DV Camcorder capture to DivX/Xvid

[f@chance]

I just stepped through the last years post trying to find an answer to this question. I would like to store hour to two hour sign language meetings. I read where you capture the DV footage and then afterwards ptocess it.

However this may be difficult regarding disc space. Because I want to keep the meetings for referece. What would suit me is to capture the DV footage coming from the camera and then do an on the fly conversion and save it in DivX format.

I have not seen anything in this forum that would do this with perhaps the exception of the Dr. DivX program. Any help would be appreciated.

The software I have is Pinnacle Studio and Vegas 5.0 plus the excellent VirtualDub.

Thanks

[bb]

Actually you need a program which captures DV through firewire and which can save to DivX format. I don't know whether Dr. DivX can do this.

Maybe MPEG-2 can be an alternative for you: The MainConcept MPEG encoder can capture DV from the firewire port and encode to MPEG-2 in realtime (audio to MP2).

Edit: I just discovered (again) that the MainConcept MPEG Encoder can capture to AVI formats as well, e.g. to DivX. I guess you need a powerful computer, or you have to reduce the resolution appropriately.

bb

[f@chance]

Thanks for the answer, I do have Vegas 5.0 which does come I believe with the MainConcept MPEG encoder, but I never thought to save it to DivX.

I do have a firewire card and have no problem capturing from the Camcorder to disc using Vegas's capture utility but how would I get to the MainConcept encoder? Sorry for soundign a bit noobish here.

[bb]

I don't know whether or not the MainConcept MPEG encoder integrated into Vegas can be used for direct MPEG-2 or DivX captures - I was talking about the standalone version.

I have a few more options for your pleasure:
1. Exsate DV Capture Live (free):
http://www.brothersoft.com/dvd_video/video_tools/exsate_dv_capture_live_42527.html

2. Dr. DivX has gone open source, but a release is not yet available (to be expected in a week or two):
http://www.drdivx.com

3. iuVCR, a great capture program for analogue and DV capture (shareware):
http://www.iulabs.com/iuvcr/index.shtml

The three programs above can capture directly to AVI formats, including DivX or XviD. I'd leave the audio uncompressed in order to avoid synch problems.

bb

[f@chance]

BB, you are a star, thanks a lot. Just so that you know why I am after this, I work together with a group of British Sign Language translators and we are running into difficulties with disc space. This is educational related and I appreciate your excellent advice.

I have followed the DrDivX news on the DivX home page and I will wait for this. Since I had Pinnacle Studio 9 I have upgraded to 10 which also allows to save to DivX, whether that means saving to their native format and then conversion or on the fly I don't know. Studio 10 has though not arrived yet, bureaucrats hold up.

iuVCR I have tried before and it is excellent and will give it another shot. I just feel since I shelled out for Vegas that the program should do this because it is an excellent program. I may also have to contact their tech support.

Thanks again for your help.

[feedback]

Don't know if this is exactly what you are looking for but the freeware
Stoik Capturer located Here (http://www.stoik.com/utils/capturer.htm) allows you to choose your compression codec for avi or wmv.
For instance, I can choose the huffyuv codec or Mainconcept video encoder etc., etc., then tune the parameters of the particular codec I have chosen.

Regards,:)

P.S. They also have the Freeware STOIK Video Converter Located Here (http://www.stoik.com/Morphman/index.html) which converts AVI, WMV, DV files in all possible combinations. Pick up one or multiple source video files, select output audio and video settings using preinstalled or custom profiles, and convert to single or multiple output video files.
It supports DivX + MP3 AVI, Windows Media 9, multiple file conversion, and file merging.

A page will appear asking for your email address but you can just make one up which is what I did and you will still get the application.