Video to CDR

[Theo van der Merwe <ntvdm@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I would like to transfer some information from previous courses in martial
arts (mostly VHS format) to video in order to facilitate learning of the
techniques. The main disadvantage of a VCR is the long search time.
Eventually we would like to build up a database of video clips illustrating
all the techniques on CD, allowing easy selection and study of the archive
material. I would appreciate your feedback on the following:

1) Where can I find a bureau (or user with the required hardware) which can
transfer VHS tape to CDR (or hard disk, DAT tape) at reasonable rates? The
material will be used for study purposes only, so cost is an important factor. 
2) What would be the best choice for video compression (MJPEG, MPEG...)? If
affordable, it would be nice to capture at the best possible quality (least
compression). 
3) Is a software decoder freely available for realtime playback (25 frames
per second) from CD on a machine with reasonable specification (Pentium
66Mhz) for the compressor in 2)?
4) Since we can't afford the expensive equipment required for video editing,
we would in future like to rent or lease some equipment (digital video
editor and digital video camera) in order to produce a short promotional
video. Where can I find further details about the possibilities in Gauteng
or North West Province? 
5) Does Linux have drivers for popular video cards (e.g. FAST capture cards)
and software for video capturing, editing and custom video effects? 

I have an outdated FAST Movie Machine Pro capture card and CD writer
available, but would prefer capturing directly to MPEG for output to CDR.
Any help or feedback regarding the above questions would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Best regards,
Theo (ntvdm@xxxxxxxxxxx)