Capture video & encoding.

[dukehtran]

Hi,

When capturing off the air tv/camcorder movies & encode it to dvd format, I can only fit about 1hr. 10 min of high quality video to 4.3 GB DVD disc while I can fit almost 2 hrs. of high quality back up movies on the same disc. Are there differences the way we encode the DVD format vs. professional holywood studio? I am using Ulead movies factory software.

Also, it takes about 3-4 hrs. to encode 1 hrs. of DVI to MPEG2 format & I already using high end hardware. Are there any better software out there that would speed up this encoding process?

Happy holidays to all & thanks.

[freebird73717]

problem is probably in the bitrate. i don't think movie factory allows variable bitrate. i'm assuming you are capturing in direct mpg format. i would suggest looking for software that allows variable bit rate encoding. i use multimedia center from ati (only works if you have an ati card) and it allows vbr encoding. then i use movie factory to author the discs. you might try the tools section and look for capture software. many people here advocate cap'ing in avi format then using an encoder like tmpegenc to make the mpg file. they say it gives a better quality pic. just depends on your capabilties ie. harddrive size as avi cap'ing takes a lot of space and the encoding time is usualy several hours. hope this helps some

[dukehtran]

i don't think movie factory allows variable bitrate. i'm assuming you are capturing in direct mpg format...

... many people here advocate cap'ing in avi format then using an encoder like tmpegenc to make the mpg file...

--------

You are right! Ulead movie factory does not allow to change birate.
I captured in DVI format then encode it. From what I heard tmpegenc is also SLOW. Anyone knows how long it takes to encode 1 hr of DVI to MPEG2 using tmpegenc plus? Thanks.

[freebird73717]

yep tmpeg is slow. encoding time is relative to your processor speed. i have an amd 1 gig processor and tmpeg takes about 8 hour s to encode 1 an d half hours worth of avi. if you have a faster processor then you should be able to encode faster. what tmpeg lack s for in speed it makes up for in quality! CCE encoder is supposed to be quite abit faster but i've never tried it so i couldn't tell you for sure.

ps
you might fill out your profile. it will let people know your computer specs and help them to better answer your questions.

[dukehtran]

I am using a Dell:

P4 2.4 GHz
125 GB HD with 8 MB buffer 7200 RPM
1 GB DDR RAM
ADVC-100 capturing device
1394 PCI Firewire card.
Pioneer 106D DVD burner.

[dukehtran]

Anyone knows a good VCR software that will work with ADVC-100 capturing device? I've tried digital VCR but that did not work. Thanks.

[spectroelectro]

As far as getting the absolute max amoutn of time of encoded video on a DVD, one word: Rejig.
After you encode MPEG-2 video, run it through Rejig.
This freeware is a friggin' miracle. It can squish encoded MPEG-2 video wayyyyyyy down in size *without* introducing even the minor artifacts you get from DVDShrink or DVD2one. Moreover, Rjig is lightning fast. After 5 minutes to transcode a 2.5 gig MPEG-2 file down to 1.75 gigs, and on the video screen as well as WinDVD, the transcoded (rejigged) MPEG-2 looks exactly the same as the original.
I cannot possibly sing enough praises for Rejig. It has become an absolute staple of my video system, right up there with TMPGenc and VirtualDubMod and DVDLab.
---
Probably the best PVR software out there is Scenalyzer. Yeah, it costs $30, but that's cheap and it's worth it. Works like a champ and has tons of features.
If that doesn't work for you, try IuVCR, which also works very well but doesn't have nearly as many deluxe features as Scenalyzer.

[spiderman2k1]

CloneDVD is also very good for transocding to make DVD fit on a DVD-R

[rcb]

dukehtran -
I also use ScenalyzerLive with my advc-100 and am quite satisfied with the results.
Low cpu loads, timer, type 1 or dv option, multiple capture file options, good preview control....

They've got a trial version that you can check out.