Best way to go from MJPEG (1280x720) to small file size keeping quality

[Mysteriouskk]

What is the best way to go from a large MJPEG video at 1280x720 to something smaller in size, not resolution to be able to post on the web? Can I just use one program, or will I need to use multiple programs and steps to reach a good quality video for the internet.

I believe I'm looking around 0.3-0.5 MB/sec for 1280x720 video.

Should I use wmv, xvid, h264, x264, etc?

[Midzuki]

0.5 Mb/s is too low for 1280x720, even if you use AVC/H264.
WMV3 or XviD would require around 5000 kbps for getting acceptable
quality @ 1280x720. Currently videos for the web are not practical
when above 640x480 (IMO at least).

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[Mysteriouskk]

HD 1280x720 stuff on gametrailers is around 0.4-0.5 MB/sec. How can I make it like those videos?

[Soopafresh]

I can see that being possible for 720x400 res, but 1280x720 is gonna have artifacts at 500B.

[Midzuki]

So it was a misunderstanding... apologies =^.^=;
you were talking about Megabytes per second,
I was thinking about megabits per second --- not
the same thing of course. Anyway, I have just downloaded
and watched a 1280x720 demo video from gametrailerzdotcom ---
it is 2 min 20 sec long, 55.4 MB big, and the average bitrate is
382 kB/s == 3050 kbps. Naturally, it plays back in slight slow-motion
on my low-powered Pentium IV, and the audio cannot be kept in
sync with the video. Time for me to get a hardware upgrade,
I'm afraid.

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[Mysteriouskk]

So what is the best program /codec to use to make it look like gametrailer's videos?

[Midzuki]

For WMV3: Windows Media Encoder or WMVmuxer
( you can use VirtualDub + the WMV3 VfW codecs if you prefer the AVI container ^_^ )

For AVC: x264 ( long and steep learning curve ^.^;; ) or encavc & mp4muxer
(apparently easier)

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[Mysteriouskk]

How do I know if the source is 30fps or 60 or whatever eventhough my capture devices captures at 59.97 fps?