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  1. Hi everyone, need your help with few questions in my mind. To my understanding/setup is as per below

    Studio DV
    DV Cam -> Studio DV card (i link)-> AVI file -> editing -> software (studio DV) compression to mpeg file -> burn to VCD

    For the above, compression take up enormous time (1 day), is there any method (hardware) to have this time shorten ?

    Matrox RT2500, DV500 - what is the different for this card ?, real time editing is heavily emphasize, but what is this real time editing ?

    For editing using the AVI file above (studio DV), isn;t that a real time editing ?

    Snazzi product, it compress DV Cam -> Mpeg straight (1 hr movie lenght). However I heard that editing on Mpeg will further deterirate the quality further, is this true ?

    Thank you....
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    in the case of RT2000 and DV500 realtime editing is mainly concerned with realtime effects. The card installs certain filters and transitions into a supported NLE software product - mostly Adobe Premiere that are accelerated by the cards hardware. Realtime editing is when you do not have to "render" the product from the Adobe timeline - you can just play once and it's ready to go.

    However I heard that editing on Mpeg will further deterirate the quality further, is this true ?
    Absolutely spot on - this is true with any lossy compression formats (which are most) - MPEG and DV included. Each time you re-compress the footage you are throwing away picture elements - sometime it's not much, other times a lot. DV is less susceptible than MPEG due to it's slightly different encoding algorithm and it's less initial compression.

    as for this quesiton
    For the above, compression take up enormous time (1 day), is there any method (hardware) to have this time shorten ?
    Some products can compress in realtime already captured footage - as long as it conforms to the card specific requrments. However as many here will tell you a well crafted software encoder will beat any and all hardware encoders
    check here to look at a interesting comparison
    http://www.tecoltd.com/enctest/enctest.htm
    it's slightly dated now - but still very good.
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  3. Thanks D_Knife, but still I don't really get the diff for RT2500 & DV500.

    What justify the 10x price different for the card compare to Studio DV ?

    When I edit using studio DV, I put in transition, MP3, graphic, isn't that real time as well ?.

    Will the RT2500 & DV500 cut down the compression to Mpeg part ?

    Thank you ...
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    I must admit I agree with you on the price or features of the two cards.
    There is a review of the RT2500 here at tomshardware
    http://www6.tomshardware.com/video/01q3/010730/index.html

    I would guess that if the Studio DV is good enough for you before convert to MPEG format then stick with it.
    On the MPEG conversion side of things - you haven't said what sort of CPU you have only it's a 733 - or what MPEG encoder you use.
    There might be better options available
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  5. Thanks, I have read through the suggested site on encoding and it is very informative

    After some though, my studio DV will save the editing portion under studio project file and will need to render this editing when encoding into Mpeg.

    While RT2500 & DV500 card will perform these editing in realtime on to AVI file, thus saving the time during encoding.

    Am I right ? ... Thanks

    If I am right, then I will need to render the editing back still to AVI file and use other type of encoding sw like cinema craft lite to speed up the encoding...correct ?

    BTW...my system is a Compaq Workstation - PIII733MHz (Dual CPU capable), 400MB RDRAM, Matrox G450, 100GB HDD ATA 66...i got this last yr end ... it is a refurbish set. :P
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    While RT2500 & DV500 card will perform these editing in realtime on to AVI file, thus saving the time during encoding.


    Yep , thats right

    I will need to render the editing back still to AVI file and use other type of encoding sw like cinema craft lite to speed up the encoding...correct

    yep again.

    Unless...

    Apps like Adobe Premiere and Medaistudio allow for export plugins
    Some brands of MPEG encoding tools have special versions to utilise this plugin capability - they encode straight from the edit line.
    There are plugins for CCE, Ligos, BBMPEG (don't bother)
    there is also a video server plugin that allows anything to be exported to another app (frameserving)

    Best method
    raw video >capture with DV source(camera)>transfer to PC>edit(transitions,effects)>frameserver to MPEG1/2 >author onto CD/DVD

    As this is done in one step there are no copy generations - the footage edited is only saved once (the initial DV stream) except in the export format (which is MPEG)

    your step (from what you have told me)
    raw video >capture with DV source >transfer to PC >edit >save to AVI >encode to MPEG1/2

    you are adding a step of saving data and unless you are using a lossy codec you will get some quality loss.

    The frameserver method saves you quality, time and diskspace
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  7. Don't really understand the plug in and frameserver portion.

    If I use Adobe premier to edit my clip, would that fall into this "best method" ?
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    Frameserving can be confusing at first - but once you try it and see how it can get you out of a bind....

    Premiere like most of the Adobe family supports third-party plug-ins.
    Adobe was farsighted enough to realise that they could not create the be all and end all. Some mpeg encoders come as special plug-in versions allowing you to encode straight from the timeline. I don't think studio DV supports any plug-ins though.

    Download a trial copy of premiere and see. you should also be able to trial a mpeg plugin from either ligos or cinemacraft and see for yourself
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  9. Thanks, i will do that, start off with Premier ...

    Another clarification ... when capture file from DV cam, is it come into the PC as AVI format or other type of format.

    Currently when I capture from DV CAM using my studio DV card, it come to my HDD as AVI format.

    Reading back your post, as well as reading through adobe site, i kind of having the feeling that the file format that is capture from DV cam to HDD is not AVI...is this correct ? What format is it ?

    Is there a diff in quality for capture card ?

    Thanks
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    DV supports type 1 and type 2 - one of them is AVI and the other isn't
    I don't have any additional information than that sorry.

    Firewire cards - basic ones themselves don't capture DV they transfer it from the camera and "wrap" it in an AVI header.
    You could take any number of pure Firewire cards and "capture" a chunk of footage and they would look the same.

    Cards like the RT2500 and DV500 as discussed above do provide MPEG2 hardware encoding (rather badly though see above for comparisions) and they differ in quality and performance - pricing is not always an indicator either.
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  11. Thanks D_Knife, these have help me to piece together most of the concepts.

    I will try it out and hopefully can learn more along the way.....

    Cheers !!!
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