bit rates for analog captures (old 8mm tapes)

[ABe]

I have dozens of family 8mm videos from 10+ years ago that I want to edit and save on dvd using VS9. I now have a newer Sony D8 camera that can also read the old analog tapes, and give me "DV" via firewire to my system.

The VS9 initial project settings are VBR and 8000. What bit rate is "good enough" for these analog tapes. I want to put as much video as possible on a dvd without compromising the quality. Since the analog tapes are of lower initial quality than a D8 tapes, I don't want to waste my bit rate and space on the dvd!

Thanks.

[DVDDoug]

Uhhh... Somewhere between 4000 and 8000. That's a tough question and you will have to experiment... I'd start-out at 6000k. If you have a good video system and you are particular, you might want to to leave it at 8000. I suspect that if you go much below 4000, you will not be satisfied with the results.

There is no single bitrate where digital and analog are "equal." This is because analog and digital limitations are different. You might get noise or snow in the analog, and pixilization in the digital... When you combine the limitations of both technologies together, the result can be worse than expected.

[Rich2Putt]

I've completed dozens of analog to digital from vcr and 8 mm tapes.....

If the original picutre quaility is very good, I'd would use 6000.

If the original picture quaility is so so, I'd use 4000.

I have not been able to make low picture quaility analog to digital DVD at 8000 look any better then 4000.