more file format queries

[geepeetee]

Hi

I am still playing around with my first movie. I captured it using the
recommended medium quality (320 x 240 pixels 15 fps) and did the titling and
editing business. I have just saved the movie using the 640 x 480 30 fps
format (filesize 283mb). This has confirmed my thoughts that i am
restricted by the initial quality because it is still pixelated on full
screen.

I realise that i need the best quality possible for the initial capture but
the DVI format seems to give an over the top filesize. I am looking to put
my finished movies on VCD to play on a DVD player.

Would i get acceptable results to capture on the 640 x 480 30 fps format and
stick to the same to build the movie or am i better to go for the best
quality capture and reduce to a smaller size to build the movie so it will
fit on a CD. I am juggling quality and filesize but i need the results to
be at least as good as my old analogue VHS C or i feel i have gone
backwards.

I have had movies on VCD before that are good quality when played on a TV /
DVD, i just need to recreate the format used

thanks

Gary

 

[Harry]

Hi there,

In my experience, I would suggest always using the DV-AVI
capture, even though it comsumes lots of hard drive space
(HDs are cheap these days), then you are much more
flexible in your outputting options and the quality would
suffer less if you did have to compress things somewhere
along the line.

Finally, if you are strapped for disk space, you can
always make a point to archive the original captures to
CD or DVD, keeping only the raw data you need at the
moment on the hard drive. Actually, I'm planning to do
just that with many of my older VHS tapes just to
preserve them more reliably -- I'm not sure if we really
know the "half-life" of a CD/DVD, but I would bet it's at
least 10x that of a VHS tape... which is sensitive to
temperature, moisture, dust, etc.

Harry

Harry

 

[Rich]

Unfortunately CD's don't hold much DV-AVI capture.

I have not mastered DVD's yet. I have not been pleased with reliability.

So my old tapes are being digitized and stored on DV tape, at least for now.
Technology will get better and cheaper.

My problem is too many old memories on 8 mm (film), Super 8, 16 mm, Beta,
VHS, 8mm (tape) etc.

Rich