Best Video Codec

[deedub666]

I use Pinnacle to edit my captured video and re-write the .avi file for authoring.

My question is which is the best video codec to use for compression while maintaining the greatest picture quality?

My current choices within Pinnacle are:

DV Video Encoder
Cinapak Codec by Radius
Indeo Video 5.10
Intel Indeo Video R3.2
Panasonic DV Codec
PicVideo MJPEG Compressor
Pinnacle MPEG-4

Please let me know what you recommend from the above list or if there is a codec I should download.

Thanks,

D.W.

[jimmalenko]

My question is which is the best video codec to use for compression while maintaining the greatest picture quality?

If *best quality* is the key, then you'd be better off IMO using a lossless codec such as huffyuv or the picvideo MJPEG. If *file size* is a concern, then we're looking at DivX or XviD.

[ramin]

Hi all

I always use XviD, but recently i've seen 3vix codec (it's been a while since I copied a DVD ). I think it's somehow similar to XviD plus it's faster. What do you think?

[guns1inger]

It also depends what you are going to do with the video. Divx and Xvid are great delivery methods for final output if you need small size, but are awful if you need to recompress during editing. If you are coming from a DV camera, stick with DV until you author, or use a lossless codec. Don't use anything that applies harsh compression, or you will lose a lot of quality when you author.

[ramin]

yep you're right

[lordsmurf]

How about none? Uncompressed.

[EwanG]

One other thing I haven't seen considered in these discussions is "future viability". IOW, which codec(s) are likely to still be available in 3-5 years?

It's thinking about that which makes me wonder if I shouldn't be looking at one of the Open Source codecs out there.

[jimmalenko]

One other thing I haven't seen considered in these discussions is "future viability". IOW, which codec(s) are likely to still be available in 3-5 years?

It's thinking about that which makes me wonder if I shouldn't be looking at one of the Open Source codecs out there.

Available to who ? you ? that's easy. keep the install files and you can install the codec on any machine at a later date.

The public ? If you use a lossless codec now, you can always re-encode with the flavour of the month in 3-5 years time.