DV-AVI or MPEG2

[Mostly_Harmless 0]

When I pull video off my camera what format will give me the best quality? DV-AVI or MPEG2?

_________________________________________
www.myspace.com/termvelocity

[PhreeZone 15]

DV-AVI by far. It is also a larger file size so keep that in mind. Roughly 5 minutes of DV-AVI is 1 gig of drive space.

Yesterday is history
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Parachutemanuals.com

[DSE 3]

What camera do you have that gives you a choice?
Or are you changing format at capture? AVI (on a PC) is the standard file format.

[Mostly_Harmless 0]

Quote

What camera do you have that gives you a choice?
Or are you changing format at capture? AVI (on a PC) is the standard file format.

Changing format as I capture to the PC. There are two options DV-AVI or MPEG2. I am using a PC109.

_________________________________________
www.myspace.com/termvelocity

[PhreeZone 15]

I don't have a choice since I use only high quality Sony DV cameras I was assuming he was looking for an output from a computer program.

Yesterday is history
And tomorrow is a mystery

Parachutemanuals.com

[DSE 3]

Gotcha.
During capture, you have some options, but:
~Capturing as AVI format is a direct file transfer to the computer, with no changes to the file from what is on the tape.
~Capturing as AVI allows your NLE to run at optimal speed, using the CPU and vid card to their least number of cycles.
~capturing as MPEG 2 re-compresses already compressed information, causing loss and effectively rendering the file to a significantly lower quality that can be edited, but not well.
~Editing MPEG 2 utilizes a maximum number of CPU cycles, as the heavily compressed media needs to be decoded during the editing stage.
MPEG 2 for the most part, is intended as a delivery vehicle, not an editing/production vehicle.

[parachutist 1]

Quote

I don't have a choice since I use only high quality Sony DV cameras I was assuming he was looking for an output from a computer program.

Eric,

What app do you use to export edited DV-AVI video to DVD video format? I've been let down so far, using a couple different DVD creation programs (I can't remember what brands.. it's been a while). The end result has always been the same: fast-moving action tears across the screen. Colors are not so great either. Do you know of a fix for this, or what I might be doing that's causing this?

Video camera is a PC101... the video looks great on the PC while editing.. it just gets choppy when I convert to DVD format.

Chris

[DSE 3]

Encoding quality depends on two factors: Speed of encode and bitrate.
You want your bitrate to always be in the 7-9Mbps range. Anything lower, and you run a risk of aliasing/macroblocking being obnoxious.

If your encoder offers two-pass (or more) and speed of encode isn't an issue, use the multi-pass option. you'll see a huge leap in the quality at any bitrate.

Also, if you want to increase the quality of the encode, crush the blacks and clip the whites. Values that go as far as 16RGB and 235RGB can create havoc, depending on the encoder. The "flatter" you can make the gamma curve, the better the encode. In other words, have the majority of the color gradiation happening in the mid tones, such as sky, skin, etc. Let blacks be flattened.

Using a lot of transitions, or lengthy crossfades from your camcorder will mess with lower grade encoders as well.

Software encoders run from high end (CinemaCraft) to low end (Nero) and all sorts in between. Adobe's version of the Main Concept encoder is pretty weak; Sony's version of the same is very strong. Canopus ProCoder is very good, so is Sorenson Squeeze. Ulead has a reasonably good encoder in their cheap DVDMovieFactory 6.

You say the vid is choppy; is that on the computer HDD playback, or on the DVD playback?

[parachutist 1]

Quote

Encoding quality depends on two factors: Speed of encode and bitrate.
You want your bitrate to always be in the 7-9Mbps range. Anything lower, and you run a risk of aliasing/macroblocking being obnoxious.

If your encoder offers two-pass (or more) and speed of encode isn't an issue, use the multi-pass option. you'll see a huge leap in the quality at any bitrate.

Also, if you want to increase the quality of the encode, crush the blacks and clip the whites. Values that go as far as 16RGB and 235RGB can create havoc, depending on the encoder. The "flatter" you can make the gamma curve, the better the encode. In other words, have the majority of the color gradiation happening in the mid tones, such as sky, skin, etc. Let blacks be flattened.

Using a lot of transitions, or lengthy crossfades from your camcorder will mess with lower grade encoders as well.

Software encoders run from high end (CinemaCraft) to low end (Nero) and all sorts in between. Adobe's version of the Main Concept encoder is pretty weak; Sony's version of the same is very strong. Canopus ProCoder is very good, so is Sorenson Squeeze. Ulead has a reasonably good encoder in their cheap DVDMovieFactory 6.

You say the vid is choppy; is that on the computer HDD playback, or on the DVD playback?

DSE:

Thanks for the info. It's been a while... I've been busy with my M-F job. Anyway, I went by a local photo/video store & asked them the same questions that I asked here & they told me similar advice & suggested that I pick up Sony Vegas studio. I remembered you'd mentioned Sony encoding software as being strong, so I tried it out. It works great... and it's easy to learn, especially with the included how-to-get-started DVD. I thought I recognized the host's name in that DVD from somewhere ;-)

The finished DVDs that I've made with Vegas studio are nice & smooth. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction
I'd previously thought that an MPEG encoder was an MPEG encoder. I'd been trying cheap/old applications like Xing, Ulead, some freebie apps that had come bundled with motherboards.

[DSE 3]

Quote

It works great... and it's easy to learn, especially with the included how-to-get-started DVD. I thought I recognized the host's name in that DVD from somewhere ;-)

The finished DVDs that I've made with Vegas studio are nice & smooth. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction
I'd previously thought that an MPEG encoder was an MPEG encoder. I'd been trying cheap/old applications like Xing, Ulead, some freebie apps that had come bundled with motherboards.

That guy is a real asshat. Can't stand seeing him every day in the studio.
Many people are of the opinion that MPEG encoders are all created alike. Glad you found out that's simply not so. There are fast ones and slow ones, good ones and bad ones. For the sub 1K encoder range, Vegas is as good as it gets, and better than most of them. I wish Compressor came close.