random ramblings of SantAnole
Wow, you guys are just scratching the surface of a subject that deserves its own forum to properly address! -
It appears that the "edit and return to the receiver for playback" matter has been dealt with.
However, playing back the video on your computer and making actual working DVDs are two totally different problems!
Since various FTA stations can use different video formats, you first need to know what you are dealing with.
And in any discussions, ya really need to make that format clear.
Here's a free utility, MediaInfo, which will do the job in spades.
One free video player which will playback most everything, regardless, is VLC.
If VLC won't play it, you've got a real problem.
Whether any given format will display properly in another player is a problem for that player.
As to making a disc your DVD player will handle...
Proper DVDs are mpeg and can be in a few valid formats.
I don't recall all the details right off, but 720x480, 702x480, 544x480, 354x480, sound right.
640x480 wasn't one of the supported modes (as I recall), and discs I made like that didn't play.
Now, along comes a crop of nice DivX-capable DVD players, and more recently, things like Samsung blu-ray players.
They'll digest a multitude of odd formats and codecs!
If you have one of those, it might play back everything you throw at it, even though your Grandmaws DVD player would barf on the disc!
Personally, I have a Philips DVP5990 player, which is quite flexible.
However, the raw material I play on it, isn't suitable for exchanging with most folks.
Still on the subject of authoring DVDs, there are a number of free utility programs.
Back before VideoReDo did authoring, they were discussed at length on the VRD forum.
If you give a search there, I'm sure you can see what people liked.
At the time, I was using DVD Labs Pro, but it was a moderately expensive, semi-pro authoring suite.
While it did an outstanding job, I won't recommend it here when much less would be just fine. -
Another authoring solution might be your copy of Windows.
On a laptop I bought a couple of years ago, it's got Vista Media Center, and also a couple of DVD-making utilities.
I think that's all included in Windows Vista Home Premium.
It'll take a 7gb one hour network show that it's recorded, and make a proper DVD from the source.
I happen to edit the HD source with VideoReDo first, but that's not necessary.
The utility down-converts, makes everything proper, and burns the disc.
Just another option to consider.
This won't edit, and it won't author, but if you should need to change video format for some reason, maybe make a different sort of audio stream, then SUPER is a real Swiss Army knife that's free.
I almost hate to bring it up, because you'll probably want it for the most simple of jobs, and it's quite a monster! -
One last utility I use is ConvertXtoDVD.
It's not free, so I don't give a link, but it pretty well automates the process of making anything into a real DVD.
It's so simple, a 5-year old could do it. (or a caveman)... (or maybe even a lizard!) -
Wow, you guys are just scratching the surface of a subject that deserves its own forum to properly address! -
It appears that the "edit and return to the receiver for playback" matter has been dealt with.
However, playing back the video on your computer and making actual working DVDs are two totally different problems!
Since various FTA stations can use different video formats, you first need to know what you are dealing with.
And in any discussions, ya really need to make that format clear.
Here's a free utility, MediaInfo, which will do the job in spades.
One free video player which will playback most everything, regardless, is VLC.
If VLC won't play it, you've got a real problem.
Whether any given format will display properly in another player is a problem for that player.
As to making a disc your DVD player will handle...
Proper DVDs are mpeg and can be in a few valid formats.
I don't recall all the details right off, but 720x480, 702x480, 544x480, 354x480, sound right.
640x480 wasn't one of the supported modes (as I recall), and discs I made like that didn't play.
Now, along comes a crop of nice DivX-capable DVD players, and more recently, things like Samsung blu-ray players.
They'll digest a multitude of odd formats and codecs!
If you have one of those, it might play back everything you throw at it, even though your Grandmaws DVD player would barf on the disc!
Personally, I have a Philips DVP5990 player, which is quite flexible.
However, the raw material I play on it, isn't suitable for exchanging with most folks.
Still on the subject of authoring DVDs, there are a number of free utility programs.
Back before VideoReDo did authoring, they were discussed at length on the VRD forum.
If you give a search there, I'm sure you can see what people liked.
At the time, I was using DVD Labs Pro, but it was a moderately expensive, semi-pro authoring suite.
While it did an outstanding job, I won't recommend it here when much less would be just fine. -
Another authoring solution might be your copy of Windows.
On a laptop I bought a couple of years ago, it's got Vista Media Center, and also a couple of DVD-making utilities.
I think that's all included in Windows Vista Home Premium.
It'll take a 7gb one hour network show that it's recorded, and make a proper DVD from the source.
I happen to edit the HD source with VideoReDo first, but that's not necessary.
The utility down-converts, makes everything proper, and burns the disc.
Just another option to consider.
This won't edit, and it won't author, but if you should need to change video format for some reason, maybe make a different sort of audio stream, then SUPER is a real Swiss Army knife that's free.
I almost hate to bring it up, because you'll probably want it for the most simple of jobs, and it's quite a monster! -
One last utility I use is ConvertXtoDVD.
It's not free, so I don't give a link, but it pretty well automates the process of making anything into a real DVD.
It's so simple, a 5-year old could do it. (or a caveman)... (or maybe even a lizard!) -
