WMV/DIVX/XVID from MPEG-2 for TV Shows (Worth trying?)

[crash447]

I was wondering if it would be worth taking my MPEG-2 Television shows that I am taking from Dish Network. I think they are at 544x480 MPEG-2 and converting them to a MPEG-4 file to save space. I am able to fit around 160-200 minutes on a DVD-R with my current files and was thinking if I could get a high quality MPEG-4 then I might be able to fit more on a disc (maybe around 400 min). Is this worth trying or should I just use what I already have. My shows are ripped right from my PVR. I have messed with Windows Media Encoder a little bit, but the quality doesn't seem that great.

Thanks.

[teegee420]

Sounds like a fine idea to me. I convert TV shows to mpeg-4 all the time. The problem with your mpeg-2 files is that they are not standard resolutions. Read about the DVD spec here. Re-encoding might be your only option, be it to mpeg-4 or mpeg-2. If you converted to mpeg-4 it would be even better if you had a mpeg-4 DVD player. That way you won't be stuck playing your stuff only on the PC. If you're looking for a good tool to convert to Divx check out Dr. Divx. It's pretty damned easy to use and gives good results. As you gain more experience, read up on how to use Virtualdub and you'll be able to get even better results.

[crash447]

Well I would not need to re-encode to MPEG-2 because my DVD Player plays raw MPEG-2 files. I also have my pc connected to my TV so I would still be able to play the MPEG-4's on my TV. I would just be looking at small files with the same or near same quality.

Thanks

[teegee420]

Well I would not need to re-encode to MPEG-2 because my DVD Player plays raw MPEG-2 files.

You're pretty lucky. Those kind of players are few and far between.