Loss-less AVI to MPEG2??? Does it exist? Quality Lost When Side By Side Compared with Original DV

Hello All,
I have been reading through posts here for several days before finally deciding to post this question. There have been many opinions given on how to successfully convert AVI to MPEG2 for burning to DVD. I've been experimenting with various encoders trying to make a very high quality DVD. My wife wants to keep all of the old digital 8 original tapes because the quality is so much less on the new DVDs. I bought these Sony Digital 8 Camcorders thinking I could just take the video and make DVDs. Digital to digital so quality would be high! Wrong it seems. I did a side by side comparison on my 52" HD TV. I plugged in the Sony Digital 8 Camcorder into one set of jacks on the TV and played the DVD at the same time using a split screen. I synced up the two screens so they were playing the same scenes. The difference was quite noticeable! The Sony was much brighter and had more detail. The DVD was created using TMPGEnc Plus vs 2.5 along with the TMPGEnc DVD Author 1.6. I'm just so dissapointed that the difference is so noticeable. I almost wish I hadn't let my wife see the original. Now I'm doomed to buying Digital 8 tapes for the rest of my life! I sure hope one of you folks has had a better experience than me. I've tried a few different options using Nero and Roxio. I even tried a few other trial encoders who I couldn't name off the top of my head. TMPGEnc seems the best so far, but it just isnt' doing it for me. I know this subject is near and dear to all of us. Any advise is appreciated!

 

There is No such think as Lossless DV AVI to Mpeg-2 encodeing , You will allways loose some Quality because Mpeg compression Is a Very Lossy Process but there are things you can do you Lessen the Ammount of Quality you Loose....

One of the Biggest Factors for Encodeing Quality is the Mpeg encoder you use...
There are only a Small Handfull of encoders that I would say produce acceptable Quality but the Best 2 Mpeg-2 encoders are 'CinemaCraft Encoder SP 2.70($2000)" and "Canopus Procoder 2.0($600)" both of Which are Professinal Quality encoders which produce excelent results...

Also the Use of Filters when encodeing or useing a Frameserver Like AVISYnth which has a Multitude of Video Filters for Cleaning up the Image and Sharpening the Image and Removeing Artifacts also helps in give a better Looking Encoded File and Haveing a Good Understanding of what the Settings in the Encoders mean and when to use them with different Types of Video...
Also when going from DV AVI to Mpeg-2 there are Colorspace conversions happening so there are ceratin settings in some encoders that have to be set so you do not loose Quality when the ColorSpace gets Converted.....


Cheers