Best TV Tuner Card For High-Quality Video Recoding?

[aolforbroadband]

I currently have a ATi TV Wonder VE, and it seems to do the job just fine. I get stereo sound out of the movie files I record from my VHS tapes, but I notice the video looks a grainy/streaky at time. I'm not sure whether this is the TV Tuner Cards fault, or the VHS tape. I want to try and get the best video quality I can, and am willing to spend $50 for another TV Tuner card that will let me record to .AVI or .MPEG files. My VCR is currently hooked up using the composite in and the stereo jacks are attached to my LINE-IN using a Y-adapter(works great). I'd also like to take high quality video captures if that's possible, but when I make the resolution higher it tends to be a bit more grainy and streaky. Anyway, any advice on fixing this or which card I should go for in terms of video quality is appreciated it.

I'm trying to get a job at www.britneyspears.org - I'm trying to do both reviews and creation of original media, such as getting MTV specials, the Onyx Hotel Tour on Showtime, etc off my VHS tape and onto my computer as a video file.

[Particleman]

If you want hardware MPEG-2 encoding as well as timeshifting with very little CPU usage, plus great video quality, I recommend the hauppauge WinPVR. Or if you just want to be able to encode into MPEG1-2 in software, you can keep your current card and just get some software like WinDVR or PowerVCR. In fact it should be possible to encode in MPEG1-2, WMV, and AVI on your TV Wonder with ATi's MMC software it's just that ATi detects that it's a VE and disables those features in the software (I wonder if there is a way to hack it into thinking it is not a VE?). Anyways, if all you want is MPEG and AVI encoding, all you need is some software. There is even some free TV tuning software out there that will let you encode in MPEG and AVI with various codecs.

[aolforbroadband]

I can record in various formats with ATi's MMC, but the thing is I want higher quality snap shots and video captured if that's possible. Check out this clip I made, It's in RM format and is 6mb big, I'm not sure if you can notice some impurities in the video with this, but if you find any flaws be sure to let me know.

http://members.cox.net/blazex187/clip1.rm

[hushypushy]

have you tried a TV wonder pro? (the one Reichfuher has IIRC), the top of the line one. it's like $100 but it seems quite nice...

btw real media sucks...2 mins at 6 mb? i can get better quality for with the same file at 2 mb using Xvid....

[chillypacman]

>have you tried a TV wonder pro? (the one Reichfuher has IIRC), the top of the line one. it's like $100 but it seems quite nice...

Yeah I heard its pretty good.

[aolforbroadband]

Huahy: Could you school me on the best quality to file size compression type? I want tiny files but good quality video. Also links to sites where I can download them.

What's the difference between the VE and Pro? I've just seen the advantage being the stereo through the coxial cable, but I can get that through my composite and Y-adapter in my Line-In.

BTW, how's the clip?

I really like leadteks WinTV Xp 2000 Deluxe, Comes with tons of software including Ulead ect...

[op3n_skill]

Check TV/Capture cards with Conexant (new, not the Brooktree) and Phillips Chips... The Leadtek TV2000 Expert uses both IIRC (Depends on country) ..

Also a good capture card (No TV Tuner) is the Pixelview XCapture (Uses the Conexant Chip)

[Particleman]

Well if it's high quality recording you are after I definitely recommend the Hauppauge WinTV-PVR. I find that hardware encoders give better quality recordings. They aren't the best if you like to record in a variety of formats, but if all you want is MPEG 1-2 encoding they provide much better quality than a card like a Leadtek or ATi TV Wonder Pro (both of which use your CPU to encode).

Another thing you could try to achieve higher quality recordings is to just increase the bitrate you record at, this will result in bigger files, but better quality.

[hushypushy]

Originally Posted by SzL

Huahy: Could you school me on the best quality to file size compression type? I want tiny files but good quality video. Also links to sites where I can download them.

well, IMO Xvid has the best IQ for size, but DivX has better color reproduction. meaning, my movies that i've encoded in Xvid are prettier but DivX is a bit better on the color reproduction (compared to the original MPEG-2). DivX Pro (better than standard) you are going to need to 1. buy 2. adware or 3. >ahem< a certain "patch"

Xvid is free, the newest RC3 is very good; strongly recommended to try. unfortunately im only useful for info on how to rip DVDs, i never encode anything else :/

you can get divx at www.divx.com (pretty obvious) and Xvid at (less obviously) http://www.xvid.org/

[Puma]

Originally Posted by hushypushy

well, IMO Xvid has the best IQ for size, but DivX has better color reproduction. meaning, my movies that i've encoded in Xvid are prettier but DivX is a bit better on the color reproduction (compared to the original MPEG-2). DivX Pro (better than standard) you are going to need to 1. buy 2. adware or 3. >ahem< a certain "patch"

Xvid is free, the newest RC3 is very good; strongly recommended to try. unfortunately im only useful for info on how to rip DVDs, i never encode anything else :/

you can get divx at www.divx.com (pretty obvious) and Xvid at (less obviously) http://www.xvid.org/

I currently use DIVX Pro but I might give XVID a try...thanks helpful info.

[hushypushy]

Originally Posted by Puma

I currently use DIVX Pro but I might give XVID a try...thanks helpful info.

Xvid is kickass...here are some Platoon shots at 1227 kbits/s (1.4 gb for the entire movie, with 448 kb/s AC3 sound).

notice that the quality is quite vivid, what xvid does it give it a slight blur to acheive a pleasing effect...i dont really know how to describe it but i like the IQ better than DivX. the colors are a bit towards the darker/redder side however, i.e. skin tones (only slightly....but i really notice this kind of thing )

[hushypushy]

here is 1041 kbit/s DivX 5.11 pro. (clockwork orange)

edit: sorry for the fecked up ratio, couldnt get the anamorphic thing right when i was in a hurry with Gordian knot... i just press the 8 key on the numpad in MPC to stretch it out and it looks good

by the way, you can use as low as 750kbit/s Xvid and it will look DVD quality, i have Kill Bill at 759kbit/s and it looks excellent in a window. the problem with that low bitrate is that while it looks good at standard res as you are chatting in AIM or what have you, when you put it fullscreen it looks like garbage. that's why all my DVD rips at 1.4 GB with AC3 sound and when i get my DVD burner i can fit my DVD rips onto a DVD, 3 movies per DVD

[Puma]

Wow, I'm going to have to really try this now...Xvid looks alot clearer than Divx.

[aolforbroadband]

How do you install the codec? I just want the damn codec installed easy instead of have to use this Gordon rippack system pack or some crap on the site linked from the xvid site. I already have Virtual Dub.

[hushypushy]

go to the site i sent you (www.xvid.org) and get the installer for Xvid RC3....

EDIT: ok, sorry, im an ass. that site only has binaries , this site has the compiled installer: http://koepi.roeder.goe.net/xvid.shtml