3 simple questions to help me get started PLEASE.

[cpholmes]

Could someone please help me to understand a few basic questions. I have been searching this site for days.

1. When I burn a VCD, why does it create an image on my HD first, why does it take so long, and what happens to this image? Does it stay on the HD or is deleted after the burn?

2. When I capture from DV camera using VideoWave Movie Creator (default settings), a 6 min clip = 1.4 GB avi file. Is this normal? I want to capture an entire 60 min. miniDV tape, then burn to VCD - does that mean I need 14GB of free space?

3. This site seems to focus on using one program to capture, and another to burn. What I want to do is capture DV from camera, create "chapters" for all the different scenes, then burn so I can play in DVD player or CD-ROM drive. I think VCD is the way to go?? Recommendations on EASIEST method (all-in-one or indiv. programs) would be most appreciated.

Help on any or all of the above would be VERY helpfull.

[nick1977]

You've come to the right place for help, but look around the site and you'll find all the answers you need in detail. Basically:

1) Because you are using an avi file to create your VCD. A VCD uses MPEG files, so you have to convert the file first.

2) Yes, about 180MB per minute.

3) If it is from a camcorder then the video is probably interlaced. If this is the case, then you would greatly benefit from creating either a SVCD or CVD to retain all the resolution. Otherwise panning will seem to judder. See the excellent guides on this website for more info.

Nick

[cpholmes]

Thank you for the responses. As a follow up -

My S/W allows me to capture direct to MPEG-2. Wouldn't this reduce the file size on my HD?

If I create SVCD, will family/friends be able to play on their PC CD-ROM w/o having to install special players or codecs?

Do VCD's or SVCD's support auto-run? I want the menu to appear (like a DVD) when I insert the disk in my PC's DVD or CD ROM drive.

[nick1977]

Capturing direct to MPEG2 would reduce file size, but may affect the quality of the encoding.

VCD's and SVCD's (as far as I'm aware) do not autorun.

To play an SVCD, you will need to have some kind of software installed, as mediaplayer will not play it directly.
Usually DVD software (eg. PowerDVD) will play them fine, but most will require you to point to the file on the CD rather than just clicking PLAY.

Nick

[Tommyknocker]

Guess we have to chuck this guide.

[nick1977]

Just goes to show that the best thing to do when you want an answer is to search this site!

Nick

(I'm going to check that guide out now!)

[cpholmes]

Thanks I am learning here -

I used the TPMGEnc how-to guide to convert my 1.4GB avi capture to MPEG-1 & now it is only 69MB.

Is there a way to capture directly to a VCD or MPEG-1 w/o so I don't have to have a ton of space on my HD for the avi file?

Also, when I created a VCD from the MPEG-1 file, there is no MPEG file on the disk. There are two .DAT files in the MPEGAV dir, but I can't play them on my DVD-ROM.

[Morloc]

Open the .dat file with Windows Media Player. It should play fine.

Morloc

[tonyp12]

Is there a way to capture directly to a VCD or MPEG-1 w/o so I don't have to have a ton of space on my HD for the avi file?
.

Capturing file type should be Uncompressed AVI or Huffy AVI.

If TMPGENC needs 10hours for a 2 hour movie
at 100% CPU to do a good job.

If your Capturing software have to encode to mpeg at the same
time at 1x speed, how crappy encoding most come out.

Storing the AVI is just temporary, you can delete it after you have
encoded it to something smaller.

[pijetro]

IMHO take advantage of Mpeg 2. It supports interlace, which greatly improves picture quality. It took me a long time to realize (especially since i'm capturing analogue), that VCD is great for ripped DVD's, but you're in the capturing realm, and that being said, SVCD would be a good start. As you get more comforatable, you should think about taking that knowledge to the next level and play with DVD bitrates and resolutions (same technology, but improved settings).

As for software, Ulead or Premiere for capture and/or edit, CCE for encoding and DVDit for authouring and menus. Find your own niche, this is just a guideline. As for your friends, if you want them to play a CD in their computers (or some DVD players) without problems, then use the same capture and editing utilities, but use Tmpgenc for encoding and VCDeasy for menus and authoring (yes it'll create an image file on you H.D. but only for the size of your final .MPG. You'll find your own route before you become a Jedi night.

Get used to the idea of huge .avi files. 15gig for 1 hour , and remember, you'll never beat your source quality, but only get close to it. If you ask yourself "What do I really want in the end"? you can, cut your searches and get your other answers twice as fast.

Good luck!!!!!

[cpholmes]

To Morloc,

When I try to open the DAT file w/ WMP it says "Windows Media Player does not support this file type". I am using WMP v7.01, and W2K.

[kitty]

Rename the DAT to MPG and WMP should play it fine if it is MPEG1.
If it is SVCD MPEG2 then you'll need a MPEG2 codec like the ones that come with software DVD players.

If you're comfy with Windows you can associate the DAT file extension with Media Player so you don't have to rename.