What is the best format to capture video to...MOV (Quicktime) or AVI? Do you all edit the captured format before you render down to MPEG? Thanks In Advance, Cale

-- Cale Ferguson (5150@onramp.net), April 20, 2000

Answers

I don't use Quicktime, but I'll tell you what I know about AVIs and my set up. I use a Matrox Marvel G400 TV on a 450MHZ Pentium II with 128 RAM and a 20 gig IBM 7200RPM hard drive.

I capture at 704x352 @ 30fps @ 3.0 MB/sec. The Marvel uses a M-JPEG AVI format that compresses about 6.6:1. 50 minutes of video takes up a little less than 7 gigs.

I then encode using the Panasonic MPEG-1 Encoder. The results are amazing. I'm unable to detect any real pixilization.

The most important things are high quality input, high quality capture at high resolution and then a brilliant encoder. The Panasonic Encoder kicks ass.

Oh yeah, I edit my stuff onces it's in MPEG. The tools for MPEG are better. iFilmEdit, M1-Edit Pro.

Good luck to you.

-- Michael S. Gilmore (mgilmore@san.rr.com), April 20, 2000.