[moblies]

I have a Canon MD101 Mini DV Camcorder which I have had for a year and collected a massive 1.5hrs of footage. I'm not sure the best way to get this onto DVD. I was considering buying a Home DVD Recorder with a Firewire connector so I can burn whilst playing back. I also have a fairly new PC running Vista Business with Firewire and a DVD buner (Nero software).

Q) What would I need in terms of Capture/Editing software if any to use my PC to capture.

Is there any mileage in buying a Recorder?

Many Thanks

[senu]

Originally Posted by moblies

I have a Canon MD101 Mini DV Camcorder which I have had for a year and collected a massive 1.5hrs of footage. I'm not sure the best way to get this onto DVD. I was considering buying a Home DVD Recorder with a Firewire connector so I can burn whilst playing back. I also have a fairly new PC running Vista Business with Firewire and a DVD buner (Nero software).

Q) What would I need in terms of Capture/Editing software if any to use my PC to capture.

If you have the full version of Nero it can help you capture edit and turn to DVD ( Nero Vision 5)
Otherwise Windows ( Movie maker) which comes with Vista is also capable if fairly lean
There are any no of Software with varying levels of ease of use and features depending on how much you want to transform your footage..
Do a search on "software" on here

Is there any mileage in buying a Recorder?

For either method you need a firewire cable and interface at the other end . A settop with firewire should be "standard" (for you)
One would hope the PC has onboard firewire as well, it isnt always present

The advantage of a Recorder is that it is a fairly easy way to end up with a DVD especially where little or no editing is required. Conversion from DV AVI on the tape to mpeg2 ( for DVD video is done in real time)
The DVD video will have a Basic menu but if you dont mind that .. they are worth the money
If you get one with a HDD you can even recird forn camcorder via firewire to HDD do some trimming before commiting to DVD disc

With a PC you download ( capture) in real time, with 1 tape using up 13Gb of HDD space, Edit and then allow time for encidong to DVD video.
The advantage ( for the "hassle of PC) is control over the output and ( if you like) some pride of achievement if the DVD video turns out "polished" rather than "so so"
The whole process from shooting the footage, editing and maing the DVD can be a creative process with use of stlls, transitions appoprite music ect to Jazz things up.. .Editing can be as basic as simply trimming off unsuitable footage, to using the footage to tell a story different to the order in which you shot the scences
That is the creative aspect
Otherwise simply recording to a settop recorder is just as valid a way to get a DVD from tape and may folk have a settop recorder and PC based editing setup using the appropriate one as desired
As such there is no "best way" but whether by PC or settop , as youve rightly suggested ,firewire is the way to go

[moblies]

Thanks for that, may try the PC approach first.