Thread: Newbie to video capture/encoding

I want to convert some home video captured using a DV camcorder to DVD using my computer and Adobe Premiere but have not really got a clue on where to start ?. Would appreciate if some one can answer some questions for me ...

1. If I use/buy a DV/Firewire cable to connect the camcorder to the PC, do I still need to connect another cable to the sound card to transfer the audio ?. I have sucessfully transferred some footages to my PC using Svideo connected to my graphic card but I have not transferred the audio as I do not have the right connector to connect the audio jack to my sound card (I assumed that's what I have to do!). Would the Firewire cable give better quality ?.


2. What resolution should I use to convert the camcorder footage ?. I have tried 320x240 but it looks really blurly on the PC. Will it be better when I watch it on TV ?.

The questions above properly sound really simple but not to me !. Thanks

1: no, the firewire will transfer both video and audio, it will be better quality than the s-video transfer as it transfers exactly what's on the tape, there is no conversion involved.

2. When you connect with Firewire you will be capturing full resolution DV video. As long as you select the right setting for your project (PAL or NTSC) it will capture at the right resolution, (720x576 for PAL)

1. Like what bgarthp, the firewire will transfer both audio and video. You do not need another seperate one.

Thanks all for the info. Will go and buy a firewire cable.