How to Make a DVD From a DV Tape

One of the best ways to preserve and share your treasured memories is by recording them to a DVD. Because of the digital video revolution, this process has never been easier. Both of the major operating sytems, MacOS and Windows, now come with built-in capturing, editing and DVD authoring programs. Making a DVD from a DV tape is as easy as plugging in your DV camera.

• 1

  Insert the DV tape into a DV camera. Plug in the DV camera to an electrical socket or ensure that the battery is fully charged. Locate the DV camera near the computer that you will be capturing the footage with.

• 2

  Insert a DV cable into the DV socket on the camera. Plug the other end into the DV socket on the computer.

• 3

  Turn on the DV camera.

• 4

  Start your DV editing and capture software. This could be either iMovie (MacOS) or Windows Live Movie Maker (Windows). In addition, there are a number of other freeware, shareware and commercial editing and capture programs available on the Internet.

• 5

  Capture your DV footage. How exactly this is done depends on your program. In Windows LIve Movie Maker, click on the "Import from Device" button and then select your DV camera. In iMovie, ensure that the camera button is selected and then click "Import". There are a couple of different ways you can import your footage. You can either import selected bits of your DV tape, by using the VCR controls on the bottom of the capture screen, pressing "Record" and then pressing "Stop" when finished, or by clicking on the "Capture Entire Tape" feature, which will rewind the tape and capture everything.

• 6

  Drag your imported footage from the capture area down to the time line in the bottom of the program window. Once in the time line, you can edit your footage, add tiles, music and other effects.

• 7

  Open your DVD drawer. Insert a blank DVD.

• 8

  In your editing program, select "Export" or "Output to DVD". The system will render out the needed files and prepare them for transcoding to DVD. The system will burn the DVD and alert you to any problems.