Converting DVD to ....HELP

[froggy_doddy21]

Over the years, I've converted tons of hours of home videos to DVD. Now I want to start a new project, extract the DVD video files and sort them all onto a hard drive. Basically I want to ditch my DVD's and Blu-Ray disks (home videos).

My question is: What is the BEST format to convert my DVD videos to. I want superbe quality and decent file sizes. I'm thinking DIVX. Uncompressed, or leaving it in MPEG2 would be too big (file size).

-What specific codec would you use to convert standard DVD video to?

-What about 720p HD video? You you just use AVCHD?

Any info or suggestions would be appreciated. I want to make sure I use the best codec before I start this long process.

Thank you.

[DVDDoug]

The "latest and greatest" compression scheme is H.264. This is an MPEG-4 variation, and AVCHD is an H.264 variation. This is supposed to give you the best quality for a given file size. "Conventional wisdom" is that with MPEG-4 you can get "DVD quality" with half the DVD bitrate (half the file size).

Your Blu-Ray discs may already be MPEG-4/AVCHD/H.264. (Reducing the bitrate will reduce file size, and quality.)

My question is: What is the BEST format to convert my DVD videos to.

ANY conversion will (in theory) DEGRADE video quality.

And if you convert the format, you will loose your menus and make it more difficult (or impossible) to access any DVD/Blu-Ray features like subtitles or multiple soundtracks, etc. (Although, you might not have those freatures on your home videos.)

[alexnikle]

Yes, AVI is a good choice I think. It will be much easier for you to edit it with popular video editiong tools, like WMM, AP etc.
And I do agree any conversion will make your video worse. So think about it clearly.

[Ken Berry]

Sorry to butt in here, but simply suggesting AVI is no help to anyone at all. AVI is simply a wrapper extension which covers a huge variety of formats (over 800) which vary widely. There is 'pure' AVI which is huge -- 65 GB (yes, GB!!) per hour of video, down at the other end to highly compressed mpeg-4 videos like DivX and XVid, which also call themselves .avi... So when you suggest this format, which exact one are you talking abou???

[sjj1805]

What you need to consider is.
1. How do you wish to view these video files.
You cannot of course increase quality from whatever state it is presently in plus any change of format can degrade quality.
Are you simply going to keep them on your home computer and hook that up to a High Definition TV, view them over the internet or carry them in your pocket on a USB stick?
2. Have you considered the future?
You originally chose to store the videos in whatever format was "The format of the day" be it VHS, VCD, DVD or Blue Ray.
No one knows what format will be the "in thing" in 10 years time - possibly something no one has yet dreamed of inventing.

Briefly there isn't one simple answer, it all depends upon your intentions and whatever technology the future holds.