A Question for WinFast PVR Capture Card users??

[VEBouto]

I have the WinFast Expert PVR Capture card by Leadtek.
I am using it to record Audio and Video from my VHS straight onto my hard drive. I've been very happy with the actual quality of the captures and have had no problems with Audio and Video Sync'.

I have been capturing with the settings :
Mpeg 2, Optimal Quality, 384 kbps Vbr Audio, Video quality 1000, Video bitrate 9800.
Anyone using any other settings?
Anything better recommended?
Should i be capturing using an Avi setting with PCM Audio?
Thanks.

[BogieV]

Hi there,
I have the same card and I'm also still experimenting.
You are using quite high settings though. Haven't tried them myself.

One question - what are you doing with the file afterwards? Do you make DVD or DivX.

I'm still ost on to how to make the proccess shorter.
If I want to put up DVD I found I have to stick with the default DVD template. Any change in the settings will make the audio record not in 48kHz but in 44.1? The 6000kbps rate is OK but to fit longer program on a DVD it needs reencoding - again 3 hours and some quality drop.

Uncompressed gives very huge files and Hyuv codecs is choppy and interlaced lines are visible.

I've tried straigh recording to DivX or XviD and it's OK at 1500kbs but exteranal LameMP3 encoder doesn't work with the Win PVR software so the sound is limited to 22.5kHz, 56kbps.

Can't figure out what are the best options yet too.
Anybody?

[hwoodwar]

I recently switched to the exact same card (the "Expert") Prior to getting this card I was always capturing to avi, editing with VirtualDub, converting with TMPGEnc and authoring with TMPG DVD Author. In the past when I have tried direct to MPEG-2 captures I have been disappointed. For DVD's to be used in console DVD players, I currently get excellant quality and no choppiness:

1. Capturing (cable TV or VHS tape, not Digital cable, not DVD) to avi using the HuffyUV codec and WinFast PVR (I cannot get VirtualDub to work right in capture mode with the "Expert" card.) at either 1/2 D1 (352 x 480) or 720 x 480. 720 x 480 seems to yield slightly better results.

2. Edit With VirtualDub

3. Encode with TMPGEnc NTSC DVD VBR 3000 template modified to 1/2 D1 res (352 x 480)

4. Author to DVD using TMPGEnc DVD Author.

[VEBouto]

Well after i capture the file i usually de-mux the Video and Audio, so i can edit the volume..etc...using Sound Forge.
Yeah these settings are high but thats because i want the best quality available. The only thing i dont really like is that the default Mpeg 2 setting in Winfast only lets you record the Audio file in Layer II compressed and not PCM...(because of the extra size??)
So to get around this when i load the file into Sound Forge and increase the volume i then save it as 48,000 Pcm audio file.
Then i load both files back into TMPG Enc Author and make a DVD.
I can usually fit between 14-18 video clips on a DVD disc.

[BogieV]

Hi guys - the info you give is very wellcome.
I still guff with the capture possibilities and want ot explore more.

I also don't like that you can't change the frequency in the default templates.
For example the DVD template is MPEG II 48kHz, but if you 'save as' and change some setting the sound is set to 44.1?
The MPEG2 template is 44.1 by default - I guess it's appropriate if you do DivX latter as you don't have to convert to 48 either resize from 640x480 to 720x480. I did some DivX this way with VirtualDubMPEG2 at 1500kbps and it looks OK.
And one more thing I tested is recording straight in DivX but the problem is LameMP3 is not recognised from WinPVR software. So the sound is crappy Fraunhover 22.5kHz, 56kbps. Anybody know how to deal with that so I can use LameMP3 with Leadtek software?

hwoodwar, what settings you use for HuffyUV? I loaded it in WinPVR and the output is slightly choppy. I also can see interlaced lines.
Also what MPEG2 encoder you use with TMPEGEnc. My free 30 day expired and I'm not willing to shave more for the Plus version. Can I encode and aouthor with the Ulead Movie Factory for example?

All in all my wish is to make my DVR more pleasent experiance and teach my wife few easy steps to work by herself the way to record her favourate programs!
For example if I want to record movie the only thing to do should be calculate the neccessary beatrate beforehand. Schedule the recording with this settings. Then just aouther the complient MPEG2 file and record the DVD without the need to reencode (even the audio). Is it too much of a dream such scenario?

[BogieV]

Sorry for the post - messed up something with the links.