Hi, I'm trying to creating VCDs from my DV recordings. Presently, I use a FireWire card to capture my video into *.avi format(MGI videowaveII), then render it to mpeg1 format with the supplied editing software,then encode it to VCD compliant mpeg1 format with XingMpeg encoder before finally burning it with Adaptac EZ CD deluxe.The whole process takes me 15hours to create a 1 hr video on my Celeron 300A. I wish to speed up the process and get the best quality results using a hardware encoder. My video will still be captured with my FireWire card(*.avi) so I just need the hardware encoder to do the encoding. Are there any good hardware encoders that can do the job and encode my captured AVI file? Price is not a concern.

-- Alfy (alfy@cyberway.com.sg), February 26, 2000

Answers

Alfy,

videowaveII already same your file as AVI after captured. This AVI file can be supplied directly to Xing to be encoded. Why do you have to spend time rendering it to mpeg1 before encoding? You are destroying quality by doing double encoding. As for hardware...price does matter, if you considered 2200.00 and above makes no difference to you. Look at Optibase, video toaster, and RasterOps for these cards. lnguyen

-- (wingstarzz@hotmail.com), February 26, 2000.

Hi Alfy,

I use the the Broadway Pro Card for video capturing and MPEG1 encoding. So far my customers like the quality on the VCD.

I use the double-pass feature for higher quality, meaning I use the card to capture as AVI file first before converting to MPEG1. The conversion to MPEG1 is not real time, it takes 2 hrs to convert a 1 hr video clip. At least the quality beats most real time encoders I have seen.

This card is available at about S$1,400.00.

Adrian Lee http://www.VideoLane.com

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