Video Conversion Questions

[jmac]

Hi Video Editing Newbie here....Looking for some help on the below...

I have been asked to create a compilation video of some football games for a local high school. What I have is 2 formats of video from each game coming to me, and I am to cut up the video with the best plays and then merge it back with a soundtrack onto a dvd for the players.

I am getting video from 2 sources, a Sony Hi 8MM Cam, and a Mini DVD Cam.

Here is the process that I am using.

HI 8 Video - I am ripping it onto to my Home Theatre DVD/HD Recoreder to the Hard Drive, and then ripping back to DVD. I am then using this DVD and ripping it to AVI using the DIVX 6 Codec. The original video from the DVD is recorded in 720x480 (Used IFO Edit to find the resolution), and is ripped into AVI at 352x240. This video looks pretty good once edited and saved as smaller clips and placed into the video I am creating in ULEAD Studio 9.

MINI DVD Video - (Setting on the Mini DVD Cam is set to SP Mode) I was taking this straight from the Mini DVD and ripping it in using the same DVD to AVI Software used above with the same settings. The Video on the Mini DVD is recorded at 352x240 (Used IFO Edit to find the resolution) and then I ripped in to AVI at 352x240. The problem is that this video is noticeable bad compared to the HI 8 Video. I have tried several settings with the DIVX Codec, and all still the same video quality bad.

Any suggestions or input would be greatly appreciated.....

[DiscCoasterPro]

I really am not sure of this so it will be merely something to look into. You say your digital capture quality is bad using the same settings as your analog capture. I think you use "upper field first" field order for analog and "lower field first" for digital captures. Perhaps you are capturing your digital stuff with the wrong field order settings?