Re: HELP needed sending video to DVD recorder
- From: "Gary Hendricks" <gary.hendricks.user@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: 2 Jan 2006 07:51:43 -0800
Hi Terry,
I think your problem is getting the video out of the PC to the TV. Here
are your options:
1) Videocard with TV-Out/Video-Out
To watch VCDs,SVCDs and DVDs it is best to use a standalone DVD Player
but you can also watch them with your computer connected to the TV with
a TV-Out device. Many video cards today have TV-Out or some times
called Video-Out but the quality is not that good compared to DVD
Players yet. One of the best TV-Outs have the Matrox G400 card and the
latest ATI Videocards. The advantage of TV-Out is that you can play all
video formats that you are able to play on your computer(DivX, ASF,
MOV...) because the TV-Out is showing what is on your monitor but you
don't get the best quality and you probably have to have your noisy
computer kinda near your TV if you do not have very long video cables.
Most newer videocards have tv-out so check your manual and when buying
a new card check for video-out/tv-out.
2) MPEG Decoder Card
Or you can get a MPEG Decoder Card, it is a hardware PCI Card that you
put in your computer and then connect it to your tv. The quality of
MPEG-Cards video playback is superb, it is compared with the quality of
standalone DVD Players. But remember that MPEG-cards only defaults play
MPEG/MPEG2/VCD/DVD, to play DivXs and MOV you must have a very fast
computer and special player, read more here. With the latest MPEG-Cards
such as the Hollywood Xcard you can now play DivX but only from DivX
version 4 and up. The advantage of MPEG Decoder Card is that you get
superb quality but you can only play MPEG/MPEG2/VCD/DVD, DivX 4+(XCard
only) and you probably have to have your noisy computer kinda near your
TV if you do not have very long video cables.
* Hollywood Plus
* Creative DXR3
* Hollywood RealMagic XCARD with DivX 4 support
3) VGA to PAL/NTSC Scan converter
Another method to watch movies from your computer is to use a VGA to
PAL/NTSC Scan converter. These converters have a VGA pass through so
the signal can be watched both on a PC monitor and on a TV. There are
many such products available (in the US. I am not sure about other
countries) Below is a list of scan converters for your information. The
advantage of Scan converters is that you can play all video formats
that you are able to play on your computer(DivX, ASF, MOV...) because
the Scan converter is showing what is on your monitor but you don't get
the best quality and you probably have to have your noisy computer
kinda near your TV if you do not have very long video cables.
By the way, here's some information on DVD recorders that may be
useful.
You've heard about this DVD burning thing, but when you walk into the
store and the salesperson asks whether you want a PC DVD burner or a
set-top DVD recorder, you're stumped. Relax: We're here to clarify the
difference between the two, and to explain why you might want one over
the other.
Viewing digitized video, as you find on DVDs, is far more appealing
than shuttling through a kludgy analog tape. Before you join the DVD
burning revolution, though, you'll need to decide what type of DVD
recorder makes sense for you.
You have two primary routes to recording rapture: a set-top DVD
recorder designed to live inside your entertainment cabinet or a PC DVD
burner coupled with a video-input or TV-tuner device. Which method you
choose should depend upon the type of video you want to capture.
If you plan to record from television, or duplicate VHS tapes or
camcorder tapes in their entirety to DVD, a set-top DVD recorder is
your easiest, all-in-one option. Set-top DVD recorders have integrated
TV tuners and a slew of video inputs (including DV and S-Video); these
attributes alone make set-top units ideal for replacing your VCR, so
you can record televised content or copy content from a camcorder. In
fact, you'd be quite accurate in thinking of them as VCRs that use
recordable and rewritable DVDs instead of videotape.
A PC equipped with a hard drive and a DVD burner can also function as a
living-room DVD recorder/digital video recorder (including electronic
program guide and remote)--but only if you have a TV-tuner card or an
external TV-tuner input. A PC running Microsoft's Windows XP Media
Center Edition OS will take care of such tasks seamlessly; however,
Media Center systems tend to be a lot more expensive than the average
PC.
You can add components to your existing desktop system to make it
function as a DVD/digital video recorder. This approach is generally
not as convenient unless you're pressed for space in a dorm room, a
studio apartment, or an RV, and you need the PC to act as a
multipurpose tool. (See "When to Use a PC" below for more.)
Many set-top recorders conveniently come with a hard drive and an
on-screen electronic programming guide (or EPG), much like what a TiVo
device supplies (For more buying info on TiVo and other DVRs, see our
roundup of Set-Top Recorders.) Such guides simplify browsing TV shows
and selecting content for recording, and some even include media card
slots for flash memory. Like VCRs before them, these recorders can also
play back prerecorded Hollywood movies; plus, depending upon the model,
they can play a variety of media formats, including video and audio
CDs, MP3, DivX, and JPEG.
Set-top DVD recorders come in two basic flavors: those with a hard
drive, such as Pioneer's 80GB DVR-520H, Toshiba's 160GB RD-XS52 DVD
Recorder, or Panasonic's 160GB DMR-E95HS, which run about $500 on the
street; and those without, like GoVideo's R6740 and Philips' DVD-R615,
which you can find for around $200.
All set-top DVD recorders have DVD burners built in, but they vary in
the type of discs they write to: DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, DVD-RAM, or
various combinations thereof. Most have a DV input (for accepting your
camcorder's output) and burn discs that, once finalized, can play back
on any DVD player. Write-once discs (+R and -R) are the most
universally compatible, and rewritable discs are the least. DVD-RAM
discs permit more rewrites than any other rewritable format, but they
also have less compatibility with non-DVD-RAM drives and players than
competing formats.
One of the big advantages to having a DVD recorder with a hard drive is
that you can record long programs at the maximum image quality, without
worrying about swapping discs midstream (typically, you can fit just 1
hour on a single disc when recording at the highest image-quality
setting--which is almost a requirement if you're recording high-motion
content like a basketball or baseball game). Once the video is on the
hard drive, you can copy it to multiple discs at your leisure.
The other advantage to a hard drive is that you can edit and label your
video before burning it onto disc. Note that editing and labeling
capabilities vary dramatically between recorder models. Most set-top
recorders allow only limited editing, permitting you to create
chapters, edit disc titles and menus, and delete portions of the
recording (for example, clip out all those pesky commercials). But some
go so far as to help you create a highlight reel from multiple
programs. Set-top models' on-drive editing is not nearly as advanced as
what you'll get in a good PC editing program, but it is a viable
alternative if you're trying to avoid becoming entangled in a complex
PC project.
A third variety of set-top recorders include a built-in VCR--a
convenience that makes it simple to save VHS tapes to DVD and lets you
eliminate a component from your entertainment system while you're at
it. (One note of caution: A few modelswill encode your resulting discs
with copy protection, which means you won't be able to make a copy of
your own DVD. Products from Panasonic and GoVideo don't encumber DVDs
made from VHS with copy protection.) If you plan to copy lots of tapes
to disc, having the integrated VCR is a boon, since the recorder
automatically synchronizes the starting of the source tape and of the
destination disc simultaneously. Alternatively, you can always connect
a VCR to a DVD recorder via S-Video or composite cables to copy your
tapes; however, with that arrangement you'll have to handle your own
syncing.
You can also check out this article for more information on sharing and
converting video:
http://www.desktop-video-guide.com/share-video.html
----------------------------------
Gary Hendricks
http://www.desktop-video-guide.com
----------------------------------
.
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- HELP needed sending video to DVD recorder
- From: terry75115
- HELP needed sending video to DVD recorder
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