DVDs are much more portable than mini DV tapes.
Mini DV is the format used most camcorders. VHS used to be the standard for home video cameras because the tape could go from the camera right to the VCR. However, since VCRs are now almost impossible to find, mini-DV tapes have taken over in popularity. While they can’t be played directly in a VCR or DVD player they can easily be copied onto your computer for editing because they are digital.
Instructions
1. Connect your camcorder with a Firewire cable from the back of the camcorder to a Firewire port on your computer. The Firewire connection on your camera might be inside the LCD flip screen or elsewhere on the camera, possibly even hidden by a cover.
2. Open a video editing program like MovieMaker. Go to the File menu and choose "Capture." Hit play on the camera and record in the capture box. Stop the recording when you are done and save the file on the hard drive.
3. Purchase and install a DVD authoring tool like DVD Factory. Open the program and start a new project. Look for and use the "Import" option and select the file you saved to insert it into the project.
4. Insert a blank DVD into your computer’s DVD writer drive. Choose any additional options in the program, such as making titles, and then click on the "Burn" option and the DVD will be created.
Tags: your computer
