DVD Shrink or 4 Hour Setting?

[msteis]

I need some opinions. When recording more than two hours, or more than two hours from different media on my standalone dvd recorder, which would give better results for re-authoring a dvd using TMPEnc DVD Author...

Setting the recorder for four-hour mode to get the stream to the approx. bitrate (to get the entire video on one dvd), or recording at the highest quality setting (switching media at a point that I want to edit out anyway), re-authoring, and shrinking with the deep analyze option with dvdshrink?

Thanks for the help.

msteis

[guns1inger]

DVD Shrink is a transcoder, and is unlikely to give you as high quality results as a decent encoder. I would start with the highest quality possible (you cant put back what you didn't have to start with), and if quality is your aim, look at something like DVD Rebuilder with CCE Basic to make it fit.

[skebenin]

Tough call.

Changing your recorder to 4 hour mode will probably reduce the recording resolution (probably to ½D1, i.e. 352x480/576). This reduces the number of compression artifacts, but the recording will be blurrier.

Keeping the recorder on high quality will keep the resolution high, and you probably won't have compression artifacts on the two disks. However, when you recompress them to a lower bitrate to get them onto one disk (whether you re-encode or transcode) you'll probably get artifacts.

If you're planning on editing a lot of stuff out, you may not need to lower the bit rate much. I think any editing will preclude the use of DVDShrink, or any automated DVD tools; you'll have to re-encode and author a new DVD from scratch.

Truthfully, I think only you can decide which approach will work best for you and the footage you're processing.

[gll99]

I don't have your gear so this is not exactly what you are asking but when I capture or convert straight to dvd format using the software program neodvd my version has 3 options good, better and best. A 2 hour or more show at best setting would come out to 6 to 7 gig 720x480. The better setting uses a framesize of 352x480 and reduces the average bitrate which produces a file well within the size of a DVD disc but at a visibly reduced quality.
Using the best setting and dvdshrink produces a far superior conversion/capture than lowering the quality by choosing a lower initial setting.
I have the advantage of capturing/converting to my hd if I so choose so I don't havve to split shows whereas you are recording directly to disc with a standalone device.
In a nutshell, what I am saying is that starting with the best possible bitrate/framesize/quality and then shrinking the file always produces superior results for me but for you splitting your recording sessions may be too inconvenient to justify the difference.

[msteis]

gll99,

The more I think about it, the more I agree with you. As an example, I recorded 3 hours of drag racing with my recorder set at 3 hours. I deleted about 45 minutes of commercials. I could well have recorded it on the 2 hour mode, paused it during a commercial (it's on a dvr), changed discs and finished. Shrinking 15 minutes of quality at the end instead of shrinking 1 hour out of the dvd to begin with and then deleting another 45 minutes. I think I'll give the DVD Rebuilder that someone else suggested a try too.

Thanks everyone,

msteis