Hardware DVD Encoder?

[Waheed AlQawasmi]

Guys. I know this has been answered here somewhere but I can't find it.

For the past 5 months all I have been shooting is Varicam, Sony F900. All HD, and I am having to send it out of house to get a GREAT DVD quality. I am looking for a HARDWARE DVD encoder that will give the HD footage justice.

I have no problem with price, but I can not find anything online. Maybe I am googling under the wrong name "DVD ENCODERS" because all I'm finding are ones the I doubt will work.

Price Range: $3000 - $15000

[Emre Safak]

Carbon Coder?

[Waheed AlQawasmi]

Thanks. I checked it out, but I think that is more of a software? I am looking for a HARDWARE.

And if Carbon Coder is a hardware? what does it look like I can not find any pictures of it online.

Burning DVD's through the APPLE, kinda sucks, because its Software based. But if it was ran through a "DVD- deck" a dvd hardware, it will look a lot better.

A company I use to work for a long time ago had one like what I am discribing. A DVD Hardware that we just ran a stream from our Avids to. But I am not sure what that model was, and I am certian that there is something 10X better out there these days.

[Richard Alvarez]

Well, you can go buy any decent tabletop DVD recorder, and it will burn a DVD in 'real time' for you. I use a SOny RDR-GX330 sitting on top of my Avid system. Paid two hundred for it I think. I use it to make dupes of tapes for clients. And record straight off the timeline. Does a nice job too. But you are looking for dedicated HD DVD burning hardware, RIGHT?

(Keep in mind, that any DVD burner is going to have to COMPRESS your DV or HDV stream into MPEG2 for burning. You're looking for one that does it in the burner, instead of the computer, right?)

I guess you'll need to find a Blue Ray DVD burner, to get HD burned right off the timeline.

Or are you talking about a REPLICATOR?

[Ervin Farkas]

Waheed, you have to be a little more specific - are you looking for an HD DVD or BlueRay encoder or a standard definition one?

If we're talking SD, why do you think hardware encoders are better than software? Have you checked Cinemacraft or even TMPGENC?

[Kris Holodak]

Originally Posted by Richard Alvarez

I use a SOny RDR-GX330 sitting on top of my Avid system. Paid two hundred for it I think. I use it to make dupes of tapes for clients. And record straight off the timeline. Does a nice job too.

Richard,

Does it work when you send dupes to clients and they play it on their random decks? (I'm assuming yes since you'd have heard by now if not.) I have a Sony RDR-GX315 and I was happily going straight from tape to DVD for clients to review and after a couple of weeks they came back with "None of these work on any of the decks we try them on." So it'll record and play fine if you only play back on the deck that recorded it, but that does me no good. So I'm wondering if I'm missing some "finalize" setting or I just bought the wrong deck and should try a different one. In which case I'll try yours if you've been happy with the results.

smile,
Kris

[Martin Pauly]

Originally Posted by Waheed AlQawasmi

Thanks. I checked it out, but I think that is more of a software? I am looking for a HARDWARE.

Apart from the encoding speed, why do you believe that hardware will give you a superior encoding quality over software?

It's all about the encoding algorithms used. Whether these algorithms are implemented in dedicated hardware or execute on a generic CPU (reading software instructions) has NOTHING to do with the quality of the outcome.

I guess the only difference would be if the algorithms are so expensive (computationally, that is) that it might just take way too long to execute the algorithm implemented in software. Maybe that's why you think of hardware when you look for high quality encoding?

Sorry I didn't really answer your question, but make sure you understand why you are ruling out a software encoder before you do so.

- Martin

[K.C. Luke]

Have hear some user using Carbon coder soft only, they get great output based on powerful PC

[Peter Manojlovic]

"http://www.bluefish444.com/products/retail/encoding.asp"

It depends on how serious you are...Will require a good worstation to boot....

Good luck!!!

[Chuck Wall]

Hi,

We have been authoring and encoding dvds since 1998 and have found that the hardware solution we purchased then still outperforms any software based solution we have tried. It allows for I-frames to be placed when needed, pull down detection and scene by scene adjustments (never needed to use)

Many of our customers who now author their own discs still send in their tapes for encoding.

Chuck

[Peter Manojlovic]

And that solution would be.................?

[Waheed AlQawasmi]

Originally Posted by Chuck Wall

Hi,

We have been authoring and encoding dvds since 1998 and have found that the hardware solution we purchased then still outperforms any software based solution we have tried. It allows for I-frames to be placed when needed, pull down detection and scene by scene adjustments (never needed to use)

Many of our customers who now author their own discs still send in their tapes for encoding.

Chuck

I would be intrested in finding out what kind of Workflow/ Equipment you are using.

Sorry for not responding to all of your comments and suggestions. I just have been crazy busy with Commercials and Music Videos.

I think the easiest solution is just to send it to a Pro house for the master.