Best format for PAL Video8 for TV

[latouffe]

Hi all,

I was wondering what is the best format to convert from a captured PAL video8 cassette (mpeg2)? I would like to play them from a HDD to TV or using a laptop . It would be perfect if I could save as much space as possible and convert it fast.

What I tried at the moment is:
1 hours movie

Avi 640x480 Xvid 700 bitrate 2.5 GB and 120 minutes to convert. Ad video is shitty
Mp4 264 640x480/25p. 2.6 GB and takes 55 minutes
Mp4 264 720x480 fps 60 2.7 GB and takes 90 minutes

Im using powerdirectoror Virtualdub2

Many thanks!

[JVRaines]

You know that old saying: good, fast, cheap — pick any two? It applies here. The higher the compression, the longer it takes to compress, unless you are willing to put up with crappy video.

[latouffe]

Well i think I will have to pick good quality and small size....

[LMotlow]

Good quality and small size mutually cancel each other. You have to compromise on both ends if you want both -- so-so quality and lost of noise, plus small file size. You've already taken a quality hit by capturing analog to a lossy codec (MPEG2). Encode it again to yet another lossy codec, and you're another step down in quality. Lossy means data is lost with each encode. More encodes = more loss. The data can't be recovered. Your HDD playback and laptop won't play MPEG2? it's a universally playable codec for any playback system. And why use Xvid? I'm surprised people use it. Why not stay with MPEG2? If you wanted h.264 you should have captured to that format anyway, even if it is lossy and a hassle to edit.

[jagabo]

If you have an Intel processor made in the last five or six years: try handbrake and the quick sync h.264 encoder. On my old i5 2500K it encoded an hour of NTSC DVD video (720x480, 23.976 fps) in about six minutes with so-so quality (1.2 GB).

[latouffe]

Handbrake is really saving my life lately but i wonder how to fix the flickering color issue? It always appear with bright red and bright blue colors:

ie:

red shirt in a x480, PAL, h.264 60fps, not deinterlaced, not denoised and not deblocked video

I bought a Panasonic es10 and will try it -> Will it fix anything?

Anyway what filters should I use to improve the video quality?

[LMotlow]

You can't improve anything that badly damaged. What you really need is to learn to make better captures and work with lossless media if you intend to do any cleanup. Lossy codecs were not designed for filtering and edits, which only make defective videos look worse.

That sample image isn't deinterlaced? How did the PAL 25fps video get to be 60fps? Either you're leaving out a ton of information, or you're just leading us on.