DVDizzy Forum

Hey everybody, I've been working for the past few months transferring VHS-only Disney Christmas titles to DVD, including menus, cover art and DVD art. The VHS covers have been photoshopped into DVD covers by me, and all menus are original by me as well. "Mickey's Christmas Carol" and "A Walt Disney Christmas" look somewhat unprofessional as far as the logos and such because I actually did those last year, and will be re-doing them. Please let me know what you think!




The Small One


A Walt Disney Christmas


Mickey's Christmas Carol


Disney's Sing-Along-Songs: The 12 Days of Christmas


Jiminy Cricket's Christmas

Wow thats awsome I wish I could turn my VHS collection into DVDs how did you do it?

I love them. You deffinately have a lot of talent, I can't wait to get a dvd burner then I will convert my collection.

Wow! I wasn't even aware "The Small One" existed. Is it any good?

Wow! I wasn't even aware "The Small One" existed. Is it any good?

yha i did know that it existed but have never seen it i wonder that too
and oh yha great job Hawkins

bluemoon86 wrote:Wow thats awsome I wish I could turn my VHS collection into DVDs how did you do it?

Well it's a long story. In a nutshell, I scanned the covers from the VHS, added the "Disney DVD" logos and change some other stuff, then used an RCA to Firewire box to convert the VHS to a digitial video file. I then used a proggie called "DVD Lab" to create the menus, using buttons and backgrounds I found from the internet as well as the VHS covers, then burned the DVD, and voila!

Practical Pig wrote:Wow! I wasn't even aware "The Small One" existed. Is it any good?

Yes it's very touching! Don Bluth's animation is still great, and the entire story is just wonderful. I would highly recommend it for family viewing this Christmas season. It's definitely not just for kids.

And thanks to everone for your compliments, it's appreciated!

This looks like a very nice piece of "craftsmanship".

However, I suppose one does not get DVD picture quality when the source material is VHS, right?

So those who'd like to jump on to this idea should understand that the best thing you'd achieve is copies that won't degrade with each play like VHS does. Apart, of course, from the fun of making your own nice DVD package.

Nice work.

Just one comment about "Small One". This is available on the region 2 DVD "Countdown to Christmas". In addition to "Small One", this DVD includes:

- Art of Skiing
- Alpine Climbers
- Donald's Snow Fight
- Wynken, Blynken and Nod
- Winter Storage
- The Prince & The Pauper

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen Jiminy Cricket's Christmas or A Walt Disney Christmas. The only Disney Christmas VHS's we have are Very Merry Christmas Songs, Twelve Days of Christmas, and this compilation of various Animated Classics and shorts (clips) from the 80s called A Disney Christmas Gift.

Escapay

Very nice job! Those look great and i love seeing the original artwork carried over!
Hope to see more coming!
-Ryan

How do you transfer your disney vhs tapes? All the ones of mine that I have tried have macrovision on them.

Great job !!! I know A Christmas Carol is available in Region 1 and we have available the Christmas Sing Along (I have them) , but are The Small One, Walt Disney Christmas and Jimmy Crickets Christmas available in Region 1 on DVD?

Lars Vermundsberget wrote:However, I suppose one does not get DVD picture quality when the source material is VHS, right?

So those who'd like to jump on to this idea should understand that the best thing you'd achieve is copies that won't degrade with each play like VHS does. Apart, of course, from the fun of making your own nice DVD package.

Yes you're correct, the quality obviously does not get better. However, in addition to your point about them not degrading, another reason I did this is for the benefit of not having to rewind them for every viewing, and also being able to jump to any cartoon short or part of the movie, which is obviously impossible with VHS.

Zombi6422 wrote:How do you transfer your disney vhs tapes? All the ones of mine that I have tried have macrovision on them.

Hmm, maybe it's because I use my Sony DV cam as a bridge between my VCR and computer. The camera probably does not recognize macrovision protection

reyquila wrote:Great job !!! I know A Christmas Carol is available in Region 1 and we have available the Christmas Sing Along (I have them) , but are The Small One, Walt Disney Christmas and Jimmy Crickets Christmas available in Region 1 on DVD?

True, Christmas Carol is available on DVD, but not as a standalone. It's on the "Mickey Mouse in Living Color vol. 2" Walt Disney Treasures DVD. Also, the sing-along DVD you're probably thinking of is the "Very Merry Christmas Songs" dvd, which was released a few years ago on DVD, which I bought, but "THe 12 Days of Christmas" has not been released on DVD

Thanks for everybody's comments again, I'm glad at the response I've gotten.

Wow!!!! THat is so awesome! They all look great and I really agree with Ryan. It was good to use the original cover art. I definitely have to get a DVD burner and that DVD Lab program. Of course I wouldn't use it for gaining profits. Just the fact that you can make your own DVDs with covers and disc art and even menus is SO AWESOME! Thanks so much for sharing, Sir Hawkins!

My only problem is the disc art with the hole in the center. The holes are in awkward places, especially for 12 Days of Christmas (which, imo, is one of the best sing-a-longs), but I guess it is hard to get around it. I love the menu for Mickey's Christmas Carol.

those are all so awesome! i love the disney christmas videos, especially the christmas carol one. keep up the great work!

Kram Nebuer wrote:My only problem is the disc art with the hole in the center. The holes are in awkward places, especially for 12 Days of Christmas (which, imo, is one of the best sing-a-longs), but I guess it is hard to get around it. I love the menu for Mickey's Christmas Carol.

Yeah, I agree with you 100%. I was thinking that through the entire creation process. However you're also right, there's pretty much nothing you can do about it. Although I probably should have designed the labels so they wouldn't overlap into that no-print hole. Other than that though, to my knowledge there are no CD labels available that cover the clear plastic part as well. Only direct-to-CD printers can do it, and I may get one of those sometime in the future if they're cheap enough.

Sir Hawkins,

would you be interested in trading for copies of your "Walt Disney Christmas" and "Jiminy Cricket's Christmas" dubs??

I'd really love to get transfers from you...

I'd also be happy to send you other "holiday-themed" videos to transfer in exchange if interested...

I've got original, first domestic video release tapes of "Scary Tales", "Disney's Halloween Treat" and more, all in perfect and pristine condition.


Just one question, do you use time base correction software to stabilize the picture in your transfers and do you get equal resolution in comparisson with the original vhs source quality?

Please let me know, I'd really love to trade with you or just get copies of these 2 discs somehow...

Thanks man!

Wow I just realized I have the ability to do half of this. I know photoshop well, I have the ability to make menus and burning is easy.

Ohhh..... wait... I'm clueless for transferring video. Well I'm part way there.

In fact a while ago I decided to make my own DVD from scratch, including the material on it. I was going to make a few flash cartoons and put them on DVD and have my own set.

Well I eneded up getting frustrated with Flash. I can use it but animating in Flash causes me to become so short tempered and unpleasant so I decided to film something in live-action. Well since I had no money at the time it ended up being on CD and not DVD and the menus are basic since I find them kinda hard to do sinc eI don't have a dvd menu program. I had to use what programs I had.

The thing played on Macs and PC no problem although sadly it has now been lost.

Why does everything I create end up being lost? Ah phooie.

I just got aladdin platinum yesterday and i wanted to try printing my first classic custom cover but was unsuccessful my paper's too short. what size is everyone else using? i should buy some new, longer paper.

Good Job, I need to try that..
tks,

DG