Which codec?

[G-man]

In the "Video Save Options" window, under the "AVI" tab, I click on the "Advanced" button and select "Recompress." But I notice that the "Compression" field still shows "None." To recompress my AVI file, do I still need to choose one of the codec listed? If so, which ones offers the best compression with the least amount of info loss? I would like to use HuffyUV that I installed in another program, but I don't know how to get UVS to use it.

[sjj1805]

The choice of codec depends upon what you intend to do with the video.
Create a DVD
Post it on the internet
Send it by Email
Send it to your ipod
Copy it to your mobile phone.

You need to give us a clue.

[G-man]

My project is intended to be burned onto DVD media and played on my DVD player that outputs to my TV. So I have two questions (please):

1) Which codec that is already installed with UVS is best for my purpose?

2) I'm told that Huffyuv, v2.2.0.1, is an excellent, lossless codec. If that codec would do a good job, how might I get UVS to use it? (It's listed in Start > Control Panel > Sounds & Audio Devices > H'ware tab > Video Codecs >Properties > Properties).

[Ken Berry]

If you intend to burn a standard video DVD, then there is only one codec you *can* use, and that is an mpeg-2 one. That is because a standard video DVD only becomes a standard DVD when it uses that codec. (Some DVD players can play videos prepared with DivX and burned to either CD or DVD, but the international DVD standard is mpeg-2.)

Video Studio comes with an mpeg-2 codec.

To prepare the video, finish your editing, then go to Share > Create Video file and select 'DVD'. That will automatically use the mpeg-2 codec. Adjust the other properties, such as bitrate, if your project is a long one. Roughly speaking, you can burn one hour of high quality mpeg-2 at 8000 kbps and using LPCM audio to a single layer DVD; and perhaps 10 to 15 minutes more if you use Dolby or mpeg layer 2 audio. And its 90 minutes (or more) if you use 6000 kbps; and 2 hours (or more) if you use 4000 kbps. Once you have that mpeg-2, close your project, then select Share > Create Disc. Insert your new mpeg-2, build your menu and burn.

Huffyuv may be a good codec, but it is irrelevant to DVDs.

[G-man]

Sorry, I got off track. I have some PAL content sent to me from Australia that I'm trying to convert to NTSC and burn onto DVD media.

The reason I want to save my project in AVI is because the videos I want to convert to DVD end up too large when recoded in MPEG2. UVS consistently wants to render them to a size that is > 7GB. So I use have been saving them as custom AVIs, which allows me to use my AVI to DVD Converter that automatically compresses such files to 4.38 GB. If UVS can render an AVI (DivX) video that is about 110 mins long in DVD MPEG2 without exceeding 4.3 GB, I'd surely like to know how that is done.

Thanks

[Ken Berry]

You would need to set the bit rate to about 4500 kbps or a little less, and use Dolby or mpeg layer 2 audio, to fit 110 minutes of mpeg-2 onto a 4.3 GB DVD.

Good luck with the conversions -- I would not have thought VS is particularly good at them however. First, the frame size is different (720 x 576 for PAL and 720 x 480 for NTSC). But more importantly, the frame rate per second is significantly different. PAL runs at 25 frames per second, whereas NTSC runs at 29.97. So in effect, VS has to pad out the PAL with extra (i.e. repeated) frames to make up the difference. We'd be interested to know the results.

There are specialised programs out there for such conversions such as the Canopus Pro Coder. But more often, we suggest people first try simply burning the PAL video to a PAL DVD (you can change the settings in the Burn module), and try playing that in your stand-alone player. Older ones could not do it, but most modern ones, I understand, can play them. It would certainly save a lot of trouble too!

[lancecarr]

With regards the conversion of PAL to NTSC Ken has it correct.
In fact Canopus Procoder does a pretty ordinary job as well.
The only converter I have tested and bought is DV Converter and that only handles DV AVI. DV is slightly more amenable to the frame rate "padding" as you are dealing with full frames from which the converter can estimate motion and reconstruct missing frames. However in high motion scenes or panning scenes you can still see the effects.
I live in Taiwan which is NTSC territory and now I am finding DVD players that can handle PAL DVDs just fine becoming common. This is by far the best conversion method and is seamless.

For a long blurb by me on the subject you can try reading this:
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.php?t=11847