Digital Video Compression Formats

What is your project Goal?

Before selecting a Video compression format for recording your video with Instant DVD, think about your final goal for the captured video? If you wish to capture, edit and record back to videotape you will choose a different format than if you want to put an hour of video on a CD-ROM.

Choosing a video format that matches your output goal will save you time and assure the best video quality.

Read the description of each video capture format to be sure that it not only matches your output goal, but also matches your playback goal. Some formats will only playback on a Windows PC and others will play back in home DVD players.

My Goal is: Video format choice:

-Copy an hour of video on to a CD-R/RW disk VCD (Video CD format/MPEG-1)

-Capture video for video e-mail or publish on Internet VCD (MPEG-1)

-Copy 30-40 minutes of Better quality video to CD SVCD(Super Video CD)

-Copy DVD on CD (20 minutes) play back on PC (MPEG-2)

-Capture, edit and record back to videotape DVD (MPEG-2)

-Capture and copy DVD quality movie to DVD disk DVD (MPEG-2)

Video Capture/Compression formats

MPEG-1 file for VCD

A VCD is simply a video format of a movie copied on a CD-ROM. The exciting thing about this format is that it can be read by CD-ROMs, VCD players, or even DVD players.

The format used on a VCD is MPEG-1. When you want to create a VCD file you need to create a special WhiteBook standard MPEG-1 file that has very technical specifications. Fortunately, creating such a file is easy with Instant DVD and VideoStudio. The capture template is customized to work with USB Instant Video to capture at 320 x 240 (NTSC) or 320 x 288 (PAL) at the correct bit rate for VCD files. At the Finish step, all you need to do is select Make Movie for VCD and the edited video is saved in VCD format utilizing Smart Rendering technology.

You can capture in VCD/MPEG-1 format to create a VCD CD that will play in PC’s and many home DVD players, or you can simply copy the MPEG-1 file to a CD and the file can be played back on any Windows PC with a CD-ROM drive.

Creating a VCD Movie disk

Once you have created your movie in VCD format you can use your CD-R/RW burner to copy the VCD movie to a CD. Most all CD-R/RW drives ship with CD burning software that includes the ability to create VCD disk volumes. Generally this software also includes the ability for disk spanning just in case your movie is longer than the approximately 70 minute limit for MPEG-1 video on a conventional CD-ROM disk. This disk spanning feature will allow you to span your movie over multiple CD-ROM disks, creating disk 1, disk 2 and so on.

Video CD Specs:

Video format: MPEG-1

Video resolution: 320 x 240 NTSC / 320 x 288 PAL

Frame rate: 30 frames per second (NTSC) / 25 frames per second (PAL)

Bit Rate: 1.5 mb/sec.

Amount of video on CD: 70 minutes

Playback Options for VCD:

-Windows based PC’s with CD-ROM drive

-Many late model home DVD players

Super VCD (SVCD)

SVCD is an enhancement to VCD developed by a Chinese government-backed committee of manufacturers and researchers to create lower DVD player and disc prices in China. SVCD is actually MPEG-2 video but recorded at a lower bit rate and resolution than full broadcast resolution DVD.

SVCD Specs:

Video format: MPEG-2

Video resolution: 480 x 480 NTSC / 480 x 576 PAL

Frame rate: 30 frames per second (NTSC) / 25 frames per second (PAL)

Bit Rate: 2.4 mb/sec.

Amount of video on CD: 35-40 minutes

Playback option for SVCD:

-Windows based PC’s with CD-ROM drive and MPEG-2 playback codec (PowerDVD)

-Chinese SVCD players

MPEG-2 file for DVD

The most exciting recent development in video compression standards is MPEG-2, which is used on DVDs, satellite television, digital cable TV and HDTV. MPEG-2 yields highly compressed files of extremely high quality. There are a couple things you should consider about this format.

First of all, MPEG-2 files and Digital Video files are of the same video resolution. NTSC MPEG-2 (DVD) is 704x480 pixels, while PAL MPEG-2 (DVD) is 704x576 pixels. This fairly large resolution implies that the MPEG-2 file size is bigger than MPEG-1’s. A two hour movie will use up about 4 GB of hard drive space.

With that in mind, MPEG-2 is an excellent choice for any type of movie. USB Instant DVD lets you capture directly from your camcorder to the MPEG-2 format, then allows you to perform frame-accurate editing, and create a final movie in the same format. You can then use a special DVD authoring tool to create a DVD that can be played directly on a home DVD player or the DVD-ROM on your PC.

The MPEG-2 standard allows for bit rates from 2 mb/sec. up to 15 mb/sec. Since USB Instant DVD uses a standard USB port (12 mb/sec. Max) we can achieve video bit rates of up to 5 mb/sec. very reliably. Keep in mind that most Hollywood DVD’s are produced at 4.5 mb/sec. this allows up to 133 minutes of audio and video on a DVD disk. With the ability to capture MPEG-2 and create DVD movies at 5 mb/sec. you can produce video with the same high quality achieved on Hollywood DVD movies.

MPEG-2 Specs:

Video format: MPEG-2

Video resolution: 704 x 480 NTSC / 704 x 576 PAL

Frame rate: 30 frames per second (NTSC) / 25 frames per second (PAL)

Bit Rate: 2 - 5 mb/sec. selectable

Amount of video on CD: 18-20 minutes

Amount of video on DVD: Approx. 133 minutes depending upon bit rate

Playback options for MPEG-2/DVD

-Windows based PC’s with CD-ROM drive and MPEG-2 playback codec (PowerDVD)

-Most home DVD players

DVD on CD

CD-R/RW disks created with DVD on CD, when authored with the included MyDVD software are automatically created with a software DVD player. This means that the disk can be played back on any Windows based PC with a CD-ROM drive. When the disk is inserted the software DVD player will automatically load and the movie can be played. This is a great way to distribute your short home movie, business presentation or product demo. With the power of DVD authoring you can make the DVD on CD interactive with buttons and menus to guide the user through the presentation or movie.