Lee,
What you need is either an MPEG Encoder (hardware) or transcoder (software). Rendering in After Effects will really knock the quality down and you'll still have to encoder/transcode anyway.
If you're working on the Mac, MediaPress is about the cheapest half-decent encoder at about $2,500. It's not great, but can get you by. Canopus makes a great transcoder for $700 on Windows. Sonic makes an entry-level professional encoder for Windows at $5K, while the popular SD-1000 from them is $10K and works on both Windows and Mac (OS9).
Tyler A. Hawes
Audio Intervisual Design
18 Years Integrating for Film, Television, DVD & Music Production
West Hollywood, CA: (323) 845-1155
