Help on converting DV to H264

[gdelprete]

Hello,

I recently bought a Canopus ADVC110 converter to acquire my old analog footage (old VHS and old Tv programme recorded on my PVR box) to H264.

I'm very new to digital video and would like to use iMovie to import the DV video from the Canopus and then either:
1) use QuickTime 7 conversion to H264, or
2) usa AviDemux which I believe is more configurable.

In both cases I have some problems:
1) how is QuickTime encoding quality? Is it preferable to use AviDemux with its x264 encoder?
2) if I try to open a DV clip recorder in iMovie AviDemux proposes me to "reindex the mpeg file" (mpeg!?) and then crashes; AviDemux FAQs says that you need a type-2 DV stream, and am wondering if iMovie actually creates type 1 DV stream; if this is the case does anyone know about a free DV type lossless converter (there are tools like this under Windows).

Many thanks to the ones willing to help me!

Regards
Gabriele

 

[spice weasel]

You can use HandBrake to convert to h.264. It's free, fast, and easy.

 

[gdelprete]

I did not know Handbrake could read DV files, I'll give it a try.

What is your opinion of the different H264 codecs quality? Is x264 really better than Apple's H264 encoder?

 

[ftaok]

Another alternative would be MPEGStreamClip. It's a little more complicated than Handbrake, but it works. I dont' think that older versions of Handbrake can process anything other than DVD-video. If you're not on Leopard (or SL), then you can't use the newer versions of Handbrake.