the best format

[mbeqq]

I've read through all the info regarding dvd ripping however some of the information is too general (for example, mpeg4 and svcd are said to have good quality, yet, I find svcd of better quality, plus, the screen size of svcd is larger (i guess i can change that during ripping); further, it is not clear whether xsvcd is of the same quality as svcd because both rated good yet some refer to xsvcd as of better quality).

i would like to rip ~90 min dvd in the best quality possible to be fit into ~2GB and be watched on my computer (not necessarily a standalone dvd player). Which format shall I use?

[BJ_M]

there is nothing like asking a question that will cause a lot of debate .. as a 2gig file leaves the door open for both DiVX or mpeg2 ..

[mbeqq]

So, there is no consensus on which is better, DivX, SVCD or XSVCD in terms of quality ?

[hwoodwar]

I agree with BJ_M many people have mixed opinions as to the quality diference between DivX, SVCD or XSVCD.

I may be wrong (and if I am, someone will correct me, I expect) but I don't think there is a DivX standard, in particular as far as bitrate and resolution.

I know there is no "XSVCD" standard. It is simply taking the SVCD standard and changing some specification to outside of those limits. This is usually done by increasing the video bitrate and/or increasing the resolution. There are certain bitrates and resolutions that have a much higher chance of working on standalone DVD players.

In "my" opinion, the main standards for standalone DVD players (you may be using your computer only, I'm not sure.) are VCD, CVD, SVCD and DVD. That same order goes from lowest to highest as far as video bitrate (on this CVD and SVCD are the same), and resolution.

I personally prefer to capture to CVD and rip to SVCD.

[mbeqq]

I see, so if I then increase the bitrate from 2.5 to 5MB/sec I would get SVCD of much better quality (and perhaps of larger size) and would be able to play it on my computer (I do not really care about standalone players).

[hwoodwar]

Yes, if all other factors are equal higher bitrate equals higher quality. The size of the file will increase as well. That is "one" of the primary reasons DVD is better quality than SVCD.