What bitrate to use?

[jbitakis]

What bitrate should I use when encoding my video? I want the best quality, the most crystal clear. I don't care how big the file is or how long it takes. I am looking for quality.
James

[mats.hogberg]

See What Is DVD top left for allowed bitrates. But the fact is, not all DVD players handle max allowed bitrate, so around 8000 kbps video would be my top.

/Mats

[guns1inger]

If you want it on DVD then you should care about the size and the bitrate. If you want to edit it then you should get your firewire fixed and transfer via DV instead.

[tinker]

Like guns1inger say. Tranfer your video by firewire as AVI (digital video) to your HD, than edit.
After all done output to DVD format with bitrate 8000-9000 kbs.

[mats.hogberg]

What's this talk about DV? Have I been missing something?

/Mats

[jman98]

Use a bitrate calculator to determine what bitrate you can use when encoding.
So as not to overwhelm a newbie, I would say that if your video is more than 80 minutes long, use Variable Bit Rate (VBR) encoding but use Constant Bit Rate (CBR) encoding for 80 minutes or less. For VBR, I recommend setting the average bit rate at the value the bit rate calculator suggests, the minimum bit rate at 1000 less and the maximum bit rate at 1000 more.

Ignore the advice about DV. It has nothing to do with what you want to do.
If you need a good MPEG editor, both VideoReDo and MPEGVCR work fine and both are "try before you buy" programs.

[Nelson37]

I-frame only, 15,000 MPG-2 is considered to be beyond the threshold of visible compression for standard source.

This will neither store nor play on standard DVD players.

The threshold numbers will be different for Xvid, Divx, H.264, VC-1, WMV, all others, also this will depend on source and resolution.

Playback ability and storage medium are a limitation as most of these would not play smoothly on the computer listed in the OP's spec, or on most DVD players. Standalone players of all types have maximum limitations on bitrate, PC are limited by speed needed for smooth play.

Identify your source type, resolution, method of obtainment, and desired codec to use, storage medium and intended playback device would also be important.

Otherwise we are just guessing.

[tinker]

Use a bitrate calculator to determine what bitrate you can use when encoding.
Ignore the advice about DV. It has nothing to do with what you want to do.
If you need a good MPEG editor, both VideoReDo and MPEGVCR work fine and both are "try before you buy" programs.

I am sorry to say, but if you start with Mpeg file, your quality will not going to get better, unless your original Mpeg was encoded at high bitrate (not DVD compliant).
To encode with higher bitrate than your original material will only increase file size, not quality.

[dphirschler]

Use a bitrate calculator to determine what bitrate you can use when encoding.
So as not to overwhelm a newbie, I would say that if your video is more than 80 minutes long, use Variable Bit Rate (VBR) encoding but use Constant Bit Rate (CBR) encoding for 80 minutes or less. For VBR, I recommend setting the average bit rate at the value the bit rate calculator suggests, the minimum bit rate at 1000 less and the maximum bit rate at 1000 more.

Ignore the advice about DV. It has nothing to do with what you want to do.
If you need a good MPEG editor, both VideoReDo and MPEGVCR work fine and both are "try before you buy" programs.

Set minimum to 0. Set Max based on your audio bitrate. For instance, if you use 384 AC3, then max should be 9406 according to the Videohelp Bitrate calc. Your min and max should be as low and high (respectively) as possible. This is often misunderstood. A zero min bitrate is completely within the DVD spec.


Darryl

[guns1inger]

What's this talk about DV? Have I been missing something?

/Mats

This was part of a scattergun set of posts that started with the OP having issues with his firewire card not seeing his camera, then quickly went on to a post about the poor quality of capturing through a USB capture device directly to mpeg, then to this post, then to another regarding the best compression (mpeg2 or mpeg4) for quality. The OP seems to impatient and hoping that throwing enough questions at the problem will solve it, rather than concentrating on getting the root cause resolved - ie why doesn't the firewire connection talk to the camera.

[jbitakis]

Hey gunslinger, I have been around the block and then some with trying to figure out why my camcorder's firewire does not work. I have called panasonic tech support 3 times, toshiba (my pc's manuf) 2 times. I have tested my camcorder on another computer and then finally I tested someone else's camcorder on my computer. Now that I have determined that it is the firewire port/dv port (and not the cable or my computer) of my panasonic camcorder, I OBVIOUSLY want it fixed, but no one can seem to tell me how to fix the firewire problem.
So instead of buying a new cam (which I may have to do anyway) In the meantime I am calling on you guys (the experts) to kinda help me out. Sorry if you don't like the way I post. I am a newbie so please be patient.
I just want to know what would give me the clearer picture, absent firewire (for now).
James

[DereX888]

Hey gunslinger, I have been around the block and then some with trying to figure out why my camcorder's firewire does not work. I have called panasonic tech support 3 times, toshiba (my pc's manuf) 2 times. I have tested my camcorder on another computer and then finally I tested someone else's camcorder on my computer. Now that I have determined that it is the firewire port/dv port (and not the cable or my computer) of my panasonic camcorder, I OBVIOUSLY want it fixed, but no one can seem to tell me how to fix the firewire problem.
So instead of buying a new cam (which I may have to do anyway) In the meantime I am calling on you guys (the experts) to kinda help me out. Sorry if you don't like the way I post. I am a newbie so please be patient.
I just want to know what would give me the clearer picture, absent firewire (for now).
James

since youre a n00b, I'd say get a $50 standalone dvd recorder and have it done that way. Nothing easier than that
To take a dive into analog capturing *because* your cam's port is supposedly bad, is kinda pointless. There is a lot to learn and you'll have million more questions. Take your cam to Panasonic's authorized service shop and have it fixed (if you cant replace the port yourself), or get a standalone recorder and make your DVDs thru analog connections of your cam. EVen on the shittiest/cheapest standalone, at HQ settings (or even SP), it will be probably as good as you'd expect from a DVD anyways.
Just my 0.02

[jbitakis]

Where do I get a standalone dvd recorder for $50? They all seem to be over $100 at most stores. And I am finished with used video equipment after buying this used panasonic mini dv camcorder and the firewire only working 1 time.

It sounds to me as though you are saying that transfering my dv video using the av out to the av in on the dvd recorder will be just as good if not better quality as transferring the video to my pc and trying to encode it to make it better. Plus it will be easier. But I won't be able to do any editing which is important to me.

I am confused about 1 thing: If I do take video out of the mini dv camcorder using the av out port, by using this av out port and transferring the video either to my pc or directly to a dvd recorder, is it making the video now ANALOG?
Because I thought that video recorded on a digital mini dv camcorder is DIGITAL always. Is this true?
James

[guns1inger]

It is recorded digitally on the tape. If you use the firewire port (which I know isn't working) then you are transferring the video data digitally, with no loss, to your PC. As soon as you use the AV ports, your camera converts the digital data to analogue. If you use composite video (the yellow plug, usually) instead of s-video you get substantially reduced image quality. If you use s-video the quality is lower than DV, as it is still analogue, but it is far better than composite.

[jbitakis]

So gunslinger what you are saying is that once you use that av out port, EVEN if going directly to a dvd recorder instead of into my computer 1rst and then burning to dvd, EVEN going directly to dvd recorder using the av out and then the yellow IN on the DVD recorder would give me analog (even though the footage was recorded with a mini dv (digital) camcorder? And s-video would still be analog but better quality than using the av out to yellow in port?
James

[akrako1]

Unless you're using Firewire, all other connections are analog (S-Video, yellow rca (composite video), etc). S-Video is higher quality then Composite Video (the one yellow rca plug). Use S-Video if you can. Most Stand-alone DVD Recorders and some capture cards have S-Video ins...

[jbitakis]

Well, until I get a new camcorder, I'll just keep using my 10yr old Sony hi-8 camcorder then. The captured video on it is better than the newer panasonic mini dv (since I have to use the analog right now) Can I use s-video to transfer video directly from the sony hi-8 to the dvd recorder?
James

[akrako1]

Can I use s-video to transfer video directly from the sony hi-8 to the dvd recorder?
James

Depends if the camera has a s-video output port, and if the DVD recorder has a S-Video input port. Do you know the model #'s?

[jbitakis]

I know the camcorder has s-video output. I have yet to purchase the dvd recorder but when I do (this week) I will make sure it has a s-video input.
James