Pinnacle PCTV Stereo Newbie Queries

[ikileo]

I really got some queries. Please help me out those who know these kinda stuff. Thanks!!!

I just got this low end tuner card to watch stuff. It's sad 'cos i'm using a bloody booster-antenna, while i pray for a antenna wall socket to be drilled into my room.

Anyway i can only capture at bitrate to 3.0 mbps (dunno izzit mbps or Mbps or was it just bps) with PCTV vision
Anyway to do it higher? External programs?

I can only encode VCD, MPEG 1, MPEG 1 HQ, DV.
What's MPEG HQ and DV?

There's an option to capture via mpeg 2 but i need to pay to 'activate' it. It is really worth the 5 US Benjamins? (US$5). Or is there 'another' way to go about it?

There are checkboxes to caption options: VCD, SVCD, DVD, *can't remember* & Custom. But only VCD and Custom are selectable. I assume I have to pay the 5 bucks. What do they mean? Which is preferable for quality? To be viewed on TV or PC. For VCD/ Custom I only get resolution of 320X??? (can't remember), and DV is slightly higher.


Any possible way to make it to a DVD format? VOB?

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

[jggimi]

I googled your card, and learned it is an SAA7134.

You are not restricted to using the included software. See our FAQ and our Capture Guide for more information on using other tools.

DV is a video format used by digital camcorders.
I have no idea what MPEG HQ is. MPEG-2 is licensed from the Motion Picture Experts Group, that is why there is a fee connected with it with that software package. Most MPEG-2 encoders are commercial.

Standard DVDs uses MPEG-2 encoding for their video.

Time to spend time reading; I recommend these two Doom9 links as good starting points:

To answer some of your terminology questions: http://www.doom9.org/glossary.htm

Regarding DVD encoding/decoding: http://www.doom9.org/dvd-basics.htm

[ikileo]

great! Thanks a lot for the linkss =)