Captured .avi file is massive!

[tzamroor]

Hi to all you crazy people...

So, I got the firewire card and ulead 6 and I can capture from my miniDV cam and everything seem to be fine. 8)

HOWEVER - when I capture in AVI format, the file is HUGE -
over 4GB for 20 minutes video!!!

Now, the hole idea was to make DVD quality disks of my home videos rather than the dodgy old VHS tapes. If any of you download films from the net in AVI format, you know that a good avi film is well under 1gig.

So, how do I make my home videos a bit smaller, so I can fit more than 20 minutes on one DVD-R? Before you ask, I tried to capture in MPEG and SVCD and although the size was much more acceptable, the quality was well dodgy!!!

Do I need to convert the end avi file further?

Thanks, Tzamroor

[Heywould3]

avi has a few codecs.. you obviously used uncompressed avi. sounds alot like DV actually from the size... there is AVI xvid avi Divx avi huffy etc.. divx/xvid are mpeg 4 compression and compress a large 2 hour movie down to under 1gig depending on the bitrate.. you jsut need to convert it.. look around here for guides on conversion.. lots to help you

[jimmalenko]

It is not actually true to say "capture" when going via firewire. It is actually just a transfer of DV-AVI, which takes up 13.2GB per hour. This is normal. If you now want to store this as AVI on your computer, open up the massive AVI in virtualdub, then configure it to use either DivX, XviD or any other high-compression codec, and save out to a new file.

[tzamroor]

Guys!

You are the bom!!!
Thanks very much for the advice.
I will try and I am sure, as I know you know your stuff....,
I will have good results.

Thanks again, Tzamroor

[doppletwo]

I recently did my first DV data transfer with Firewire.


You get huge files


Run is through DVD creating software like Nero Vision Express or Cyberlink PowerProducer.


Or if you can use something better than either of those, but those are really easy. THe wizards guide you through it, but the menus are very professional.

[doppletwo]

Mister Malenko I don't mean to argue, but he wants to make a DVD.

Isn't changing it to DivX or XviD and extra step?


Shouldn't just use some DVD creating software and skip the step of converting it to DivX or XviD?


Unless he has one of the DVD players that player any video file off of any data disc be it DVD or CD?


If I am wrong tell me but seems like an extra step.

[doppletwo]

I can't believe I said DV. That just means Digital Video all video files types are DV.

[bugster]

I can't believe I said DV. That just means Digital Video all video files types are DV.

Actually DV is accepted as meaning the format produced by DV camcorders, usually on miniDV tape. To distinguish from other types of digital video the codec used (divx, xvid, mpeg1/2 etc) is usually mentioned.

@tzamroor, if you want your home videos on DVD in decent quality the required steps are:-

1) transfer the DV to your HD using firewire (~13Gb per hour).
2) Convert to DVD compliant mpeg-2
3) Author to DVD-Video format (add chapters/menus if you want)
4) Burn.


Look in the guides section for help and advice on what tools to use. The 'all-in-one' tools preovide the simplest route but are quite restrictive and do not produce the best quality results possible.

[jimmalenko]

Please, call me Jim

No, you're right, sort of. If your intended output is on your computer, then DivX or XviD is gonna give you the best compromise between quality and file size. However, if you want to create VCD/SVCD/DVD, all you need to do is convert the transferred AVI file (the really big one) into DVD-compliant MPEG using TMPGEnc, CCE etc etc or any all-in-one tools if you don't want to get your hands dirty. So yes, there's no need to go the divx route if you intend to end up on VCD/SVCD/DVD.

... and no, DV-AVI is a standard 25Mbps video, 1536kbps audio. All video is certainly not DV in a videographer's world.

[doppletwo]

Yes you can convert then author, but if you are lazy like me just do it all in one step using one of the programs I mentioned or something similar. If you didn't buy your drive OEM it should come with some easy DVD software.

[jimmalenko]

Yes you can convert then author, but if you are lazy like me just do it all in one step using one of the programs I mentioned or something similar. If you didn't buy your drive OEM it should come with some easy DVD software.

but beware that you may be limited in what you can do, depending on the software you have. All-in-ones can be good for the quick n dirties, but they lack the full customisation of all options, which doesn't suit many of us. However, if you're happy with it, carry on

[doppletwo]

Yes I have to admit my menus suck. They suck hard.

But I do get great video quality still.


I make a DVD9 image with the wizards, then mount that on a virtual drive and run it through DVD Shrink. This does add and extra 15 minutes though.

But 15 minutes isn't that long since it takes my computer about 3 hours to convert 1.5 hours of video files into a DVD9.

But yes the menus are quit limited.

I really should learn to use some thing that makes good menus.

[bugster]

Yes I have to admit my menus suck. They suck hard.

But I do get great video quality still.


I make a DVD9 image with the wizards, then mount that on a virtual drive and run it through DVD Shrink. This does add and extra 15 minutes though.

Making your video oversized and the using DVDshrink is far from the route to great quality. Shrink is fine if you are only a few percent over the size of a DVDr, but witness the number of threads asking 'how much can you shrink without losing quality' and similiar and you should realise in most cases that better quality can be obtained by encoding to the correct size in the 1st place.

But then again, if you are happy with your process, thats all that really matters

[doppletwo]

Yes I have to admit my menus suck. They suck hard.

But I do get great video quality still.


I make a DVD9 image with the wizards, then mount that on a virtual drive and run it through DVD Shrink. This does add and extra 15 minutes though.

Making your video oversized and the using DVDshrink is far from the route to great quality. Shrink is fine if you are only a few percent over the size of a DVDr, but witness the number of threads asking 'how much can you shrink without losing quality' and similiar and you should realise in most cases that better quality can be obtained by encoding to the correct size in the 1st place.

But then again, if you are happy with your process, thats all that really matters

That''s what Movie studios do and that's what you always do when using DV-AVI

You start with over size video then compress it.

[doppletwo]

I want to know what you think you are doing when you start with a 25Mbps video file and end up with something that is 10Mbps or less.

[doppletwo]

Maybe I am doing the math wrong, but 25Mbps is Mos Def oversized is it not?

[doppletwo]

You have to try it before you knock it.

[mats.hogberg]

I want to know what you think you are doing when you start with a 25Mbps video file and end up with something that is 10Mbps or less.

It's called reencoding. DVDShrink doesn't reencode. It transcodes, a completely different process, faster than reencoding, with the downside of giving lower quality at the same file size.

/Mats

[doppletwo]

You have you have to try it.

Then you will be converts to the Dopple method.

[thecoalman]

You have you have to try it.

Then you will be converts to the Dopple method.

<chuckling> Actually what your doing is nearly same thing that the rest of us are doing, here's the difference. When you click on that giant button on the top of the screen to go to the next menu we're closing out a program and opening a new one with many more options available. As stated above those all-in-one's are fine especially to get your feet wet but if you want more options and better quality you need better apps.

If your looking for a simple program with more menu options give Ulead Video Studio a try. Ulead Movie Factory is a good one too if you gewt it in conjuction with Ulead Photoimpact because you can create menus that are customized to your heart's content in PI and import them into MF. You can also import them into VS.

[mats.hogberg]

You have you have to try it.

Then you will be converts to the Dopple method.

I don't have to try, as so many has tried before me, and witnessed of their results. Believe me:
Take a 10 GB mpeg file.
1) Transcode it down to 5 GB
2) Reencode it down to 5 GB
The 5 GB reencoded video will look significantly better than the 5 GB transcoded video. But it'll take about 3 times as long to reencode as to transcode (for a 1 pass reencode - many quality freaks do multiple pass VBR encoding, making the difference in time even bigger).

/Mats

[doppletwo]

I will try it your way. Then few both on 60 inch plasma to compare.

Maybe you could be right.

[anitract]

Maybe you could be right.

They usually are.

[Leoslocks]

Uncompressed AVI capture from sVideo tapes, about 70 gigs per hour.

TMPGEnc 2 pass Variable Bit Rate, 10bit DC component precision, Highest Quality Motion Search precision, about 14 hours.

My wife seeing herself playing softball 12 years ago, Priceless!

Minor adjustment to the settings to get the process quicker without losing quality was and is a learning process.

[bugster]

TMPGEnc 2 pass Variable Bit Rate, 10bit DC component precision, Highest Quality Motion Search precision, about 14 hours.

Try High, or even normal. You might be surpised by the reduction in encoding time for little to no noticeable quality loss.

[bugster]

I make a DVD9 image with the wizards, then mount that on a virtual drive and run it through DVD Shrink.

Thats where you could do better. Make it a DVD5 size to start with. If the tools you are using won't let you do that, get some better tools and learn how to use them.

[doppletwo]

Yes Bug you are right.

The software I use only allows the for the standard for encoding (HQ, SP, LP, and EP)


So for 1.5 hours of video I am forced to choose either HQ(60 minutes per layer) or SP (2 hours per layer).


I choose HQ and make a DVD9 image then shrink like I said.

I do get good results doing this.

I keep reading about people having problems with the Manual encoders.


I think a great analogy would be comparing Fuel effiecency of a Manual transmission to the Fuel effieciency of an Automatic transmission.


The Manual transmission is more effiecent only when the Driver is quite skilled. An mistakes in shifting gears and it is actually much less efficent.

[jimmalenko]

I keep reading about people having problems with the Manual encoders.

I'm sure that most will agree with me here when I say that it's actually the other way around - most have problems with or are disgruntled at the quality of All-in-softwares, because they don't give you enough options of flexibility to suit every single type of different situation. They might be fine for most downlaoded clips, but once you start capturing, splicing different parts from different DVDs together etc etc., you really need to be using the best tools you can afford if you want it done properly. Dedicated encoders have a steeper learning curve, but the end of the day, they are streets ahead of any all-in-one because of the number of different ways they can adapt to almost any video, and the way they do it in terms of quality. I think of all-in-ones as "jack-of-all-trades, master of none" softwares, in that they are good at what they do, but there are dedicated tools that can do each separate job better.

I do get good results doing this.

At the end of the day, that's all that matters. If you're happy doing it your way, carry on


Oh, and BTW, it's not considered good form around here to continually post consecutively - this isn't a chatroom If you've got comments to add, edit your previous post instead of making 3 or 4 seperate posts out of it

[lacywest]

Yes I have to admit my menus suck. They suck hard.

But I do get great video quality still.


I make a DVD9 image with the wizards, then mount that on a virtual drive and run it through DVD Shrink. This does add and extra 15 minutes though.

But 15 minutes isn't that long since it takes my computer about 3 hours to convert 1.5 hours of video files into a DVD9.

But yes the menus are quit limited.

I really should learn to use some thing that makes good menus.

What program are you using to make your DVD / menu ??

[doppletwo]

just use either Nero Vison Express or Cyberlink PowerProducer.


I am doing video from DV camcorder this weekend or next week. I am going to read up on TMPGEnc and figure out what other poeple use for menus.


The all in ones are easy, but I know I can do a lot better for menus at least.

I want to see if I can get significant improves in video quality. I am not sure how much of an improve ment I can get, because my picture quality is already great.