[machappy]

i have a 40 min VHS tape of a wedding i want to make into a VCD.
How do I do this?
thanks

I'm with you. I would like to do the same for some of my own VHS tapes. Good Question. I would like to add if using an imac (I have Interview - USB for my imac) or a beige G3 would be better. I plan on getting the ATI 128 All in wonder for my Beige G3 if the compression isn't bad. Any suggestions?

Me too! I'd like to know how to make a VCD. I'm pretty sure this requires the full version of Toast, instead of the OEM version that came with my Que! drive, and I'm pretty sure I'll need to convert the movie to MPEG-1. How do I do that (without buying more software, preferably). I was hoping QT 5 would have and export to MPEG option. ::sigh::

As far as the iMac v. Beige G3 question goes, I'm pretty sure you'll have much better results capturing with the All-in-Wonder 128 on the Beige G3, than using a USB solution on the iMac. The PCI bandwidth is far greater than USB...

After you have digitized your footage you need Cleaner 5 from Terran to make MPEG 2's and a full version of Toast to burn it.

As someone who has tried a couple of the USB->video solutions out there let me sum up: They suck. I had tried to get something out from a iBook, and the devices I tried were so bad, that I wonder how they even got past Quality Assurance at their respective companies. Please note: I was simply trying to deal with "presentation" type video. Not actual Video. (ie: Movies, etc.)

If you have Firewire on your Mac, I suggest that you invest in a Analog/Firewire converter. They run anywhere from $289 to $500. If you don't have Firewire, get something like an ATI XClaimVR (The aforementioned "AllInWonder" does not work on a MAc, AFAIK). If you have no slots, and have no firewire, you have no hope. (That I am aware of, anyways)

I hope this helps some folks. Myself, as I am now moving from a 8500 with built-in video to a new G4, I'm likely to be getting a Analog/Firewire converter. I have no firewire video devices, so it makes financial sense to do it that way.

Oh, and in case you didn't already know this: Hard Drive Space..._lots_ of Hard Drive space...

Ian <Ianm@gnu.ai.mit.edu>

On the front of analog/dv conversion, I would strongly recommend getting a DV camcorder with analog I/O (e.g. the Sony TRV-120). They are a bit more expensive than the converters, but not a lot (mine ran about $600). I tried the same VHS video with a video capture card (ixMicro), an a/d converter, and the camcorder. The camcorder did as well or better than the other two, plus I now have a digital camera. It also helps to address the storage issue, in that I can now store video on tape rather than sucking up umpteen gigs of hard drive space for archival purposes.

I did this project last year.

Easiest way is to find a copy of Astarte's MPACK encoder (try hotline as Apple bought them out and hasn't yet released rebranded versions).

The interface is a bit weird (2 some people) as the software originates in Germany But it is a good solid app.

Export the appropiate mpg(s) from MPACK, may take a bit of fideling.

Next, use Toast(a former Astarte product bought out by Adaptec - these guys get around) to burn in VideoCD format. Toast will ask for MPG files... and will only accept mpgs generated by MPACK (must be some secret bit flipping/formatting).

Anyway, that how i did it. If you have a dvd player with dual lasers(one for cd, one for dvd) and VideoCD playback ....your all set.


Good luck and any questions?

from a similar thread on ai:
http://forums.appleinsider.com/ubb/F...ML/001508.html

[GORDYmac]

Shopping List:
CD Burner
Adaptec Toast Deluxe
FireWire Capture device (for 640x480 high quality)
or USB Capture (for 320x240 medium quality)
A VCD
Astarte M. Pack (you'll have to be "industrious", since it's no longer for sale)
This Document

Good luck.

Here are 2 good guides! http://www.moviemac.com/create_movies/muxing_mpeg.html

I was hoping to do some video editing/VCD creation with my brand new G4 Cube. I've had quite a bit of trouble though, without a FireWire video camera. Every option I've found (besides a camera) to import video requires a sound input cable. Unfortunately, the Cube has no microphone or audio in port, so every video I've captured has no sound! Sony has not returned my e-mail for several weeks asking if the Digital Media Converter REQUIRES an audio input separate from the FireWire cable for the audio. Anyone know? Or does the audio also go over the FireWire?

Anyway, I still have my PowerMac 7500 sitting around (I haven't found a new home for it yet) and I can capture video and sound using BTV Edit through the built in video/audio and save it to a FireWire hard drive (with an OrangeMicro FireWire/USB combo PCI card). Then I attach the FireWire hard drive to my Cube and use Query software's VCD Maker software to convert the QuickTime files to VCD standard MPEGs. The software is $250 and a little querky and just a bit unstable, but there is a 14 day fully-featured demo at:
http://www.netviewdisc.com/vcdmakersuite.html

I've successully made three VCDs from videotapes of mine through the VCD Image mode (Toast Deluxe 4.1.1 still won't take the MPEG files directly, but the VCD Image import works fine!) to my Que Fire! 8x4x24 drive (FireWire CD recorder).

One important thing to remember, not all DVD players that play VCDs will recognize a recordable CD. Most computer CD-ROMs are fine, but if you're planning on using your DVD player to play your homemade VCD, check first:
http://www.vcdhelper.com/dvdplayers.htm

It's a list of MANY DVD players and their compatibility with VCD, CDR, and CDRW disks. I was lucky, my DVD player will play CDRs without any problems (audio and VCD).

And you don't need TONS of disk space, each half hour QuickTime movie I captured was less than 1GB and the MPEG files that I created were (obviously for VCD creation one CD holds about an hour with 650MB) less than 400MB but the VCD Image was another 400MB. So, if you have less than an hour to record, you can do it with less than 4GB of space!

I would love to hear if anyone else had any other solutions, or could tell me about the Sony Media Converter!

-Doug
douglasm@nwlink.com

And just a note to Wraithe, VCD movies are only 352x240 and 29.97 frames per second. So USB video solutions are usually fine for recording (I can record 350x240 and 30 fps through my Eskape MyTV/FM, of course I still don't get sound because it requires a microphone jack!). If you're looking for higher quality, larger video size, or video OUT then you're right, USB won't work well for you.

-Doug
douglasm@nwlink.com

I've successfully made VCD's the the following way:

Use Sony's DVMC-DA2 to convert analog to DV with via FireWire.
Use iMovie as the capturing software that creates a DV file.
Use Heuris's MPEG Power Professional-1 to create an MPEG file out of the DV file and makes it "Adaptec Toast-ready".
Use Adaptec Toast (Deluxe) to burn the MPEG file onto a CD-R or CD-RW disk.

The resulting disk will be a VCD that can be played on a DVD player that plays VCDs (for viewing on your TV).

Please check our services at www.moments-in-time.com. We can turn your videos into DVD and VCD.

Wow, so many responses. You guys are awesome. Thanks!

[LostinSpace]

Ok, so there really was not a competant answer as to how to make a vcd explained in the forum. SO here goes.

You need the full version of Toast 3.5.1 and Mpack by Astarte who was bought by Apple and a CD Burner.

You capture the video using a video card (yes vcd use funny shaped windows and yes you can use video captured at 320x240) you process the video through Mpack and then you burn it using Toast. It takes a whole lot of time to do this and the results are less than spectacular when you play them back on a DVD player with an older laser.

There are several great docs available on HOTLINE that give you all the details if you can find a hotline server that will allow you on. Though HotlineSW.com also has alot of software kleptos who steal stuff and you could steal the software there too. Which makes it more expensive for those of us who bought the software.

IF you could upload files here, I would share the PDF that has the info in it on how to make a VCD.

But you know what? Your best bet right now is to just wait until decent and cost effective DVD Encoder comes out. There is a good one (for windows only) that comes with the Pinnacle RT Card for Windows. But the ones on the Mac are way too expensive.

If you have to make a CD, use a regular QT Movie and save yourself a couple of days of encoding greif.

Good luck.

Answering a previous question, the Sony Media Converter sends audio and video over Firewire ... no additional audio connection is necessary. Also, it can take a DV stream in via FireWire and send it to an analog VCR or camcorder, so you can catalog that video footage on tape, not hard disk.

Answering a previous question, the Sony Media Converter sends audio and video over Firewire ... no additional audio connection is necessary. Also, it can take a DV stream in via FireWire and send it to an analog VCR or camcorder, so you can catalog that video footage on tape, not hard disk.

[noliv]

for those who plan to buy an ati all in wonder:
my brother and a friend both have it on peecees, they can record in mpeg1/2 directly BUT there's a gap between the soundtrack and video that appears after ten minutes... this gap increases to reach 5 seconds at the end of the movie...

[Chris Calone]

Originally posted by LostinSpace:
<STRONG>But you know what? Your best bet right now is to just wait until decent and cost effective DVD Encoder comes out.</STRONG>

So our best bet right now at making a VCD is to NOT do it?

[ 01-12-2002: Message edited by: Chris Calone ]

[lucylawless]

Originally posted by Chris Calone:
<STRONG>

So our best bet right now at making a VCD is to NOT do it?

[ 01-12-2002: Message edited by: Chris Calone ]</STRONG>

hehehe, you've managed to ask a time-sensitive question in a thread that's 15 months old

Turns out everything said here is now out of date (excpet for the spec of VCD).

All you need now is Toast Titanium ($100). It comes with a MPEG1/VCD export codec for Quicktime/iMovie. It's very self-explanatory

or you could decide that VCD's don't meet your standards, and get an imac2 with a dvd recorder. I hear dvd recordable media is down to about $6 each (I never even considered it when the media was $30 each). Even if you make one VCD and decide the format is obsolete, I still consider Toast a worthwhile purchase for it's other features

[The Ginger Rat]

What a timely resurrection of an old thread ...

Some qvestions!

1)I would like to know what hardware I need to get the stuff off my VHS tape into the computer. I have a G3/266 running 9.2, and 2 free slots. What is the recommended RAM and HD space?

2) Also, I was thinking of putting it on VCD as it is most convenient for me. However, is the quality really poor compared to a DVD?

3) If I wanted to clean up the movies (TV cartoons, actually ) before final burning, would iMovie be sufficient?

Many thanks in advance.

[C.J. Moof]

1) What hardware?

Good- a USB digitizer. USB doesn't have a lot of bandwidth, and that limits the quality of the capture. However, if your source material is VHS, and it's for your use, you might declare it good enough. I wouldn't expect to impress a prospective client with your video production abilities with material gathered this way.

Better- an XClaim VR card from ATI. PCI video card with analog video inputs. Plug your VCR straight into it, and record. Not on the market anymore.

Best- A hardware analog to firewire converter. Sony makes one that I used to digitize my wedding videos, and it worked well. Highest quality, and the results can be brought straight into iMovie or FCPro.

Reccomend RAM/HD- as much as you can afford. DV=12gigs/hr, then you gotta have leftover room for making transitions, cuts, ect. There's no such thing as too much.

VCD Quality: Not that great. Not terrible, but not great. But if we're talking about digitizing your cartoon collection, it'll probably be fine. When your source is VHS, it won't look BETTER than VHS b/c you put it on a DVD.

If "clean up"= remove ads, iMovie will work fine. If it means something else, you'll have to elaborate, although I'll give a preemptive "probably not".

[starman]

Here's my take on VideoCD:

It sucks. Don't do it. The hardware and software's here now to make DVDs. VideoCD, by default, is LOWER quality than the VHS you're going to start with, so what are you gaining? Coolness?

If you can't make a DVD, don't bother.

Mike