Problem transfering MiniDV to DVD

[reconwf 0]

I see all these other videos on line that look great, even other dvd's that I have gotten made look good. However when I take mine off my hc-46 and put them on the computer they look like crap, all pixilated, and colors look terrible. I tried to put them on dvd and they looked way worse on the big screen. I used the usb cord that came with the camera and used windows and another low end program to put it on dvd. Is it just the camera, or the cord? Do I need software for editing it?

Before I get hate mail. I'm sure that these have been covered all ready in previous posts. I checked them for over an hour last night and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for. I appreciate anything that you can pass on that helps you and that I need to do to fix my lack of knowledge.

[dragon2 2]

This has been covered a couple times before but hey....

1) trash the usb cable
2) buy a firewire cable
3) capture high-res video using capture software of choice and the firewire cable
4) burn to dvd in dvd quality, not vcd or svcd or similar.
5) watch on tv and be happy

ciel bleu,
Saskia

[lilchief 1]

I hope you're not using Windows Moviemaker... if so, there's your problem. And also do as Dragon2 said

"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return." - Da Vinci
www.lilchief.no

[parachutist 2]

Quote

I'm sure that these have been covered all ready in previous posts.

I had that problem a while back. DSE informed me that it's all about the compression... you need good software to produce quality encoding. Low end software will make a DVD that you can play, but it'll look choppy. I bought a copy of Sony Vegas Movie Studio and I've been happy with the results. They have a free trial version online if you'd like to compare results with your other software:
http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/product.asp?pid=447

And change out the USB cable to 1394 as suggested by others