doesn't that defeat the purpose of buying a hardware encoder? SHould I buy a software encoding TV tuner instead? Seems like a bad idea to encode then encode again.

Based on that I understood you well.

1. The advantage of a hardware encode process while capture is that your CPU wont be used that much as when using a software encoding while capturing!

2. It depends on the bitrate when capturing using mpeg2... using high bitrates when capturing via PVR 250 will give you a good source to reencode to mpeg1 or mpeg2.
Just think! DVDs as used many times to reencode to KVCD ARE encoded using mpeg2 too!

3. Capturing using mpeg2 even at 10000kbit will give you a smaller stream on your HD in comparison to mjpeg captures

I know that this is heresy but I believe high bitrate mpeg-2 caps look better than lossless avi's after converting and believe me I am quite picky about quality (thanks to Kwag and others here). I have tried many different methods of capturerng with many cards and many different postprocessing methods and nothing compares to my currnt method, IMHO. I originally bought my PVR-250 for the facts that incredible outlined, it is nice being able to use your computer while capturing and not having to worry about dropped frames and their end result of bad a/v sync, plus the fact that since I do a lot of capturing the storage space required for lossless codecs makes it an unrealistic and expensive option.

__________________
-Dano

Thanks Dano, but I'm a bit confused...what is your current method? I'm thinking of picking this card up and it sounds like you've tried about everything. Care to share? Thanks

Hi audi2honda,

Pick up that card and encode MPEG-2 720x480 at 12Mbps.
You'll see what Dano means

-kwag

Thanks kwag. I assume this is DVD compliant?

And one last question. How much space on average does 60 minutes of video take up at the setting you just suggested. I know it varies by content, but i'm just looking for a general idea.

Thanks

No
DVD compliant is ~9Mbps MAX
But for transcoding, go for the maximum that the card permits, which is 12Mbps. About 6GB per hour (with audio).

-kwag

Max 9700kbps but I've seen DVDs which have a Highest Bitrate of 11MB

Well I did my experience testing the pvr 250 and Kwag posted really nice samples in here too. Even interlaced captures come out very well.

This card comes with a big encoding quality- CPU power preserving- and disk space safing potential!

But .... I hope Haupauge implementated also a alternate-scan-based quantsize-matrix to their hardware encoding engine, so interlaced sources will be handled at its best (especially when lowering the bitrate).