Is DVD better resolution than VCD?

[spummerr]

Is is best to record a VCD or DVD if I have under a hour of video from a digital camcorder? Video is Transfered to my computer via firewire.
What disc has the best picture?

[daamon]

Hi spummerr,

As long as it's done properly (i.e. sufficient bitrate during encoding etc.) then DVD hands down.

There's also a whole load of other factors too:

Are you capturing dierct to MPEG, or going to AVI first?
If the former, you needa decent card.
If the latter, you need to use a good encoder with the right settings.
etc. etc.

[ZippyP.]

DVD has three basic resolutions, they are (for NTSC):
352x240 called 1/4 DVD or VCD.
352x480 called 1/2 DVD or CVD.
720x480 full D1.

VCD is the lowest and crappiest resolution. For camcorder footage 1/2 DVD is generally regarded as the closest equivalent and should give good results. Upsizing video is not recommended and your source is not high resolution to start out with. Whether you use full or 1/2 DVD, you will get much better results than VCD.

[daamon]

For camcorder footage 1/2 DVD is generally regarded as the closest equivalent and should give good results.

Zippyp. - My PAL DV cam results in an AVI on the PC at 720x576 (would be 720 x 480 for NTSC). This is full D1 so not sure what you mean here...? As the footage is transferred and not captured, does that not mean that the DV cam also records at full D1?

[ZippyP.]

My PAL DV cam results in an AVI on the PC at 720x576

Sounds like full DVD res. to me. I wasn't aware that DV went that high, now I know better .

[daamon]

I wasn't aware that DV went that high, now I know better

I wasn't aware that it could be any lower - I've learnt something too.

@ spummerr - The way to check is to capture to your chosen format (be it AVI or MPEG2, I'd suggest AVI for this experiment) and us AVICodec on it to get the resolution.

[Supreme2k]

I thought that most DV cams were at least 640x480.

[lordsmurf]

DV is currently 720x480/576. Period.

[SatStorm]

And don't forget: DVD is also 704 x 576/480. It is called cropped D1

PAL DV if I recall correct can be 768 x 576 (in theory)

[edDV]

DV is currently 720x480/576. Period.

Correct, DV format (including Digital8) is full broadcast resolution luminance 720x480/576 and quarter resolution chrominance (4:1:1 or 4:2:0). Studio broadcast standard is 4:2:2 or half resolution chrominance.

So the home DV format is very nearly as good a recording format as the broadcasters use and identical quality to Sony DVCAM and Panasonic's DVCPRO broadcast standards.*

There is a big "but" and that is the camera section of home DV camcorders that falls substantially short of those resolutions.

* there are minor differences unrelated to image quality.

[JimJohnD]

It's nice to see that people will take the time to read even the most BASIC FAQs like the "What Is" at the top of this page.

[Capmaster]

And don't forget: DVD is also 704 x 576/480. It is called cropped D1

PAL DV if I recall correct can be 768 x 576 (in theory)

In theory it can be 15,000 x 10,000, but the definition of DV is 720 x 480 NTSC/576PAL. Period.

MPEG is a different animal and the 16 pixels get lost because of the nature of MPEG architecture. But don't confuse it with DV.

Any speculation about the theoretical limit of DV is meaningless since the DV consortium hasn't adopted it as a standard. Here's a good refresher on DV and other related formats:

http://www.adamwilt.com/DV-FAQ-tech.html

[SatStorm]

I didn't confuse it with DV. How you end up with this?

I said that the legal DVD framesizes are 720 / 704 / 352 x 480 NTSC / 576 PAL. In other words, there are four not three legal framesizes for DVD (ZippyP.mention the three of them)

I don't remember where I read that 768 x 576 is the top for PAL, like what is the 720 x 480 for NTSC. It was somewhere I read in this forum (or it was doom?).
That's why I used the phrase "If I recall correct"
And believe it has to do something with the correct aspect ratio of PAL.
Fulcilives could help on this (BTW, where is he?)

[Capmaster]

I didn't confuse it with DV. How you end up with this?

I said that the legal DVD framesizes are 720 / 704 / 352 x 480 NTSC / 576 PAL. In other words, there are four not three legal framesizes for DVD (ZippyP.mention the three of them)

I don't remember where I read that 768 x 576 is the top for PAL, like what is the 720 x 480 for NTSC. It was somewhere I read in this forum (or it was doom?).
That's why I used the phrase "If I recall correct"
And believe it has to do something with the correct aspect ratio of PAL.
Fulcilives could help on this (BTW, where is he?)

John hasn't been around. Several people are looking for him for various reasons

[SatStorm]

I don't know the background story...
I just remember reading telling that he has problems with his PC back in Augost

Anyway, does anyone else remember 768 x 576 for PAL DV?

[edDV]

768x576 is the square pixel 4:3 aspect ratio for 625/50 video. Its the direct analogy to 640x480 for 525/60.

768x486 also works out to NTSC 525/59.94 sampled at 4x subcarrier (14.3 MHz) as was done in NTSC composite digital formats including D2.

720x480/576 (non square pixels) was a compromise that was met for the D1 (4:2:2) standard that allowed both 525/59.94 and 625/50 component digital video to both work at the same 13.5MHz sample rate.

What was the question again?

[daamon]

@ SatStorm

Does this shed any light?

Or maybe this (section 2)?

EDIT: edDV got in before me, and with much better info... Though I think the links allure to what he said...

[edDV]

@ SatStorm

Does this shed any light?

Or maybe this (section 2)?

EDIT: edDV got in before me, and with much better info... Though I think the links allure to what he said...

More good links
http://broadcastengineering.com/mag/broadcasting_composite_digital_video/
http://www.kensystem.com/kensys/vtr.htm
http://www.nvision1.com/Serv/RefLib/TheBook/chapter13.asp
http://www.zerocut.com/tech/vid_img.htm

[SatStorm]

Yeah, exactly that: I knew that I read somewhere about 768 x 576 for PAL but I didn't remember what it was about. It was about the aspect, right...
Thanks edDV and daamon