HDV video can be down-converted for storage on standard DVDs.
The HDV ( High-definition Digital Video) recording format allows you to record high-definition video images onto Mini DV tapes, using cameras such as the Sony HDR FX1E. The advantage of this is that Mini DV tapes are inexpensive and readily available, as they have typically been used in consumer video cameras. You can down-convert high-definition footage to standard definition, when you create standard-definition DVDs from HDV footage you have shot and imported to your computer, in a process known as capturing.
Instructions
1. Check to be sure that the Mini DV tape containing your HDV footage is in your HDV camera. Connect a Firewire cable to the camera and to a Firewire port on your computer.
2. Use an editing or capture program that supports high-definition video, such as Adobe's Premiere editing program, Sony's Vegas editing program or the AVS Video Recorder. Follow the instructions for your particular editing program to begin the capture process. If you are using a sophisticated program, such as Adobe's Premiere, you can use the program to control the camera's videotape player and wind the tape to the point where you want the capture to begin. If your capture program does not support this feature, you will have to set the start point by using the controls on the camera to line up the tape.
3. Stop the capture process once all the HDV footage that you want to convert to DVD has played. You will now have HDV footage available to work with in your editing program. Some programs, such as Adobe Premiere, allow you to convert the HDV footage and burn the result directly to a DVD. You need to down-convert the HDV footage to the DVD MPEG2 file format separately if you are using a program such as Sony Vegas or AVS before using a separate DVD-authoring program to create your DVD.
4. Place a blank DVD in your computer's DVD burner. If you are using Adobe Premiere or an editing program that allows you to burn your HDV footage directly to DVD, follow the program instructions to begin the DVD-creation process.
Convert the HDV footage, in editing programs such as Sony Vegas, to an MPEG2-format file. During the conversion process, give the file a name and select a location on your computer's hard drive to store the converted file.
5. Open a DVD-authoring program, such as Sony DVD Architect or AVS DVD Authoring, if your capture and editing program did not allow you to create a DVD directly. Select the MPEG2 file you created by down-converting your captured HDV footage.
Follow the DVD-authoring program's instructions to burn your footage to a DVD. DVD-authoring programs allow you to create DVD menu screens and set chapter markers, and if you want to include these you should follow the program instructions.
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