ATI 7500 all-in-wonder video tape capturing, please comment

[jolo]

For capturing video tapes, I've agaonized a while.
After using Virtualdub, with various settings and iterations of and WinDVD recorder and MMC, with adding differing settings, it looks like the format for me which produces the best is the following. Also if someone can answer a question I have on this list. I'm running XP with a AMD XP 2400 CPU.
I am also using the latest capture driver from ATI, version 6178v1.

1. Is there any way to load a ATI created MPEG-2 (SVCD) file to TMPG. I can demux and mux, but can't encode. Nothing seems to support the video M2V format. Without it, the MPEG-2 settings code a file two large which I can't use TMPG to encode. What the heck can anyone do with that M2V video format ?
2. I'm using the ATI MMC 6178v1 capture driver and made a custom setting so it saves the file as a AVI file and uses huffyuv 2.11 for video compression. I'm telling it to leave the AVI file with some SVCD standards like 480 x 480 for NTCS. Leaves a giant file, but TMPG MPEG-2 , 2-pass encoding after works fine. The of course I delete the AVI file. The capturing with ATI is going in real time. I also can cut the file.

3. Virtualdub gave me inconsistent success. A couple of times great, but has been stopping at some point between 10-15 minutes. Also, I have been getting a lot of dropped frame from vdub and have done all sorts of fussing. Have used a modified version of vdub as well, vdub-synch, without better success.

4. When done I use Nero to burn the SVCD CDs.

5. Last thing, after "fussing" again, with a lof of software techniques with didn't work in removing my solid green screen from the output file, for $39.99, I purchased a Sima Video CopyMaster, which ended my "green screen" problem. A big relief and well worth it to me.


I'd live to hear any comments about this technique, especially on how I can use the ATI MPEG-2 formats to save disk space on the capture.

Thanks,
Jon

[tluxon]

I think this is exactly what "frameserving" is good for. You might want to check out this site for starters. I also have used/am using an ATI AIW 7500 and am just getting started into this as well.

All the best,

Tim