[bembler] “output to vhs or mini dv”
Nothing higher than DV for output to DV. Waste of drive space and you can catch compression issues in your timeline instead of when it masters to tape.
[bembler] “which codec should I use when:
output for dvd ?”
Whatever the native format is of the footage. If it’s DV, then edit in DV. If it’s Beta / DigiBeta then 8bit uncompressed. if it’s HD, then HD.
[bembler] “goal: quality within these settings must be the highest possible”
That all starts with original aquisition. You say your video files are DV-PAL. That’s the highest quality video you can possibly get. If you want higher quality, you’ll need to start with a higher quality format in production. DigiBeta, Varicam, HDCAM, even BetaSX.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”
“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters