, IMO. Probably easier than the conversion, and will most likely yield better quality than an old (and possibly worn out) VHS.

If it's a private tape you cannot get, then I guess I'm of no help, as I've never converted anything from tape format before. Sorry.

[LowDown Hal]

This particular example involves a recording my Brother In Law took of my recent WORLD PREMIER PERFORMANCE :-)

[Eric Perry]

Oh do explain!

[crispygoat]

Originally Posted by Eric Perry

If you legally own the VHS, there's no harm or ethical dilemmas to just downloading the movie (assuming it is a movie) via a torrent site, IMO. Probably easier than the conversion, and will most likely yield better quality than an old (and possibly worn out) VHS.

If it's a private tape you cannot get, then I guess I'm of no help, as I've never converted anything from tape format before. Sorry.

Ethically it would be fine, but legally I don't think it is unless you own it in the right format.

[phxlbrmpf]

Aren't there DVD authoring programs out there? I would have those handle the conversion, to be honest as DVDs need a special file structure to play in most DVD players. By the way, your files are so huge because they're uncompressed. This is actually the best way to have them burned to DVD by a DVD authoring program as compressing the files more often than necessary will lead to considerable quality loss.

[mcbosler]

I use DVD Flick (freeware). Just add the .avi files, insert the blank dvdr/rw in the drive and let it go.

http://www.dvdflick.net/download.php

[LowDown Hal]

Originally Posted by mcbosler

I use DVD Flick (freeware). Just add the .avi files, insert the blank dvdr/rw in the drive and let it go.

http://www.dvdflick.net/download.php

Thanks, I'll check it out. So far the only other program I found, which is fairly cheap shareware, is Movavi.

[mcbosler]

I just remembered - if you want DVD Flick to burn the disc automatically after it converts the files you need to have ImgBurn installed. No biggie though - it's also freeware, and has other uses.

http://www.imgburn.com/index.php?act=download