best edit, encoding method for captured tv shows

[Jsantoy]

Hey all I need suggestions as to the best programs/method to archive my recorded tv shows. I have a Hauppauge wintv 250mce and I use sage tv to record. It records to a .mpg format (mpeg 2 I think). I need to 1) Edit out commercials\unwanted portions, and 2) Encode it to a smaller format for storage. I do not need or want to burn these to dvds for playback on a normal dvd player. I have an HTPC for playbackin my living room, and if I'm feeling froggy I have a laptop with s-video out if I want to watch anywhere else. I just want to encode to something small (like divx or xvid) so I can store a lot of them. I'm not concerned too much about quality, it doesnt have to be spectacular, just smooth playback and decent picture quality, just good enough to be watchable on a normal tv. I already have Womble MPEG2VCR for editing the MPEG files and it works pretty good. So really I just need a good prog to encode to a smal file size. But if someone knows of a better solution let me know. Thanx!

[thecoalman]

I'd just find an acceptable bitrate the card would encode to.The reason being that your going from one compressed format to a highly compressed format which never gives the same reuslts as going from example DV AVI right to <insert highly compressed format>. There's good chance you'll get just as good results from capturing direct to something along the lines as VCD as you would capturing to mpeg then encoding to <insert highly compressed format> Definitley do some comparisons.

That being said try out <puts on fireman's suit> MS Media Encoder, as a bonus it's free....

<ggod luck> :P

[junkmalle]

I use VirtualDubMPEG2 for converting PVR-250 MPEG files to XVID AVI. I usually capture with the 12 Mbit/sec template (720x480) in WinTV2000. Then I use XVID in Quantization mode (single pass, constant quality) at quality 3 (sometimes more, sometimes less) to compress to 640x480. I inverse telecine when possible (most of the time), otherwise I usually use a drop frame deinterlace.

[FulciLives]

Womble Multimedia makes a program called MPEG-VCR which is the BEST and EASIEST way to edit MPEG-2 video because not only does the program work extremely well but it will do no re-encoding of your video/audio except at the edit points (which is no big deal).

This way you can edit without re-encoding which is what you want otherwise if you re-encode (like convert to XviD) you would degrade the quality.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

*** EDIT ***
OK I just realized you are actually trying to do something like XviD or DivX but to retain quality you should just leave at MPEG-2 and burn to a DVD. After all even the highest quality DVD-R can be had these days for about 50 cents each.

[Jsantoy]

I have been messin with virtual dub for a bit and have run into a roadblock. It can compress fairly well but it changes the resolution of my tv recordings so that there is black bars on the top and bottom of the video, and it looks smashed. I am using the xvid codec in Quantization mode. Is there any way to specify output resolution?

[FulciLives]

I have been messin with virtual dub for a bit and have run into a roadblock. It can compress fairly well but it changes the resolution of my tv recordings so that there is black bars on the top and bottom of the video, and it looks smashed. I am using the xvid codec in Quantization mode. Is there any way to specify output resolution?

If you really want to create a DivX or XivD then try using Gordian Knot to help you create it. Of course Gordian Knot has no built-in editing but use Gordian Knot to at least get your AviSynth AVS script ... then you can import that into VirtualDubMod (notice I said VirtualDubMod) then edit then encode.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

Here is my guide on editing with VirtualDubMod and AviSynth:
https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=225951

[Baldrick]

Use the resize filter in virtualdubmod or virtualdubmpeg2, and the crop the black borders. Resize to a 4:3,16:9 size(depending yoour source) and use lancsoz resiziing.

Or try DVX or AutoGK for mpeg2 to DivX or XviD.

[gadgetguy]

Use the resize filter in virtualdubmod or virtualdubmpeg2, and the crop the black borders. Resize to a 4:3,16:9 size(depending yoour source) and use lancsoz resiziing.

I have read repeatedly not to resize interlaced video. Since these were recordings of broadcasts, wouldn't they be interlaced?

[FulciLives]

Use the resize filter in virtualdubmod or virtualdubmpeg2, and the crop the black borders. Resize to a 4:3,16:9 size(depending yoour source) and use lancsoz resiziing.

I have read repeatedly not to resize interlaced video. Since these were recordings of broadcasts, wouldn't they be interlaced?

There is a proper way to resize interlaced video.

Also if the end result is DivX/Xvid then it will be deinterlaced or an IVTC performed on it.

So the resize issue you bring up is moot.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman