Plextor Convertx MPEG woes

[frameless]

I am using the ConvertX PX-TV402U with WinDVR and get excellent results with DivX. When I try to capture to MPEG (for easier burning to DVD) the results are choppy. While there are no video-audio sync problems, every few seconds compression artifacts are apparent. Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong? Why would DivX succeed and MPEG fail?
I have the latest updates/drivers from Plextor.

CPU: 2.4 Ghz
RAM: 768 MB

[mikiem]

Try another encoder? Try capturing at max bitrate, different settings, or all I frame (will have to be re-encoded)?

[FulciLives]

Doesn't this device auto de-interlace all video input?

If so then that is a bad thing ... at least for MPEG-2 DVD creation.

You kinda have a crappy ass video capture card ... sorry.

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[SHS]

You know it helps if post screen of the problem so tell what kind of artifacts it is
John there only one hardware device I know of that dose de-interlace in hardware all rest are done by soft decoder.

[jagabo]

ConvertX encodes with a blend deinterlace by default:

http://forums.divx.com/groupee/forums/a/tpc/f/996105602/m/269107342

The initial post is a year old so things might have changed since then.

frameless, when you say the video is choppy, do you mean when viewing the MPEG file on the computer or when viewing on TV via a DVD player?

[frameless]

[quote="jagabo"]ConvertX encodes with a blend deinterlace by default:

frameless, when you say the video is choppy, do you mean when viewing the MPEG file on the computer or when viewing on TV via a DVD player?

No just on the computer. (I don't have a card with video-out yet.)

...

I did a little research at it appears that the artifact is 'blockiness'- every few seconds it appears that the image is jostled a bit.

mikiem asks if I can use a different encoding. The software (WinDVR) doesn't seem to provide many options (are these settings hidden somewhere?) other that EP,SP,LP and so forth for MPEG formats.

jagabo,
Thanks for the link. I'll test those recommendations later...

Many thanks to all who responded.

[jagabo]

frameless, the site I linked to only discusses the blend deinterlace issue. I don't think there's anything there that will help with your playback problem.

Do you only get the problem while capturing or is it also present when you playback previously captured material?

Try opening one of your captured MPEG files in VirtualDubMPEG2. Step through the video (use left and right arrow keys to single step through frames). Do you see any problems?

[pfh]

Unfortunately the crappy Intervideo s/w supplied won't let you control enough encode parameters to achieve the best quality. Too make matters worse Plextor hasn't released any updates in over a year. Their response is to tell us to PURCHASE the new and improved Plex Tools XP. Looking at the capabilties of PlexTools it would seem that they did in fact add a lot of options to squeeze as much out of the WIS chip in the ConvertX. The best results I got were using GoCap and adjusting the GOP size and bit rates- something you can't do with Intervideo. However, you can't schedule a recording with GoCap. PlexTools can plus change capture parameters for quality. Last time I checked, PlexTools was time trial basis with a $50 price tag.