Posted by PTravel on 02/16/07 21:05

"Gene" <genes@wildblue.net> wrote in message
news:DFnBh.33$gP6.19476@news.sisna.com...

> 2. I was very disappointed with the speed that it took to get from
> AVI to the 19.6GB MPEG2/VOB file. I had hoped for an improvement,
> but I suspect that there is only so much low level coding that can
> be done ... just a lot of arithmetic to do.
>
> Here's the times:
>
> a. Copy 1.5hr from camcorder to disk ~ 1.5hr :-)
> (Tape was 1:37:32 long, it correctly saw EOT & stopped the
> capture automatically.)
>
> b. Convert AVI to VOBs = 5 hours, 38 minutes, and 17 seconds,
> which is probably not that bad, given my old 2GHz P4.
> If there was a way to SKIP this step, my life would be much better:-)

Of course, there is not. This is the transcode step and, as you note, it is
very processor-intensive. Unfortunately, you can't have it both ways. If
you want good quality video, the transcode will take time. If you want a
speedy transcode, the video quality will not be good. For what it's worth,
a 2-hour transcode at the highest quality settings takes 12-24 hours on my
3.2 Ghz P4 running tmpgenc.


> As for the filming that I am currently doing, I think I will just keep
> shooting
> MiniDV & D8, rewind the tapes & use them over & over again,

That's not a good idea. Repeated reuse increases the likelihood that the
magnetic coating will flake off the substrate, causing drop-outs and
increased camera wear. Tape is cheap. Use them once, capture them once and
then store them.


> and simply
> copy the 1.5hr LP digital tapes onto two DVD-Rs with a set-top DVR at
> ~ 95%+ full. If there is a VERY special tape, then I will burn the two
> DVD-Rs & put said tape in coolers.

D8 and miniDV tapes will last far, far, far longer than a DVD-R. They are
the cheapest and most reliable archive solution. Additionally, if you ever
want to edit your videos, you'll want to preserve them in the highest
quality. Mpeg2 transcodes are lossy -- you will lose detail and quality.
Mpeg2 is also difficult to edit and not well supported by the better editing
packages.

>
> I initially thought that all the freeze-ups that I was having was related
> to the
> DSP/firmware implementation inside my three Sony D8 & MiniDV camcorders.
> However, after replacing the VIA chip with the TI chip, all three
> camcorders
> are about as bullet-proof as they can be. That is, I can copy from
> camcorder
> to PC hard drive with ANY cheap firewire cable & have never had a freeze.
> With
> the VIA chip, it was unlikely you could copy a tape without freezing. ALL
> of
> the capture programs worked without incident, as this application is
> mostly
> hardware talking to each other.

I've edited on PCs with VIA chips and never had trouble capturing. Capture
stability varies depending on the capture software that you use (I use
Scenealyzer Live, which is rock-solid), and what you have running in the
background.

>
> So my challenge will be to find a DVR with DV in & a hard drive that has a
> very well implemented firewire specification.

All that is needed is OHCI-complaint 1394. Virtually everything is these
days.

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