Analog to DVD time issues

[wopster]

I have hours upon hours of analog and digital home videos to transfer to DVD. I captured 1hr 45min through Sony VCR > ATI TV Wonder Pro (composite) > HuffyUV codec > AVI. The file was a whopping 45.5GB. Then, I converted the AVI to M2V thru TMPGEnc and it took 22 hours! I do not have the time or means to spend that much time converting AVI to M2V. Can I capture to MPEG2 directly (bypassing the AVI file)? Ulead Video Studio 8 does it for me, but I cannot see the dropped frames, or specify a size limit. Any suggestions?

I do not want to compromise quality for time, but a certain balance must be met.

[setarip_old]

Hi!Any suggestions?After your initial capture, compress the .AVI file using VirtualDub (or similar) with a DivX or XviD video codec and .MP3 audio codec (I'm presuming you captured the audio in Uncompressed PCM - .WAV format). Then run the new, VERY much smaller file through TMPGEnc...

BTW, what is your system configuration?

[kis2005]

Another option for at least the analog which did work for me, is to use acapture device like ADS DVD Express (there are others out there) that will convert directly to MPEG. Look at the products though because some capture at higher bit rates and you should choose the best quality. For movies over 60 mins, you should save them to Dual-Layer if posible. In regards to the digital video, I have to agree with compressing with XviD or DivX. Good luck and take it one video at a time.

[wopster]

setarip_old:

Will converting the uncompressed AVI to DivX first hurt the quality in the end? Especially if it is from a 25 year old analog source?

Also, system config:
Pentium 4, 1GB RAM, 145GB HD (7200 RPM I think), 128MB graphics (maybe even 256MB)

kis2005:

How much is the ADS DVD Express? This ATI TV Wonder Pro seems to work fine, I think I just need software to capture directly to MPEG2. Ulead Video Studio 8 works, but there aren't enough options and I can't see the dropped frames.

Sadly, I do not have a dual layer burner, so I guess some quality must be forgone.

Another question:
Is there any way to reduce the hiss noise in the background? This video is literally 25 years old and there is a lot of hiss. Any suggestions?

[setarip_old]

Will converting the uncompressed AVI to DivX first hurt the quality in the end?The simplest way to determine if the results would be satisfactory to you (because that's all that counts) would be to experiment by compressing a couple of minutes of the initial .AVI (both video and audio)...

[Mug Funky]

if you're making a very big project out of capping all your old tapes (my mother is doing this... she's mad for taping anything and everything off the ABC...), it might be worth your while to buy a standalone DVD recorder. they are quite good now, and if you don't need a HDD in it, you can save a lot of money.

encode quality of these things is as good as mini DV i've capped from similar sources, and if you're in NTSC land it'll be a bit better due to chroma sampling.

i got one of the newer pioneer ones for my mum (i think it's a DVR 330s, but that's from memory) and it seems pretty good. only thing is it's hard-region locked - you have to mod chip the bloody thing to play a non region 4 or 0 (or whatever region you are) disc.

they're good for playback, too, and the pioneer has an excellent comb filter.

[WildCelt]

You may want to check your settings. 22 hours to compress to an m2v seems like an awfully long time. Are you doing VBR or something?

[rfmmars]

I have hours upon hours of analog and digital home videos to transfer to DVD. I captured 1hr 45min through Sony VCR > ATI TV Wonder Pro (composite) > HuffyUV codec > AVI. The file was a whopping 45.5GB. Then, I converted the AVI to M2V thru TMPGEnc and it took 22 hours! I do not have the time or means to spend that much time converting AVI to M2V. Can I capture to MPEG2 directly (bypassing the AVI file)? Ulead Video Studio 8 does it for me, but I cannot see the dropped frames, or specify a size limit. Any suggestions?

I do not want to compromise quality for time, but a certain balance must be met.

Why aren't you capping to Mpeg2 directly with the Ati software?

richard
photorecall.net