VCR to Camcorder to Computer
 

I want to know the best software to use when uploading from a VCR to Computer. I have read alot about Pinnacle Studio 8 and hear nothing but bad things. I have a lot of old family videos that I would like to burn onto CD's or DVD's but not sure exactly what will work. I don't want to end up with a bunch of coasters! Thanks.:confused:

I see you posted this message a long time ago...sorry it took me so long to discover this forum!

I too saw bad reviews on various Pinnacle products. Our new 'puter came with Giga Pocket and a pretty rotten program called "ClickToDVD." GigaPocket does a really nice job - lets you adjust picture quality and stuff...

If you want more features than you can shake a stick at, invest $100 in Nero...awesome program...and it burns DVDs fairly quickly. Seriously...with the setting at "maximum speed," it takes ClickToDVD well over three hours to burn to a multispeed DVD. However, Nero took not quite an hour to burn a SINGLE-SPEED DVD filled to the max!

Bushette I have used several programs including Studio 8 and all of them have their strengths and weaknesses. Unless your going to buy a top of the line program like Adobe Premier, which cost 10 times what you pay for Studio 8, all of them will likely not have something you want or may need. So it's a matter of finding the features you want in a package you can afford.

The other thing many people give little thought to is how intensive video editing and creation can be on a computer and if their computer is up to the task. A fast PC with plenty of Ram and Hard drive space will make creating your own dvd not only fun but keep you from beating on your computer. A fast processor and dvd burner will likewise make a daunting task more managable and you actually might enjoy it.

The third stumbling block for most people is the learning curve required to get the raw video to it's finished product. It takes creativity and patience to turn those videos into polished and well edited dvd's that are fun to watch. Most people lose interest or don't want to take the time to learn the program well enough to turn out a dvd let alone turn a collection of videos into dvds.

I've used Pinnacle Studio DV, Studio 8, Sonic MYDVD, EzCD Creator 6, Hollywood, and Windows Movie Maker. They all work but they all are not perfect nor do they all have the features I want and need in one package. I'd start out with Windows Movie Maker and go from there just remember be patience and be persistant and don't give up.

Take Care, Delta out