video

Lots of posts backlogged, will try to clear when I have time.

Anyway, here is an email exchange - nothing that videohelp.com cannot solve...

Need advice:

Video material on DV tape captured in to computer using Firewire.

1 Now needs to be converted to VCD. How to preserve the best quality.

2.Suppose the same material is converted to DivX.

3. Any good video editor (open licence) that you are aware of.

regards

My reply:

1. The best VCD encoding was by TMPGEnc - http://www.tmpgenc.net/ - free
for VCD, need to buy for DVD encoding.

2. Use Virtualdub after XVid codec is installed. http://www.xvid.org/

3. I suppose you want to edit the DV video before it is encoded? In that
case, many of the free apps bundled with DVD writers, camcorders and so on
do an acceptable job - even Microsoft Movie Maker
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/updates/moviemaker2.mspx
which is bundled with XP. Generally Titling, fading in and out of scenes
etc can be easily done with any such SW.

In case you want to cut the VCD encoded file, TMPGEnc has some rudimentary
mpg cut and join tools, which seem to be once again as good as the best in
the market.

Do you remember using the Panasonic Mpeg encoder ?

Yes, TMPG and Panasonic are equally well rated for quality. Panasonic is
non-free. (and I suspect no longer supported?)