Tamahagane

That's a valid point. However the most important audio is from Ross's microphone, so I don't think it justifies using a non-standard (for video) sampling rate just because background sounds coming from the game are 44.1. Assuming that they're 44.1 (didn't check). Just ever so slightly better microphone audio (48khz) doesn't justify upsampling the game audio from 44.1 to 48. If the game's max is 44.1 then it's better to record all audio at 44.1. Like with the framerate, standards are fairly irrelevant as we're watching this on computers... I just checked the WMV files with MediaInfo and it seems he was using 48khz up to Episode 19. Looks like 20 to 37 are 44.1khz. That says nothing about what was used when recording/mixing though, that's just what the audio stream is at now. Then again, either way - your point or mine - it's pretty irrelevant, as we're extremely unlikely to actually hear any difference in quality.

@ e-t172 Thanks for the reminder about colorspace. With regards to audio, yeah of course, I know that (for example, all DVDs are 48khz, for people who don't know), however what is Half Life in? I don't remember. Haven't played it in ages. My idea is just that it's probably best to use the same khz for all the mixing/recording (game sounds, voice recording), and I'm guessing that HL is at 44.1.

I know what I'm talking about, and I know I'm right about this... The only real/good choice you have is this: Either continue with the same WMV as you have always done, OR use megui with x264 and AAC audio. I wrote some about this before the forums existed on the comments to one of the videos and suggested the use of x264 then. Basically, to get the highest quality possible, do this: Record the game in 1280x720 or 1920x1080 (or both and make 2 versions), to a lossless codec such as FFV1 (preferably) which is available in ffdshowtryouts, or Lagarith perhaps, but I'd use FFV1. Not sure what colorspace would be best to use when capturing from a game though. I used to do a lot of video encoding but the details about colorspace I can't seem to recall much about. Possibly capture in RGB. megui+avisynth will convert it to YV12. The question is what way is most lossless. If one does do too many incorrect colorspace conversions the result can get quite far from the original source. Also keep in mind Rec601 and Rec709, but that's less of a concern vs. colorspace conversion. Anyway, then you'll have a lossless FFV1 file which you load into megui which creates an AviSynth script (you don't need to -- only rarely, if something specific is needed -- fill it in manually with anything) for the video (megui works at video files thru .avs not the video file directly), and then you use x264 in megui, you go to the 264 settings and max everything out except a few things which are unnecessary (and some things are of course left alone because they have nothing to do with quality, but things such as seeking for example). If you really wanna go at this then I could help you with those settings and stuff. Then you let the video encode to an .mp4 container. x264 encoding at proper quality can take a hell of a long time, but as FM episodes are only 5~10 minutes or so, it should only take a few hours at most. The audio you do afterwards. Use AAC. Optimally, NeroAAC. Depending on what software is used AAC encoding can be a bit weird, it's not that it is complicated to do, it's just that I've had some weird experiences with it. Maybe the easiest way to make the AAC audio file is to first obviously record your audio to WAV (standard 16 bit @ 44.1khz, as I assume the game is at that as well)... then, load that into foobar2000 and convert it to AAC from there. foobar2000 should be able to do it without any problems. It was a very long time since I did any AAC encoding so I'm not sure if foobar2000 supports the NeroAAC codecs though. Also it might be a bit of trouble finding them, but not impossible. Although that's really completely unnecessary. I only mentioned AAC because that's what I'd use because I'm a perfectionist when it comes to certain things. You could just use MP3, no problem. LAME vbr -V0 (or in other words, the highest quality VBR setting, not sure what that setting is called nowadays. In foobar2000 and most other programs you get to select it in the GUI, so no need to worry about what the switch is called). Also, MP3 encoding is much easier/failproof than AAC. Then when you have your x264 file (.mp4 container) and MP3, you start up mkvmerge and drop the MP4 and the MP3 in there and just mux. If you did everthing right then the video and audio will sync perfectly by default. HOWEVER! I really don't think you should worry about any of this, rather, just continue exactly the way you have been. Because most people are still AVI+XviD junkies AND/OR don't notice the quality difference OR care about the size difference that can be achieved. And most people are retarded and use VLC: (which makes high quality x264-encoded streams in .mkv utterly pointless because everything looks crap and behaves likewise) So, what I REALLY recommend here is the first option: that you continue with the same WMV mode of operation as you've done so far. If you want more quality, just increase res, make the file size bigger. Keep production consistent in all areas, including encoding. For the next ep, why not record it in 3 versions: 1920x1080, 1280x720, and then 864x480. Let the higher-res versions become larger size, and see what people think. Most people probably wouldn't mind 300 to 600mb per episode at 1920x1080. On another note of consistency, I also recommend you keep the same 30.000 FPS. It's not as "normal" or "standard" as 29.970 or 23.976, but people are watching this on computers so that's irrelevant (those FPS's being what's on DVD/VOB for example), and higher FPS could possibly create problems for some people during playback. It's just safest to stay with 30. So... yeah. Worry less, or nothing really, about the encoding. Just focus on the actual quality of the series, that is, on the deliverance of the Freeman character, instead. Keep him BOTH consistent AND interesting, which so far he's been most of the time.