Once a hi-fi hobbyists toy, DVD is now a front-and-center staple for any card-carrying Blockbuster member. In fact, DVD popularity is growing so fast theres a good chance regular VHS technology will end up in the Betamax graveyard within the next few years. So what do you do with all those video cassettes harboring dust in the back corner of your entertainment center? With the right PC setup and Ulead DVD MovieFactory, you can make your video library ready for the rest of the 21st century.
Size up your system
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Dazzle DVD Complete Demo
Make DVDs from your own video footage.
DVDCutter Stream and Mp3CDWav Converter
Play and edit DVDs or other video files.
Ulead DVD Workshop
Create your own DVDs from other video sources.
To convert VHS to DVD by way of your PC, there are a few must-haves on your hardware checklist. First, your video card must be able to capture digital video in the MPEG-2 format by at least 640x480 resolution and at 30 frames per second. If your current video card doesnt have the right stuff, you can get a surprisingly powerful capture card at a bargain price. You're also going to need a gargantuan hard drive, since capturing a full-length video at DVD-worthy quality can easily take gigabytes worth of storage. Finally, you need a recordable DVD drive. Since recordable DVD technology is still fairly new, there are a couple rival standards being bandied about: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW. You will need to make sure your standalone DVD player supports the same format as your DVD burner. If you're not sure, you can check your compatibility at VCDHelp.com. Also, keep in mind that DVD MovieFactory is a 1.0 release, and you may experience a few hiccups depending on your system. Definitely check out the trial version first to make sure the software runs smoothly on your machine--you may also want to download a couple of patches, depending on what operating system youre using.
Make it digital
Make sure your video source (camcorder, VCR, etc.) is appropriately connected to your video card, and click Play so a video signal is streaming into your PC. Then select Capture Video from DVD Movie Factorys main menu. If you're met with a big screen of static, don't panic, there are still a few settings to modify. Click Capture Settings, found on the main Capture screen, and then click Video Source. Depending on your video card, you'll probably want to select Composite Video. Next, click Video Format and select MPEG-2 at 640x480 at 30 frames a second. From the same screen, click Audio to make sure you're capturing sound at 48Hz in stereo. There are plenty more settings that can be tweaked, but it's best to leave them alone unless you know what you're doing. Next, cue up your video source and click Capture. Once you have a clip you're happy with, click Export and choose DVD. Your video clip will then be converted and stored as a DVD-compatible video file.
Build your DVD navigation
Once all your video is converted, add that professional touch by building a DVD navigation menu. Click Author Menus from the software's main interface. A simple wizard guides you through the menu-building process. First, youll import all the processed video clips you want to include. Next, you need to select a backdrop for the menu screens. The software comes with plenty, or you can import any image of your own. Background music can also be added by clicking on the music icon at the bottom of the screen. You'll see a thumbnail of each video clip in the preview screen. Double-click the text next to the thumbnail to label it appropriately. Once you have everything labeled and designed, click Next and you'll see your DVD in action. A remote control interface lets you test your new menu system.
Burn it up
Once you've tested your video and the menu, you can burn it to a disc. At the end of the menu-building wizard, you'll find a compiling screen (which is also accessible from the Burn Disc Image button on the main interface). If you think youd like to make more than one DVD copy of your video, you can save the disc image of your project. This saves all the transition and menu information youve built for easy retrieval the next time you want to make another DVD copy. Once you have all your files saved, simply click Create DVD and you're off and burning. All that's left is to fire up the popcorn popper.
Size up your system
More DVD utilities
Dazzle DVD Complete Demo
Make DVDs from your own video footage.
DVDCutter Stream and Mp3CDWav Converter
Play and edit DVDs or other video files.
Ulead DVD Workshop
Create your own DVDs from other video sources.
To convert VHS to DVD by way of your PC, there are a few must-haves on your hardware checklist. First, your video card must be able to capture digital video in the MPEG-2 format by at least 640x480 resolution and at 30 frames per second. If your current video card doesnt have the right stuff, you can get a surprisingly powerful capture card at a bargain price. You're also going to need a gargantuan hard drive, since capturing a full-length video at DVD-worthy quality can easily take gigabytes worth of storage. Finally, you need a recordable DVD drive. Since recordable DVD technology is still fairly new, there are a couple rival standards being bandied about: DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, and DVD+RW. You will need to make sure your standalone DVD player supports the same format as your DVD burner. If you're not sure, you can check your compatibility at VCDHelp.com. Also, keep in mind that DVD MovieFactory is a 1.0 release, and you may experience a few hiccups depending on your system. Definitely check out the trial version first to make sure the software runs smoothly on your machine--you may also want to download a couple of patches, depending on what operating system youre using.
Make it digital
Make sure your video source (camcorder, VCR, etc.) is appropriately connected to your video card, and click Play so a video signal is streaming into your PC. Then select Capture Video from DVD Movie Factorys main menu. If you're met with a big screen of static, don't panic, there are still a few settings to modify. Click Capture Settings, found on the main Capture screen, and then click Video Source. Depending on your video card, you'll probably want to select Composite Video. Next, click Video Format and select MPEG-2 at 640x480 at 30 frames a second. From the same screen, click Audio to make sure you're capturing sound at 48Hz in stereo. There are plenty more settings that can be tweaked, but it's best to leave them alone unless you know what you're doing. Next, cue up your video source and click Capture. Once you have a clip you're happy with, click Export and choose DVD. Your video clip will then be converted and stored as a DVD-compatible video file.
Build your DVD navigation
Once all your video is converted, add that professional touch by building a DVD navigation menu. Click Author Menus from the software's main interface. A simple wizard guides you through the menu-building process. First, youll import all the processed video clips you want to include. Next, you need to select a backdrop for the menu screens. The software comes with plenty, or you can import any image of your own. Background music can also be added by clicking on the music icon at the bottom of the screen. You'll see a thumbnail of each video clip in the preview screen. Double-click the text next to the thumbnail to label it appropriately. Once you have everything labeled and designed, click Next and you'll see your DVD in action. A remote control interface lets you test your new menu system.
Burn it up
Once you've tested your video and the menu, you can burn it to a disc. At the end of the menu-building wizard, you'll find a compiling screen (which is also accessible from the Burn Disc Image button on the main interface). If you think youd like to make more than one DVD copy of your video, you can save the disc image of your project. This saves all the transition and menu information youve built for easy retrieval the next time you want to make another DVD copy. Once you have all your files saved, simply click Create DVD and you're off and burning. All that's left is to fire up the popcorn popper.
