getting more and more confused on src/cap/final resolution

[spooky130]

The more I read about source/capture/final resolution, the more confused I get...can someone please help clear this up for me?

Reading here (and in Luke's Video Guide on High Resolution Capture), I gather that it's best, in general, to capture at full D1 (assuming you have the disk space to do so). So, as of today, I've switched from capturing at 640x480 (I'd assumed that was right as it's 4:3) to 720x480. However, reading some of the posts in this forum, I'm now questioning whether or not that was a good move. Which of these should I be using, and why?

Along the same lines, now that I've done that.....

I'm assuming, for conversion to SVCD, that TMPGEnc will "know what to do" to maintain the correct aspect ratio. Is that assumption a valid one?

What about converting to DiVX? Do I need to tell VirtualDub to resize to 640x480? Or is 720x480 (on the computer) the "real" 4:3 for NTSC video?

Thanks,
--jim

[spooky130]

Reading in another forum on divx.com, I found a post saying that you have to resize to 640x480 for DiVX encodes (and for TMPGEnc, I assume).

So here's the (revised) question: is there any reason, for analog NTSC TV capture that's going to be (resized to 640x480 if necessary and) converted to SVCD and/or DiVX, to capture at 720x480 instead of 640x480?

Later,
--jim

[Gazorgan]

Generally speaking if your going to capture, go with 720x480. All 640x480 does is save a little space.

Don't confuse Aspect Ratio with Resolution ratio, which is what your doing. They aren't the same thing, and you will get fat/skinny people if you assume they are. Computer pixels are square and TV pixels are rectangular. This is why TMPG accepts 1:1, 4:3 and 16:9 inputs (think of it as silly putty). Pick the wrong one and you get fat/skinny people. Always do a 60 second test encode first.

TV is Always 4:3 unless your capping HDTV, regardless of your resolution. However, improper re-sizing can cause the same effect.

[spooky130]

I am quite sure that I'm confusing aspect ratio and resolution ratio..... Actually, I'm confused on this topic, period.

Ok, so I should capture at 720x480. That much I now understand.

If encoding to SVCD, I gather I should tell TMPGEnc that the 720x480 source is 4:3. Correct?

Now, for the big question..... When converting to DiVX (to view on a computer), do I need to resize to 640x480 as I read in the DiVX forum? Or is 720x480 (on the computer) correct as is?

Thanks,
--jim

[spooky130]

Oh, and can anyone recommend a good doc that explains all of this in simple terms (if that's even possible---from what I've learned so far, some topics in video don't seem to have anything resembling "simple terms")?

Thanks again,
--jim