Best Transcoding Software Available

[hgh]

I am trying to determine which application achieves the highest quality output from transcoding. This is my list:

1. CloneDVD
2. Sonic (Roxio Easy Disc Copy)
3. DVD Shrink

What would you add/subtract and how would you rank the different transcoding softwares available?

[guns1inger]

None of them. It varies by movie, amount of transcoding etc. There are better solutions. By far the best solution for preserving quality is not to transcode at all. Burn to dual layer and keep the quality as it was on the original. Next best is DVD Rebuilder with either ProCoder or CCE as the encoder. Yes, it is slower than those on your list, but when the $#it hits the fan, there is no comparison in quality of output.

If your heart is set on one from that list, then cross 2 off straight away. Of these other 2, I doubt you will find much difference. Each will have it's fans. Each will have it's zealots. Ignore the zealots - they have no objectivity.

/edit : stupid typo in last sentence of para one.

[hgh]

@guns1inger

So if I have a video that is roughly 5.54GB and I want to make it fit a single layer 4.36GB, using a transcoder is still not as effective as re-encoding the video? What I am trying to determine, largely by trial and error, is if there is a quick, simple, effective solution to compressing a movie that is marginally oversized to fit DVD-5 with minimal loss in quality of original. If you are confronted with such a project what route would you take?

[guns1inger]

There is really no way to say for certain without trying it. If the bitrate is very high for the type or length of video it contains, you may find transcoding works well and notice very little difference. If, on the otherhand, the bitrate is low for the amount of type of video it contains, transcoding even a few % might introduce visible artifacts. Every video is a different proposition, and there are no hard and fast rules.

Personally, I haven't found a transcoder that I would pay for, given the general quality of DVD shrink. I only use Shrink if reducing by 5% or less, and always use Deep Analysis and AEC. Anything else goes through DVD Rebuilder and ProCoder. Why, because I'm in no rush - this is not life or death stuff - and I know that I will always get consistently high quality from the output of Rebuilder. Shrink generally comes out to shave a few % off something that has already been squeezed

[mats.hogberg]

I agree with guns1inger - No payware offers anything more or better than DVDShrink. But I use Shrink down to 70% - OK, I see the occational visible degradation, but generally, it goes unnoticed to my old eyes.

/Mats