question on formats

[shamguy4]

I'm not really sure where to post this...but...

I bought a new 500GB hard drive
yay

so i want to start filling it -this way i dont have to delete my file... just save em...
i know its a big hard drive but i want to make sure i dont waste any room on it

so i want to encode everythng i have...
what is the best format to encode all my vids and tv into?

i automatically thought rmvb because i see that its tiny and still is great quality

thanks!

[Tic3]

The answer will depend on what you intend to do with the encoded files.

For example, if you plan to share them with others, I would recommend using a standard format such as .mp3 (for music) or divx (.avi) for videos. Be sure to encode using a good, high quality.

If you are not planning to share them with others and only plan to use them on your own personal media players, then the format you use will be determined by the player you are going to use. You'll have to read your player's manual to see what formats are supported. You can experiment with the quality settings to see which will give you the best balance of quality and file size by encoding the same file using different settings and comparing the end result.

[shamguy4]

i want to do everything with them but mostly i want to save room on my hard drive and i see the rmvb is good quality yet small
can i use avi and still make it good quality yet small?

[Tic3]

To be honest with you, in my personal opinion, any nonstandard proprietary format (including real media and quicktime) should be avoided at all costs - especially if you intend to share your files.

DivX (.avi) and/or XviD (also .avi) are pretty much the standard for encoding video files. For a full-length movie a very high quality encoding can average between 600 and 700 megytes.

Again, though...if your intent is to use the files for your own personal use, use whatever format suits your needs. It really doesn't take long to encode a movie. Why not spend a few days experimenting with the various formats and choose the one that best fits your needs.

[DigitalJunkie]

Instead of RMVB, I would use MP4 for mobile devices! Smaller size than regular AVIs with 600MB to 700MB, and popular for sharing with others in the future as you can play it on mobile devices anywhere. :)

[shamguy4]

i would leave it th way i got it but im afraid over time i will suffer from a full hard drive

[Signa]

get a DVD burner. media is cheap. you cant possibly need all 500 gigs at once. just leave the stuff you want access to on the HD and burn the rest.

[isus]

It really depends on how you plan on using your files. For audio, stick with MP3 unless you're one of the snobby audiophile types that can actually tell the difference.

For video, it's just a matter of quality and space. You will have to decide how much space you want each file to take up and you can do that here: http://www.3ivx.com/support/calculator/index.html

After that, it's just a matter of finding the codec that best fits what you will be doing with the file. DivX is nice because it's practically everywhere now, but there are higher quality encoders available, such as H264. Just sit down, encode a few short clips, play them, and see what fits your tastes best.