What is the Best Hardware and Software for Making SVCD?

[bryanjohnfields]

I know this has probably been posted, I did a search and gave up looking for it after several Screens.

I stayed away from SVCD's because MPEG2 Capture Cards were expensive. When I would convert a AVI to MPEG2 I had a hard time editing it and playing it on my Computer. If I Burned it to CD, My computer wouldn't play it.

Then one day a friend gave me a few Video's on SVCD. I was skeptical at first, but he convinced me they would play on my Pioneer DVD Player so I tried them.

WOW! I found that SVCD looked much better than VCD. It was even better than the xVCD's I was creating. Now I am hooked I only want to make SVCD’s but I don’t want to Capture a large AVI then spend many hours converting it to a MPEG2.

Can someone recommend a Capture Card that will do realtime compression and allow me to adjust the bit rate so I can fit an hour show on a CD after I take out the commercials? I also need to know what is the best Software for editing the MPEG2 files. I have had no luck playing or editing them on my machine. I had someone tell me that I need a MPEG2 decoder, is this true?

Thanks In advance.



*******************************************

Bryan's VCD Page

[tgpo]

This is the one instance that I can't suggest a MAC; if you're looking for SVCD software.

[mrtristan]

ATI AIW will do the job.

[bryanjohnfields]

mrtristan, can you give me a little more info on using the ATI AIW?

I am running a AMD 1.4ghz. I was told that because it does software compression the AIW doesn't work well with an AMD, something about an instruction set missing, or something like that.

I convinced a friend to buy one. He was using an AMD 800mhz, after following every possible tweak we could find, he nor I were happy with the output. I know the ATI can do great captures. I have gotten (S)VCD from traders that look great. But I am afraid my hardware is not going to get me there.

Also, I want to still be able to use the computer while I capture. That is why I asked about Hardware compression. I have been told that the AIW pull 90% of the processor capturing SVCD on a P4 1.6ghz machine.

Thanks

[Sulik]

SVCD captures takes about 35% of the CPU (settings maxed out) using MMC 7.6 on my P4-1.8A