720x576 at VBR 2520

[feeras]

Hi,

I recently purchased the Canopus ADVC50 and have started to convert a few home VHS to DVD. I'm hoping to fit at least 2 videos on 1 DVD. I've been using 720x576 at VBR 2520 as the final output. After numerous testing, I think that 720x576 seems to be the best resolution and the filesize output is basically the same as for SVCD and CVD. Not sure, but at 720x576 everything seems slightly sharper then both CVD and SVCD settings - maybe I'm being foolish. I also tried 360x288 at 2520 but that gave the worst output. Just wondering, am I sacrificing anything using the 720x576 resolution or is it even overkill using DVD resolution for VHS. What concerns me is that there may be a loss of motion fidelity etc.

Cheers,
feeras

[MrKGB]

feeras,
you are starting the old "DVD vs CVD for VHS" flame war again!
just try both and use whatever you like.
Actually VBR 2520 at 720x576 is very low bitrate, you must have a lot of artifacts. This bitrate is good for CVD, for DVD you need at least 4000.

[feeras]

MrKGB,

Thanks for the advice. I haven't noticed anything unusual (or artifacts) with my final output but I think i had better check them again just in case.

Cheers,
feeras

[feeras]

Everyone,

I'm not trying to start a DVD/CVD/etc flamewar but am wanting to knowing whether there is any drawbacks to using 720x576 at VBR 2520.

Cheers,
feeras

[FulciLives]

Everyone,

I'm not trying to start a DVD/CVD/etc flamewar but am wanting to knowing whether there is any drawbacks to using 720x576 at VBR 2520.

Cheers,
feeras

When using full D1 resolution (which is 720x576 for the PAL format) you really should consider using a VBR with an average bitrate of 4000kbps or higher. Going below that will introduce too many artifacts. However if the source is poor then sometimes the artifacts aren't so noticeable because the poor quality of the source "hides" or "masks" the artifacts. But for piece of mind I would try to go no lower than 4000kbps. If it is a long video and doing 4000kbps is too high a setting to fit it on a single DVD-R then consider doing half D1 resolution (which is 352x576 for the PAL format) and try to see if you can't get away with at least a 3000kbps setting if not 3500kbps ... that bitrate average at half D1 will look VERY good from a VHS or "low quality" source.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman