Please Help: DV to AVI or Mpeg??

[Stace]

Guys,

Hope you can help?

I want to import my DV footage from my camcorder into my PC.

Software's not an issue. My question is how shall I encode it?????

WHAT IS BEST?????? AVI or Mpeg??

Thanks
Stace

[setarip]

What is the intended end use of the video - playback on your PC or on a standalone DVD player?

[ormonde]

"WHAT IS BEST?????? AVI or Mpeg??"

(Uncompressed) AVI for the finest quality, but you better have a large hard drive.

[Stace]

Playback will be for both Standalone DVD & PC!

I'll probably give a few family members copies on DVD and leave mine on a nas box for PC and XBox access.

If AVI is the way forward, What codec should I use????

Once captured I can always convert to mpeg can't I???

Thanks
Stace

[ormonde]

"If AVI is the way forward, What codec should I use????"

There are a number of them - just make sure it is a "Lossless" codec.

"Once captured I can always convert to mpeg can't I???"

Yes...

[Stace]

Can you recommend a lossless codec????

Thanks in Advance
Stace

[setarip]

"Can you recommend a lossless codec????"

HuffyUV

You also should import the audio as Uncompressed PCM (.WAV) format.

You are then assured of starting with both top quality and synchronized video and audio - both of which can then be compressed (Compress video to DivX and audio to .MP3)

[reboot]

Please please please make sure you compress audio to CBR mp3, and not VBR. If you choose VBR, you'll have no end of headaches trying to get a synced DVD from it.

[milOtis]

best lossless AVI coded is TSSC (Techsmith screen capture) available here

http://techsmith.com/products/studio/codec.asp

but I would recommend recording in MPEG-2, 720x480, 29.976fps, 8mbps CBR, 224k audio (or 44/48 WAV), you know...the usual NTSC DVD settings

many programs that encode in AVI will double interlace the already interlaced video and you will get pixelated curves, etc, so i recommend MPEG-2 settings like above.

~ milOtis

[Stace]

Thanks

What settings for PAL?

Stace

[milOtis]

doesnt matter, use anything over 25fps, when you make your DVD it will convert to the standard you are using. but usually 23.976-25fps depending on where you live.

~milOtis

[setarip]

"What settings for PAL?"

Capture at STANDARD PAL of 25fps - and there will be NO potential problems regarding conversion...

[milOtis]

some PAL is 24fps, that's why i said do the max (25) and then whenever your program converts it to compliant DVD video (depending on what it is for you 23.976 - 25) it can always downsize the fps if it needs to, since you cant go up in fps to increase smoothness

~ milOtis

[setarip]

"some PAL is 24fps"

I believe you're mistaken - You may find NTSC in 24fps, 23.976fps, 29.970fps, and 30fps, if I remember correctly...

[milOtis]

it's actually kinda funny...producers and directors shoot professionally in 24fps, but all our USA DVDs are 29.976. hehe.

~ milOtis