hi, i currently using dual pass(avi-mpeg1) method for mpeg(vcd) encoding. can anyone recommend a real-time mpeg encoder card that can produce good real-time encoding for mpeg-vcd quality thanks

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-- mpg1vcd (mpg1vcd@yahoo.com), October 12, 2000

Answers

Check out this site www.goterapin.com

-- teeball (tlbaker@earthlink.net), October 12, 2000.

Alot went into it to make it LOOK COOL.?.?. But what about quality? No samples? I really don't care what color the damn thing is, I care about how good it does it's job. I mean it's not a mac. The only way to sell a mac is have it look cool. Because the inside is shit! A dazzle will make the same quality most likely. So that means you don't want to watch it on anything bigger than a 19" tv. ;)

-- blank (nospamplease@no.fr), October 12, 2000.

This is for blank, the toss of a response to your question. Inside an apple you'll find more power than three times the clock speed of an intel chip, seems like their info cannot be processed very well, bad luck.

I guess one day an ibm manufacturer will be able to design computers better.

-- Apple Fan (coolbeet@hotmail.com), October 12, 2000.

Well, what can I say?

Aren't you having to use a Microsoft office product in your apple soon? Hummmmmmmm... LMAO It was annouced the same day as the G4. At the same showing actually. If microsoft sucks, make your own office suite! =o)

Apples.... Hummmmmmmmmmmm? Application that created this file can't be found? I can't open my mac and put in a cdrom drive? I just couldn't handle a computer that doesn't start up with a smiling computer icon?

Apple hardware makes up less then 10% of computer hardware sales. Great, clock speed! I can do twice as much on my pent 3. I can go buy a 40gig 7200rpm hd for $239usd and install it and be capturing video in an hour. Can you do that in that time and for that price? Hell NO! =o) You can't change a mac user once they are hooked. The last time I used/owned a mac was when it was running os 3. The day I booted it up and I had a frowning smiley face I went to windows. BTW, if you have ever used Sun Solairs (unix) you would now were a mac os came from.=o)

On a lighter note: I am happy you like your apple. I hope it works good for you. It is great living in such an age were we have such great toys/tools to expand our minds, creativity.

-- Blank (blak@blankity-blankity@oh-no.com), October 13, 2000.

OK enough apples and oranges already! I talked to video guys, they are selling these and say they record MPEG 1 as well as anything they have. Sounds very interesting to me. Anyone have personal experience with this unit?

-- teeball (tlbake@earthlink.net), October 13, 2000.

I use the Broadway Pro 5.o by Data Translation. It runs around $700 and does as good as a jod as you will find for converting VHS to VCD. The quality is going to always be limited on VCD though. They also updated their card to encode to mpeg-2 DVD compliant files as well

-- Al (amccraw@ix.netcom.com), October 16, 2000.

Ok, I been meaning to get back online and catch up on all the posts. I have actually seen a demo disc from this unit. I will give a review of the Terapin disc playback on both standalone and internal dvd drives. I'm gonna post this in the main as a standalone post, so this thread doesn't get changed. Post replys to it there.

Terapin CD Video Demo:

The disc was made from 5 different source captures.

1: DVD -> SVHS input (no idea about macro, none present) 2: Sat TV Cap -> Composite RCA input 3: DVCam -> SVHS input 4: VHS Cam -> SVHS input 5: VHS Cam -> Composite RCA input

Video Quality:

1: The DVD SVHS capture is the best of all. It is somewhat higher quality than Dazzle MPEG1 at VCD rate(I have a Dazzle and know it's output). But as is always the case in this area.... fast motion breaks up. I would say the quality is decent but can be beaten by software encoders. However, the convenience of encoding and burning at real time must be judged too.

2: The Sat TV Capture through RCA inputs looked almost as good as the one above. Not bad, but blocking is evident.

3: DV Camara through SVHS inputs was very sharp and detailed. Hardly any blocking. This actually beats number one, but remember its from a DV codec and high CCD lens capture source. Very nice if you will be capturing home video on Digital Video Cameras. No interlacing artifacts were noticed at all. Very nice.

4: VHS Camera using SVHS input. Much more evident blocking. Details are still very sharp.

5: VHS Camera Tape using composite input. Not much different from the SVHS input. Not quite as sharp, but also a little less blocking.

As with any realtime encoding, some blockiness during fast motion or highly detailed scenes will show up. Just one of those things. It is not anywhere near the amount of artifacting that a Dazzle does at the same bitrate. Too bad the price is out of my range. I give it four out of five stars for video quality (I cannot say anything at all about the actually use of the unit).

All in all, it is a nice video demo disc. Thay have married a better mpeg1 encoder and burner unit in one. If I had the extra money to buy one, I think I would. Contributions are welcome.

EG Marshall

-- EG Marshall (4me@schoolmail.com), October 17, 2000.

If you really want as good as software encoding, in real time you should get an Optibase MovieMaker. Retails for about $4000 but you can find them on ebay now and again for about $1000.

If your doing small volume stick with high res capture (704x480) and then encode using Panasonic to 352x240.

If you need to do volume and desire the same quality you need to get an Optibase MovieMaker. I've tried just about every card but the Broadway. Quality MPEG encoding in real time takes good hardware. Save your dollars and get an Optibase. You won't be disapointed.

-- Anvil (anvil@san.rr.com), October 18, 2000.