Help Converting VHS to Digital - What Format to Convert to?

[Jobbers]

Hello, I am using Premier Elements software on a PC, and I know how to go through the steps of moving my VHS and mini-DV tapes to a new digital format through this software (thanks to reading many other posts describing the conversion process). But, there are many format options I can choose to convert to.

I am not sure if MPEG-2, or MPEG-4, or some other available format is the best one to consider storing this in. This software offers quite a few choices as you can see below. Which would provide the best quality AND long-term usefullness? It will be a lot of time (and some effort) to convert all of my tapes, and I am trying to use the best format now to preserve my old home movies, etc. I started to use MPEG-2, but a few people at work recently told me they would use MPEG-4, and now I am really confused on how to move forward.

Adobe Premier Elements offers these export types (they all come in as .avi files):

Adobe Flash® (.swf)
AVI Movie (.avi)
AVCHD (.m2ts, .mts, .m2t)
DV Stream (.dv)
Filmstrip (.flm)
MPEG Movie (.mpeg, .vob, .mod, .ac3, .mpe, .mpg, .mpd, .m2v, .mpa, .mp2, .m2a, .mpv, .m2p, .m2t, .m1v, .mp4, .m4v, .m4a, .aac, 3gp, .avc, .264)
QuickTime Movie (.mov, .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .m4a, .m4v)
TOD (.tod)
Windows Media (.wmv, .asf)

Thank you for any help you can provide!

[redwudz]

What do you plan to use for playback? If a set top DVD player, then MPEG-2 or maybe Divx/Xvid, though you may be a bit limited for quality with those two when used with a set top player. Though with VHS as a input, Divx/Xvid may be fine.

H.264 is a more compact option, but takes more CPU power to encode and to playback. Not much of any set top players for it at present. AVCHD is more suited for Blu-ray playback and high definition video files. The other formats listed may be a bit too limited.

JMO, but I would stick with MPEG-2, especially if you plan to put the video on a DVD.

And welcome to our forums.

[Jobbers]

Thank you for your input / advice! I will watch to see if others agree with using MPEG-2, or if they give other suggestions with compelling reasons. And, thank you for the welcome to the forum.

[edDV]

Thank you for your input / advice! I will watch to see if others agree with using MPEG-2, or if they give other suggestions with compelling reasons. And, thank you for the welcome to the forum.

You didn't explain how you plan to watch these videos. Or are you looking for the best archive even if it can only be played from a computer? Or are you looking for something that would be most efficient for low res internet distribution?

[Jobbers]

You are correct, I failed to answer that part of the question. Sorry about that.

I was thinking that I would store this all on the NAS in mostly play them from the PC (either directly on the screen, or plugged into the TV or external monitor). These are mostly home movies, so we would watch them as most would watch them at home. I do not plan on transmistting them over the internet - probably at all, but certainly not in any great frequency (perhaps a snippet here or there). But, that being said, I would like the ability to turn them into DVDs (or some other movie format) playable in a external movie player (e.g. DVD player), and I also want to be able to continue to edit them so that I can take snippets out of them, or "splice" pieces together to make new "clips". I don't envision doing anything too fancy, but I am afraid I may lose the data based on the fact that some of these videos are already 15 years old. So, picture quality could (and probably already has) fade, and the original tape is my only copy of these recordings to date!

Does that answer the question enough to provide more guidance on this? If not, just provide the questions and I will do my best to provide the answers.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide on this!

[dj4monie]

If you have the horsepower to play MP4 then I would go that route or Windows Media Video which will allow for the fast forward and rewind buttons on your remote to work properly. I have found MP4 while it works in W7, frames get stuck while FF or RW, much like streamed content does (Podcast from Internet TV).

Also with WMV, it can be uncompressed and turned into MPEG-2 with Media Center's internet burning app (I think anyway).

[alb5150]

I hate to hijack this thread....but I just joined here and was looking for info like this...

I'm currently doing something similar....I'm trying to convert home movies to digital..I am also using premiere...

My intentions are to store the files on a server at home and be able to stream them to my xbox360.

In the past I've made dvds...but this is becoming to much of a pain....and I figure a file for streaming would just be easier..

So I've also heard x264 is the way to go....but my problem is getting to that format....I've tried megui...I've tried handbrake....

These are typically 12-13GB files out of premiere in DV-AVI format....then I try to convert to x264....I just can't seem to get a file that looks good....they are always lossy and blocky....

My question is should I be exporting from premeire in DV-AVI format then trying to convert....or should I export in some other format then try to goto x264...?

Someone has to have done this before with good results....I hope....

Any direction would be appreciated...

Thanks,
Al

[dj4monie]

I hate to hijack this thread....but I just joined here and was looking for info like this...

I'm currently doing something similar....I'm trying to convert home movies to digital..I am also using premiere...

My intentions are to store the files on a server at home and be able to stream them to my xbox360.

In the past I've made dvds...but this is becoming to much of a pain....and I figure a file for streaming would just be easier..

So I've also heard x264 is the way to go....but my problem is getting to that format....I've tried megui...I've tried handbrake....

These are typically 12-13GB files out of premiere in DV-AVI format....then I try to convert to x264....I just can't seem to get a file that looks good....they are always lossy and blocky....

My question is should I be exporting from premeire in DV-AVI format then trying to convert....or should I export in some other format then try to goto x264...?

Someone has to have done this before with good results....I hope....

Any direction would be appreciated...

Thanks,
Al

You'll have to increase the bit rate so more "information" can be shown on screen. With 2.99 bit rate using Windows Media preset, it turns out acceptable but a tiny bit blurry. If its blocky the file size is too small for your display. To keep a good picture make sure your resolution is the same and then I would say half of what the file is not in a compressed format is acceptable.

[alb5150]

Thanks for the reply....ok...I'll give that a try...not an expert here...

I do see that these apps have a way to specify bit-rate...I'll play with those numbers...

Also when I play these files...they always seem a bit "squished" on my tv...my tv is a 16x9 tv....enev though the source is 16x9 and I always tell the programs to "keep aspect ratio"....? any idea on that..?

Many thanks...
Al