Dazzle Digital Video Creator

[coasterdude5]

I just bought a analog camcorder a couple of years ago and it works great. I'm not quite ready to toss it to get a digital just yet but I really want to edit. I found this DV Creator and it looks awesome.

 

Here's how it works: you film with your regular camera. Then you hook up this thing to your PC and it turns it to digital video. Then you edit and then send it back to your camera or VCR/DVD player.

 

Anybody heard of this. Does it work?

[Wes]

Yeah it works. The quality isn't great simply because you're shooting on Hi-8 but it does the job.

[DenDen]

Needs a firewire, which your analog camera may not have.

 

For my Hi-8, I use an ATI All-in-wonder and pinacle studio. (Used to use Ulead Studio, but i just obtained Pinacle last week, what a blast to use, i may fork out the money for the latest version.)

[coasterdude5]

Needs a firewire, which your analog camera may not have.

 

For my Hi-8, I use an ATI All-in-wonder and pinacle studio. (Used to use Ulead Studio, but i just obtained Pinacle last week, what a blast to use, i may fork out the money for the latest version.)

 

What's that?

[DenDen]

FireWire (or IEEE-1394) is a similar to USB, but is a bazzilion times faster. Digital video cams have a firewire plug on them to hook up to your computer, and analogs do not for the most part. It allows you to control your camera via the computer, and thransfer video data back and forth.

[coasterdude5]

Sorry to bump this back up, but so far I've only read terrible reviews from other sites.

 

So are there any other products that will do the same job? (converting Hi8 to digital and then back to the camera or VCR)

 

Thanks!

[Angry_Gumball]

If you have a capture card, you can transfer VHS-C, Hi-8, VHS etc into your computer, beef it up with your editing skills, and either burn it to DVD or, if you have a video card with video out and a sound card with audio out, you can hook up your VCR and record off of your computer. Like mentioned, the Pinnacle Studio 500 with PCI will work (we use these at work), the All-in-Wonder should work, etc.

[coasterdude5]

Does anybody think I should just sell my analog and get a DV camera so I can edit easier?

[Nemmy]

Besides the entire population of the United States, Asia, and God himself...no, wait, I don't belive in a god...oh well...but yeah, just get a Mini-DV camera.

[coasterdude5]

So where would I plug the Firewire plug into in my computer?

[Wes]

^ You have to buy a firewire card and install it in your computer. They're cheap ($15-30 tops).

[coasterdude5]

Okay, I must've been looking at something different. Whatever I was looking at was over $200.

 

^Thanks

[Angry_Gumball]

Actually, I have to finish getting some stuff for my new DV camera such as some more tapes, head cleaner, firewire port, cable, battery, etc. Why do firewire cables cost more than the port it's self anyway?

[Twister II]

When I hear "Dazzle Digital Video Creator" I think of something I would find out of west Hollywood.

"Buy my Dazzle Digital Video Creator, it will make your video dazzle with grrrrreat effects"

[coasterdude5]

^Creepy..... :?

[WillMontu]

Some reasons why 1394 is more expensive:

-It's not as popular as USB, so not as many companies are producing them

-Apple and a few others get royalties from them.

 

If you want a cheap cable, check out your nearest Target or Walmart. I got a universal 1394 cable from Target for less than $20. As for Firewire ports, I got one with my sound card (most mid and high range SoundBlaster products have them)

[mcjaco]

I bought the Dazzle 9.0 a couple of weeks ago to convert my family's old VHS tapes to DVD. It uses a USB plug, no firewire available.

 

Taking analog video and converting is easy. Open the software (more on that in a minute) click "capture Video" and press play on your camcorder/vcr/etc. Obviously, for each minute of film it will take that same amount to convert.

 

The Dazzle 9.0 software that comes with the converter is a POS. The editing portion is OK and fairly easy to navigate but, making the actual DVD's is a nightmare. I have less that 2 hours of film and no matter how I compress the video or, the soundtrack, it won't fit on the DVD. Dazzle 9.0 tells me I have 65 minutes uses and 66 minutes left available everytime. You can read about other customer's complaints about the same thing on Pinnacle's barely accesible forum. I'd say buy the converter and purchase the editing software seperately.

 

Anyone have any suggestions on good editing software?

[coasterdude5]

^But would it be okay to use if you A- have Window's Movie Maker and B- just wanted to send it back to the camcorder or VCR.

[mcjaco]

I don't see why not. If you're not looking to do a bunch of editing the software is fine. For you it would be one click.

[coasterdude5]

Well, I just wanted to add some transitions, voice overs, music, credits, etc. But I can do all that with Window's movie maker.

[mcjaco]

You should be fine then. Good luck.

[Angry_Gumball]

I'm going to Best Buy tonight as we know someone who works there. With his employee discount, I can get a $43 firewire port for only $9. I think I may pick up Pinnacle Studio 10 as well so I can create DVDs of whatever I videotape.

 

Maybe I should do a Photo TR of installing it/reconnecting my old hard drive for storage purposes.