Quality comparison:VHS v VCD v DVD?

clouds wrote on 6/26/2003, 1:07 PM

Now that I'm ready to put the whole thing together from the avi files, what's the best output format? Clearly, DVD is the most universal and highest quality, but requires buying/installing/making work a DVD burner.

The recent thread on how to burn a DVD? led to the following questions, though:

Is VCD really "about the same" as VHS quality? Is "about" better or worse? The pixel count seems pretty low.

Does the VF VCD burning software produce VCDs that are inferior to those produced by other software?--one comment implied this.

What's the best way to make a VHS tape? Burn a VCD and then dub it from the analogue o/p of my VCD player? I don't have a video card (just a Firewire card).

Finally, since I (and apparently many others_ want to save intermediate clips as avi files automaticallyl, why does VF require me to go to options>play in external player>. . . to generate an avi file? And then you have to figure out where VF put the file. Did I miss a button somewhere?

Thanks, all.

Comments

discdude wrote on 6/26/2003, 1:30 PM

I would definitely rate VCD a notch below VHS. It has a softer picture and is plauged by MPEG artifacts. Still, I have seen some awful VHS tapes though ...

Besides, anytime anything is rated as "near" quality, it's nowhere near the quality of what they are comparing it too. ;)

I don't see VF creating worse looking VCD's although VF certainly does lack support for some "extras" like menus and chapters.

The best way to create a VHS copy is to print-to-(DV)tape and dub it to your VCR using your camcorder.

Finally, "preview in external player" puts the video file in your "temp" directory. Check your project files property for where that may be.

clouds wrote on 6/26/2003, 2:21 PM

I understand VF won't print to DV tape (without additional software). Does Move Maker 2? Does the ULead demo version?

clouds wrote on 6/26/2003, 2:21 PM

I understand VF won't print to DV tape (without additional software). Does Move Maker 2? Does the ULead demo version?

discdude wrote on 6/26/2003, 2:59 PM

VF (actually Vidcap) will print to (DV) tape provided you have
1) A Firewire card.
2) A miniDV camcorder.

However, Video Factory will not print directly to VHS using something like a Pinnacle DC-10+ although you can create an AVI file that you can import into Studio.

IanG wrote on 6/26/2003, 5:11 PM

Make that a miniDV camcorder with video input. Possibly not an issue outside Europe, but European taxes relating to VCRs (not cameras!) make that an expensive option. Last time I looked most cameras didn't have it.

Ian G.

JohnnyRoy wrote on 6/27/2003, 8:27 AM

> I understand VF won't print to DV tape (without additional software).

So... what does the “Print you movie to DV tape” option under “Make Movie” do on your PC?

~jr