|  | Posted by Gene on 02/18/07 16:11 
I'm nearing my search for a solution for dubbing 1.5hrMiniDV and 1.5hr LP Digital-8 tapes to a maxed-out DVD-R.
 
 I'm 100% sure I do not want (or need) to transcode, as I am
 doing zero editing, or need enhancement whatsoever. I have
 experimented with Sony 7, Roxio 9, Nero everything, and
 lastly the trial version of TMPGEnc DVD Author 3 with DivX.
 (Which is the best of them all, IMHO - at least it works.)
 
 We tested 2-pass best of everything settings for transcode,
 and none of the laborious works of art were better than simply
 doing a quick dub on a new Sony RDR-GX330, or the old
 Panasonic ES20. Even the old hacked LiteOn 5005 produced
 good results. Our method of testing was to play the A/V on
 a 1080i TV, as well as on older conventional TVs. We played
 tapes to TVs as well as DVD-Rs to TVs.  IMHO, the DSPs &
 hardware code won best "real world" A/V award.
 
 "CPUs are best for data, DSPs are best for A/V. "
 
 If I can find a set-top-box that has a hard drive, automatically
 generates ~5 minute chapter skips, and produces a DVD-R
 that is burned & finalized to > 95% full for maximum quality,
 and has the ability to easily burn a 2nd copy - then that sounds
 like the solution that I want to purchase next. Unfortunately,
 I have not found that DVD Recorder / Player yet.  The problem
 is compounded by the fact that all 3 of our Sony digital
 camcorders seem to have a problem completing a dub
 to any set-top box, that is, they tend to randomly freeze during
 the dub. So I need to find a DVD Recorder Player that is compatible
 with the Sony camcorders. Guess I will just have to keep trying
 out boxes until I find one that works as well as the Belkin PCI
 TI chip card on the PC.  I have "never" had a freeze when dubbing
 from the Sonys to hard drive with the Belkin / TI chip.
 
 "If anyone knows of a DVD box that will do the above, PLEASE post
 the Make & Model number :-)  "
 
 I have a nagging feeling that my only real solution will end up being the
 one that I least wanted to use.  That may be a dedicated PC with a
 capture card containing the required DSPs & code to capture the
 camcorder AVI directly to VOBs on the hard drive, then use a keyboard /
 mouse
 macro recorder to automate the task from start to finish.  That is, I place
 a 1.5hr
 MiniDV tape in a camcorder attached to the dedicated PC via firewire and two
 blank
 DVD-Rs in the two PC DVD burners (IDE master and USB2) and come back in
 ~ two hours to a burned and finalized master & a copy.  This is a
 no-brainier to do,
 just need to find a REALLY good PCI card or USB2 device to do the AVI to VOB
 real-time conversion.  I have not started looking for this solution yet, but
 am aware that
 there are a number of such devices out there, some with TV tuners, which I
 really do not
 want implemented in the device.  I really only want the DSPs & some really
 good code
 to get from AVI to VOB in real-time tape speed.
 
 "If anyone can suggest a good PCI card or USB2 device, I'm all ears :-)"
 
 
 THANKS,
 Gene
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 "Ken Maltby" <kmaltby@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
 news:SsKdnbgYEL-h80XYnZ2dnUVZ_uOmnZ2d@giganews.com...
 >
 > <nospam@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
 > news:_XVBh.76918$qO4.5069@newssvr13.news.prodigy.net...
 >> "PTravel" <ptravel@travelersvideo.com> wrote in message
 >> news:53qcdeF1sqq4vU1@mid.individual.net...
 >>> "Gene" <genes@wildblue.net> wrote in message
 >>> news:W7qBh.36$EP6.44076@news.sisna.com...
 >>> > Looks like plugging a camcorder into a
 >>> > DVR is a MUCH faster, and from what I have seen, gives as good as, if
 >>> > not
 >>> > better
 >>> > quality than DVD-Rs generated from a PC program.
 >>>
 >>> Then I'm sure you'll be happy doing it that way.  First of all, you're
 >>> wrong -- a DVR will not produce as good a DVD as _properly_ transcoded
 >>> and
 >>> authored DVD produced on a computer.
 >>
 >> That's more than a bit overstated.  It depends on the quality
 >> of your source material, and of the codec used on the capture
 >> device.  E.g. I've done side-by-side comparisons of DVD
 >> and broadcast cable TV material captured direct to MPEG
 >> with a stock Hauppauge PVR-150, and capturing to AVI
 >> (via Dscaler) then transcoding to MPEG.  I've rarely been
 >> able to duplicate the quality of direct captures.  So what's
 >> the point of spending hours and days transcoding?  It's
 >> not a matter of "good enough"; the direct captures have
 >> been AS GOOD AS manual transcoding in every case.
 >>
 >
 >  PT will never get the point.  Do a Google "Groups"search
 > with: PTravel "Ken Maltby", and see what you get.
 >
 > For PT all video must be treated as if it is the DV-25 from
 > his 3CCD camcorder.
 >
 > Luck;
 >    Ken
 >
 >
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