Couple of good questions

[sauron]

First question, is anyone out there using a Sony DV camera?

Second Question, how much video quality is lost in re-encoding? The reson for this question is that if I capture with my Sony DCR-TRV730, so far the only kind of AVIs that I can create are created with the digital video codec that is specific to digital video. Basically it is uncompressed avi and the files end up huge, about 13 GB for an hour. Once I do this, I have to encode with the DIVX video codec and I usualy use the MP3 audio Codec. Once I re-encode the avi, I then have to convert yet again to create the MPG file for VCD. Somehow I think I am loosing video quality in all of the re-encoding. I would like feedback on this.

This brings me to my third an somewhat related question. My wife and I recently got back from Russia and Kazakhstan with our first little adopted girl, I have about 3 Hours worth of Video of the trip that I would like to convert to VCD but I want the best video quality I can get. Any tips on keeping the video quality at it's best. Keep in mind, so far the only way I have been able to get files small enough is to capture, re-encode with divx compression, and the re-encode for VCD. Are there ways to convert Windows Media Files straight to VCD.

Thans for the help

[dmlove]

I'm pretty new to this myself, but why are you encoding avi to divx and then to mpeg. Why not encode the avi straight to mpeg-1-vcd using TMPGenc? does it take too long? The quality is good (not great) - it plays on the PC using Windows Media Player, or on settop dvd player if your player supports CD-R or CD-RW (check first before you burn).

[johnbmx4christ]

i would agree..just encode with tmpgenc(and maybe even svcd)but.....if you need to edit or you are simply encoding to save room..keep the file as original as possible and encode using a codec called " huffyuv" i think you can find it at vcdhelp.com
it will make you file size smaller while not actually compressing>
its called a "lossless" codec.i hope this helps.i always cut the original capture with virtual dub using huffy then use premier to edit then i also save that as uncompressed avi and then i encode with tmpgenc.just the cutting in vdub alone will allow you to keep the stuff you want to edit and also to get rid of the original "huge" file.

[dmlove]

This probably belongs in the "newbie" category, but since you brought it up:

1. What does "cutting" mean?

2. And what do you mean by "cutting" with Virtual Dub using Huffy?

[johnbmx4christ]

you take the original capture footage(lets pretend its 15 minutes)
you put it into v-dub....if you want to keep the whole thing you click on "video"..."compression".."huffyuv"..."save as avi"
by cutting i mean..you put the original captured footage into v-dub(15 mins) and you want to save only 30 seconds somewhere around the first minute you select the start point and the end point..go to "video" "compression" "huffyuv" then you go to "file"
"save selection as avi" you have just now "CUT" out what was necessary to keep ..making room. after you cut out all the necessary items and have them saved you then delete the original capture.and saved a ton of room and really didnt compress it. then you can take those files and edit them together, then encode.i hope this helped..i sound confusing to myself but when you see someone doing it its fast and easy...ok..everyone to my house for a home video editing party.

[1 Smelly Fish]

At the airport now mate, where's my ride ?? LOL's

[sauron]

Help

OK,
Thanks for the responses, I did try all of the suggestions. One thing was misunderstood about my original post, though. The original files that are created when I capture straigt from my DV camera are what I would call uncompressed AVI, about 13 GB for an hour of footage. Unless you know TMPGEnc will compress 13 GB down to a size that will fit on a VCD. This is why I have to compress or re-encode the first time around, to get the 13 GB file down to about 850 MB, from there TMPGen will re-encode yet a second time, while encoding for VCD it also compresses the file down to about 600 MB. I now have a file that will fit on the VCD, but I have had to re-encode it twice. So I guess the real question is can I capture straigt from my DV camera with a compression that will give me a smaller initial file so I don't have to re-encode 2 times. And the other part of the question: Is quality lost when havging to re-encode so many times.

[johnbmx4christ]

yes ..every time you encode then quality is lost..if your software will let you capture using the huffy codec it should be ok. unless it supports capture into mpeg.