# [SOLVED] Video capture to DVD format



## Ralleia (Jul 23, 2009)

If this is the wrong thread for this question, please redirect me. I wasn't sure if this will be solved by a special video card or through a software application.

I need to convert some video that is playable on computer into DVD format. The video is security camera footage which comes on a data CD in a special format, and of course there is no conversion utility for those data files. To use the footage in court (which isn't equipped with a computer), I need to get it on DVD.

Is there a piece of hardware that takes a VGA cable as input and can send that out through RCA or S-video?

Or is there an application that anyone that is aware of which enables you to select a portion of the screen to generate a file in a format that can then be burned to a DVD readable by standard DVD players?

Thank you in advance for any ideas and suggestions that you might have.


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

*Re: Video capture to DVD format*

this is not free but cheap

http://www.dvdsanta.com/

try it out with the trial version


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## zuluclayman (Dec 16, 2005)

*Re: Video capture to DVD format*

There are a number of screen recorder applications available - hypercam, camtasia, lite cam - most offer trial versions that work but put a watermark on the resulting files
Innoheim's lite cam is probably the cheapest at $19 and works OK, is easy to use.
I still have it on my comp, have used it quite a bit but no longer use it as I have Camtasia which is much better (shows mouse movements, better quality, more choices for formatting etc - good for tutorials).
What file format does the footage come in as? there are lotsa converters out there - you would think one would be able to convert to avi or mpeg to allow burning to DVD.
A good freeware DVD authoring package is DVD Flick available from link in my signature area.

hope this helps :grin:


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## Ralleia (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Video capture to DVD format*

The video is in a file format .par, which I believe is proprietary to the company Dedicated Micros, which packages systems for security monitoring. I tried downloading a couple utilities from their website, but all these do is save files in the .par format on CDs or DVDs to be read on a computer. I've converted AVIs and burned them to DVD before, but there doesn't seem to be a way to directly transfer this type of file into a format readable by DVD.

I don't mind paying a little money for an application that works well. We have other files from our own security system, and it would be ideal to someday have everything viewable in a single format.

I'll check out those applications. If there is one that is recommended above the others for features and ease of use, please let me know!


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## dai (Jul 2, 2004)

*Re: Video capture to DVD format*

par files are supplementary files used to repair a corrupted download

the security system where i worked recorded from multiple cameras 

when we wanted to hand the police video evidence we just popped a cd and burn't the relevant section from the h/drive and handed it to them

http://www.newsgroupservers.net/open-run-par-rar-001-files


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## Ralleia (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Video capture to DVD format*

In this case a par file is a proprietary video format:

http://www.fileinfo.com/extension/par

With the multitude of applications out there and a mere three letters for extensions, duplication is inevitable.

The video isn't going to the police at this point, it is to be shown if necessary during a protection order hearing. The quaint old courthouse is in a rural Nebraska town and is not equipped with a computer to be able to view the files, just a television and DVD/VHS player. Someday the town will catch up with the last quarter of the last century, but not this decade. 
:sigh:


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## Ralleia (Jul 23, 2009)

*Re: Video capture to DVD format*

I'm going with the Camtasia Studio--it'll get things to an AVI and from there it's a short skip to a DVD. Plus, since I'm a miserably unhappy engineering student I can get an academic discount. Thank you so much for the suggestions to get this solved.


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