[mythtv-users] Suggested Recording Profiles AND Transcode settings?

[Ackster]

I've done list searches, but still can't find the data I need, so now 
I'm asking the questions...

So this past week I reinstalled my Myth box onto a new larger disks (the 
old WD has S.M.A.R.T. alerts now), and in the process I went from 18.0 
to 20.0, which is a joyous event.  Now I'm confronted with new recording 
and transcode options, and I don't know what to set. 

First, I have two HD3000 cards, and one HD5000, and first and foremost I 
want the full stream to be recorded natively, but I notice that right 
now the recordings end up as .mpg instead of the old way I was used to, 
as .nuv .  I think my recording profile is set to Auto, maybe that's not 
the best to meet my needs.  Anyone has suggestions?

Second, once I have these recordings, SOME of them I'd like to convert 
from the full HDTV res to a MPEG4 recording of roughly 700 MB so that I 
can save space.  I've seen HD recordings of this size, any they are 
plenty decent to be display even on my TV, so that seems the best 
compromise.  Suggested settings for the transcode?

Thanks in advance to all who read/respond.
-Ackster