COPY OLD VIDEO .com
FREE Tips on Converting Movies to Digital Formats
Movies To DVD
Copying Digital Video Movies to DVD
Converting digital video to DVD is a simple process if you have the right equipment and knowhow. By converting your digital video to DVD you can play your recordings on most DVD players and computers. DVDs also allow you to scan through your recordings and jump between chapters in seconds. These functions are not easily accessible on digital video. DVD also provides a permanent form of storage for your recordings and free up your digital video tapes so you can use them again.
Place the digital video tape you wish to copy inside your digital video camera. Cue up the tape to the spot where you want to start the copy.
Plug the conversion cable into the camera and your DVD recording device. This can be either a DVD recorder or a computer with a DVD burner. The cable must be an IEEE 1394 interface. This is known by several brand names. Sony calls it an i.LINK, Apple calls it a FireWire and Texas Instruments calls it Lynx. These come in either 4 pin or 6 pin connectors. Most cameras use 4 pin connectors but check your camera and DVD recording device to be sure.
Put a blank DVD in the recording device. DVDs come in two formats, DVD+ and DVD-. They are not interchangeable when recording. Be sure you know which format your DVD recording device requires.
Press play on your digital video camera.
Tell your DVD recording device to receive the digital video transfer. A DVD recorder can convert your digital video in real time. Some have hard drives that allow you to store the digital video then convert it to DVD later. Most computers with video editing software will store your digital video in a hard drive. You can then edit it before converting it to DVD. Both DVD recorders and computers with DVD burners require you to tell the device to start recording.
Allow your digital video tape to roll through all the video you want to convert to DVD. Tell your DVD recording device to stop recording.
Burn your DVD. If your DVD recorder or computer allows you to make edits, then do them first. Once you convert your digital video to a regular DVD it is permanent. Of course you can always burn another DVD or use a DVD-RW that lets you rewrite on the same disc. Don't forget to finalize the DVD. This prepares it so it can be viewed on most DVD players.
Copying Film Movie Reels to DVD
Movie reels were the only way to record moving images until the advent of the video camera in the 1980s. There are many old movie reels sitting in storage but rarely seen. It is just too cumbersome to hook up an old movie projector, find a screen, dim the lights, and show the movie. Movie reels also flicker, you can't edit them, and they deteriorate over time. It makes sense to convert movie reels to DVD so they can be preserved and edited.
Hook up a movie reel projector that plays the format of your movie reels. Find a dark, sound proof room that does not echo. Find a screen that does not sway. Hook the projector up to an external speaker and move it as far away from the projector as possible.
Play the movie reel and adjust the picture and sound. Make everything as crisp and clear as possible. Eliminate all distractions like outside light, sound, or movement.
Set up a digital video camera near the movie projector. Place it on a stable tripod so that it does not move. The camera should ideally be just below the projector or just above it. Shooting at an angle to the screen will distort the picture. Frame the video camera so that is sees as much of the movie as possible without seeing any of the border.
Place an external video camera microphone near the movie projector external speaker. Experiment with the placement of the video camera microphone so that the sound is clear and not distorted. Again, the speaker and mic should be as far away from the movie projector as possible to minimize projector noise. If possible, place a partition between the projector and speaker.
Once you are satisfied with all the settings, stop the projector and start it over from the beginning. Start the video camera recording at the same time. Now leave the room until the movie is finished. Any time there are people in the room during a recording like this there is the potential for ambient noise. Don't slam the door on your way out.
Hook up the digital video camera to a DVD burner and download the tape of the movie reel. The easiest way to do this is in real time. It gives you a continuous recording of the movie reel playing. DVD burners with hard drives allow you to set chapters and make simple edits. This takes longer but is worth the effort. You can also download the digital video into a computer with digital editing software. You can then edit the movie reel images any way you want then burn them to a DVD on your computer.
