Dish Network Capture to Final Render - my solution

[neo]

I have spent months working on capturing from Dish Network to hard drive files so in response to an email I will tell you all I learned.

I have spent months working on this and have everything perfect for me. I am saving on a hard drive so I needed the smallest file size. I have looked at a lot of hardware and software. If you go to the capture card reviews you will see the Canopus ADVC-100 gets the best reviews. It has AV sync which the cheaper devices lack.

I like Ulead VS6. I would get the new version 7 but I like working in 800x600. I capture and edit in DV AVI.

If going to DVD things are not as critical in terms of file size. I would use UL VS 6 or 7. It is a waste to do the final compression/render higher than the source. Dish Network uses 480x480. Direct TV uses a higher horizontal resolution around 540 (check the thread). If going to DVD you want to stay with the standard so use either 720x480 or the slightly smaller resolution if you want. Just check the DVD standards here on the site.

I am saving to hard disk file so I wanted the smallest file size. I tried DivX but it never gave quality no matter how high the bit rate. I use TMPGEnc because it is the best MPEG-2 encoder I could find. I tried them all I think including the MPEG-4 encoders. I can capture a 140 min movie in 1 GB with no quality loss that I can see.

Hope this helps.

neo

[redwudz]

Thanks, neo for the information. Could you tell us what settings you use with TMPGEnc?

[FulciLives]

Ummm ...

Where is the MAGIC in this thread?

I want to make sure I "get" what you are saying.

1.) Capture from the analog A/V output provided on the Dish Network receiver to your Canopus ADVC-100 capture device.

2.) This records a DV file to your computer. It sounds like you use Ulead VideoStudio 6 for your capturing and editing of the file.

3.) Take your final DV file (which is edited etc.) and encode to MPEG-2 using TMPGEnc using either 720x480 for NTSC FULL D1 or 352x480 for NTSC HALF D1 or you could use 352x240 but that would probably suck donkey balls in quality although it is a NTSC DVD complaint resolution.

OK now I'm confused because you are saying that you can capture a 140 minute movie in about 1GB

This doesn't make any sense.

We got a very basic no frills capture guide that should give you a DV file that is around 13GB per hour but then an end result of 140 minutes which you claim is MPEG-2 and only 1GB in size.

I really am not trying to be rude but ...

Something is not adding up here!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[ssi1975]

I capture video from dish network with advc 100 and ulead video studio 7
directly to dvd format(720x480) 5000 bitrate video,audio mpeg2(192 kbps) And I can capture on one dvd-r about 150 minutes.the quality is excellet to me.

[FulciLives]

I capture video from dish network with advc 100 and ulead video studio 7
directly to dvd format(720x480) 5000 bitrate video,audio mpeg2(192 kbps) And I can capture on one dvd-r about 150 minutes.the quality is excellet to me.

Well 5000kbps is not a bad VIDEO bitrate for Full D1 (720x480) although if you are using MP2 audio you might want to consider using 224kbps instead of 192kbps. Even crapola VCD uses 224kbps MP2 audio.

192kbps is often used for AC-3 audio that is only 2 channels but remember that MP2 doesn't compress as well as AC-3 so for 2 channel MP2 it is not recommended to go under 224kbps

My point with the other person (who started this thread) is that he claims that he can fit 140 minutes into 1GB using MPEG-2 which doesn't make any sense.

You can fit 150 minutes on a DVD but a DVD is about 4.37GB so imagine trying to make that 150 minutes fit 1GB or 1/4 the size of a full DVD disc and now maybe you see my point!

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[neo]

Let me clarify. Personally I do my final rendering to files on a 250 GB hard drive so TMPGEnc and its setting are very important to me.

The person that emailed me wanted to capture to DVD. Since there is so much more room on a DVD one need be much less concerned with file size since there is 4.5 GB+ available. So one can afford wasted resolution (you can't get a higher resolution than the source) and compression that is not as high.

I have worked with DivX and it will not give me high quality no matter how high the bitrate. It had artifacts. I tried Main Concept's latest and it has artifacts at low bitrates.

So I have tweaked the settings on TMPGEnc to give me the smallest file size with no quality loss from my source which is 480x480. I have not heard of anyone else keeping their video library on hard disk. If any one is interested just post something and I will let you know the TMPGEnc settings that I have found the best.

neo

[lordsmurf]

I also fail to see the grand picture or "magic"...

[TBoneit]

I fail to see where that old 480 resolution fact comes from. All the ones I have opened directly from them are 544 by 480 or 640 by 480. the 640 by 480 are usually from the premiums.

The 544 by 480s play fine on my dvd players with no conversion. I just patch the headers, add to the autoring program, unpatch, trim/edit and author.

Cheers

[gcutler]

Have you noticed any difference amongst different Dish recievers? I usually record to my 508 and then capture at my leisure. Using S-Video and at least 5000kbps @ 740x480 the results have been really nice (much better than VHS, and pretty close to DVD quality) But that is also dependant on the signal sent by dish as overcompression on their transponders is always a worry...

[neo]

I have researched this extensively and all normal Dish Network channels are at the most 480x480. DirectTV uses a 544 (?) horiz. resolution. They may use a higher resolution on the PPV channels.