I am looking to convert clips from DVD and my helmet cam to publish on the web. However I only have Windows Movie maker and it seems that I cannot compress this with any quality to a resonable size.

What products would you reccomend to use.

Thanks in advance

What video file format does your helmet cam shoot in?

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Better than a poke in the eye with a pointy stick any day...

The helmet cam shoots in AVI format.

We have issues with ripping scenes from DVDs, it seems as thought the picture quality is the only thing that is altered and the sound remains perfect.

What is this Adobe CS3 thing like appart from seriously complicated to use

"Ripping" or transcoding dvd formated vob files back to mpeg is easy and there are mny "rippers" available free online.

I like using something called mediacoder to transcode different type files to something else and it also a free utility available for download online.

All file transcoding or file processing can have a negative effect on image quality but when I have changed my personally made dvd files from vob back to their base mpeg2 I don't see any degradation in the images.

You need to be careful of the settings used when ripping. If you select a incorrect file type like a lower resolution mpeg than 720X480 or mpeg1 instead of mpeg2 or something else not compatible with original format used to create the dvd's vob then your image can really suffer.

Be sure you are not trying to transcode vob files that were commercially created and so have copy protection encryption as they must first be decrypted which is a topic of discussion not allowed at this forum.
goodluck

Nothing illegal about the DVDs I am taking scenes from. They are the property of the guy whose website I am doing.

Still need something to get content small enough but reasonably good quality to post on a website

I think I understand better now - hope so!

Are you planning to upload your video to a propiretary website or to a more public video site like YouTube?

How long in minutes will each video be? Is there a video file size limitation - similar to the 100meg of YouTube?

My business partner regularly uploads short video programs for folk to stream and watch at his site while I and my bride just occasionally upload 3 to 5 minute edited video files to YouTube.

I've never used moviemaker - don't want to - it's a personal prejudice.

Most any consumer editing program will do what you want just as mediacoder will do what you want.

We have found good online viewing quality if we render our 4 to 5 minute clips as SVCD which usually results in about an 80meg file. VCD also looks good with a little smaller file.

ULead video studio offers a project finish mode that lets you select how you want the project rendered - mpeg, avi, svcd, vcd or something a lot smaller they call streaming video.
Hope above is what you are looking for - keep us posted.