Can anyone suugest what software I need to convert & edit from a DV tape so that it can be saved on a DVD and played on a standard DVD player.
I have worked with several different video software packages, and I prefer Pinnacle Studio. Nero includes a reasonable version in its Ultra package that is also good but more finicky in setting up precise frames. You will need to: 1) "Capture" the video from your DV camcorder to your hard drive using the software. This is most commonly done through a FireWire connection. (Camcorders capable of converting analogue video to digital video can be used to convert VHS signals to digital signals in order to transfer the older tape format.) Save your DV cassettes. The signal quality on them is greater than that for DVD; so you may want to reconvert them to Blu-ray later on when the costs become more reasonable. 2) Edit the video by eliminating what you don't want, rearrange what you do want, adding titles or soundtracks, and so forth. 3) Build a menu that a DVD player will understand. The software will offer different styles of menus. 4) Select the settings for DVD recording quality. Try to select the highest values you can. That generally means about 70 minutes of DV video for every full DVD. 5) Record the edited video onto a disc. The software will include the steps for the recording process. I have found that the more expensive the software package, the more "features" it offers such as fancy transitions, fancy titling, etc. The more such features you use, the less professional and more amateurish the video--so sticking with the basics often makes the most sense.
