Compression blues.....

[gagnonf]

Hi!

I have been working at video editing for a few years now (starting with the olde Pinnacle stuff and moving on to the newest Premiere and Matrox stuff).

My challenge is that I know have piles of 8mm video tapes that are getting old and bad quality by the day. I would like to compress them in a format that is both economical and high quality (I know, I know.....).

I have been considering and playing with many codecs around and whatever way I can never seem to achieve some of the quality I've seen out of the DIVX or XVID codecs around. I've tried MPEG2, but it is very space intensive (at least that's my baseline, can I do better).

I've looked at the tutorials on this web site and on Doom9, I have all the codecs and tools around, but can't seem to figure out the bloody settings as far as bitrate, etc... that will give me a decent quality (and I understand that quality is in the eye of the beholder, but let's say quality comparable to the VHS or 8mm tapes I'm compressing, not better).

I'm getting suicidal over this issue. Anybody can point out to me a place where I could find this information??

Thanks!

FG

[hexxisoft]

i'd cap them at D1 and burn to DVD-R.

[Sillyname]

Hi!

I have been working at video editing for a few years now (starting with the olde Pinnacle stuff and moving on to the newest Premiere and Matrox stuff).

My challenge is that I know have piles of 8mm video tapes that are getting old and bad quality by the day. I would like to compress them in a format that is both economical and high quality (I know, I know.....).

I have been considering and playing with many codecs around and whatever way I can never seem to achieve some of the quality I've seen out of the DIVX or XVID codecs around. I've tried MPEG2, but it is very space intensive (at least that's my baseline, can I do better).

I've looked at the tutorials on this web site and on Doom9, I have all the codecs and tools around, but can't seem to figure out the bloody settings as far as bitrate, etc... that will give me a decent quality (and I understand that quality is in the eye of the beholder, but let's say quality comparable to the VHS or 8mm tapes I'm compressing, not better).

I'm getting suicidal over this issue. Anybody can point out to me a place where I could find this information??

Thanks!

FG

If they are truly only 8mm, then archive them to VHS. VHS, being the same resolution as 8mm but bigger tape means longer shelf life and less susceptable to dust. If they are Hi8, then try SVHS.

[macleod]

If your hardware is a capture card (cheapo AT-TV tuner), you can capture initially at anything over 352x480. I havent done a software cap in who knows how long, but there are codecs made by pegysus that you can use). straight avi is the best way (VERY minimal compressesion) and then from there convert to half d-1 (352x480) which is arguably the resolution of the original at a bit rate in the 2000's with TMPGENC, CCE or procorder or whatever encoder you have. You'll be able to get around 35 minutes onto each CD, if that is your end media.

If you have a dv camcorder with a passthrough feature, you can use that as your campture device. Much better results and then convert with TMPGENC, CCE, procorder or whatever. Again 25 minutes onto CD's

Your best, less costly alternative with great quality is to use a standalone dvd recorder like the panasonic E30, capture XP/SP (1/2 hr) mode onto dvdr or dvdram. Then put it into your computer and convert or author to DVD with menus and whatnot.

You want to stay away from XVID/DIVX/avi (the compression type) if you ever plan on converting to another format in the future (if you plan on leaving it on a CD forever, then that might be the way to go for space sake). Those formats use "crazy" compression to reduce the file size and conversions from this format to another format will usually give you worse results (not an absolute statement), but there is the golden rule that EVERY time you convert something, you LOSE something.

[maghera]

If you have a dv camcorder with a passthrough feature, you can use that as your campture device. Much better results and then convert with TMPGENC, CCE, procorder or whatever



this is the way i would go mate