Can I use PVR 250 to record VHS to AVI format?

[guitrldy]

Hey folks!

I'm currently using my Hauppauge PVR-250 with BeyondTV and I love it.

But I'd like to take advantage of it's A/V breakout box and use the Hauppauge to "capture" stuff from a VCR.

Here's the kicker though: I already know I can do this using BeyondTV. But I don't want MPEG format files, I want AVI. This is for editing purposes using Premiere Pro.

From reading these forums, I gleaned that I cannot use BeyondTV to do this. It will only do MPEG when using the 250.

Anyone know if I can even use the PVR-250 to create AVI files on the fly? I've been finding conflicting opinions on this. If so, what software is recommended?

Thanks!
Lisa W.

[mcowger]

Actually, its not a limitation of BTV, but the card - the PVR250 only outputs MPEG, thats why it so fast for BTV. There is no way you are going to get anything but MPEG2 out of your PVR250.

Secondly, AVI isn't a video format, its a container for audio and video (Audio Video Interleave=AVI). So, the data in an AVI can be MPEG2, DivX/XviD(MPEG4), Intel Indeo, Cinepack, Windows Media, etc with PCM, MP3, AIFF, etc for audio.

Which format are you trying to edit it?

[guitrldy]

mcowger, I'm trying to edit AVI files... I'm not sure what they "contain" tho'.

Let me lay out the scenario:
- I need to transfer VHS tapes to my computer for archival and eventual editing.
- I was using the DV transfer function of my MiniDV to do this (VCR->DVCam->firewire->Capture on PC.
- The camera is new and after a few transfers, I've run into a big problem with the DV transfering. I have a very long series of posts on the CamcorderInfo.com forum if anyone's interested in the gory details (http://www.camcorderinfo.com/bbs/t103345.html)

- I will be sending the camera to Panasonic under the warranty and I don't know how long I'll be out a camera. Could be many weeks.

- So, I wanted to see if I could use my PVR-250 to take over the work of transfering my VHS stuff to the PC.

- From the little I know about MPEG vs AVI, I understand that the AVI files created from my DV camera are lossless, while MPEG is lossy.

Here's a question: Currently, I need AVI files to work with Premiere Pro. This software will not work with MPEG (audio sync probs and more...)

So I have two choices (I think):

1. AVI ->Premiere->convert to MPEG->author DVD
2. MPEG->AVI (TMPGenc)->Premiere->convert to MPEG->author DVD

Do I lose data and quality with Option 2 or can my TMPGenc conversion from MPEG to AVI be an exact "copy" of m data?
------------

ALSO:
- I saw a registry hack that supposedly allows the PVR to record AVI (see the bottom of this page: http://www.shspvr.com/pvr2_drv-apps.html).

- I haven't tried the hack but wanted to see if anyone could give me some info about using the PVR-250 to create the AVI files I need.


So, I thought I'd post here since I use my 250 for BeyondTV and I know there's alot of folks here that know way more about the 250 than I do.

So, any thoughts about this reg hack to make the 250 do AVI?

Here's the key to do it (Enables REALtime AVI mode on both PVR 250/350): [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Hauppauge\hcwTVWnd]
"LivePreview"=dword:00000001


I have not tried this yet.
Thanks!
Lisa W.

[Baylo]

First off, I believe DV is a lossy format, too, only much less so than MPEG.

Second, editing an MPEG file and then resaving as another MPEG is going to result (almost always) in recompression, and hence a further loss of quality. A workaround that may or may not be good enough for you is to make the first recording at a very high bit rate. I use Sony's Vegas and DVD Architect software (which will import and edit MPEG, even though it's more comfortable with DV), and as long as the source MPEG is a high bit rate, the output is good enough for me.

So, in relation to your question. Option 2 will generally be inferior quality, even if TMPGenc does a perfect copy, simply because the source file is MPEG.

Mark