Record screen to camcorder?

M

Mel

Anyone try to tackle this before?

Not just PowerPoint, but I want to output my laptop's video (via my
notebook's s-video output or external monitor output) direct into a
camcorder such as a mini DV or DVD camera that has an external video
input. I don't want to use screen capture software.

Any success with doing this? If so, what camcorders might you suggest?
Any other ways to do this with adapters or converters?

Thanks,
Melina
 
U

Ute Simon \(MVP\)

Not just PowerPoint, but I want to output my laptop's video (via my
notebook's s-video output or external monitor output) direct into a
camcorder such as a mini DV or DVD camera that has an external video
input. I don't want to use screen capture software.

Any success with doing this? If so, what camcorders might you suggest?
Any other ways to do this with adapters or converters?

Find a notebook and a camcorder that both support a Firewire cable. That
might work.

But why do you want to use that old-fashioned method? Screen recorders like
Camtasia Studio (which was released in its version 7 just some days ago) are
much easier and produce good results.

Best regards,
Ute
 
M

Mel

Find a notebook and a camcorder that both support a Firewire cable. That
might work.

But why do you want to use that old-fashioned method? Screen recorders like
Camtasia Studio (which was released in its version 7 just some days ago) are
much easier and produce good results.

Best regards,
Ute

Not to mention the consumption of my computer's resources while I'm
doing other things and the large files it creates, Camtasia and like
products have a jerky motion to them because they don't record
fluidly. I want it recorded just as the audience saw it in the 8 hour
meeting event.

Is that possible? I think the firewire connections on camcorders are
output. Have you seen one that was input? I've heard of them with s-
video input and my laptop has s-video output, but I've yet to hear if
anyone's been successful at doing this. If this is an old-fashioned
method, why can't I find anyone who's actually done it?

-Mel
 
L

LVTravel

Mel said:
Not to mention the consumption of my computer's resources while I'm
doing other things and the large files it creates, Camtasia and like
products have a jerky motion to them because they don't record
fluidly. I want it recorded just as the audience saw it in the 8 hour
meeting event.

Is that possible? I think the firewire connections on camcorders are
output. Have you seen one that was input? I've heard of them with s-
video input and my laptop has s-video output, but I've yet to hear if
anyone's been successful at doing this. If this is an old-fashioned
method, why can't I find anyone who's actually done it?

-Mel

Firewire on most camcorders are in and output. With most you can record
through the firewire also but you need a program running on the computer to
"push" the output there. Only the camcorder's documentation can tell you.

But there may be an even easier way.

If the s-video output on the laptop is clear and can be turned on along with
anything that is projected through the VGA to projector then simply find a
DVD recorder that has s-video input and record to DVDs. I have done it with
one laptop but didn't try to project at the same time. Might be worth a go
at seeing if it will work.
 
M

Mel

Let us know if it works for you.

I've been told a challenge will be in getting the laptop's video card
to push VGA, s-video, and the monitor at the same time. But I'm about
to explore just using the monitor as normal and output through the VGA
port into a VGA splitter, one going to the project and the other to a
VGA-to-RCA converter (or svideo) and from that to a stand alone DVD
burner. It's a theory anyway.
 
L

LVTravel

Mel said:
I've been told a challenge will be in getting the laptop's video card
to push VGA, s-video, and the monitor at the same time. But I'm about
to explore just using the monitor as normal and output through the VGA
port into a VGA splitter, one going to the project and the other to a
VGA-to-RCA converter (or svideo) and from that to a stand alone DVD
burner. It's a theory anyway.


OK, that should work. I use a VGA splitter all the time at work (desktop to
desk monitor and also projector) and it works fine. Not familiar with the
VGA-RCA converter but I also routinely use a ADS DVD Xpress DX2 video
capture device which will take any s-video or component (RCA) input and
convert it into an mpg file. Not too expensive if you can find one.
(Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/ADS-Tech-Xpress-Video-Converter/dp/B000DZDMB6)
 
M

Mel

OK, that should work.  I use a VGA splitter all the time at work (desktop to
desk monitor and also projector) and it works fine. Not familiar with the
VGA-RCA converter but I also routinely use a ADS DVD Xpress DX2 video
capture device which will take any s-video or component (RCA) input and
convert it into an mpg file.  Not too expensive if you can find one.
(Amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/ADS-Tech-Xpress-Video-Converter/dp/B000DZDMB6)

Thanks! In your experience using the ADS capture device, have you
recorded a long clip such as a few hours, and how did it come out?
Also, does the device save to some internal memory or is it returning
it to the PC and recording it there into a movie file?

Here's the converter...

VGA to RCA | S-VIDEO | VGA Converter
$25
http://tinyurl.com/vga2rca
 
L

LVTravel

Mel said:
Thanks! In your experience using the ADS capture device, have you
recorded a long clip such as a few hours, and how did it come out?
Also, does the device save to some internal memory or is it returning
it to the PC and recording it there into a movie file?

Here's the converter...

VGA to RCA | S-VIDEO | VGA Converter
$25
http://tinyurl.com/vga2rca


The ADS device connects to a computer and records to the hard drive. I
record TV or Movie programs for later viewing all the time and have not had
an issue recording for 6 hours continuous (makes a large .mpg file when
using the best video mode - 1 hour about 2 GB of hard drive space used.)

If using this method I would recommend installing and using the ADS device
on a different computer than the one running the presentation. My capture
computer that I have hooked to the cable box through the ADS device is a
Averatec 3270 laptop with an AMD Sempron processor, Win XP Home, 1 GB RAM
and 80 GB HDD. This is not really a fast computer but captures through the
ADS USB output very well with no loss of quality.

Since the VGA/RCA device has a pass through VGA you should not have to use a
video splitter. Hook the RCA/VGA device between your computer output and
projector using the appropriate VGA cables and ports. Get that running
correctly and then get the ADS device installed and hooked up and you should
be able to record without issues. Set the ADS device software to use
s-video input (gives a better output quality) The capture program is fairly
easy to use and understand.

Play with your settings and equipment before the actual date to ensure that
everything works OK.
 

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