Transfer Mini DV to DVD:

If you are like most people you have hours of video footage that you have taken on your camcorder. As technology zips along, all those family moments should be transferred to a modern day DVD so it's easier to store and you can then watch it anytime you want on a big screen television. The older camcorder tapes are harder to transfer to DVD (at least if you try it yourself at home) but the mini DV tape formats are fairly easy to convert onto a DVD. I own a Panasonic Camcorder that is about 5 years old and it has the IEEE 1394 cable (also known as Firewire). I used to take in my mini DV tapes to Wolf Camera (now Ritz Camera) and they would send out the tapes to an outside company and have them transferred to a DVD for me. The cost was about $30 for each DVD that they make. At the time it was well worth the $$ since I couldn't figure out how to transfer the videos to my computer properly. After about 2 hours I figured my time was better spent elsewhere and I took the mini DVs into the store and paid the price. I have to admit the service was great and the final product you get back is easy to use and stores easily.

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The quality of your older videotapes does degrade over time and so if you want to keep those memories for a long time, it's essential that you transfer them to a DVD as soon as possible. You may think that the miniDV format is newer and will last longer than the older VHS tapes but we were told that is not true. The good news is that you get about 2 hours worth of recording onto a single DVD so that means up to 2 camcorder tapes (MiniDVD, 8mm videotape, Hi-8, Digital 8, VHS-C) or a VHS or BetaMax tape. When you consider the actual amount of time that you record on your camcorder, you may end up with 5 to 10 hours of decent footage each year. I had hours of my kids on Halloween, Christmas, at dance recitals, soccer games, and family get togethers that I didn't want to lose. Putting your family movies onto a DVD is the best way to store them for the longest period of time. Making a 2nd copy of each DVD is not a bad idea either so you are assured of having a backup copy just in case. DVDs are much easier to store in your house as well than bulky VHS tapes from the 1980's. Whether you choose to let a professional transfer your camcorder movies to a DVD is up to you, but the lasting memories are worth having it done. I wish my parents had not only recorded more of my childhood but it would be nice if they had transferred the old 8mm tapes to something more modern. HERE.

Letting a Store Do It:

Converting your miniDV movies over to DVD is something that most camera stores can handle, like Ritz Camera or Wolf Camera. Check with larger department stores like Wal-Mart to see if they offer a service like that. I personally have used the Ritz Camera transfer service and was very happy with the results. I have yet to use their VHS to DVD service but would like to try it since I have a lot of old things on tape. You can also go directly to a website like YesVideo.com and get their "Mail-in Transfer Kit" that lets you send your home videos directly to them instead of using a middle man like Ritz Camera. Either way, you get back a cool looking DVD with all the footage you have taken over the years. The turnaround time can take up to 4 weeks, so be patient, but know the end product is worth it. I have a library of DVDs that they made of all my family videos. The cost is roughly $30 to get 2 miniDV tapes onto 1 DVD. They put small thumbnail snapshots on the cover of the DVD along with a title so you can keep your DVDs organized by year or whatever way you like. On the DVD itself, you get a nice menu of scenes to select from which is easy to navigate.

DIY Software to Convert Mini DV to DVD:

Ok, you may be the type that wants to transfer your own videos onto a DVD. With the latest technology and software on PC's you can actually do it quite easily. I have tried it a few times and certainly there was a learning curve in order to understand the process, but I would say the webpage located HERE really helped detail the each step for me. The key piece of software is something called DVD Santa and you can find it online at Dvdsanta.com. Download the software and then take a look at the page mentioned above. The software will take all the video footage from your miniDV tapes and transfer it to your computer. Then you can get the movies put onto a DVD by burning them. If you are familiar with video files and using software, the process is not too hard. The software is $30 but you can save lots in the long run by not having to pay the store $30 each time you get a DVD of your home videos. You will need a video camera that has a IEEE cable or Firewire as they call it. It plugs into your computer port (my laptop has this port but my desktop does not).

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