Should I use Xvid/MP3 or x264/AAC for camcorder archival?

[grennis]

Please tell me what to use to archive my camcorder footage (approx 7 hours and growing).

To make the decision based on what's out there now, most standalone players support xvid playback. However, it seems that most new devices are going with h.264. But then again, each of these new players seems to require transcoding anyway for it's own particular container (i.e., PSP) or screen resolution (i.e., iPod Touch).

I don't know what to do!!!! File sizes don't really matter to me except that lossless codecs are too extreme, too big. I have stared at my sample encoded clips of the different codecs until my eyes bleed and cannot make a decision!!

Please help a newbie!!!!

:stupid:

[Gilron]

If you want compatibility with standalone devices go with very high bitrate xvid or mpeg2. You don't seem to have hundreds of hours to encode and 7 hours compresses to almost nothing when we think of hd space these days. It will give you quite transparent archive. If you choose xvid, and have some particular standalone device in mind you want to be able to watch your clips, check the specs - usually standalone devices support only basic ASP stuff, not GMC, Qpel etc.

[grennis]

OK thanks for the info