From VHS to DVD (Paperback)

by M. St. Goewecke (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The inside angle to digital videos It's time to dig out those old home videos and take them into the digital age.

Whether you are filming with Super 8, VHS or have upgraded to DV, you can now turm your home videos into digital masterpieces.

From the Back Cover
It's time to dig out those old home videos and take them into the digital age.

Whether you are filming with Super 8, VHS or have upgraded to DV, you can now turn your home videos into digital masterpieces.

* Establishing proper connections
* Selecting the interface card format
* Setting the correct compression

* Adding audio and text
* Produccing transitions and fades
* Special effects

* Copy DVD files
* Transfer to MPEG1 or MPEG2
* Format for VCD, XVCD, or SVCD

* Preparing for DVD play
* Adapting to 80 minute CDs
* Adding menus and titles

Bonus CD contains great freeware for editing and production:
* VirtualDub
* AIST MovieXone
* FlaskMPEG
* DVTool
* TMPEGEnc

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Product Details

• Paperback: 243 pages
• Publisher: Data Becker (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585070548
• ISBN-13: 978-1585070541
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,732,286 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Book should be titled VHS to CD, A Freeware User's Guide, June 19, 2004

By	"dougdbug" (Sunnyvale, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This book is essentially a user's guide to the following programs (included on the CD that comes with the book except as noted):

VirtualDub - Video capture. Freeware.
MovieXone - Video Editor. Freeware.
SmartRipper - DVD Ripper. Freeware (not included).
FlasK - File Format Transcoder. Freeware.
TEMPGEnc - MPEG-2 Encoder. Freeware.
DVTool - Video file analyzer. Freeware
Roxio CD Creator - CD Burner. Commercial program (not included).

As a user's guide, this book isn't bad. There are lots of screen-shots and step-by step instructions. In fact, it's much better than the typical thin-pamphlet that comes with most modern commercial software. However, it is not a complete manual covering all of the program options. And of course, updated versions of the programs are available since the book was printed in 2001.

For the most part, the author jumps-in to using the programs without much overview or explanation of when or why to use them. I would have liked more of an overview of the process. Most people will be using some different software, and understanding the process is at least as important as understanding the steps.

I bought this book because I'm planning to get a system with a video capture card and DVD burner, and use it for copying VHS to DVD as well as some other video tasks. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING ABOUT DVD AUTHORING OR PRODUCTION IN THIS BOOK!!! There is nothing about AC3 or 5.1 surround sound. There is quite a bit of information about how to compress and re-encode the video for copying video to a CD. The book needs to be updated. I'm writing this in June 2004, and DVD burners are available for less than $100 (assuming you already have a computer). Nobody should be burning video to a CD!

I did find the book somewhat useful, but I'm continuing my research.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for amateur home movie artists, March 12, 2002

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Video Guide: From VHS To DVD is a straightforward, easy-to-understand guide to making one's own digital videos. Transferring a home video to a personal computer, editing it, converting it to DVD format and burning it to a CD, and post-production with various softwares are all covered in user-friendly detail. Highly recommended for amateur home movie artists everywhere, Video Guide: From VHS to DVD comes with a bonus CD of freeware including VirtualDub, AIST MovieXone, FlasKMPEG, DVTool, and TMPEGEnc.

3 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars VHS 2 DVD, August 21, 2003

By	hlambert4 (Lakeland, Fl United States) - See all my reviews

I got the book at a reasonable price. It was shipped in 2 days as promised. I received it exactly on the day promised. It's a little over my head but with a little study, I think I will be able to do the project I want.