Storing video

[Vincent]

As I am new to video I am totaly confused by all the diferent video formats. I would like to transfer video/audio from my digital video camera to my DVD burner but not as a DVD movie. Quality is what I am after, not megabytes per second and yes I realize that I will not be able to fit much on a DVD disk. Is dvsd a good format ? Can anyone help please ?

[chickeneater]

dvd is a very good format. first you need to capture the video then save teh file, then encode to dvd format, then burn with nero

[Vincent]

Thank you "Chickeneater".

I have saved some in DVD format, but I'm after something better, even at the cost of large storage space requirements.

[chickeneater]

you can split the dvd into 2 or 3 parts for more space and quality. It is also better quality to use less than the said time or space for a dvd/vcd.

try some guides here: www.dvdrhelp.com

[shiny#3]

I understand , that you will use your dvd-r /+r as data disc
since the dvd movie disk is limited to 8.7 megabits/s
counting video and audio.

this I stated just to give you a value in advance.

the videoformat You use and since you are some sort a "quality
maniac" should be chosen in your case according to
the device you mostly use to display your video.

the format is also important and I suggest you want to maintain
a little tv set compatibility.
for better resolution I would choose pal:

Pal Square : 768X576 active pixel
944x625 totalresolution including sync and palpation
4:3 (yields 1:0,75) aspect ratio

PAL CCIR-601: 720x576 active pixel
846x625 total resolution including sync and palp.
aspect ratio 5:4 (yields 1:0,8)

if you are thinking of storing your original DV recording
(you are not using beta cam , do you)

dv is able to produce 500 vertical physical lines due to its bandwidth
(check the bandwith of your dv codec is it around 5 mhz)
( 250 well determined?) ( lines are not active pixel)

the dvd standart is able to produce 550 physical lines
(255 well determined?)

this would vote for dvd standart movie again.

If you intend to display your video with a high end data beamer
and a pc as a feeder you might think of using
the mpeg 4 codecs at a bitrate where they become almost lossless. this would enable you to break the bonds of TV implicated resolutions and framerates.

do not exagorate the mpeg4 bitrate ( you might end up storing a lot of redundant information)

(my experience has shown that the ms mpeg4 v3 codec gives
the best results at high bitrates but its has been only compared
to divx 5.02 and xvid codec of DEC 2002)

good luck

[Vincent]

Thanks shiny#3,

A lot of people tell me to use DVD format but perhaps I have not explained things properly.
I do not concert video to DVD but I also want to store ( achive ) video. This is not to use on any player of any kind but as reference material. Thus the high quality. I want better than DVD storage.

[setarip]

"I want better than DVD storage."

Consider capturing in .AVI format, using a "lossless" video codec such as HuffyUV (or, if you have an ASUS Geforce videocard, use its "built-in" ASUS compression) and uncompressed PCM (.WAV) audio.

Be advised that this will result in very large files...

[shiny#3]

yep the huffyuv codec and wav format will leave your captures
almost unalterd regarding the quality.
but to interpret setarips very "large files" in numbers you can end up with a 60 gb file for a 90 minutes video ( depending on the resolution you choose).

I also did not include the physical specifications of different codecs formats and devices just to show off but to give you a reasonable quality/filsize ratio.
you got a source and your source provides a certain quality!

once you have stored all the visual information your dv codec can provide there is no use in trying to do "better" since you will really have a lot of redundant information.

I understood very well that you want to do better than the dvd format so I really recommend using a mpeg4 codec at very high bitrate. differing from codec to codec the commpression ratio between an mpeg 2
codec and an mpeg 4 codec is about 3.0 to 3.5 :1

the limitation of dvd mpeg2 bitrate is 8.7 - x(audio bitrate)
that would yield in an mpeg 4 compression of 2,9 mbits/s(almost lossless)
if you choose a bitrate of 6 mbits or 7 mbits with an mpeg4 codec you will do much better than dvd ,since the mpeg4 codecs also support a resolution very much higher than most mpeg 2 tools.

just give it a try and then make your decisions.

good luck!!