DV camcorder to VCD - Lousy quality

[BIGDOGRH]

OK-I am for sure a newbie, but I have read the how to's and searched the forums but can't quite figure my problem out.

I have copied a DVD to VCD and all is well, using Eazy VCD, TEMPGEnc and Nero - no problems, very happy with quality of end result.

The problem-the main thing I want to do is get my tapes from my DV camcorder onto CD's in VCD format. I have accomplished it but the quality of the final VCD when viewed on the TV is in a word lousy. They are grainy, streaky, jumpy, etc, etc.

I am capturing using the USB connection and the software that came with the camera(sony) which is pixela image mixer.

I did notice that the captured file itself does not look all that great-so am I going about capturing the wrong way for decent quality? If not any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Craig Tucker]

If this is DV you should be transferring you your PC via firewire. This is a transfer not a capture so the file on you PC should be the same quality as the DV tape. Because of hand shake during filming with a comcorder it requires plenty of bitrate when encoding to get a good quality output. VCD does not quite cut it really for DV camcorder footage. If your DVD player supports it give SVCD a try.

[BIGDOGRH]

OK-I guess I am even more of a newbie than I thought, so what is the difference between me transfering thru my usb with image mixer and transferring using firewire?

To be honest-I don't really even know the difference

[Tommyknocker]

Once you see the difference, you willnever ask again.

[BIGDOGRH]

OK-I guess since I don't know, I probably don't have a firewire. So, is my next step, getting myself to the computer store and buying a firewire card? or??

[hoyboy]

The main difference is in speed of transfer. USB tfrs at around 12m/bits per second, where firewire can tfr at up to 400m/bits per second. A firewire card is fairly cheap, but if you get a bundle with a program that does vcd's it can be worth paying a bit more. I got ulead Videostudio 5 with my firewire card and it oes ok for me- maybe if I pushed it a bit more it would need upgrading but it's ok for the moment.

[BIGDOGRH]

So, if I need to get a firewire card does anyone have any recomendations, or cards to stay away from.

[hoyboy]

They all seem much the same, some hav a combination of firewire/usb2 which might be useful later on

[Craig Tucker]

OK-I guess I am even more of a newbie than I thought, so what is the difference between me transfering thru my usb with image mixer and transferring using firewire?

To be honest-I don't really even know the difference

I am not farmiliar with the hardware that you have but are you doing a digital transfer via usb or are you doing an analogue capture. If it is the latter then you could be capturing to a lossy format, rather than transferring with no loss in quality. So before you even start encoding you have already introduced losses in image quality. Anyway firewire is definately the way to go. Cards are cheap aroung £20

[BIGDOGRH]

What I am doing now is a digital video (from my camcorder) transfer via my usb using the pixella image mixer software, but from the sound of what everyone is saying I should not bother with that and go with the fire wire-have I got it right?

[Craig Tucker]

Yes definately firewire