Can anyone tell me how I can get a less pixelated picture. When I burn to VCD/ DVD and play on my TV or computer full screen the picture is not a clear and there are largish pixels in certain areas of the screen. Is this a problem with
a) my digital video camera
b) the sfotware I am using (Pinnacle
c) My hardware/ processor.

Basically I want to be able to project footage onto large screens but with a DVD quality picture.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

Hi. You're not using Firewire for capture, are you?
You should.
f)

No - I was advised by a computer shop that USB was better. Will this solve the problem in your opinion?

Thanks

Well, whoever told you that was either (a) having a joke at your expense; or (b) simply mistaken.

it's not quite as simple as this but think in terms of...

Firewire = DVD quality
USB = VHS quality

and you'll be most of the way there.

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I'm not young enough to know everything!

Can you advise on best quality from VHS to DVD - can you fire wire from a VHS machine to the PC. Again when I use Dazzle 80 it comes out bad quality.

Thanks.

There are no VHS decks with Firewire interface.
You can however use Firewire A2D converters (like those Canopus ADVC devices) which will do the job wonderfully, if you can afford them.

Now I was thinking. Do you recon I should try and get "creative"? Or is this a job for Andy? Any way back onto topic. Get a anoluge to digita converter (No TV card) You can get PCI or USB. The good ones range from £30 to Some in the 100's.

I don't follow. What do you mean?

'DVD quality' is actually pretty crap. To my eyes DVD on a decent telly and especially when projected is full of blocky artifacts. Keep the project in DV format and play from tape for best reproduction.

DVD bit rate is 6 Mbit, DV is nearer 25Mbit.

__________________
I have two prejudices - I am anti HDV for consumer camcorders, and I eat mooks who claim to be pro wedding vidders and ask dumb questions.

www.zaskarfilms.com You tube channel 'zaskarfilms'
JVC DV5001e (big cam), Sony PC6E (tiny cam), Vinten pro5, PAG light, SM58, Sony ECM50, Sony C-76, 0.5x convertors for sony, Rode video mic, Vegas 7.

Dude,
I messed about with cheap USD converters for months and to be honest nothing worked how I wanted it to work. Either the quality was rubbish or it would lock up or I would get loads of dropped frames. I finally took the plunge and bought a (firewire) Canapus ADVC 110 (Just less than £200) and I have never looked back. I can copy hours of VHS and Hi8 video with out dropping a single frame straight to AVI files and the quality is exactly the same as the source material. Never once have I had a problem because it is such a realiable device + you can use it to monitor on you TV during playback which is better than using a PC monitor as it allows you to check the contrast, brightness and Hue etc.

You can buy a cheaper version (Canapus ADVC 55 - £130 - £150) but that will only stream your video in to your PC and will not allow you to feed a TV monitor).

I wasted a lot of money before I bought the Canopus... it only I had the forsight to buy one right from the start!

Good luck mate!