Good morning!

I am getting ready to tape some live events. I would like to burn the video directly to a DVD as I am taping so that I have a master DVD that I can use in a DVD duplicator and burn DVD's for people immediately following the event.

I have the DVD duplicator. I also have a Macbook Pro. Is this possible to do?

Would a Sony VRD-MC6 connect to my camera (Canon XH-A1) to burn the DVD or am I better off with something else?

Thank you in advance for any help.

Brian

Brian,
I have used the Sony VRD-MC6 for awhile and the 2 versions before. They have worked very well for me. A great way to get a nice quality DVD right after an event. The only thing that I don't like is that it doesn't have a "no menu" option. I have never tried putting my own menu on, but the built in ones are ok. I recommend them for what they do. B&H has their new version which now burns blue rays, although a little costly at around $400.

David, thank you very much for taking the time to help me. I really do appreciate it.

I will give it a try.

Brian

I remember being asked some time ago about recording directly to DVD. Managed to find the thread - a bit old now, but just in case it might help Use of a PVR dvd recorder [Archive] - The Digital Video Information Network (http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-119341.html)

I have 1 corporate client that I have to go direct to DVD for. I bring in a stand alone burner, throw in a DVD, hit "record" and go. No menus, no chapter markers, no nothin' but that's what they want. Cable from camera to recorder, Done. they do market research interviews and product demos and never run more than 1 hour with about 15 minutes between interviews so the DVD can be finalized in the burner. A sharpie works fine for their "labels" into a glassine envelope, end of the day hand over DVDs, pack it up, go home. Been doning this about 6 times a year for the last 5 or 6 years. Easy work, easy money.

Colin, thank you very much for finding that thread. I think I am going to buy a DVD recorder and do some experimentation.

Thank you for taking the time to help.

Brian

Don.
We are on the same wave-length (Probably bad for you...). That's exactly what I was thinking.

Thank you very much for taking the time to help me. I really do appreciate it.

Brian

I have 1 corporate client that I have to go direct to DVD for. I bring in a stand alone burner, throw in a DVD, hit "record" and go. No menus, no chapter markers, no nothin' but that's what they want. Cable from camera to recorder, Done. they do market research interviews and product demos and never run more than 1 hour with about 15 minutes between interviews so the DVD can be finalized in the burner. A sharpie works fine for their "labels" into a glassine envelope, end of the day hand over DVDs, pack it up, go home. Been doning this about 6 times a year for the last 5 or 6 years. Easy work, easy money.What model recorder do you use? I have used a couple of the Sony recorders, but they seem to all have some sort of menu. It would be nice to be able to go menu-less!

It's an old Pioneer that I've had for about 8 years, maybe a bit longer. I can't remember the model number nor are there any labels left on it (they've all rubbed off) so I can't tell you the model number but I do know I got it at Best Buy and paid about 300 to 350 for it. Ran home with it like I stole it, hooked it up, threw a DVD RW+ into it and was blown away I could burn a DVD straight from the camera. I have tried to take good care of it since I don't want to buy another one. This one will automatically throw a marker in about every 10 minutes. That's adjustable on the menu but since I lost the remote I can't adjust it. I really don't care about that. It's old like me, beatup like like me, but still works, like me. :-)

Starting to make a few strange noises? Takes a while to turn on? About to blow a fuse?

Hey John

Probably works a lot better than Don still.... Getting old like us guys is no good...at least once the Pioneer gets up and running it keep running if with a few strange noises....we can usually get up and running but we don't last very long once we are up there.

Chris

I do make strange noises but none of them are the kid anyone wants to hear. Once I get up and running I have a time limit before I wind down unlike the recorder which really makes less noise than I do and will keep going until I hit the off button. I'd say that all in all the machine has faired better than I.

O|O
\--/

Hey Don

Such are the disadvantages of being an ageing human....I don't think I would have enough left to run the length of a DVD...at our time in life I think we tend to have a auto-shutdown button, unlike the DVD recorder that will run until the belts start slipping. Then again, we do pretty good for our age...I'd like to see a DVD recorder run for our number of years!! When we started the recorders were massive machines with 1" reel to reel tape of dubious quality and have long since been retired to museum archives..we on the other hand are still current (well, a bit well worn, but nevertheless still out there and working)

Chris

Chris you are correct and I am probably lamenting for years gone by (nostalgia side of me). Last night I ran roving camera at a local festival (and will again tonight) that featured a well known band that started some 40 years ago. Good golly Miss Molly, they're still working and so am I! I got home last night after a 5 hour day (there were 2 bands with time inbetween) and my body hurt like hell and still does. Some ibuprofen some sleep some rest today before I goto it again and like the DVD recorder (or energizer Bunny) I'll be back at it tonight.
Why? Oh the humanity! I should have been born rich instead of handsome! OK, maybe not handsome but...
Yeah we'll probably outlast 99.9% of the gear we'll ever use and with the body part replacements available today heck we might last a hundred years or more. Chris, I'll see you in the tech repair shop!

O|O
\--/

Don and Chris your posts are gems!!
You know I have a REVOX B77 open reel recorder and still works 100% after almost 34 years!!!!

stelios

Hi Stelios

I alway think Don is the real comedian...many of us here have been trying to convince him to write a book about his wedding exploits but so far he has refused...with more than 2000 weddings under his belt he has an enormous amount of experiences to pass on and most of them (the ones he tells us about anyway) are funny.

34 years for a reel to reel is a pretty good run but then again equipment was made to last in those days and not designed to toss in the bin after a few years. I remember I had a Colibri and an Akai reel to reel and they were pretty darn old when I was in my 20's and they were still going too!!

Chris

Hi Chris

Yes it will really fantastic for Don to share with us al his experiences. Perhaps another way of doing it is post here one experience every now and then or Chris Hurt allocate him a special section for this.
I also had an AKAI reel to reel and was going strong until I sold it.

stelios

Hi Stelios

Did you know that in the USA the B77 STILL fetches between $500 and $700 on ebay...that's how respected they are!!! I think they have become collector's items amongst audiophiles!!!

Chris

Hi Chris

Yes it will really fantastic for Don to share with us al his experiences. Perhaps another way of doing it is post here one experience every now and then or Chris Hurt allocate him a special section for this.
I also had an AKAI reel to reel and was going strong until I sold it.

stelios
Hmmm I think we've wandered off topic here and I do apologize so I'll end my remarks here with the following.

I try to keep things light with whatever non sarcastic, non cynical humor I have left. I used to be 150% serious about everything I did and frankly it left me exhausted mentally so over the years I’ve lightened up but I know when I can and when to pull it back.
Since 1971 I’ve been involved in one fashion or another in this business (still photog until 1983 then over to the dark side (video) in 1983 and honestly with rare exception I can’t remember the equipment I owned or operated over the years. I remember my first real still cameras but can for the life of me remember my first real video setup other than it was a 2 piece affair, weighed like 700 pounds (felt like it anyway) and produced what we all thought was amazing footage. I want to say perhaps it was RCA?
While there have been times over the years as both a still photographer doing everything from news and sports to fashion to catalogue stills to public relations head shots to weddings, to a videographer, (yes I still say VIDEOGRAPHER-that’s what I am) doing, for the most part, the same type of work, 95% of the people I have worked for have been ordinary, decent and nice folks and have left really little impression on me, which IMO is a good thing since for the most part we remember the bad things before the good thing, but left me no memories of anything to “write home about”. Doesn’t make them bad people or their event any less memorable to them, but IMO it makes them good people that had a nice event and it nor anything that happened stick in my mind more than perhaps 24 hours if that. Now the other 5%, well that’s a different matter. It might have been the Red wedding dress (it actually worked but you had to be there) or the horse drawn carriage INSIDE the church (again you had to be there) or the bridezilla I told to grow-up and quit acting like a spoiled little baby, in front of her parents, (they later thanked me-hell of a way to earn a referral) or the grandfather that had to be taken out on a stretcher, or the bridesmaids or groomsmen or even the priest that passed out during the ceremony or the fights that took place between factions at the reception, (trust me I grab my camera and find a nice dark place to wait it out-spent enough time in combat don’t need to do it now.) The number of times I’ve been propositioned by the ladies and once in a while by a guy. Hey it takes all kinds. I could go on and on but I won’t.
Do ANY job long enough and you’re bound to see most anything thing. I’ve pretty much been there. I’ve seen AND heard things I wish I hadn’t. I’ve seen and heard things I’m glad I did. I’ve been privileged to be a small part of people lives on what is considered to be the most stressful yet BEST and HAPPIEST day of their lives and been able to eek out a pretty good living doing it. Am I as gung ho as I was 10 or 20 years ago? Nope! Am I looking forward to getting out of the business? Yep! Until that time I am an Event Videographer (there’s that word again) and proud of it. I do my job, I do it well, I earn my pay and feed my family. I don’t lie, I don’t cheat, I don’t steal. What a great way to make a living.
HOWEVER, there will be NO BOOK in the offing! ;-)

Hi Don

I naturally expected a response and you must admit some of us must get some kudos for trying the book angle push!!
I have always been a videographer too and also started as a photographer with stuff as early vintage as twin reflex Yashicamat 124G shooting black and white then onto Mamiya RB67's ... I had a few SLR's too but DSLR's only came onto the scene to shoot a mere 6 frames for the DVD covers and no I have never used one for video so I'm too a true videographer and not a dslrgrapher.

Ok, no book then, I admit defeat BUT an hour documentary on your experiences would be fascinating watching....(I guess that's a BIG no too???)

It is a great industry and I often have people say to me "Gosh, you have a nice job" I know I do ..even though I have to spend 12 hours at a wedding on a Saturday and get home after midnight. Then again, unlike the working masses, I can lie in bed until 8am on Monday morning while the rest have to leave at 6am in the pouring rain and sit on the gridlocked freeway going to work. All things being equal we really do have a nice job!!

OK, I also apologise sincerely for the total thread misdirection. Maybe we need a new thread called "What strange thing has happened to you at weddings" ..that would be almost as good as a book?

Chris

Don

Reading your post made me feel proud of what I am doing (videographer) even if it is a part time job at the moment.

stelios