What is lost in the translation? Is it best to recapture over again as .avi?
Is there significant data loss with the conversion?

The best format for capture from digital tape (mini DV or Digital8) is DV
AVI, because it is the "closest" duplication of the data as encoded on the
tape.

Converting to MPEG is a considerable change in the data, thus introducing
unavoidable loss of quality. You definitely dont want to convert one more
time.... you wont be able to get back the quality that is lost already.

For best quality always capture in DV first, do your editing in DV, and then
convert to MPEG2 for final output to DVD.

--
Rehan
www.rehanfx.org - get transitions and effects for Windows MovieMaker



"David Schmitt [MCSE]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:02F82D8E-72E8-4174-A8E6-(E-Mail Removed)...
> What is lost in the translation? Is it best to recapture over again as
> .avi?
> Is there significant data loss with the conversion?

I assume by .avi you mean DV-AVI. MPEG is a more compressed
video format, and is more lossy than DV-AVI. So the loss is
not so much in converting from MPEG to DV-AVI. The quality
was already lost when you captured in MPEG format.

If it's possible, I suggest capturing over again in DV-AVI.

--
-Bob
____________________________
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Media Center Edition
www.microsoft.com/ehome


"David Schmitt [MCSE]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:02F82D8E-72E8-4174-A8E6-(E-Mail Removed)...
> What is lost in the translation? Is it best to recapture over again as .avi?
> Is there significant data loss with the conversion?

Mpeg is also made up of IBP frames, where an i frame is the only real frame.
If you wish to edit an mpeg mostly you can only edit at an i frame and this
can be from 12 frames apart (std setting) to as many frames as was chosen
when it was encoded. DV-AVI is made up of all i frames ( as it where) so you
can cut at any frame you wish. This may help with understanding
http://www.simplydv.co.uk/simplyBB/viewtopic.php?t=7704

Graham

--
Graham Hughes
MVP Digital Media
www.dvds2treasure.com
www.simplydv.com

"Bob [MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I assume by .avi you mean DV-AVI. MPEG is a more compressed
> video format, and is more lossy than DV-AVI. So the loss is
> not so much in converting from MPEG to DV-AVI. The quality
> was already lost when you captured in MPEG format.
>
> If it's possible, I suggest capturing over again in DV-AVI.
>
> --
> -Bob
> ____________________________
> Microsoft MVP
> Windows XP Media Center Edition
> www.microsoft.com/ehome
>
>
> "David Schmitt [MCSE]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote
in message
> news:02F82D8E-72E8-4174-A8E6-(E-Mail Removed)...
> > What is lost in the translation? Is it best to recapture over again as
..avi?
> > Is there significant data loss with the conversion?
>

"David Schmitt [MCSE]" wrote:

> What is lost in the translation? Is it best to recapture over again as .avi?
> Is there significant data loss with the conversion?

How do all you guys archive your DV files. The only way I can get do this
realistically is to store them as MPEG