SatStorm's advices for the new Video Enthusiast

[Farnk]

SatStorm - a wonderful article. Living in the age of Too Much Information , I have been reading and reading for 2 months, trying to find a simple, yet informative article on where to start. After 2 months, I find your to be the best.

Again, Thank You.
Farnk

[jimbo82]

Hey excellent guide man, love it how you explain everything, makes total sense.

Thanks allot

[SatStorm]

Well, I'm happy to read that this old article of mine, is still usefull! thanks!!!

[ClaesPo]

SatStorm, fantastic artical. Is it all up to date? I have Videoes that I have to move forward. I was thinking of using my Premiere Pro 1.5 or upgrade to CS4 and then live everly after happy. Shal I go for all your suggestions insted? Regards Claes

[SatStorm]

Hi!
This is an ancient article, from ancient times, which we use to let our PCs for 16 (or more) hours work at night, for one simply SVCD!
It needs heavy updating. My irritating writing style, come from an age I was much younger (and my English skills was half my current ones).

Beyond that:
Well, today most won't use mpeg 2 based solutions, DVD is out of fashion. Today most focus on H264, BD and some stuck with DivX/XviD, because most current DVD players suppport them. Back then, a DivX DVD player was SciFi, AFAIK.

But the principles of the article, remain the same, if you are interest for DVD. What changed, is the fact that DVD standalone Recorders with HDD, can do a great job and they are cheap. Still, the old capture root with PC may present better visual results, especially if you combine them with the "neat video" commercial filter and Demon's Video Enhancer utility (if you wish to upscale). But compared what you can have with a good Pioneer DVD Standalone Recoder for example, the difference is not so huge for average and good sources, by going the PC root.
Restoring old VHS tapes is another matter through. A dedicated PC can make miracles with bad sources. But it needs time.

Overall, the cost of a good DVD Recorder is definitely less building a PC for our hobby. The picture quality from a DVD Recorder is about 90% what you can get with a PC, but in realtime. If you feel that you need that extra quality and your target are DVDs, follow this root.

Things changed a lot the last years. Once upon a time, you needed a HTPC to playback mkv, ogg or even h264 files. Now, you can get a popcorn hour or that cheap western digital box, with around 100 euros, and do the same and somehow better.

Personally, I still capture my VHS tapes with my Canopus AVC100 capture card (and my ACE GTH Electronics TBC) and then filter the result on Virtualdub, frameserving to TMPGEnc 2.5 and burn authored DVDs.
I never liked DivX/XviD, only H264 interest me beyond mpeg 2. But I don't see any reason for other to follow those solutions today.

A DVD recorder is more than enough for most people.

[ClaesPo]

Wow, you are alive! Din´t think I would get a respons on my Q. Thank you. I do want to take care of some old VHS stuff so I will follow our path.
Is there any BD recorders that is doing a good jobb?