Newbie - Information Overload

[davidross]

Hi to you all,

I've been playing with video capture and burning VCDs/SVCDs for a couple of weeks now. I have read hundreds of posts and downloaded numerous tutorials and am quite frankly suffering from information overload. Yet still I dont seem to be able to achieve my goal.

I want to quite simply convert my analogue camcorder movies to VCD / SVCD (not sure which one). Using VirtauDub I can capture excellent quality, no problem. I have experimented with 352x288, 480x576 and 704x576. All capture fine without frameloss using Huffyuv compression. Then the fun starts.

Using TMPGEnc & Winoncd i have then tried to encode and burn both VCDs and SVCDs. Frankly I just cant get the quality good enough. I was hoping to be able to match the quality of just plugging the camcorder straight into my VHS recorder. Its nowhere near as good. Ive tried various VirtuaDub filters and Tmpgenc settings but to no avail. There seems to be just too many setting permutations and so many conflicting pieces of advice.

Is it possible to do what I am after ? My resulting movie always seems to suffer from a lack of sharpness, ghosting and I seem to get hundreds of rectanglar blocks when ever water is about.

Has anyone got the 'Definitive guide' to this video authoring lark. ITS HARD !!!

Any help appreciated.

Cheers, Dave.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: davidross on 2001-07-07 08:32:04 ]</font>

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: davidross on 2001-07-07 08:32:56 ]</font>

[WMike]

I'm new at this too. I gotta tell ya, what I learned is that it's not only complicated to accomplish, but each system/setup is very different with many, many variables.

Here's what I've done. In addition to the reading, I've simply systematically (keeping a log and rating system) experimented with different software, formats, and different settings. Yeah, read the tutorials/BB's which give you the language, new ideas, and some basics. But then, buy yourself 100 cheap CD-R's, and make a whole bunch of coasters (or use CD-RW) using different settings and combo's of settings. In short order, you'll find those which give you the quality you desire.

For the record, I capture at 480x480, use the smart smoother and dynamic noise reduction filters in VDub, framserve to TMPGEnc beta H, process with the "high quality (slow) setting, automatic VBR (1000/2350), soften block noise feature at 50, and after insuring the field order is correct. I'll do some unique things depending on a particular capture, but the fundamental settings stay pretty much the same. This all works for me for my quality taste vs. patience, and for my hardware/software preferences. You'll likely need to discover your own.

HTH
Mike

[gambit32]

There is no "definitive" answer to any of this as far as I can tell. I'm not too far removed from being a newbie. I think what works best for you is really up to you. I also think most of the people on here just experiment with different settings and methods to achieve their results. This is almost a must since we don't all use the same type of media, we don't all have the same players, we don't all use the same original sources, we don't all convert to the same formats. In short, what's good for you may not work for someone else. Most of us also have a huge collection of coasters from our experiments. After reading and experimenting, eventually you end up with a formula that works for you and your equipment. Then you sit back with a cold one and put the cold one on your coaster as you watch your movie.