[Ti] encoding video

[Dr Trevor J. Hutley]

I am using EyeTV (for nearly 3 years) with my G4 Powerbook to watch  
TV (from my satellite dish).

I have started recording some TV programs, then encoding /  
compressing them as MPEG4, using the Export function of EyeTV.

A 48 minute program is about 1Gb on may hard disk, and can be  
compressed to about 500 Mb (so goes on to a CD-RW) as an MP4 file.

However, I am really surprised how slow it is.  It takes about 2h for  
my 125 Al-book to do the encoding !!

Can that be right?

It does not seem to be a CPU issue, as CeePeeYou only shows cpu use  
at 55 - 80 %, occasionally up to 95 or 100%.

Does anyone else have experience of the MP4 encoding, to know if this  
is typical?

As a user, there seems nothing I can do about this time, except  
schedule it when I am asleep or away.

Is there a better alternative, to put a 1Gb program on to a CD-RW?
Should I do it in 2 stages, using some other Export option in  
QuickTime Pro?

regards,  Trevor