whats the difference between mpeg and avi

[thephantommenace]

I'm new to this so i need it in laymans. I've about capturing between MPEG and AVI, i have heard that cards that capture directly to MPEG 1 and 2 are better,why?. Is it better to use mpeg than avi on a vcd or do you have to use mpeg? which format would have the best resolution, say i wanted to burn music videos on vcd using a capture card through my firewire port to decrese download time. What would be the best way to go, a card that captures in AVI or one that goes directly to MPEG?

[carbuff]

Hi, Im no expert but I believe that for vcd you need the final file to be an .mpg (mpeg 1) file. The cards that capture directly to .mpg are easier because you dont have to convert the .avi file to .mpg. That takes a long time. For example My P3 1 gig takes 4 hours+ to convert an .avi made from a full dvd to .mpg suitable for burning. I believe similar quality can be had using either method (depending on hardware and software). Ive heard good things about the new dazzle card but it is more expensive than others. The usb solutions look like a good idea, but I have my doubts about the usb interface for long term connections. I got lucky and got a pinnacle dc30+ card on ebay for $50 ($400 card) and it has great quality but it creates a .mjpeg file that still needs to be converted. I just do my converting at nite while Im sleeping and in the morning its done. I'm not sure but I think the good thing about the .avi file is that it is more suitable for editing than an .mpg file. So, if you need to edit and add effects to your capture, an .avi is better to work with? I might be wrong about this but I figure any uncompressed form must be better for working with than a very compressed format. In short, if its saving time that youre interested in, go for a hardware .mpg capture solution.

George