On 1 Feb 2002 08:56:12 -0800, bcarwell@us.ibm.com (bob carwell) wrote:

>I'm a little confused. I've filmed in my miniDV camera. I want to
>capture the miniDV into my computer, edit it with Ulead Video Studio,
>and dump it back to VHS either through my sVideo output of my computer
>or back to my camcorder and then use the camcorder to produce the
>analog VHS output for recording.

The VHS deck has no "S" input... Best: master the edit by
sending it back to the camcorder through FireWire (I assume
you transferred the video to the computer with FireWire...)
to tape (I make two copies, for safety...).

> But I don't see any choice in Ulead for capturing to "VHS" format.
>So the question is, what setting in Ulead should I be using to capture
>the video, and what setting should I be using to output it either
>through my sVideo output or to my camcorder for subsequent recording
>to the VHS recorder ?

Mini-DV, transferred either way by FireWire, is a fixed
format - no choices. Either send the video out over FireWire
to the camcorder (preferably to a master tape), and then by
RCA cables to the VHS deck, or send it out directly from the
computer by RCA cables to the deck, if practical...

> I've been capturing with a 720 x 480 AVI DV and (I think)playing it
>back as such and dumping to the camcorder in that format. Is that
>correct ?

Yes.

>Are there better setting to use for capture/output that
>will make the VHS look the best ?

Not in resolution. Sometimes "pre-EQing" the video for
specific VHS deck/format characteristics can help (reducing
saturation a bit, increasing contrast a tad helps make the
inferior-format VHS tape copy look better...).

> The edited video including titles looks terrific on the computer
>and camcorder LCD. But one odd thing I've also noticed is that all
>the titles I put in, when viewed on the recorded VHS tape, look
>smeared. What gives ?

VHS is a poor-quality format - that can look very good
if you have a really excellent source (like 35mm film...)
and good technicians to optimize results...

> Any suggestion to this newbie would be appreciated. I see
>of settings for SVCD, various frame sizes,frame rates, etc., etc. but
>nothing that says "VHS". What's the best settings for VHS ?

Do not confuse format types - Mini-DV is a digital
data stream (as are the variously-compressed CD/DVD
formats), which is converted to analogue for viewing;
VHS, Hi-8, etc. are analogue formats throughout...