Which codec to use for future proof DVD's

[mw01908]

Hello, I hope this isn't too silly a question. I was thinking of converting all my DV tapes to MPEG-2 and then burning to DVD. I am fussy about picture quality, so I do my DVD's on the 1 hr setting. Surely there must be a better codec I could use that would be future proof when all players and recorders are HD???

What about encoding in Div X / XViD, is there enough support for this format and is it a good format to store video instead of raw edited DV files on my hard drive?

MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, is this possible or is this all too new? I just don't want to do all this work and find its out of date when everyones gone blu - ray!

What about the practicalities of having loads of standard def DVDs kicking around with video on it when you could have just burned 24 hours of it on one single blu ray disc, in other words is it worth doing anything until the blu ray has becoming common.

I just want to get rid of all this dv video thats sitting on my hard drives and do it in a way that is future proof, and the right way. Any thoughts and help gratefully received.

[senu]

If only we could read into the future

Mpeg2 would be fine: it is DVD quality and it is editable

Xvid divx ( mpeg4) is currently good perhaps best size PQ ratio

But it is not editable and the codecs seem to vary a fair bit. Also if you wished to turn it to DVD in the future :by compressing now, you would have lost the quality for ever as it cannot be "uncompressed"

MPEG4-AVC/H.264 doesnt have enogh support yet and is a Sony "format" which ma y (o may not gain widespread acceptance)

What about the practicalities of having loads of standard def DVDs kicking around with video on it when you could have just burned 24 hours of it on one single blu ray disc, in other words is it worth doing anything until the blu ray has becoming common

Your faith in the durability and longeivity of the yet to be fully developed BD recordable disc is brave
Nothing wrong with being cautiously optimistic though,

I would keep mpeg2 ( for now). Even the newer HD formats are not about to make DVD exstinct..just yet

For archiving I still think tapes ( mini DV ) stored properly are the best quality for least money. Lack of instant access and a bit of clutter are a small prize to pay for this IMO.

What happens if the hard drive you transfer the video file to fails? (unlikely if you dupilcate the HDD)but very few of us have the discpline to do that

All current HD-DVD players are backward compatible with Standard DVD . The ( hoped for multiformat HD) one should be even if BD players are not so dont be too quick to give up on DVD (And Mpeg2)
HTH

[mw01908]

Thanks for that, based on what you say I could just buy a load more DV tapes and transfer my edited videos back onto that until the future becomes clearer. So, people say MPEG 2 is old hat now, but at least you can edit it and not so much quality is lost. Is it true to say that with compression, less is more - compared to MPEG 4?

You say MPEG 2 is DVD quality, but is DVD quality good enough compared to a high bitrate MPEG 4 compression? I know that I can see the artifacts in DVD films, based on that should I keep everything in DV format (that has a very high bitrate!)

I guess my question is - are there ways of burning a DVD using Div X and high bitrates which will outperform the picture quality of the best DVD settings?

[senu]

Originally Posted by mw01908

Thanks for that, based on what you say I could just buy a load more DV tapes and transfer my edited videos back onto that until the future becomes clearer. So, people say MPEG 2 is old hat now, but at least you can edit it and not so much quality is lost. Is it true to say that with compression, less is more - compared to MPEG 4?

For now, that is practically true insofar as you are comparing mpeg2 with HD sourced mpeg4:

You say MPEG 2 is DVD quality, but is DVD quality good enough compared to a high bitrate MPEG 4 compression? I know that I can see the artifacts in DVD films, based on that should I keep everything in DV format (that has a very high bitrate!)

I would say that is a good idea: I suspect you are not taking into account the high bitrate MPEG4 gennerally originates from HDV. In the same way you can upconvert mpeg2 ( DVD) to mpeg2(HD) bigger file but no extra detail

I guess my question is - are there ways of burning a DVD using Div X and high bitrates which will outperform the picture quality of the best DVD settings?

I really dont know the answer to that one but codec notwithstanding, unless divx is at least DVD mpeg2 pixel size higher bitrates may not get you better PQ as Mpeg4 is higher compression. HDV is higher compression but the more efficient codec and larger pixel size make it superior to SD.

Ive seen WMV-HD encoded at lower bitrates ( 5mb/s) looking better than mpeg2 encoded at higher rates but in your search for PQs holy grail. dont forget the Superlative ( but ill fated) Superbit DVDs .

If you see standard DVD played on a higher end DVD player ( Like the Arcam Diva 79) on a HD Projector (Sim2) which Ive seen lately, It will serve to remind you that poorly encoded DVDs played on £20 supermarket specials do not do the format Justice at all... It will be IMO the greatest competition to BD/ HD-DVD if they dont get thier act together with the rather annoying HD "Format wars"

[mw01908]

Ok, thanks for that. So whats all the fuss about DivX then if the quality is not any better than MPEG-2 DVD? Is it that it works better at lower bit rates?

[MarkE19]

DivX offers smaller files sizes over MPEG-2.

Mark.

[mw01908]

But at the same picture quality?

[senu]

No
Divx is mainly meant to be
Transferred on the internet by ftp etc and
Viewed on a PC
In that regard it
travels more easily than mpeg2
and
Looks just and good viewed on a PC monitor with the advantage of needing a less beefy Spec but it is not better PQ than Mpeg2


That is said mainly by the P2P and movie download community to describe the downloading/ PQ ratio : It a bit like saying : Forget CDs Mp3s offer the best audio : clearly stretching the truth ( in both cases)
it may well be that at same pixel size and frame rate it will give mpeg a run for its money but it is not the defacto DVD file format and although compressed more than mpeg2 , the file size may not be much less if the pixel sizes are similar
They are comparable side by side If PC viewing is a primary source, and archive dmaterial is not intended to be edited or turned to DVD otherwise they serve different aspirations and it isnt really one or the other: more like what do i want to do with the video?:
That answer is best known to you but given the cheapness of HDDs ( PC World sale :External Seagate :300Gb £79) i wouldnt archive videos as mpeg4 unless that is how i obtained them in the first place.