Capture Quality

[crjackson]

Okay,

To save myself a lot of hastles testing, perhaps someone can point me to the best solution.

When I copy a VHS tape for burning a DVD and 1/2 res (352x480)is it best to let my encoder compress to that format, or is it best to compress at 720 format and let the authoring software do the rest?

I encoded at that format and then realized that Ulead Studio has templates that will chop it down to size. If I make the folder using the regular DVD (full quality) template, it seems to make the file bigger. If I use the 1/2 res template, it seems to take the 1/2 res file and chop it down again (quality wise).

I'm guessing I need to capture/encode at full res (720x480) and let the authoring program do the rest.

What's the correct method?

[Darksoul71]

@crjackson:
For best quality you should capture 720x480. Afterwards resize macroblock optimized using FitCD (you can find it via google). And please don´t use any of the Ulead encoder stuff. They only lead to crappy quality. Use CCE or TMPEG instead and do just your mastering with Ulead.

If you want to stick to Ulead then capture 720x480 and encode using the Half D1 template (352x480). This should give the best results.

-D$

[crjackson]

Originally posted by Darksoul71
@crjackson:
For best quality you should capture 720x480. Afterwards resize macroblock optimized using FitCD (you can find it via google). And please don´t use any of the Ulead encoder stuff. They only lead to crappy quality. Use CCE or TMPEG instead and do just your mastering with Ulead.

If you want to stick to Ulead then capture 720x480 and encode using the Half D1 template (352x480). This should give the best results.

-D$

Okay, here's what happens. I use a DC10+/studio 7 to capture the AVI. It's max setting is 640x480. I crop to 608x464. I edit, add titles/transitions. Next it tells me to save the file. Under settings I choose DVD compatiable (or user define). Under DVD compatiable it encodes 720x480, 6000 kbps, and I think audio is something like 224 (these are defaults).

Under user define I change the encoder setting to 352x480 and 3000 - 4000 kbps (no change in audio).

The smaller setting results in a 110 min movie (mpg2) file of about 2.5 GB.

When I author the program using Sonic MyDVD it thinks I'm making a 720x480 file and I end up with 4.3 GB Video_TS folder.

When using Sonic DVD Fusion it still thinks it's a 720x480 file and creates a slightly smaller folder than MyDVD. Neither of these programs have any facility to select file resolution.

If I encode to 720x480 and use Ulead, I can select the template that is supposed to trim that 720x480 file back to 352x480. I don't know what the output size will be yet because it's performing the operation as I type.

I'd prefer to use DVD Fusion, but I really don't know how to get the program to output a 352x480 file, and when I provide it with one, it converts it back to 720x480...

What am I missing here. Tell me what I'm doing wrong exactly...:confused:

[crjackson]

BUMP

[Darksoul71]

Hi !

1st, don´t post just to push your topic back on top.

Back to topic:
If Studio7 produces a valid half D1 MPEG2 file then why should any DVD authoring program produce bigger files unless your audio is invalid ? Or may be DVD Fusion and MyDVD only support Full D1 (720x480) instead of Half D1 (352x480) ?

I don´t have a DVD burner and so I can´t tell you too much about authoring DVDs.

BTW: This is a DVD authoring related question. So you should repost it in the DVD authoring forum.

IF Studio7 produces a valid 352x480 MPEG2 file then you should use a different authoring software like DVDQuickbuilder.

Also Uleads Movie/DVD Factory (don´t remember the exact title) supports authoring for external MPEG files.

-D$