What is the best real-time MPEG-1 encoder under $1500?

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What is the best real time MPEG-1 encoder in the $1500 range? I have had a Matrox Marvel G400 TV for a month or so. I'm very happy with the quality of the package and the capture performance. Encoding with the Panasonic MPEG-1 Encoder, I get brilliant results. No noticeable pixilization, clear picture. With it I can produce better VCDs than what I can buy commercially.

The Marvel does have a problem though: http://forum.matrox.com/mgaforum/Forum11/HTML/000069.html

I want to do more work that the Marvel can allow, due to the time of encoding ( 10 hours for 50 minutes on my system)

So, I bought an MPEGator. I've been tweaking it to encode better. But I would like the Marvel/Panasonic quality. What other solutions are available for real/near-real time MPEG-1 encoding? Quality is what I need. Suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Mike

-- Michael S. Gilmore (mgilmore@san.rr.com), April 21, 2000

Answers

The MPEGator should give you as good if not better results than you were getting. Are capturing to AVI first and then encoding? You get better results that way. I have the Broadway 4.0 real time encoder. It cost a little over $700. The Vitec Rt-6 is around $600.

-- Al McCraw (amccraw@ix.netcom.com), April 24, 2000.

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