Capturing VHS tapes with smaller files size avi ??

[mrk1949]

I have a bunch of VHS tapes I want to put on DVD.These tapes are low quality video, mono sound, etc. Which capture program lets you set the parameters for sound and video so as to minimize the file size?? Most programs seem to only let me capture D1 or D2 mode.

Another issue after editing /titles/menu added and I want to convert to mpeg to write to DVD : again I want mediocre quality so as to get max hours/DVD. I tried Nero 6, it has a few settings for MPEG quality, but much to my suprise, it's estimate of the file size after conversion was dead on. These videos are of people speaking - very little movement - and I had expected above average compression.

Any better programs out there ? (reasonably priced )

[FulciLives]

Well since you capture AVI format you want to capture in as high a quality as you can.

Remember that the AVI is a temp file ... once you encode it to MPEG-2 the AVI is worthless and can be deleted.

The better quality you start with the better chance you have of making a small MPEG-2 file because MPEG-2 can compress better with high quality sources.

So your "crunch" in making the final output small should come in your MPEG-2 encoding step.

Not the capture step.

At least this applies to AVI captures that you later encode to MPEG-2 with a software encoder.

In other words this doesn't apply to capturing straight to MPEG-2 DVD format.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[tweedledee]

In other words this doesn't apply to capturing straight to MPEG-2 DVD format.

Fulci, wouldn't he be better capturing straight to MPEG 2 using something like Powervcr if the quality is not important. That's what I do and it works OK.

[FulciLives]

I'm not a big fan of direct-to-MPEG capture but that could be simply because my equipment can't really handle it (no dedicated MPEG encoder capture card and computer too slow to do software MPEG capture).

With a fast enough computer I have heard that MPEG-2 DVD spec captures can look good if using the built-in capture module of the MainConcept MPEG encoder. I even tested this myself and got decent (though not great) results doing 352x480 at 2500kbps. I can see how with a fast enough computer this would work well.

The ATI AIW cards also apparently do good at direct-to-MPEG captures but again you need a speedy computer.

I've heard mostly bad things (even with a fast computer) of most other programs including Power-VCR

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[tweedledee]

I've heard mostly bad things (even with a fast computer) of most other programs including Power-VCR

I forgot to mention that I'm using a DV camcorder pass through, and it seems to me to be at least as good as the video tape, in quality.

PS Don't be so fussy, Fulci

[bdf24]

I've always believed that full screen AVI capture then encoding to MPEG 2 is the best way to go. More time consuming and much more disk space needed but the best way to go I always thought?

[FulciLives]

I've heard mostly bad things (even with a fast computer) of most other programs including Power-VCR

I forgot to mention that I'm using a DV camcorder pass through, and it seems to me to be at least as good as the video tape, in quality.

PS Don't be so fussy, Fulci

Well I've been told programs like Power-VCR tend to drop frames and not report it also I think it de-interlaces on the fly.

Yeah I know I am a quality nut

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[mrk1949]

I do need to do extensive editing on these low quality videos; I always heard it was easiest to edit avi files. That's the only reason I'm capturing these tapes to avi. If it is easy to edit another file type without buying a whole bunch of new software, point me to it!!!

Eventually I can delete the raw capture files, but some of the videos will go into more than one DVD compilation, so I'll need to keep some of them around for 'awhile'. That's why I'm looking for a way to shrink the raw capture file sizes. And maybe a program that can be set to capture only mono sound

When I convert finished project (edited/titled/menus/etc) to MPEG, I will use a low quality setting. My comment about Nero 6 predicting the finished MPEG file size : Nero predicted a file size 300Kb of the DVD limit, and it came out right there. But these videos should have compressed better than average : very little movement.


thnx to all

Mike

[FulciLives]

I do need to do extensive editing on these low quality videos; I always heard it was easiest to edit avi files. That's the only reason I'm capturing these tapes to avi. If it is easy to edit another file type without buying a whole bunch of new software, point me to it!!!

Eventually I can delete the raw capture files, but some of the videos will go into more than one DVD compilation, so I'll need to keep some of them around for 'awhile'. That's why I'm looking for a way to shrink the raw capture file sizes. And maybe a program that can be set to capture only mono sound

When I convert finished project (edited/titled/menus/etc) to MPEG, I will use a low quality setting. My comment about Nero 6 predicting the finished MPEG file size : Nero predicted a file size 300Kb of the DVD limit, and it came out right there. But these videos should have compressed better than average : very little movement.

thnx to all

Mike

AVI is easier to edit than other forms of video.

Once you convert your AVI capture to MPEG-2 you should have a VIDEO FILE and a matching AUDIO FILE ... it is also possible to have both as a single file if you use MP2 or AC-3 audio but if you use PCM WAV audio then you have to keep the video and audio files separate and I would suggest doing that even if you use MP2 or AC-3 audio.

You can then delete the AVI file and keep the MPEG-2 video and audio files.

I think part of the problem here is that you are using NERO for MPEG-2 DVD conversion.

Very bad.

You should be using a "real" MPEG encoder such as TMPGEnc Plus or Cinema Craft Encoder or Mainconcept MPEG encoder.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman