When converting the DVD's I own -> AVI to play on a media server what do people think are the optimum settings to avoid blockiness and bad sound?

Using DVDFab I currently use the following for PAL

VideoCodec H264
Audio - Copy (give 5.1 bitstream)
Bitrate 1500Kbs
Resolution: 560x316

Seems to give me a reasonable picture - anyone any thoughts?

Destination screen is a fairly old 480p 42" Panasonic PW6.

Ritch

Quoting snarbo:

Quote:
I would go for best you can get, better to watch something that the screen has to down grade rather than the screen trying to upgrade poor quality to start with, and if you upgrade you screen later no need to re-convert the AVI file

Steve

True but isn't the native resolution of a DVD 720x576 so no point in trying to upscale passed that   

Ritch

Quoting MarEll:

Quote:
Quoting ritchf:

Quote:
Quoting snarbo:

True but isn't the native resolution of a DVD 720x576 so no point in trying to upscale passed that   

Ritch

I think thats what he means.

@ritchf

you stated that you were outputting at 560x316 which to me is downgrading the original. so if you leave the resolution at it's maximum, hence my earlier statement, as I said who knows you may purchase a Hi-Def screen one day (a sale (curry's, dixon's going in admin)who knows) which would really show up the down graded resolution.

As for upscaling, try viewing an ordinary SD DVD through a good upscaling player on a HD TV.

Steve