Okay here is what I am doing: 1) Capturing to AVI using highest setting from a Zenith VCR using original source tape from my camcorder. VCR has only a composite video output but using the expensive cables 2) Encoding to video cd setting with Broadway Pro 4.0 with the latest driver. 3) authoring with EZ CD Creator latest version. 4) burning to cd at various speeds 1x 2x 3x 4x I still get blockiness/fuzziness around people such as my kids at there basketball games (from the tennis shoes to there faces) I keep reading about people here getting "stunning" resilts using the Broadway but I haven't been as fortunate. I have a Gateway 300 mhz, 128 meg ram, STB 128 4 meg video card. I am looking for significant, noticeable improvements.

-- Al McCraw (amccraw@ix.netcom.com), February 22, 2000

Answers

If your source video is crappy, the end result is crappy. Besides the fact that it is a tape (VHS at that which is worse), you are using composite video (whatever cable you are using really doesn't matter).

Not much you can do if you're encoding the way you are. Have you tried capturing to AVI, then encoding to VCD compliant mpeg using Panasonic encoder? Panasonic encoder has great filteration settings and is the best out there. Besides, software encoders are better than hardware ones for offline encoding.

-- MrVCD (mrvcd@juno.com), February 23, 2000.

I too sometimes experience blockiness/fuzziness around people, but this happens only when: 1. there are too many details in the scene, 2. the person is very small in the scene, or 3. the video source is too sharp

I have also seen this effect in some commercial VCDs.

In this case, try using softening filter, althouh details will be affected.

Adrian Lee http://www.VideoLane.com

-- Adrian Lee (adrian@videolane.com), February 27, 2000.