TMPGEnc encode of DV not as good as uncompressed AVI version

[scottb721]

I captured some stuff off my DV camera.
Loaded it straight into TMPGE (which reported it as non-interlaced for some reason) and encoded to a 6M/s DVD mpeg. Turned out very poor quality. Had lots of "blockyness" along edges and in movement.

I then loaded the DV file into an editor and output an uncompressed interlaced AVI. Loaded this into TMPGE and again encoded to a 6M/s mpeg. This one turned out great and looked exactly like quality on the tape.

Any thoughts on why picture degraded when encode directly from the DV capture ?

Thanks

[daamon]

Hi scottb721,

Use GSpot on the original DV AVI and then the one that's been output as uncompressed. See if you can spot any abnormalities.

What are you using to "capture"? Try WinDV - It's free and very good.

Are you capturing to type 1 or 2 DV AVI? Try both with WinDV - see if either one is better.

An outside chance is that you DV cam could be corrupting the encoding it to DV AVI . Though I've never heard of it...

I presume you're using firewaire and not USB...

[scottb721]

Thanks Daamon.

I'm capturing using Ulead's MediaStudio Pro capture app.
DV type 1 capture with Firewire
The DV capture looks great on playback.

Tmpge just doesn't seem to keep the quality that the original has. Perhaps there are setting that could be changed in Tmpge to better suit DV.
I'm just using default settings.

[daamon]

I think TMPGEnc has issues with type 1. If possible, capture to type 2 with Ulead - or use WinDV, that definitely does it and it's small and free.

I capture to type 2 DV AVI all the time and use TMPGEnc to encode and have never had problems.

[guns1inger]

I have never liked tmpgenc's output from DV sources. I use eiher mainconcept out Vegas, or CCE.

[daamon]

I have never liked tmpgenc's output from DV sources.

What about it is it you don't like? I've always used TMPGEnc coz it's the first one I ever used and thought "Wow! I can make DVDs!".

I shall be doing a couple of weddings this year, and that started me thinking "I wonder what results would be like with anything other than TMPGEnc"...

[guns1inger]

It seems to accentuate interlace and increases any artifacts present in the source in ways that the others dont. For me it just doesn't produce the same quality of output. It's a personal thing, and I know many who are happy with it.

My other major issue with tmpgenc against the other two is speed. They are both significantly faster on my system.

[daamon]

Ah yes, the speed... That old chestnut. It's interesting about the other things though.

Do the other two only work in RGB, like TMPGEnc? If I Were to go for trying one of the others, what would be your suggestion. I'm capturing DV AVI from a 3CCD Canon XM2 (also known as GL2) and encoding at full D1 for DVD, no longer than around 90 mins.

[fmctm1sw]

Do the other two only work in RGB,

This was what I was going to bring up. I don't know about the blockiness issues but you may want to watch the colorspace conversions.

[scottb721]

Just to close this thread and as stated in the Advanced Converison forum I found the problem,

Some how "AVI2(open DML) file reader" was above "Directshow file reader".
As soon as I unticked AVI2 the TMPGEnc output was great.

AVI2 file reader was also making the TMPGE Project wizard think the DV file was non-interlaced.

[glenpinn]

hi there.
i ust tmpgenc 3.0 xpress to encode dv-avi too.
sometimes use MainConcept if i dont need to do basic editing like in tmpgenc.
MainConcept does a 2 pass encode of a 1 hour file in 2 hrs flat, where as tmpgenc takes 5 or 6 hrs to encode, but tmpge is better output quality than mainconcept, that much has been proved.

use DVIO 1.3 (its free) to transfer (not capture) your dv to pc in dv-avi, tmpgenc will encode this absolutely perfectly, and u should transfer in type 2 i think anyway for better results.

i personally use all tmpge software, plus dvd-lab pro, and find these to be about as good as u can get in making dvd.

have a nice day.....GLEN

BTW, u have to remember that the quality of an mpeg file is not going to be as good as the dv-avi file, thats just reality