Simple steps to create best DVDs from MiniDV tapes?
 

I just need simple steps from capturing from dv camera via firewire to end result as playable dvd or Blu-ray.

Could you give me each step with the best freeware and purchase option?

Like..
Step 1. Capture video using- ???
Step 2.
Step? Burn using -ImgBurn

Thank you! Hope this will help others as well.

Welcome to digitalfaq.

The term "capture" is seldom used for MiniDV or other DV sources. DV isn't captured, it's copied 1:1 to a computer using a suitable camera and Firewire 1394 input, and software such as winDV or Scenalyzer. From that point it's often decoded to losslessly compressed media for edits and any filtering, other cleanup, or adding extras such as titles, special effects, etc., if you wish. Or you can work with the DV format for edits with many software apps -- but be advised that filtering and other image modifications with the video still in lossy DV format calls for further stages of lossy re-encoding and lowering of quality. From there it is encoded to the final delivery format you want to use, two of which could be DVD or BluRay. MiniDV is standard definition video that can be encoded to either DVD (which is standard definition) or standard definition formats for BluRay or AVCHD for authoring, playback, and any copies you want to deliver. DV source is interlaced, and so is DVD and SD BluRay/AVCHD.

You haven't posted information about your operating system (Windows? Mac?) or country of residence (NTSC? PAL?). These will determine your workflow and available software. The majority of DV transfer, restoral, and encoding/authoring software is available only for Windows, but a few tools are available for Mac.

Among some of the first things you should know about are the strict standard specs for DVD and BluRay:
DVD (PAL & NTSC): http://www.videohelp.com/dvd#tech
BluRay/AVCHD (NTSC and PAL): http://www.videohelp.com/hd#tech

Perhaps the forum's DV Capture Guide can help (I do wish they hadn't used "capture" for the title!): http://www.digitalfaq.com/guides/video/capture-dv.htm

Thank you Sanlyn

You are right. I know better than to say capture. I meant transfer.

I am running Windows 7 and am in the USA so NTSC. So...

Step 1. Transfer video from camera via firewire using- WinDV or Scenalyzer

Step 2. choice A. decode to lossless using- ????
choice B. Keep in lossy format

Step 3. choice A. edit lossless by using-???
choice B. edit in lossy by using- ???

Step 4. encode to DVD or Blu-ray format using- ???


Step 5. Burn Dvd/ Blu-ray using- ImgBurn

Any edtor that can read DV-AVI can decode it to lossless video for working files, but most users would get there with Avisynth and or VirtualDub. Lossless file size is reduced by 2/3 using lossless compressors like Lagarith, which in effect is similar to ZIP or RAR but designed specifically for video (don't use ZIP or RAR to compress video). However, taking that route might not be necessary. It depends on what you want to do. A budget NLE such as SONY Movie Studio Platinum can handle the entire process from start to finish after the DV is transferred to the computer. That product is very popular and sells at sites like Amazon for about 1/3 its retail MSRP. You still have to hit the user guide to learn about it, but that would be true regardless of the software you use.

DV is a lossy compressed format. Lossy means that in the original encoding process, some of the signal data is discarded as unimportant, in much the same way that the JPEG image format is lossy. Lossless compressors work with decoded video to compress without discarding data: what you see when the lossless file is decompressed is what went into it. DV compression is about 10 to 15% loss, usually not a noticeable amount. But each time the video is re-encoded, more loss is incurred. Simple cuts and joins wouldn't involve re-encoding for a new working output. The editor simply deletes the frames you don't want and joins one segment to other segments without re-encoding the content. The output would usually be saved as a new DV. From that point, an NLE like Movie Studio Platinum would be directed to create a DVD or similar output. That could be saved and burned to DVD with ImgBurn, or it could be burned with the NLE (ImgBurn is likely a safer bet).

But let's say you want to improve the color, add overlaid text, reduce any unwanted noise (DV does have a certain amount of compression noise), or work some other image repair. Those operations require re-encoding. That's the sort of work at which NLE's aren't very accomplished. They simply aren't designed for it. Even color correction in the typical NLE is at a basic and very imprecise level and involves a color conversion from YUV to RGB and back to YUV -- which is not a lossless process when it comes to maintaining original color density without going through some complicated processing using lossless media and specific methods that a typical NLE isn't designed for.

In actual use, most people process DV originals using budget NLE's from start to finish and get decent results. Other than poor image repair features, the another major problem with an all-in-one app is that their final output encoders leave something to be desired. The best encoding and authoring apps are stand-alones designed specifically for the task. One popular encoding/authoring program is TMPGEnc Authoring Works which can encode to DVD/BluRay/AVCHD and create the authored files if you want menus and other fancy stuff. It's also a pretty decent burner, but you can always save the output as DVD/BluRay folders and burn with ImgBurn if you want. There are free encoding and authoring apps, but as you can imagine you get a lot less for free and you have to get into video innards to know what you're doing.

So, much depends on how much processing you want to do. You always have to learn how to use a software product, but working with lossless video, complex color correction/ noise reduction, etc., is a different story altogether. It takes considerably more time, learning, and patience. Likely you won't have to get into all that if you have decent video input. The two products I mention are popular and will take you all the way through.

In any event, you probably know that to get from DV to a format playable beyond a PC requires a last re-encoding step. DV is PC-only playback. It is not supported by external playback devices or the internet.

Thank you Sanlyn for speaking in terms I can understand and walking me through this process. You definitely took a lot of the confusion out of it. I don't have much interest in altering my videos at all other than maybe adding chapters and a title, so I think Sony Movie studio platinum will probably be the best choice after using WinDv or Scenalyzer to transfer video from my camera to the pc. Is one easier than the other?:question:

Here is my planned process

Step 1. Transfer video from camera via firewire using- WinDV or Scenalyzer (What is the best codec to use if I have a choice?)

Step 2. Edit and re-encode to DVD format using- Sony Movie studio platinum (Is Platinum 12 fine or do I need to get 13?)

Step 3. Burn Dvd/ Blu-ray using- ImgBurn


That sounds simple enough and just what I needed. Did I leave any steps out?

WinDV won't work n Win7. DV isn't captured or re-encoded, remember; it's copied and retains the DV codec your camera used.

Move Studio Platinum 12 will suffice. An upgraded version with more features is Move Studio Suite, which also contains DVD Architect. User reviews claim the extra cost is worth it. I last used version 9, but I found all-in-one NLE's too limited for heavy duty restoration work from VHS tapes. SONYs website allows you to compare features of different versions. My own preference for DVD/BluRay encoding and authoring would be TMPGEnc Authoring Work which I use often. My editors and restoration software are Avisynth, VirtualDub, and TMPGenc's Video Mastering Works, not to mention lossless timeline work in Adobe After Effects, and other special apps -- as you can see, the lossless and more detailed path involves a lot of apps (and time). You won't need all that with the SONY offerings.

ImgBurn is a big favorite, but it is an extra piece of software and a separate step. It's up to you. Many prefer it. The blank discs to use would be Verbatim AZO DVD-R or Verbatim DualLayer DVD+R. They're sold at Amazon and a few other websites at good prices. Don't get your blank discs from no-name or even big-name cheapos at BestBuy or Walmart. You'll be sorry you did, if not right away then later when the layers come apart and the discs are useless. For a single layer, stick to high bitrates and no more than about 75 minutes if you want quality output good enough for archiving and for display on TV, especially bigger TVs. You can get almost twice the video time on dual layer discs. Mainstream bitrates for good quality and motion rendering for DVD would be about 6000 to 6500 variable (VBR) target and about 8000 to 9000 max for MPEG2 encoding. Many DVD encoders might insist on a minimum bitrate of 2000 kbps, in addition to the other targets you specify. For audio, let your software encode audio to Dolby AC3. Lots of movement and camera motion require higher bitrates than video with little motion. Using variable bitrate encoding, the encoder will adjust for fast action scenes when it needs to, automatically uses less data for more stable scenes, and tries to stay near your 6000 to 6500 "target" most of the time with the best quality its programming can muster.

Remember, too, that DV and DVD are interlaced. Don't let anyone fool you into thinking that deintelacing gives better performance. It doesn't, not with originally interlaced source. And deinterlacing with most NLE's is poor and sloppy. There are very clever and precise ways to deinterlace, but they use Avisynth filters that have no competition in the consumer market -- the techniques are used only when necessary or for special formats. An editor doesn't deinterlace during display, so don't get upset if you see interlace combing (double mages) in an editor. It's normal. Only someone who's clueless about video formats and editors would think something is wrong. PC media players, set top players and TV's automatically deinterlace during play, and most of them are better at it than the typical consumer NLE.

If you want to later mount any of those videos on the internet such as YouTube, Facebook, etc., they must be properly deinterlaced or they'll look terrible. Post questions in the forum later for more details on web mounting.

If you have questions about detailed video image problems you can post short, unprocessed DV samples in the forum. SONY and most DV editors can cut short DV segments without re-encoding. Many members have used Scenalyzer and can give you more detail.

Thank you, Sanlyn! You have given me so much help and information. Before reading your post, I started using WinDV. It seems to working ok in Win7 so far. Why is it not supposed to work in Win7? Am I going to find something wrong later? Also should I transfer in audio in AVI type 1 or AVI type 2? I understand that AVI 1 is more efficient but I am more concerned about quality. Which one would you choose?

Some say WinDV won't work in Win7, a few say it does -- that's why you often don't see a blanket recommendation, lest some folks might get upset about it. If it works, you're on the way.

Use DV Type 2. For DVD and other formats like BluRay/AVCHD, etc., the audio has to be resampled for 48KHz Dolby AC3 or PCM. AC3 is the commercial standard. Likely SONY will do it anyway, but check if you can before you make your DVD encode.