what is the fastest way to capture and compress 2 hour

[orionduck]

Help, I have a question? I am trying to capture and compress 2 hours of VHS video onto 1 DVD-r and want to know what is the fastest way of doing it. I have a Intel P4 2.4 533mhz bus 512MB, 120GB hard drive with a Sound blaster audigy. So far I am using sonic myDVD but it won't let me do 120 minute of 720 x 480 pixels plus when I capture it only does 352 x 240 pixels.

[Nitemare]

I recommend using VirtualDub to capture the VHS at 352x480 with an MJPEG codec. (Assuming NTSC here). This will effectively capture ALL of the video data available on the VHS. You can capture at higher resolutions but you will not gain anything in quality by doing so. VHS maxes out at the 352x480 setting.

Note: 352x480 is basically 352x240 doubled... why? 2 interlaced fields each at 352x240... i.e. ALL of the video data available on the VHS source. Capturing at a higher resolution would be overkill and a waste of system resources.

Load the resultant AVI file in your DVD creating software and it should resize/display it correctly. (another assumption... sorry... not making DVDs yet) It will probably look like crap on your PC due to the interlacing but will play back correctly on your TV.

Of course this is just 1 opinion, but I'm certain of the 352x480 setting my own captures/SVCDs display perfectly using this. The filters in Virtual dub can conceivably "enhance" the quality of the VHS, but I've learned to NOT expect this.

Hope this helps!
Nitemare

[orionduck]

thank you so much for replying, in that case Sonic myDVD can do that. So VHS can capture at 352x480 then how about DVD does it capture at this 352x480 as well? Can you make VHS into a high quality DVD disc? Is there any way? I need to fit as least 2 hour onto 1 DVD. Thank you for looking at this and replying.

[spidey]

You may want to check into the new 4.0 MyDVD suite, or DvdIt, as MyDVD on it's own, will inflate all your audio to PCM.

DVDit, will let you ac3 the streams. Hence not wasting half your disc space on uncompressed audio.

[orionduck]

DVDit, will let you ac3 the streams. Hence not wasting half your disc space on uncompressed audio.

is that DVDit le, SE or PE version? You know of any hardware that comes with DVDit LE? Thanks again.

Also you are referring to high quality from VHS to DVD right?

[Nitemare]

So VHS can capture at 352x480 then how about DVD does it capture at this 352x480 as well?

No. You probably "could" capture at 352x480 but DVD is almost always 720x480. If you have a DVD burner then it would be MUCH faster to rip the DVD to your HDD and burn it using one of the programs discussed frequently here on the site. DVD2ONE for example (for dual layer), and DVD Decrypter (for single layer DVDs). These are not the only programs. Check out the guides on the left in the HOW TO section for tons of information.

Can you make VHS into a high quality DVD disc?

Not really. You can make a VHS quality DVD of your VHS tapes, but aside from some "enhancing filters" i.e. color levels, noise reduction, in rare cases "sharpen", etc. you are still left with an enhanced VHS quality DVD.

Of course I should state again for the record that though I AM capturing VHS tapes I am NOT making DVDs out of them, only SVCDs. It's possible (but unlikely) that it can be done I suppose.

However, my SVCDs of DVD rips are excellent quality. My eye can't tell the difference between my discs and the original DVD. My video captured SVCDs look no better than the VHS, with the possible exception of using a color level filter to correct low light or overexposure conditions. Yes, it can be "improved" slightly, but it will not be DVD quality.