Help with PC/Camera pics...

[has]

Please, I do hope some will be able to help & in very simple terms.
I was planning to record my photos & short films to a dvd via my laptop from my digital camera, to enable me to view them on tv.
I have inadvertantly erased my digital memory card. The photos are stored in the photo gallery on the laptop, but the short video clips appear to be gone.

Firstly, how do I transfer these pictures to a dvd (I have a dvd burner within laptop)? & is it possible that the video clips are stored anywhere?
I am really useless with this sort of thing, so easy to follow help will be necessary. Thanks for your patience...
Also, I thought I had burnt the dvd ok, as it looks like it has changed colour. However, it does not play on tv or pc...Please help.

The program I have is Roxio Digital Media Studio v7.
There is an option of audio (dropdown menu lists- AUDIO CD, JUKEBOX CD/DVD or create MP3s)
-or-
data (dropdown menu lists DATA DISC, DIRECT TO DISC or EASY ARCHIVE).

Apologies for waffling, but I'm in desperate need of assistance.

[LeMarchand]

Don't use the card until you have solved your problem, as this will increase your chances of recovering data from it (if necessary).

First off, run a search for "video" on your PC - if you know when you (think) you saved the clips, limit the time search to an appropriate period. Post if you're not sure how to do this.

If you cannot locate the video clips by searching, download a free program called "Restoration": http://www.snapfiles.com/get/restoration.html . There are similar programs available from the same site, but I have used Restoration with great success. If you run a Restoration scan on your card you MAY be able to recover your video footage.

Not familiar with the Roxio program, but it sounds as if you may have burned a "data" disc which will not always automatically play. If you insert the disc and then right-click and "explore" it, what (if anything) do you see?

Anyway, I've got to get to work, I dare say that someone familiar with Roxio will be along later. If not, I did do what you tried (without the video) a while back using free software - I'll try to remember what I used tomorrow.

[Tim Baxter]

It's virtually certain that you've lost your video clips, unfortunately. You have my sympathy, most modern CD burning software which I've come across is not all user friendly. I can't suggest a decent one unless you go back 10 years to the first Nero!

Hopefully someone has a simple CD software suggestion.

Good luck

[pug100]

Hi has,
For making DVDs I'd recommend Sothink DVD maker, very simple and intuitive to use, will convert most pc video formats to DVD compatible video. For stills I'd put them onto cdr rather than DVD, much easier to drag and drop them onto cd from Windows.
Sothink website

http://www.sothinkmedia.com/movie-dvd-maker/in dex.htm

[has]

Thanks for the replies people.

LeMarchand, I searched for video on the pc. Awindow appears with the columns headed - Name / Date Modified / Type / Folder / Authors & Tags.
The Name column basically lists numbers (081,080,079 etc)
The Folder column lists the date of which I think I made this mistake.
When I double click on one of the number, a
the Windows Photo Gallery comes up, but states -
Photo Gallery can't open this picture or video. This file format is not supported, or you don't have the latest updates to Photo Gallery.

[Timco]

Windows movie maker is very good and free from microsoft.
DeepBurner is the best burning software by far, free for audio and cheap to buy if you want to do DVD. WIll also make photo CDs on the free version.
ConvertX to DVD from VSO is the easiest DVD authoring programme I have ever used, will convert any file format to DVD, for example .avi and .sfv files you may have downloaded. You can add subtitles and it also burns the finished result to DVD

[LeMarchand]

Hi - sorry for late reply. Bought a new PC yesterday and it took most of the day to move the old one out/redrill holes for shelving etc etc.

Anyway, it sounds as if you MAY have the clips on your machine. Are you running Vista? It sounds as if you may be from your description. I've only just up(?)graded to Vista, so I'm not overly familiar with it (and where I work refuses to upgrade until the first service pack is released), but it seems to run pretty much the same as XP (just flashier).

Run the search again and look to see what extension the un-openable clips have (if it shows). Some cameras record in .avi or .mpeg, which you should be able to play in Windows Media Player. If you right-click one of the files and select "open with" and "Windows Media Player" it may work. If you do not see WMP as an option, choose "other program" and you will get a list of most of the programs on your machine; you should be able to select Windows Media Player.

If the extension is .mov, or the above does not work it may be that you need Quicktime, which is another format many cameras record clips in. It's a free download from http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ . Unless you WANT iTunes, I'd advise just getting the "Quicktime Only" option. Once this has been installed, try "open with" Quicktime.

The program I used for my "slide show" was "Photostory 3". It's a free (with genuine Windows) download from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/digitalph otography/photostory/default.mspx - I'm not sure if it works on Vista yet! You have to save the file and then convert/burn it in whatever burning software you use.

[has]

Thanks very much LeMarchand. I will give that a go (yes I am running Vista). And I'll be sure to post back with results.