Codec and Encoder question

[Fellipe de Paula]

Hi...
First question: Is tmpgenc one of the best encoders?

Second: What you guys use for capture codec?

I totally lost about this question...

Please help me!

THX

[Ervin Farkas]

Yes indeed, TMPGENC is probably THE best encoder for a couple hundred $. Obviously you can't compare it to encoders used by George Lucas and other Hollywood filmmakers (CinemaCraft for example)... they can afford to spend several tens of thousands on an encoder and to pay someone to practically encode frame by frame.

Codec for capturing what?

[Fellipe de Paula]

Thanks for your answer... Cinemacraft is actually 1950usd, although it's used on film productions, why it's so much expensive compared with tmpgenc?

About the capture question, I mean capturing from firewire to work at adobe premiere... I'm now using raw avi... Is it my best choice?

Thank you very much

[Harm Millaard]

Originally Posted by Fellipe de Paula

Thanks for your answer... Cinemacraft is actually 1950usd, although it's used on film productions, why it's so much expensive compared with tmpgenc?

About the capture question, I mean capturing from firewire to work at adobe premiere... I'm now using raw avi... Is it my best choice?

Thank you very much

To the first, because of 9-pass instead of 2-pass encoding, the greater flexibility of settings, the better algorithms, etc.

To the second, avoid conversions as much as possible, so if you shoot DV, capture as DV, if you shoot EX, use EX, if you shoot P2, use P2.

What camera shoots raw avi? I hope it is not a still camera.

[Fellipe de Paula]

I thought dv-avi was the same as raw avi. isn't it?

[Robert M Wright]

AVI is simply a container, not a codec.

[Ervin Farkas]

Originally Posted by Fellipe de Paula

Cinemacraft is actually 1950usd, although it's used on film productions, why it's so much expensive compared with tmpgenc?

CC actually has four versions, a $50 consumer version (CC Basic), the one quoted is CCSP, then there is CCExtream - a dedicated PC + software for $20.000 or $40.000 I can't remember, this is the one used in Hollywood movies, not CCSP

They recently came out with the HD encoder, can't find a price yet.

[Fellipe de Paula]

tmpgenc would be the best choice for quality and price?

[Ervin Farkas]

Originally Posted by Fellipe de Paula

I thought dv-avi was the same as raw avi. isn't it?

Sounds like you're coming from still photography... there is no such thing as raw in digital video.

When you capture a tape to your computer via either a stand-alone program or your NLE, you are basically transferring a video file; unless you're doing "on the fly" transcoding to some other format (like using Cineform).

[Robert M Wright]

Originally Posted by Fellipe de Paula

tmpgenc would be the best choice for quality and price?

"Best choice" always depends on specifically what it is you are doing. That said, at $37, TMPGEnc 2.5 is an excellent value.