Mpeg vs. Avi for VHS to DVD

[smartel]

Is mpeg2 always suggested for capturing ?
and capturing avi only for filtering purposes ??

is mpeg2 that bad for filtering ?
like say an mpeg2 , I frame only extra-high bitrate ...i can go up to 15M with a little videosoap

or just dvd compliant mpeg direct to disk

just a little afraid to lose a lot of time on filters , don't wanna go ahead too blindly

hardware side i think i can do something good
HR-S5800U , TBC-1000 , ATI AIW VE on an old athlon 1800+

trying to do quality on a 10 year old system

Happy New Year to All !!

Cheers !

[filmboss80]

Is mpeg2 always suggested for capturing ?
and capturing avi only for filtering purposes ??

Capturing to mpeg2 is only good if you want a quickie way to get it into a DVD authoring program without any alterations. However, you won't get the best possible quality for limited disc space, as you'll be capturing at a constant bitrate (CBR).

Note that .avi is just a container, and the codec within is the primary factor. A lossess avi codec like HuffYuv is great for filtering, effects, and frame accurate cutting. Even a lossy codec like DV is better than Mpeg-2, as it is less compressed and allows frame-accurate edits.

is mpeg2 that bad for filtering ?
like say an mpeg2 , I frame only extra-high bitrate ...i can go up to 15M with a little videosoap

Certainly, the higher the bitrate, the better. But Mpeg2 is already compressed quite a bit, and you will recompress it more when filtering. Mpeg2 deals with Groups of Pictures (GOPs), which means that an edit point will hit on an I-frame only (every half a second or so). If you want frame accurate cuts on P or B frames, you will need software that will recompress only around the affected GOPs. It is still not ideal.

or just dvd compliant mpeg direct to disk

A compliant DVD is more than just an Mpeg2 file burned on a disc. You'll need a good authoring program. Plus, you don't always get the best quality. However, if speed is of the essence, it may be your best option. Ideally, you'd only want to do this if your video is within an hour long (for best bitrate to fit on a 4.7 gib DVD) and doesn't need editing or filtering.

trying to do quality on a 10 year old system

Doable with standard definition video. For HD, forget it.

Hope this answers some questions.

[bendixG15]

If you are starting off with VHS, you should be realistic on the quality expectations.

[smartel]

i think i'll go mpeg2 compliant for generic things and the avi route (huffy) for specific things worth doing
and anyway i will keep my old tape , it's a good hobby

with the disk space i have , capturing huffy won't be more than an hour at the time

[smartel]

Capturing to mpeg2 is only good if you want a quickie way to get it into a DVD authoring program without any alterations. However, you won't get the best possible quality for limited disc space, as you'll be capturing at a constant bitrate (CBR).



with my AIW i can do variable bitrate i can go with lordsmurf's settings but go 704X480 and doubling the bitrate


Note that .avi is just a container, and the codec within is the primary factor. A lossess avi codec like HuffYuv is great for filtering, effects, and frame accurate cutting. Even a lossy codec like DV is better than Mpeg-2, as it is less compressed and allows frame-accurate edits.

i'll go the Huffy road on more specific things i tried convolution3d looked very promising