What video compression to use (for analogue)

Dom · Post by **Dom** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 4:32 pm

Hi, I have downloaded the trial version of VS and i am trying to convert my analog s-vhs tape. I follow the recommended procedure but it seems to leave out one crucial step - the video compression. If I try to capture the video without selecting the video compression (in the Video and Audio Capture property settings) then there is a black clip in the editir. But if i select a software compression (such as Microsoft Video 1) it starts to capture ok and i can see it in the edit screen.
Problem is i can find little documentation on this in the manual.

All i want is to be able to capture my analogue video with the best quality. I am not sure this compression is the best way as the quality seems to suffer when i switch it on.

Anyone any ideas please ?

Cheers

Dom · Post by **Dom** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 5:01 pm

PS i am using a Hauppauge Win TV-PVR500 MCE on my PC and a JVC GR-SXM26 analogue camcorder connected via svideo and composite audio.

cheers

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 7:09 pm

For the best quality, you would want to select a codec that is lossless, or nearly lossless. One of the most popular lossless codecs is HuffYuv -- it can do realtime compression with about a 2:1 to 3:1 ratio with no loss of quality.

Not everyone needs lossless compression, and some would rather trade a small degradation in the video for additional disk space savings. In that case, I would go with DivX Free or XviD.

Whatever you do, do not install some "codec pack" that bundles a ton of different codecs (with often overlapping or conflicting capabilities) into one installer -- this will likely cause more troubles than it is worth.

Dom · Post by **Dom** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:07 am

so are you saying I download this codec and then it should appear in the drop-down video compression list ?

Sorry if this sounds blindingly obvious but i'm totally new to all of this.

Cheers

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:37 pm

Yes. After you run the installer for HuffYuv, it will appears as a compression method for AVI files. Please note that it only compresses video, not audio -- you'll have to select a separate audio compression codec.

Dom · Post by **Dom** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 11:33 am

ok I did that (it took eons !), but now my audio is out of sync !

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 7:09 pm

The A/V sync problem is not being caused by Huffyuv.

Can you be more specific about what you did and where you notice the A/V sync problem? Is that in UVS, in Windows Media Player, after you burned a DVD etc.?