Best Video Compression Codec

[maniktushar]

Hi I wanted to convert my VCD to avi but dont know which codec gives maximum compression however doesnt much harm the quality of the video. Any suggestions are welcome. Does wmv give best compression.

[bugster]

wmv is good, so is divx or xvid. The final quality is determined by the settings used (bitrate etc) and the quality of the source as much as the codec itself.

[Suntan]

As well as the preferences of the watcher (they all have their own look).

Myself, I prefer Xvid.

-Suntan

[maniktushar]

So then if not the best quality codec could someone suggest me the best compression codec. I have a really small HDD 40 GB and want to backup all my VCD's onto it so I want the codec which will give me the best compression.

[maniktushar]

If I use Xvid or Divx for encoding VCDs to avi's which should be the best settings I could use like bitrate etc. Is it possible to reencode all these VCD's using Main Concept MPEG Encoder into Divx or Xvid because this is the fastest program for rencoding I suppose or are there any faster alternatives. Also should I do a 1 pass or 2 pass encoding

[lordsmurf]

For compressing something to nothing, WMV.

[maniktushar]

lols