Digital Home Thoughts: ADS Tech VideoMPX - Digital Video to Go

Comparing Compression
Since I was not sure which compression scheme suited my needs, I decided to record the same 4 minutes of a DVD with each compression setting. I've listed my results in the following table:


Figure 2: Compression Settings Comparison using the same 4 minutes of video.

A couple things to note about these results. These options are the top level default settings from the capture menu. Both DivX and Windows Media format offer many different configurations. The profile used in the Windows Media is the default called "Neptune_GoodQuality". There are several Windows Media profiles for streaming over different bandwidths and devices.

I was surprised that the file size of the various DivX profiles were so different. I could not discern from the settings dialog what the difference was between DivX 5.5.1 and DivX Home Theater however the file size is much larger for the same clip under the general DivX setting. There are four DivX profiles that cover the range from mobile phones to high definition devices. I found the DivX Home Theater to have the best quality for the file size.

Once you have captured and edited your video there are a variety of ways to save it out. There is a Create Disc wizard which lets you burn a VCD complete with chapters and menus.

I hit a snag on my PocketPC when I realized that the latest version of Pocket DivX does not support DivX version 5.5.1. After searching around I could not find any other PocketPC player that supports 5.5.1. As a work around, it is possible to save as a WMV file and play that on the PocketPC. Palm devices are capable of playing back DivX 5.5.1.

Conclusions
With a variety of compression and export options, the VideoMPX is an inexpensive and versatile way to digitize video. It is especially useful for laptop users who are looking for a portable digitizing solution. Whether you are archiving your old home movie collection, looking to stream a scene for friends and family over the web or shrinking a movie for your PDA, the VideoMPX and VideoStudio software will get the job done.

Jason Kravitz is a software engineer specializing in the creative potential of the human mind and its connection to the subtle spaces around us. Jason is the creator of the PocketPC game DevilDarts and an avid photographer. His current area of interest is the potential of imagery to transcend the boundaries of language. His photo blog can be seen on Aminus3.com.