Encoding uncompressed audio and video files

Using Windows Media Encoder, you can capture and archive high-quality content to an archive file for later use. For most situations, the File Archive option, which uses quality-based VBR encoding, is most appropriate. However, if you plan to edit the content at a later date, you may want to consider encoding uncompressed files.

Storage requirements for uncompressed files are significantly higher than for other files to which compression has been applied. It is recommended that you store the content on an NTFS volume. The FAT32 file system has a file size limit of 4 GB. If you expect your content to exceed 4 GB, you should reconfigure your hard disk to use NTFS.

When you capture uncompressed content from a device, such as a camera or VCR, the resulting video is created in the YUV format YV12, regardless of the pixel format specified on the device or in the profile. The Windows Media Video 9 codec is optimized for YUV, making it the preferred format for quality, size, and performance. The resulting audio is created in the pulse code modulation (PCM) format.

For best results when capturing uncompressed content:

• Use a fast hard disk that can accommodate encoding at high bit rates.
• Use 15 fps when capturing 640 x 480 resolution.
• Use 30 fps when capturing 320 x 240 resolution.

Related topics

• Output options
• To use the File Archive option
• To encode uncompressed content