TMPGEnc - setting - motion search precision?

[2busy2broke]

In TMPGEnc, I go to setting, and at the bottom of the window is the option "motion search precision", with the different levels: lowest quality(very fast); low quality(fast); normal; high quality(slow); highest quality(very slow); motion estimate search(fast). To the experienced vcd people out there I am probably asking a stupid question, but what exactly is motion search precision? Am I right in saying that if i have the patience to go for the highest quality? If I use highest quality does it not compress as much, taking more space on my disk?

[Truman]

At highest quality the encoder work more precise, that's why it takes longer. This setting does not effect the filesize, but the visual quality of the MPEG.
Use high quality for DVD to VCD and highest quality for heavy compressed avi to VCD.
More info about TMPGEnc.
http://www.vcdhelp.com/tmpgencexplained.htm

[poopyhead]

motion search precision doesn't affect the resulting .mpg filesize; however, as the description indicates, it does affect quality of the dvd rip.

i personally use high quality (slow). the quality is great and the difference between it and highest quality (slowest) is that the latter takes about 8 hrs more and very, very (x infinity) little noticeable quality difference

[Ronin2]

When should "motion estimate search(fast)" be used? It was only included in later releases of TMPGenc and how does it compare with high and highest quality settings.
Thanks, Ronin2

[poopyhead]

Ronin2, by the fact that motion estimate search is deemed FAST prolly means it will sacrafice quality for encoding time...so basically just stick with high quality (slow) for the best quality-encoding time ratio