Advice Needed on Creatiing and Storing Videos

[smith04]

I have two different problems that I can use some advice or links to advice:

I built my own PC last year, and use Windows MCE 2005 as my OS. I regularly record TV programs and want to save some to DVD to watch on TVs elsewhere in my house. How do I save the recorded TV programs to DVD and in what format to use in other DVD players? Is there a way I can edit out the commercials?

I am transferring my 8mm video tapes to my PC. I again want to store them to DVD. What is the best way to do that and again, what format?

I really need to find a good site with good info on video formats and how to record on DVDs. Any help would be appreciated.

smith04

[mjc]

What burning software do you have?

What kind of burner do you have?

If you have Nero, it can do all of that, easily. I'm not sure what format your saved TV programs are in, but Nero can convert most common formats (with the proper codecs installed) to DVD-video format and then burn the disks. The only problem is that Nero doesn't have really good editing capabilities. It can do some basic editing, but that is about it. If the commercial breaks are rather obvious that may be enough...

If not, there are some editors for video formats around. Post back with what you already have and we'll see what we can come up with for programs to fill the gaps.

[ErnieK]

Have a look at Pinnacle Studio (there are other programs like this) which allows you to transfer from tape to PC and then edit (remove comercials etc) as required. After editing the program will render the video and write it to DVD for you.
http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/us/Products/Consumer+Products/Home+Video/Studio+Family/

Make sure that you select a hardware version to allow you to transfer between tape and pc

[smith04]

I have both Nero and Pinnacle. I have transferred family videos from 8mm and VHS tapes to my PC and edited them, in both Windows MovieMaker and Pinnacle. My problem is which format to burn to DVD for playing on my DVD players (not connected to PCs) and viewing on my PC.

The TV shows I am recording using Windows MCE 2005. I cannot tell what format they are, when viewing the files listed in Windows Explorer, there is no file extension listed. I want to transfer those to a format I can edit out the commercials and then burn to DVD for my own personal viewing.

My burner is a Sony DVD Dual Layer Dual Format DVD/CD ( (something like DS-850?,that system is down to replace the power supply now so I cannot get the details).

I have quite a bit of home videos and TV shows I have saved that I want to burn to DVD so I can record more.

I basically need a primer on video editing. I have the book on Pinnacle, but it does not adequately explain the different formats, certainly not for TV shows recorded by MCE.

smith04

[mjc]

Actually, you should be able to open Explorer => Tools => Folder Options => View and uncheck Hide extensions on know filetypes...

That will tell you what format it saves them in.

Basically, if you want the greatest compatability, then use Nero to import the files (avi, probably) into DVD video format...you have a dual layer so you should be able to pack up to four hours worth (or more depending things like original resolution, bitrate, etc) on a single dual layer disk.

[smith04]

The file extension reads "Microsoft Recorded TV Show". Anyone got any ideas how I can these recorded TV shows to delete the commercials?

smith04

[Rick]

First things first.
The dvd format you use depends on the dvd player you use to watch them on tv with.
Some players are dual other read dvd-r while still others will play dvd+r
The one you need to use is what ever works best with your player.

I don't know what format those "Microsoft Recorded TV Show". files are.
I have never used them.
Have you tried to allow Pinnacle to open them ?
If not give it a shot.

If you can do it. Try letting Pinnacle do the capture
If you can do that.
Tell what ever program your using to capture the shows to save them in mpg or avi file format.
The you can edit them with easy in Pinnacle..

Once captured and saved.
Open the file in the edit window of Pinnacle and ffast forward to the start of the Spam.
Click the little Razor blade.
It will put part one in the first box and the renamder in the second.
Fast forward again and cut it at the end of the spam.
This will give you 3 edit boxs filled.
Just click on the second ( should be the spam) right click and delete

Once you repeat this till you have what you want to keep.
Save the project.
Then render it to a file or dvd format .
DON'T do a direct burn..
Pinnacle will delete the render if you do and WHEN your burn screws up.
You have to redo the render.
That can take a Very long time..

BTW. Pinnacle and Most other edit software works best when you have Lots and Lots of ram
Max out you memory if you can
It makes things go a lot faster

[smith04]

Rick,

I recorded the TV shows with my PC using Microsoft Media Center Edition 2005 directly hooked up to my TV cable. I am not sure, but I don't think that Pinnacle captures TV directly from cable (let me know if I am wrong). I believe I have tried Pinnacele to open my recorded TV show but it would not open them, thus I could not edit out the commercials.

You hit on a good idea, I'll look at MCE 2005 and see if I can change the format to record to one that I can edit in Pinnacle. But that doesn't do me any good to the ones I have already recorded.

Has anyone recorded TV shows directly using MCE 2005 and then somehow edited the commercials out? If so, could you tell me how you did it?

smith04

[smith04]

Just to clarify, I have the problem solved on recording the tapes, editing them and recording to DVDs. Now I am trying to find the solution to my first problem in my original post, how to edit out commercials from TV shows recorded using Windows Media Center Edition 2005.

The file extension for the recorded TV shows are "Microsoft Recorded TV". I could not open the files using Pinnacle.

Any suggestions?

smith04

[mjc]

Probably need to get them into some other file format...if there aren't any MS tools for editing them.

Proprietary file formats suck...and yep, this is about as proprietary as they come.

[Sylvander]

Would a K-Lite Codec Pack (http://www.free-codecs.com/K_Lite_Codec_Pack_download.htm) help?
This seems to make it possible to handle many kinds of multi-media file types.

[mjc]

OK...I was right in a couple of assumptions I made earlier...

A couple of reasons for this...the biggie being DRM.

Technically, as dvr-ms files, you can't edit them. To do so, you need to convert them to standard mpeg files (or wmv files).

The dvr-ms format is specifically designed to prevent exactly what you want to do! It prevents editing (or at least having an easy way to do it..).

http://thegreenbutton.com/forums/thread/53128.aspx

Greenbutton.com also has other info/tools for working with dvr-ms files...

[Rick]

Here is some more info on making Dvd's from the files

http://www.fstop-blues.com/2005/04/windows-media-center-tip-burn-dvr-ms.html

Dig down and I will bet that you can find a converter