Capture from a DVD based camcorder?

[crgellis]

I purchased a Canon DC22, (DVD based video camera), to make and edit videos of the new baby, and I am extremely confused (with tremendous help from every software and video camera vendor) about compatibility and system requirements necessary to import video.

 

First, this Roxio website (Adobe and Vegas are no better) tells you it DOES NOT support any of the new Canon or Sony DVD or Hard Drive based camcorders. I want to purchase a new Vista based PC but cannot seem to ascertain from any software vendor (nor Canon itself) whether or not I can import and edit widescreen video from this camcorder's DVD based, USB driven (i.e. none of this new stuff supports firewire) medium. Is MYDVD 9 the right answer. (Again, don't refer to the Roxio guy's posting on this discussion forum, he is three years out of date).

 

Two, system requirement info is also woefully out of date everywhere you look. For example, Roxio and Adobe both tell you that to edit hi-def (HD, which I am not trying to do, but to make the point) you need a Pentium running at 3 GHz and a 7200 rpm hard drive. The new, super high speed Intel Core 2 runs at 2.33 GHz (the 6600 and 7600), but because of its architecture, processes, I think but not sure, at faster that an older generation 3 gig Pentium M. Therefore, the question is, will the more common, and much cheaper, Core 2 processors such as the 5500 running at 1.66 GHz satisfy the system requirements to edit video.

 

None of this info is on the website (its as though it was written a year ago) and I need help before I proceed with the computer purchase. I have other questions, but will hold off until I get through these two basics.

 

CE

[ggrussell]

First, the DVD camcorder when connected to Windows will 'show up' as an external DVD Burner. Windows doesn't recognize it as a 'camcorder' that is why most software state that. You can, however, import the video from such a device. You can also 'finalize' the miniDVD in the camcorder and then just insert the small DVD into your computer's DVD player or burner. Most software should be able to import the files that way. As a third option, just use Windows Explorer to copy the VOB files onto you hard drive. Videowave/MyDVD will use those directly.

 

The new, super high speed Intel Core 2 runs at 2.33 GHz

Not to burst your bubble about the Intel HYPE, but you couldn't prove that statement by me. My previous computer was a 3 yr old AMD Athlon XP 3000+ (2.1Ghz real CPU speed). Last June I spent $1700 on a Dual Core 3Ghz (predecessor to Duo Core). Did I see improvement in speed? yes, but I was woefully disappointed. Dual/Quad Core or even Dual processor doesn't really mean much unless you have the OS and the software that was written to take advantage of them. As far as I know, I don't even own a single piece of software that is optimized for hyperthreading or multi-processors and I keep all my software updated except for one app.

 

Just read the forum here, there have been several people post that have those Core 2 1.66Ghz machines and they complain how slow everything is. Personally, I'd still rather have a single CPU running at 4Ghz than a dual core at 2Ghz.