MiniDV Capture advice

[ronmcse]

I have a Sony VX2100 miniDV Camcorder. I have been shooting footage and capturing the footage via IEEE 1394 firewire port using Cyberlink Powerdirector 8.0 software. I capture the video using the MPEG2 highest quality settings in PD8. I create my video and then use TMPEG express to color correct or DeInterlace if needed and encode the final video out to MPEG2 once again. What I don't like is my Final outputted video from PD8 and TMPEG express is somewhat blurred like or not clear. If I watch the MiniDV tape straight to the TV, it looks great. How do professionals encode video using a windows PC and still have great looking video? Do I need certain types of codecs or am i using the wrong formats? My end result is to be burned on a DVD to watch on a TV. I believe I have a pretty decent Camcorder, I just want great looking products when I finish editing and encoding. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[paglamon]

I capture the video using the MPEG2 highest quality settings in PD8.

This means you are already applying some compression(and hence,degradation) during capture.You should just transfer the video(as DV-AVI) from cam to PC using something like WinDV or CaptureFlux. Then edit this DV-AVI in whatever editor you wish and produce your DVD.

[ronmcse]

Ok, I just downloaded WinDV and am going to capture using the DV-AVI II option. But I have two Questions:
1. After I capture and edit, don't you have to encode the video to MPEG2 to make it DVD compatible?

2. don't you have to De-Interlace AVI formats in order for the finished product not to have the jagged lines when movement occurs?

I remember a long time ago, i used a software to encode my AVI-II file to a dvd, but when I watched the DVD any movement had jagged lines. I am assuming the program i was using then converted the AVI-II file to MPEG2 before burning it to a DVD for me.

Once again thanks for any advice!

[paglamon]

After I capture and edit, don't you have to encode the video to MPEG2 to make it DVD compatible?

Yes. But you are only doing this once,i.e from DV-AVI to MPEG2. If you capture as MPEG2 you will end up encoding twice, once while capture and the second time when you edit and reencode from MPEG2(captured) to MPEG2(final).

don't you have to De-Interlace AVI formats in order for the finished product not to have the jagged lines when movement occurs?

Not necessary if you watch it in TV. You just have to set the field order correctly in the encoder so that it matches the source.

but when I watched the DVD any movement had jagged lines

Three possibilities:
1. You watched it in your PC.
2. They were artifacts from bad encoding.
3. The field order in source and end product was different. Restream is a nice tool to change field order without reencoding.

[ronmcse]

Thank you so much, you are really helping me understand now. I have never heard about field order. I am going to research it now. If you have time to explain that would be helpful to, or have some good links to read about it, in the mean time, I am going to research it. I guess I am going to look up if all TV's have the same field order and start there. Thanks, Ron <><

[paglamon]

Very nicely explained here:

http://neuron2.net/LVG/interlacing.html

[ronmcse]

Thanks for helping to explain. From what I have learned, When I capture AVI video, it is interlaced. And as long as I have the field order correct I should not have to de-interlace the video if I am watching it on a TV. Where I am confused is: is this true for newer LCD TV's? If I have a 1080P HD LCD or Plasma, does it still play my interlaced video, or is it Progressive like a computer Monitor and needs to be Interlaced? Or instead of Interlacing, does the filed order just need to be changed to look good on a 1080P LCD? I hope I am making sense. Thanks, Ron <><

[paglamon]

You have posed a very valid query/confusion. It also reflects your proper understanding of the problem. You will indeed need a progressive/deinterlaced source signal in this scenario.But YOU need not do that while encoding.Your DVD player should be able to deinterlace if asked to do so.Even the TV should have the ability to deinterlace.
Good discussion here:http://forums.creativecow.net/thread/24/899090

[ronmcse]

So is it best not to De-Interlace when ever possible?

[paglamon]

Right."Whenever possible" is the key phrase.

[itransferstudio]

great!

[lucas1986]

good post.