What Settings Should I use to Capture??

[Chrisg71]

Hey, I'm using wintv 2000 and these are the settings it gives me, and won't let me really change. I was wondering if you were me which of these settings would you use to capture digital cable and which one you would use to capture vhs.

1. mpeg2-2.0 mbit/sec 720x480 1600 bit rate / 2000 peak
2. mpeg2-2.0 mbit/sec (halfd1) 352x480 1600 bit rate / 2000 peak
3. mpeg2-12 mbit/sec 720x480 9600 bit rate / 12000 peak
4. mpeg2-12 mbit/sec (cbr) 720x480 12000 bit rate
5. svcd long play 480x480 1600 bit rate / 2000 peak
6. svcd extra long play 480x480 2000 bit rate / 2200 peak
7. dvd extra long play 720x480 2000 bit rate / 4400 peak
8. dvd long play 720x480 4800 bit rate / 6200 peak
9. dvd standard play 720x480 6400 bit rate / 8000 peak
10. mpeg1.vcd 352x240 1150 bit rate.

As always your help is appreciated.

[HillJack]

Well, first question: What are you making? VCD, SVCD, DVD?

If it were me, I'd use:

VCD: #10 for 80min of a/v on an 80min CD
SVCD: #6 for about 45mins of a/v on an 80min CD
DVD: #9 for about 2 hours of a/v on a DVD-R w/ac3/mp2 audio

[Chrisg71]

I'm trying to put stuff on dvd, like i'm capturing old vhs tapes to put to dvd and them i'm capturing tv shows off of digital cable to put to dvd.

[erratic]

I would use #9 or #2 but for #2 I'd like to use a higher bitrate (average 2500 or 3000 / 4000 peak) if you can adjust that. Can't you create new templates?

Also, there's no way to get the aspect ratio 100% correct with those settings, because you're using a card with a Brooktree or Conexant chip if I'm not mistaken. For a better aspect ratio you should use the BTWinCap driver instead of the Hauppauge driver.

[Chrisg71]

ok cool I found how to make a templete of those settings. Ok so if I use the booktree drivers will it pose a problem capturing directly to mpeg?? Also what do I want the audio set at ?? 44 or 48 ??

[Chrisg71]

Sorry didn't mean booktree drivers in the last post I meant btwincap driver.

[erratic]

I don't have a Conexant/Brooktree card myself, but I've read that the BTWinCap driver is better. If it doesn't work you can uninstall it, I suppose.

The fact is that the Hauppauge driver will capture 688x480 and stretch that to 720x480. That's a distortion of 4.65%. If you capture 352x480 the distortion is smaller: 2.32%. That's because your DVD player will stretch 352 to 704 (not 720).

The BTWinCap driver captures 712x480 so that's a much smaller stretch: 1.12%. But I don't know if WinTV 2000 will accept the BTWinCap driver. Maybe it only works with the Hauppauge driver?

The audio should be 48kHz for DVD.

[Chrisg71]

ok i'll try that driver. If i'm capturing digital cable to put to dvd i'd still want to use 352x480? when would I want to capture with 720x480??

[Chrisg71]

Like I guess my biggest question would be out of those options I first posted, when would I want to use each one and for what?

[erratic]

For VHS 352x480 is usually good enough.
I'm not familiar with digital cable, but in that case 720x480 is probably better. You can always try and compare the results. Comparing the results on your monitor is not so reliable, so author both files on a DVD-RW and compare them on your TV.

One more thing: with 352x480 you use a lower bitrate so you can fit more video on a DVD.

[trevlac]

In my (not so) HO, I'd say you are getting good advice.

I'd like to try to explain why, because it forces me to have a better understanding.

You are trying to achieve the following things. The order of importance is up to you. No one else can tell you that.

• Compatibility - DVD spec only really supports 720 and 352 frames. A bunch of players work with 480, but you may not want to risk it.
• File size - The higher the avg bitrate, the bigger the file. If you are trying to cram a lot on a disc, you go lower. If you want to make sure of quality, you go the other way
• Resolution / quality (due to frame size) - Generally, the bigger the frame, the better the resolution of detail. There is a point of no gain if the source it's self does not have the detail (like VHS).
• Resolution / quality (due to compression) - Generally, the higher the avg bitrate, the less detail is lost due to compression. Because mpeg is based upon the changes in a scene, higher action requires more compression. Also, logically, a larger frame requires more compression.
• Aspect Ratio - Most capture cards/drivers/software combos lead you to streatch the picture horizontally as much as 5%. I'd guess that for most BT8x8 drivers, sizes like 720 and 480 are worse than 352 and 704. For BTwincap, this problem is less for these standard sizes.

Based upon the above and the fact that VHS has less resolution than 352, #2 wins hands down.

For digital cable, which may have a horz resolution of about 440 to 640 (that's a guess), it is not as clear. #2, #6, #8, #9 could be candidates. #2 looses on frame size, #6 on compatibility, #8 may not work for high action, #9 creates the largest files.

You'd have to test and decide. To test resolution, you need some text on the screen. To test compression/bitrate, you need action.

Edit: The descriptions/bitrates for #5 & #6 seem to be reversed. I picked #6 based upon the bitrate, not the description.

Trev

[Chrisg71]

that's really great advice, i appriciate it. as you can tell i'm a newbie at this so i'm trying to find out as much as i can before i start to throw away dvd's because of mistakes.

[erratic]

ok cool I found how to make a templete of those settings.

By the way, if you make custom templates use a 704x480 resolution (if possible) instead of 720x480. The aspect ratio still won't be 100% correct but 704 is better than 720 with the Hauppauge driver.

With the BTWinCap driver it doesn't matter whether you capture 704x480 or 720x480 NTSC. It does matter for PAL though: with the BTWinCap driver 704x576 PAL is 100% correct, 720x576 is stretched a little.