How to convert MPEG2 to XviD/DivX/MPEG4 (w/sample file)

[DigitalMocking]

I've got an HTPC running MyHTPC(http://www.myhtpc.net) with a Hauppauge pvr 350 card, it captures mpeg2 which plays back in WMV.

Here's a sample capture: http://dm.genmay.net/Movies/sample.mpg (8MB)

The file sizes get a little large, as you can tell by the sample, its 8MB for 13 seconds of video, I'd like to convert them from mpeg2 to mpeg4(preferrably xvid) for long term storage of show and movie captures on the HTPC.

I've read the guides and looked around, but I seem to be at a loss. I can convert them to WMV using the windows encoder, but I'd rather not do that, I prefer XviD for playback on the linux machine in the bedroom.

Vdub-mpeg2 won't read the files in, tmpgenc won't read the files in. Any of the cheapo "any to any" converters out there (winmpg, allvideoconvert, easyconvert etc) don't work, they just output garbage.

There is a guide here(http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=75151) that seems to be what I want, and I'm going to test that next, but that seems like a lot of steps for what I think is a simple conversion.

Am I just missing something simple?

[bb]

Did you clean/correct your capture using ProjectX (preferred) or PVAstrumento before trying to encode? You should do that, else the encoders may likely fail. VirtualDub-MPEG2 provides an easy way to open and encode your file, provided that it's a clean program stream. There are automatic tools, too, e.g. DVX (needs .NET runtime).

bb

[davexnet]

What's the methodology behind projectx usage?
Does it check/correct the mpg stream during a demux?

If so, what do you recommend to remux? Tmpgenc?

Dave

[Abond]

The capture from PVR 350 should be pure program stream. It should work with DVD2AVI->Avisynth->VDub->XviD procedure just fine. I am using avisynth, but load the script in MPEG2 encoder. My card is pvr 250 - basicly the same but w/o TV-out.

[Asmodeus]

@DigitalMocking
If I might sugest something:
-youre source is interleced, for beter quality/compression deinterlece it
-also it is 29,97 fps, decimate it to 23,976 ... for beter q/c :)