Analog capture/ Large sound files

[mallen]

I read here somewhere that some cards capture the sound in a different format than others. I was concerned becuase I couldn't fit alot of my captured analog video to DVD. What are the two types? I think one is PCM?

[mallen]

I think they are VBR and CBR? What ever I have the files are huge and I need to get another type of card.

[David K]

LPCM is the uncompressed sound format, and it is huge. The solution is converting it to compressed formats like ac-3 (dolby) or mpeg audio prior to authoring your DVDs.

CBR (Constant Bitrate) and VBR (variable bit rate) are terms that are usually used to indicate different types of video encoding. They are not audio formats.

[thecoalman]

What ever I have the files are huge and I need to get another type of card.

FYI most cards capture in PCM, the audio is converted either during the editing or authoring stage after capture. Check the options on whatever authoring/editing software your using. If there's no option for audio get another program.

[mallen]

I am using a Videoh PCI card to capture the analog. I can't figure out if the capture is where I could shrink the size or is it in the authoring step. My card only gives me the option of good, better, and best. Then I save the file as mpeg. There not much I can do there.

Then in the MyDVD program I convert to AVI with a Huffyuv compression. If gives me options of PCM, IMA ADPCM, Microsoft ADPCM, CCITT A-LAW and U-LAW. Are any of these better?

Then I export to Adobe Premiere to edit it and output it MPEG2 format. In Premiere there are tons of options. Maybe this is where I could trim it down?

When I was reasearching what card to buy it didn't give any specs about the capture settings ect. It doesn't even show it in the manual. So I would have never known how to compare all these cards.

[Nelson37]

An Mpeg file will contain Mpeg audio, or AC-3. Some authoring progs will convert an Mpeg file with mpeg audio to an mpeg video with seperate PCM sound file, resulting in a huge file. Sonic MyDVD does this. Solution is to use an authoring prog which accepts MPEG audio, or to convert audio to AC-3.

PCM is good quality, kinda the audio equivalent of AVI. But it is too large to be practical. AC-3 is DVD standard.

VBR and CBR can indeed be used for audio encoding, Variable Bit Rate often used with Divx. Constant Bit Rate more common for DVD, less synch issues.

[mallen]

An Mpeg file will contain Mpeg audio, or AC-3. Some authoring progs will convert an Mpeg file with mpeg audio to an mpeg video with seperate PCM sound file, resulting in a huge file. Sonic MyDVD does this. Solution is to use an authoring prog which accepts MPEG audio, or to convert audio to AC-3.

I don't see that MyDVD is making two separate files. Maybe it does but I just see one file. How could I tell so if I get another card/program I know if it makes a separate sound file?

[thecoalman]

I don't see that MyDVD is making two separate files. Maybe it does but I just see one file. How could I tell so if I get another card/program I know if it makes a separate sound file?

The video and audio is contained in one file.

[Nelson37]

Did a quick search on your card to figure out what you're doing.

Your capping in MPEG-2, converting to AVI, then editing in premiere and RECONVERTING to MPEG-2. Bad move, significant quality degradation.
Suggest cap in MPEG-2, then use an MPEG editor that does NOT re-encode, such as TMPGenc, MPEG2SCHNITT, VIDEOREDO, some others.

Sonic will seperate MPEG-2 audio and convert to PCM, then make VOB files which contain both audio and video. Plug in a 3.5 to 4 gig file, and if it says there is not enough space, this is what is happening. You can demux, convert audio to AC-3, remux, then burn with Sonic or use DVDLAB or TDA to author and burn, these accept MPEG-2 audio.

[mallen]

I don't know if it captures in Mpeg-2. The file type is "mpeg". Also the reason I went to AVI and then Mpeg2 is audio sync problems. So are you sure it captures in Mpeg2? I thought I had to convert to AVI and then use a codec to compress it before putting it on DVD?