TV recording format

  • Thread starter Thread starter Bax \(aka RainMan\)
  • Start date Start date
B

Bax \(aka RainMan\)

The default TV recording format with the TV Wonder Pro is "ATI VCR", I
believe. Is there any benefit to changing that to MPEG2? (quality, file
size, etc.) I was thinking of changing it for file portability, but not if
the recording quality is significantly worse, or the files get huge.
 
Bax \(aka RainMan\) said:
The default TV recording format with the TV Wonder Pro is "ATI VCR", I
believe. Is there any benefit to changing that to MPEG2? (quality, file
size, etc.) I was thinking of changing it for file portability, but not if
the recording quality is significantly worse, or the files get huge.
Click to expand...

Isn't MPEG2 much bigger in file size compared to ATI's VCR format?
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Isn't MPEG2 much bigger in file size compared to ATI's VCR format?
--
Click to expand...

I've switched to MPEG2, for the simple reason that PowerDVD is a much nicer
player than ATT's offering (read "it works"), and it won't touch VCR files.

Haven't noticed any other difference, but then I haven't done any systematic
tests.

Eg 25 minutes of the start of the Monza GP at DVD quality (MPEG-2 720 x 576.
8 M Bit/s) uses 1,467 Mb.
If its something I want to keep, then TMPGEnc can shrink it a lot - but
takes quite a while. The realistic limit I remember if that after TMPGEnc
shrinking I can fit about 70 minutes of real-time video onto a CD, no matter
what format I started in.
Oh yes it does matter! - if I start in a .VCR format I can do NOTHING with
it at all, not even using the Pinnacle Studio editing software ("ATI
version") supplied with the card.

Anyway, all you have to do is record 25min of .VCR and compare...

Laurence
 
Thanks, guys. I'll try a half-hour of each and compare.
I just thought many people have done this already.
 
Laurence Wilmer said:
not

I've switched to MPEG2, for the simple reason that PowerDVD is a much nicer
player than ATT's offering (read "it works"), and it won't touch VCR files.

Haven't noticed any other difference, but then I haven't done any systematic
tests.

Eg 25 minutes of the start of the Monza GP at DVD quality (MPEG-2 720 x 576.
8 M Bit/s) uses 1,467 Mb.
If its something I want to keep, then TMPGEnc can shrink it a lot - but
takes quite a while. The realistic limit I remember if that after TMPGEnc
shrinking I can fit about 70 minutes of real-time video onto a CD, no matter
what format I started in.
Oh yes it does matter! - if I start in a .VCR format I can do NOTHING with
it at all, not even using the Pinnacle Studio editing software ("ATI
version") supplied with the card.
Click to expand...

You can convert .vcr to mpg from ATI Library. :)
 
Laurence Wilmer said:
I've switched to MPEG2, for the simple reason that PowerDVD is a much nicer
player than ATT's offering (read "it works"), and it won't touch VCR files.

Haven't noticed any other difference, but then I haven't done any systematic
tests.

Eg 25 minutes of the start of the Monza GP at DVD quality (MPEG-2 720 x 576.
8 M Bit/s) uses 1,467 Mb.
Click to expand...


I do all of my TV recording in ATI's "Good" format - 720x480, 6mbit. Results
in a file size of about 1.3 gigabytes per 30 minutes. One benefit of the VCR
format is that it records closed captioning information - if you need that.

Incidentally, what issues do you have with the File Player? I'm using an old
one here (8.1) and it seems to work fine for playback, rewind/fast forward,
etc.

- Daniel
 
Guys,

This is very interesting, may I ask what configuration you are using (What
card and CPU memory you need to do that ?)

Sorry for the Naive question...

Thanks
 
This is very interesting, may I ask what configuration you are using (What
card and CPU memory you need to do that ?)
Click to expand...

P4 1.6
P4B266 Asus board
512 mg RamDDR 2100
2 xWd 120g 2x 80g Scsi II drives
DVD rom/ TDK burner
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 Platinum
ATI 9700 AIW

MMC 8.6 no DVD
Power DVD5
Cat 3.7 drivers
Nero5 with the all the bells/whistles

DVD(quality)
MEPG2
Video 720x480 NTSC(525)
8:00mB/s
Audio48.000khz 16 bit,stereo
Approx time on various drives is over day or real close to a day

I used a 7500 AIW/PIII 850-384m prior, and it worked as well as this AFA capture
VHS to Digital
TV virtual VCR
Camcorder to digital
 
I swithched over to mpeg from vcr because of the dvd player I just
bought. I have the Apex 1110. You can drag and drop mpeg 1 and 2
files onto it so long as they are not greater than 2 gig. I can then
burn an ISO dvd in about 15 minutes and have hours of tv on a dvd.
The Apex will pay it just fine with out authoring it which takes
hours. I can drop an hour show onto dvd-RW in about 5 minutes and
watch it away from my computer then reuse the disc.

Of course now there is that silly copyprotect flag on the tv shows.

Don Wells
 
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