Technical question Re: Downloading homemade dvds to your hard drive

[caseyjo]

Hi Everyone at TBD Q&A.....Hope you all had a nice week-end

I have a dvd camera which makes disks I can play on my computer.  I want to download whats on the disk to my hard drive so I can edit & post them where-ever I decide to on the web. I know there are free software programs & trialware I can use to do this, but I wonder if I can possibly put the disc back in the camera & plug it up to the PC. Would I be able to download the disk info that way? 

[Bob Stepp]

You're probably still gonna need a software program.

[caseyjo]

I kinda figured as much.....Thanks Bob

[Quinn]

Does the camera have a USB cord that can connects it to the computer?

If so, I would think you can download that way. I'm sure that as soon as you plug it in it will instruct you from there...

[J Lee S]

Yeah, what she said.

[caseyjo]

The camera has a usb cord & memory card....I have downloaded pics I take with the camera, but when I stick the DVD disk in the computer there is no way to download what is on it....The software programs on my computer wont do it.

[J Lee S]

If you don't have the software for the camera, you can get the drivers off of the net. Depending on what OS you are running you might get the Driver wizard to pop up and it will find it for you. More than likely you will be able to copy from your camera to a file on your computer after your camera and 'puter get familiar with each other.

[caseyjo]

I know I will not have a problem copying pictures from the camera to the computer, I have already done it...My computer has a card reader & the dvd camera has a card....It is the disk I cant copy & I do not think the contents of the disk is located on the camera anywhere..I looked & could not find anything. When I put the disk back in the camera, then I can see what is on the disk. I think I am going to need some sort of ripper software for this, but I am going to try all of the above first..Thanks for all the info JleeS, Quinn & Bob....I appreciate it.

[Bob Stepp]

Are you running Windows? If you are, is Windows Media Player installed on your system??

[caseyjo]

Yes I am running windows and I have Windows media player.

[Bob Stepp]

Can you insert the disk you speak of and open it in  Media Player program? if it recognizes the disk, there should be a "rip" tab you can click on to transfer the images to your dard drive. If it wont recognize it you probabaly will need something like Sonic Record Now. It was already installed on my system when i bought it. It can be purchased on-line for 29.999 the last time I checked. Your system will recognize your camera and therefore what is in your camera, but it won't give  you a prompt to transfer or edit the contents. Also Media Player won't edit....it is just an organizer program. To edit video or photographs you will need separate software.

[caseyjo]

Windows Media Center rips CD's. but not DVD's...I think I know what to do next. I found a list of software that will take off whatever is on DVD's which keeps them from being copied and allows me to copy them (hopefully straight through the program) because Media player wont work for dvd's anyway.). They are homemade disks, so it is legal. I am not copying store bought DVD's....Thanks so much Bob.....It all boils down to choosing & downloading the program & trying it now. Maybe later this week....:)

[Bob Stepp]

Yeah....you're right Media Player won't work with DVD''s. had a brain fart there for a minute. Yep....gotta find some software....good luck, my friend