poor quality vcd from dv source

[gns]

I have a dv camera and want to get my video onto vcd for viewing on my dvd player. I have a firewire and use VideoWave III to capture the video. Then, with VideoWave I "produce" the video, which saves the video into MPEG1 format. I then burn it onto a cdrw (my dvd player won't read cdr's) using Adaptec Easy CD Creator Platinum. The vcd plays on my DVD player, but the picture is extremely pixilated to the point it really isn't worth watching. (The quality of the dv is very good when I play it back by connecting the camera directly to my TV.) What am I doing wrong?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: gns on 2001-08-10 15:44:50 ]</font>

[Medical]

Hi gns !

Maybe this will help you out:

First: I don't know VideoWave and it's mpeg1 export
qualities but I would use TMPGEnc to encode (highly
recommended)!

Second: VCD/mpeg1 streams are progressive/non-interlaced.
You have to deinterlace your captured avi. I use
Virtual-Dubs deinterlace filter (discard field 1)
which produces a ***x288 (PAL) sized-picture (if you
captured in 720x576) therefore you only have to resize
the 720 to 352 (I also do this with virtual dub's "resize-
precise bicubic" filter).
If you encode in NTSC values changes from 480 to 240.

Third: If you don't like the VCD Quality (altough
if you do it right it's quality is really acceptable)
you could make S-VCDs which have a more crisp and sharp
picture (the S-VCDs are Interlaced so you don't need to
deinterlace).

Hope I could help!
Good luck!
Med.

[jtor]

Never use the encoder built-in to capture softwares (Videowave, VideoStudio, etc). I tried making MPEGs using these encoders, and compared it against MPEG from TMPGENC, and the quality is very different.

Like Medical said, TMPGENC is highly recommended.

[gns]

Thank you both so much for your replies. Very helpful.
I downloaded TMGPEnc and used it to convert/encode my avi files into MPEG files. (I didn't change any of the settings on TMPGEnc-- used the vcd template.) I burned onto cd's and it worked. The quality is good. The only problem is a slight hiss on the audio. Also, TMPGEnc was set on "normal" Motion Search Precision. Would it improve the VCD playback quality to set it on
"High" or "Highest Quality"?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: gns on 2001-08-10 22:38:11 ]</font>

[nwooxl1]

Hi Gns

I'm in the same boat as you. I think I'm missing a step here (I'm a newbie).

I've captured my footage shot on a Canon XL1. Downloaded the footage via the firewire connection through Matrox RT2500 media software into Premiere 6. I've edited the footage and now am ready to kick it out to "avi?". Once this is done, I then use TMPGEnc to create the MPG file. Then I use Nero to create the VCD disc.

Is this the same process that you followed? I wasn't sure how you were able to use TMPGEnc to create your MPG file directly from your Videowave software. I'm assuming that you had to export your final version that you have edited in Videowave out to avi first.

Thanks

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: nwooxl1 on 2001-08-12 16:42:46 ]</font>