I have DV from a minidv camera thru firewire and I need help in converting it

[Help me im stupid]

So far I have about 1GB with like 1000 bitrate or something. divx 5.0.5 with adware btw (same results with free 5.0.3) And the quality sucks, it's all "liney" (like it's coming apart), blurry and squarish... Oh and of course I am using virtual dub, the regular one from the site. I tried xvid and i had similar results.
To sum up, 700-1300 bitrate and still crappy results and large size. :( And I have a crappy video card, but AFAIK it should not matter. Thank you.

[jggimi]

I assume your DV is 4:3 aspect ratio, and that much of the content is handheld. Two things that impact compressibility, and, at only 1000kbps, may indeed give you less then desireable results.

If your DV is already on disk in .avi files, you might try using a DivX 5 encoding suite rather than struggling with Vdub alone. Gordian Knot supports .avi input, and Doom9 has a guide. Vdub is a very flexible tool, but it's difficult to "diagnose" your trouble without more information -- but I'm betting you are not resizing the video, and with 4:3 aspect ratio, you have a great many pixels per frame.

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Gknot started out as a bitrate calculator for DivX 3, and from what I can gleam from your post, you seem to need a good bitrate calculator.

Gknot has morphed into a complete DivX/XviD encoding suite, and it uses Vdub as the encoding platform. Well, these days, VdubMod and Nandub, but the same basic operation and command structure you're already familiar with.

In addition, one of it's strongest values is as a creator of AviSynth scripts. AviSynth scripts (.avs files) are text files that can be edited by hand, but can act like .avi files to a video player or a video encoder. The scripts contain "filters" which modify the video stream, for cropping, resizing, deinterlacing, and the like. One can preview changes without encoding, to test a filter setting, or to guage the impact of a combination of filters.

In addition, because of the ability to limit (or completely eliminate) colorspace conversions that would be required using Vdub filters, usually AviSynth filter processing is much faster than Vdub filter processing.

Click on Doom9's DivX Ecoding Guides (http://www.doom9.org/divx-encoding.htm) to get started.

[makikes]

"And the quality sucks, it's all "liney""

I'm almost completely sure your source is interlaced. You need to use a filter to deinterlace your picture. I know I do.:)

"blurry and squarish..."

Again, i think these are symptoms of the same illness.

Try the DV forum concerning these issues and the best resize methods.

[Help me im stupid]

I did try to de-interlace and the results were good, but "not good enough" so I guess i should resize. Thanks. Ummm, how do I use the divx suite I tried it and perhaps i dont have all the files or I didn't try hard enough. Should I use the program you recommended instead? I'm on lunch now so when I get back I will post more. Oh and how do I make sure if it is div-1 or 2? (It is in .avi file on my hdd now and I used windows movie maker to capture and yes it is interlaced)

[jggimi]

...Ummm, how do I use the divx suite I tried it and perhaps i dont have all the files or I didn't try hard enough.... Follow the guide (link, above). All links are of this color (http://www.doom9.org). It can be tough your first time through.

To get you started ... and you'll want to skip over the DVD ripping section. Instead of opening a .d2v file, you'll open an .avi.

When you get confused by something, come back with a specific question and we'll try to help.

[Help me im stupid]

I know you said specifif, but I just don't get it. When I click open video it doesn't display and gives me some error...

[jggimi]

...and gives me some error... That's a very good example of being ....er.... non-specific. Without knowing just what the error was, forum members are unlikely to know how to help you. Click on this link (http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19566) from the DVD2SVCD form for advice. Markb did an excellent job, giving examples of the kinds of things that can be helpful to members when describing software or process problems.

[Help me im stupid]

some read error. And when i try to calculate something it just turns off with and gives me the send/don't send message. Meh.....I am about ready to give up. I don't get how the divx movie makers get such good quality video and such small size! does the video card matter? and also you did not answer how do I know if it's dv1 or dv2 video. And I just realized this is the divx board:rolleyes: