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Ask Rick 035, 20/03/09
Cine to DVD
I am interested in transferring my old standard 8mm coloured cine
films onto DVDs if that is in fact possible? A few years ago I saw 8mm cine
transferred onto video tape but there was a tremendous loss in quality. A
friend said that things would improve when digital technology became available.
Alan Burgess, by email
It definitely can be done but results using DIY methods can be
variable, ranging from truly awful to professional quality. The first and most
critical stage is video capture and to do this properly you will need a decent
digital camcorder and cine projector. The quick and simple method is to 'shoot
the screen', in other words point the camcorder at the projection screen,
however, the camcorder needs to be positioned as close to the centre line of
the projector as possible to minimise parallax errors. The alternative is to
use a purpose-designed cine or slide to video transfer screen (basically a
hinged frame or a light-proof box with a ground glass screen and a mirror). You
can get a basic model from Keen Electronics (www.keene.co.uk)
for £40.00.
However, there are many variables, including the equipment and the
care taken during the transfer process but once you've made the recording its
plain sailing... All you have to do is download the video to a computer and use
suitable software to edit the movie and create and burn a DVD.
If you already have a digital camcorder and the time and patience
to experiment then it's definitely worth trying. There's a guide to making DVDs
from home videos using free software in Boot Camp 464 (http://tinyurl.com/chjeo2). It's fairly
straightforward but a bit basic, so don't expect too much in the way of
production values but it may inspire you to upgrade to more sophisticated
equipment and software. However, unless you enjoy a challenge I suggest that
you have your movies transferred to DVD by a specialist company using
professional telecine equipment. Google 'cine to video', and shop around.
Old Macs and Webcams
I can't find a webcam for my old Mac G4 0SX 10.3. I have been told
my computer is to old and would need Windows XP.
Tony Watts, by email
Steady on, there's no need to buy a Windows PC, several webcams
either work, or can be persuaded to work with older Macs, though I have to say
they are a bit thin on the ground and tend to be fairly expensive, compared
with the multitude of Windows models. However, a far simpler solution is to use
an Open Source driver utility called macam (http://tinyurl.com/yxfl6p),
which lets you use hundred of readily available webcams.
Sleeping Badly
My 4 year old PC, fitted with a new power supply unit and hard
disk last year, is generally left in hibernate mode for ease of use. However,
it has an occasional habit of switching itself on, especially at night. The fan
works overtime and is noisy and the unit becomes over hot. Total switch off is
the only solution. Is this just one of those things or is there a curable
fault?
Richard Bruce, by email
It might be a fault but my guess it is BIOS related. The BIOS or
Basic Input Output System is a small configuration and diagnostic program that
runs before Windows loads. Many BIOS's have a feature called 'wake on LAN' or
WOL. Normally it's disabled but it is not unusual for the BIOS to be reset to
its default condition during a major upgrade, like a hard drive replacement.
Basically WOL brings the PC out of sleep or hibernate mode if it
receives a signal called a 'magic packet' on the LAN local area network
connection. You can switch this feature off by entering the BIOS or 'Setup'
mode by pressing a key, or combination of keys immediately after switch on -
check you user manual for details. The WOL is usually in the Power Management
menu.
Where the magic packet is coming from, I can't say but it could be
from another PC on your network - there are numerous tools and utilities that
can do this - or it could be coming from outside if you are using an unsecured
wireless network, if so enable your WEP/WPA encryption asap!
By the way, it sounds as though you have a cooling problem, a PC
should be able to run constantly, 24 hours a day, without overheating. Make
sure the fans are all working, clear out the dust and fluff with an 'air
duster' and there's an unobstructed flow of cooking air into the case. You
should also check that new power supply is the correct rating; a 4-year old
machine with no radical performance modifications should be comfortable with a
300 to 400 watts PSU.
Digicam Movies to DVD
I have a Panasonic digital camera, which also records good quality
movies in QuickTime. The problem I have is converting these movies into a form that
would allow them to be put on to a DVD. I have no problems with stills just
movies recorded in QuickTime
Jimmy Jackson, by email
Software is available to edit QuickTime movies but it's rather
expensive, or not very good. The simplest solution is to convert your movies
into the more flexible and widely supported .avi format. To do that I suggest
using a freeware utility called Rad Video Tools, which converts to and from a
wide range of multimedia formats. You'll find a link to the download at: http://tinyurl.com/bef3t4
Once that's done you can edit your movies using Windows Movie
Maker -- included with most versions of XP and Vista -- and use freeware
authoring and burning applications (see the link in the first question) to
create a DVD. If you want to make things easier and add a little more polish
use one of the many commercial editing and DVD suites, from the likes of
Pinnacle and Ulead.
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© R. Maybury 2009 2402
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