video file format

I have a video capture device, a tvtuner/pvr and I like to record my favorite episodes. My question is what type of video format should I save these episodes as. I have the choice of mpeg 1, mpeg 2, avi, VCD, DVD. Which of these will require the least space? I recorded a show for 10 seconds on avi and it was 8,000 kb.

 

Hi Mate
This is not just a matter of which format to save your files to it also depends what you want to do with them later ie,,, edit ,,,,burn onto dvd,,,,,or just watch it on your PC

AVI: AVI stands for Audio Video Interleaved. This format has been around for some time. The AVI format is very flexible because you can work with different compressors to reduce file size. It’s also very easy to navigate and edit using software like Video Edit Magic. Realistically, AVI files are not a good distribution option because file size is simply too large, even when compressors are used.


The best possible quality that you can get is if the AVI file is uncompressed. However, uncompressed AVI files are too big to distribute or to store.

You need to compress AVI files, and explore other ways of reducing the file size. You may lose some quality when trying to reduce file size.

Some ways to reduce the file size of AVI files is:
1. Reduce the resolution.

2. Reduce the frame rate.

3. Increase the key frame rate

4. Change the compressor.

MPEG
MPEG stands for Moving Pictures Experts Group. The MPEG 1 format is used to store movies and other content on VCDs. It is also used for distribution of short films over the Internet. The file size is significantly smaller compared to AVI.

The MPEG 2 format is used for storing data on DVDs. MPEG 2 provides better quality than MPEG 1 but has a larger file size.

The MPEG 1 and MPEG 2 are standards and are predefined. Therefore, you cannot do much in the way of changing different parameters for reducing the file size. The ‘workaround’ to this issue is to save your file in Custom MPEG format to reduce file size. However, you cannot burn custom MPEG onto a VCD or DVD.

To reduce file size by converting to Custom MPEG 1, you need to lower the video dimensions (resolution), frame rate and the video quality. Custom MPEG 1 file can only be played back on a PC.

A final word
With so much content available, it is a wise choice to reduce file size whenever possible. Follow these tips, get the most out of your file formats, store more and then do more. After all, when it comes to file size, think small


Cheers The Doc