What do you use instead of MJPEG for live capturing?

[d3c4dent]

Hello codec gurus,
I'd like to replace the MJPEG codec that I use today for video live capture. My problem with MJPEG is that I can't really choose between large files or CPU-intensive encoding. My 'dream' codec would allow me to spend CPU cycles to save megabytes in filesize, while retaining the same quality. Recording quality has to be really high, preferably as close to lossless as possible, as I usually re-encode such stuff again with slower, multipass encoders like h264.

Any recommendations?

Tom

[Inventive Software]

HuffYUV, Lagarith...

[pandy]

Hello codec gurus,
Recording quality has to be really high, preferably as close to lossless as possible, as I usually re-encode such stuff again with slower, multipass encoders like h264.
Tom

MJPEG q=2 ?
What is the real problem? Quality or CPU power?
MJPEG is quite good, rather quick (not so slow when compared to the HUFFYUV or similar lossless, quality is ok to so???)

[gameplaya15143]

Before I got my big external drive and was able to use huffyuv, I used divx 5.0.5 pro, quality > 90% on a clean source, fastest mode, interlaced, no b-frames or anything else.

Divx4 is also really really fast, but doesn't support interlacing. Other codecs, vp3, vp6, xvid, x264, even ffvfw's mjpeg encoder was too slow to allow 640x480 capture on my P4 2.4GHz.

[zambelli]

How about DV? 25Mbps guaranteed every time. :)

[GrofLuigi]

For me,

Lagarith -> Huffyuv -> ffv1 -> MJPEG -> DV

in order of preference, for capture.

Never ever had any problems with the first two, just getting familiar with the third, using fourth when low on disk space, the fifth would be also perfect if there wasn't the field order nuisance.

GL

[kolak]

Canopus HQ is the best intermediate codec for me (the only problem that it's not a free codec).
MJPG which comes with Blackmagic cards is also very good and really fast (properly uses multiore processors).
I don't like DV at all:(