I have a Pioneer 810-H , Tivo with a burner. I can burn my TV shows onto a DVD-RW and take them upstairs to my computer and edit out the commercials with Ulead DVD Movie Factory. It is pretty simple and effective. My question is this: If I reformat my machine , go to Windows Media Center 2005, add a video card , say a Hauppauge. How and with what software do I use to edit my TV video ???? I was told Nero works but it kinda slow and cumbersome. I do not want to start the process if it too much of a hassle. Thanx for your help....
You could reformat and then install XP home. I did that and then installed an HDTV Wonder card (does analog and digital receiving), Ulead Moviefactory, Pioneer DVD burner, and I can watch, record, burn, and archive everything in one place. Plus you can do the tings Tivo does like pause live TV, schedule records. The library function that comes with the HDTV wonder card allows you to right-click and choose the way you want the saved video converted to. I guess I'm avoiding the Media Center edition because I'm unfamiliar with it's cmopatibiliy with hardware and software....maybe someone else has more knowledge on that than I do. -Frank
livermore I like the " allows you to right-click and choose the way you want the saved video converted to. " part of the Wonder card. Can you edit out the commercials or do any other trimming. If so , How? and with what software ? This gives me another option depending on how you respond. I was wondering also how to edit commercials within Media Center....
The HDTV Wonder card doesn't come bundled with software to do the things that Ulead's Movie Factory can do. Basically the card will record HDTV, analog TV (cable of antenna), composite inputs from a VCR or camcorder, and S-video input. It displays the recorded material in it's library where you can choose the quality to export (and there are many settings from Mpeg 1, Mpeg2, Mpeg4 down to portable file sizes. The alternative is to choose the quality properly when you schedule the record...which depends on the user I suppose. I always find myself exporting it to something smaller, especially cartoons for my daughter which don't need the same quality as other media. After I've exported the file based on the quality I want, I bring that file into Movie Factory to edit out content such as commercials. If you have Movie Factory on file you should be able to install it on your new setup...maybe after contacting Ulead. This would save you the learning curve of new software too. So it's really a two-step process (one if you save the recording properly the first time). Export the file from the library and then edit with Ulead. If it suites your lifestyle you could add a video card with composite out (or component for true HDTV televisions) and play it directly into your TV. That would save you burning anything. I have the above setup with an X800XL and pump that into a projector for a 137" high definition screen, but I could have just as easily put that into any sort of TV or monitor. Everything would then be on your hard drive whenever you want it. Of course if you use your computer for more than entertainment then it might be a poor idea. Frank
