What format to encode video?

[Ogren]

I'm using Nero 8 to encode video from an HDV camcorder. I want to use a format with best possible quality but it must follow standards so that it can easily be played in the future.

Among the options to choose are "Nero Digital AVC" and simply "AVC". In "Nero Digital AVC", a subformat called "HDTV - AVC" appears to be the best. In "AVC", there are two subformats, "AVCHD compatible" and "HD-DVD compatible". Thus, there are three formats I may choose from. The "HDTV - AVC" codec is Nero-specific but they claim to follow MPEG-4 ISO standards. I don't know anything about the other two formats.

Do anyone have any idea which format I should use?

[Jim]

I haven't made the switch to HDTV yet, but I've been following camcorder technology for quite some time. I would keep the raw footage on your HDV tapes no matter what format you choose now. Anything codec you choose will compress your original source and you can never get that detail back if some superior codec arrives in the future.

I still keep my original Hi8 and Digital8 footage on tape even though I've converted a lot of it to MPEG2 (DVD) for viewing today.