This is probably an extremely basic inquiry, but your input would be greatly appreciated none the less. I finally purchased a DVD burner (16x double-layer) a few weeks ago and still need to install in into my machine. However, I have been trasferring home movies from my camcorder to PC for quite some time now (via firewire and utilizing Pinnacle Studio 8), and have reached the point where I'm about to max out my HD (even bought a second external 160GB HD and filled it as well).
Since I have not had any experience with DVD burning, and will need some time to become adept at the process, I need to find a way to archive my "source" video files in the interim so I can free up my HD before I create system issues. My main concern, however, is that I can save the current files in the original "format" for future editing once I get the hang of things. The current files have only been transferred, but not edited at all (no title pages, transitions, etc. -just raw footage).
Can I simply move off the original file folders (since Pinnacle creates both .avi and .stu files) to DVD and store them that way? If so, can you give a brief overview of the steps/software I would need? Do I need to convert and/or compress the files since .avi files tend to be fairly large?
I currently own Roxio Creator 6 and Pinnacle Studio 8, but am more than happy to purchase different software if required. My primary concern is being able to save my content for future editing - not to save a few pennies. Lastly, any suggestions as to the software I should use for creating my "final product" DVDs (both for editing and burning)?
The problem you are facing is one I commonly encountered before upgrading my "D" drive to 160G!
The quick answer is yes, you can certainly burn DVDs with the .avi files you have imported from your camcorder, so long as the blank DVD capacity is greater than the .avi file. Bear in mind a single-layer DVD is about 4.7 G and a dual-layer twice that. That means .avi files of about 25 minutes and 50 minutes respectively. If you have files that are larger than your blank DVD capacity, then clear off a few of the smaller ones first to give yourself some headroom, then use a video-editng programme such as Roxio VideoWave or Ulead VideoStudio to cut the really big ones into smaller pieces.
Any DVD burning software that recognises your drive should be fine for the basic task of saving the .avis onto DVD. For example, whatever is supplied with your burner.
To make DVDs of home movies, I use Ulead MovieFactory. I chose that for quality reasons, although it is rather slow to render (process) the video.
Post again if you need further help.
Cheers PS: just came across this page by chance - you are normally better off posing a question on a page where I am already contributing....