This may have already been posted to this BBS, but it seems worth reposting. My Sony NS400 supposedy only plays VCD's, and not SVCD's, but a method posted over at vcdhelp.com allows my player to play SVCD's and it appears to work on other players as well. The process is to perform a simple multiplex in TMPGEnc on the SVCD file and convert the file headers to VCD. Bottom line is that the DVD player thinks it's playing a VCD, but the actual data is SVCD which the player automatically decodes since it's MPEG2 compliant. It's an easy fix to play SVCDs in your VCD-only DVD player and doesn't require long conversions from MPEG2 to MPEG1 (the simple multiplex takes about 5-10 minutes), plus you get the added bonus of the increased quality of MPEG2 and VBR. Here's more specific instructions on how to perform the conversion from vcdhelp.com that I've slightly editted based on experience:

-dooger

--

Start TMPGEnc

1 Cancel wizard and immediately select FILE -> MPEG tools.
2 Select 'simple multiplex'
3 Video input 'YOUR MPEG FILE' - browse to the SVCD file.
4 Output 'DESTINATION FOR YOUR FINISHED FILE', rename for converted file.
5 Select type 'MPEG-1 Video-CD' (very important, will default to MPEG2)
6 Hit Run.

This may take anywhere from 3 - 7 minutes depending on your system. Highly suggest having ALL other programs closed, and don't do anything with your computer.

Note: Prior to "Run", ensure the select type option is 'MPEG-1 Video-CD', it will default to MPEG2 after browsing to the SVCD file.

Burning:

Start NERO (tested with version 5.4.4.0), use template Video-cd, add file(s) and then burn. After adding the file, it may fail the VCD 2.0 compliance check and you will need to disable the compliance and proceed anyway.

Not gaurenteed to work on any players. Not gaurenteed at all. I don't know if this can cause any damage to your DVD player, but I don't see how it could.

My guess is, all "newer" DVD players, even if they don't support SVCD files, actually have the capability to decode the SVCD MPG files, but, manufacturers are probably lazy to enable the option due to cost and time. Either that, or they fear the SVCD.

nice 1, thanks for that but you are making a SVCD to a VCD are you not?

Techno

Nope, only the file headers change to VCD, core data remains MPEG2. That's why the conversion only takes about 5 minutes for a 750MB SVCD file.

ok, thanks for clearing that up! :)

Techno

If SCVD can be disguised as VCD just through simple multiplexing, what about appling time scale buring trick of VCD to SVCD on Nero?

If Nero can burn 80 min SVCD into one CD, isn't it great?

Any comment Techno?

Kisoo

yes, it would be great! But I dont do SVCD's, but the information dooger gave us is really good, handy to know! :)

Techno

Kisoo,

I guess I don't understand your question (I'm pretty new to VCD/SVCD). What is the "time scale burning trick of VCD" you refer to?

- dooger

Ignore it mate. It was just some pathetic suggestion by an otherwise idiotic person called Techno who thinks you can burn 3gb on to an 800mB cd as long as the time of file runs less than the time in minutes on the Cdr.
I'm sure if you have any intelligence you will just laugh and forget all about it.


ASHY

looking for a newbie guide to make svcds, a website or if anyone has the time, that would be great!

it is really easy to make SVCD's. Follow the wizard!

Download TMPGENC v2.53

open it, a wizard will appear.

select SVCD (pal or ntsc)

follow the wizard and drag and drop or browse to the directory you wish to select your file that you want to convert to SVCD.

It will then encode.

It is as simple as that!

:)

Techno

Good places to start is here

http://www.vcdhelp.com
http://doom9.net

I like the guides that purpleman has, there is a link on the doom9.net site.

:)

What am I doing wrong?
Takes about 3.5 hours (1 hour movie) to go from vob to mpg, seems way to long in this computer world. Do not under stand all of this but I'm trying...
Equipment:
Win XP Pro
AMD T-Bird 900
1 gig ram
Pny NVIDIA GeForce 2 MX/MX2 400 64 meg
Plenty of HD and defraged
All Drivers and updates up to date
Procedure:
Smart Ripper 241 (few minutes)vob files...
DVD2AVI 176 (few minutes) wav file...
TMPGEnc 2.53.35.130 (3.5 hours) mpg file...
Then of course Nero to burn to VCD...

Thanks in advance for any and all help...
Please don't assume that I know more than I do...
Bill

No, you ARE NOT suppose to convert vob's directly to MPEG using TMPGENC, this is why it is taking long! :)

Convert the VOB's to something else, like avi.

You can convert this using DVDx or other software, then load it in TMPGENC and encode.

You should load the DVD2avi project in TMPGENC and make sure you have the plugin installed.

:)

Techno

Also for copyright issues! :)

Techno

Still looking for download location for DVDx English.
Any help???
Do I still need to do Smart rip, then create the wav file?
Bill

yeh, u need to use smartripper.

http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/downloads/dvdx.html

Techno

you need smartripper to rip the DVD!

make sure you tell it to create an index file and and ifo file

then load in DVDx

Techno

an hour of mpeg from avi. is probably going to take at least 3 hours it takes 12 hours on my system which is a 800mhz p3 512mbram 100gb hd......

Hmm there is a problem here, it's not a problem converting VOB to mpg but if you use uncompressed input data for tmpgenc the encoding is twice ad fast.

Like a uncompressed wav file and avi file but there is another problem here, it takes up a hole lot of space on your hardrive.

Other than that you have to wait for the time it takes ehe ;)

I only have a 400mhz computer but have not put together some spare parts so I have a 500mhz server. ANd I don't care how long it takes any more, only that it gets done :)

MPEG uses compression there fore TMPGENC has to scan the frames to encode, which takes a while because of compression.

When it is NO RECOMPRESSION or uncompressed AVI, it will encode faster because fo no compression

uncompressed avi is larger than NO RECOMPRESSION (when capturing) so NO RECOMPRESSION is better because it is lower in size and same, if not better, quality. :)

Techno

It's clear that a manual is needed for Tmpgenc for sure since a lot of questions involve stuff that you could read in a manual.

I heard that there will be manual for "TMPGEnc Plus" in near future, but I
do not know for free version.

I capture MPEG2 file for 2hrs, about 6GB, under MPEG Tools/Merge & Cut need more than 30mins to complete. (P4 1.6A / 256MB RAM / ATA100 HDD) Is that normal?

Faster CPU shorten the encode time, will more RAM help? What difference between 256MB and 512MB of RAM for Merge & Cut and encoding?

Eh more ram probably won't do any difference.

Eh 30min, that's fast, for me it would take hours, since im on a 400mhz but I got a 500mhz server now so I don't care how long it takes, since my server is on 24/7 :)

yeh, the RAM is not really effected. If you have a fast CPU and motherboard then this is the fastest you can do.

Make sure you are not running in background apps or using the PC while encoding.

Techno

Tks... but I mean "Merge & Cut need more than 30mins to complete" with my new P4 1.6A. Any other user use more than 5GB of file in Merge & Cut?

DV/AVI is bigger than MPEG2, 1hr of MPEG2 is about 3GB, 1 hr of DV/AVI is about 12GB. So DV/AVI will take longer time right?

I recently installed several other video capture/editing packages on
my Windows 2000 machine, and now the Edit window in the Merge and Cut
MPEG tool no longer works right. The single step forward and back
buttons will move you one frame the first time you press them and
then do nothing after that. I need the single step to work to
pick start and end frames.

Since I havn't changed TMPG versions I assume one of the other
programs I installed changed some DLL that TMG uses and caused
this bug. Can anyone tell me how I find out what DLL that
might be and change it back?

The dvd was full screen and now I can't seem to get the mepg to go full... thx

make sure in the advanced settings you have "full screen (keep aspect ratio)" and it is 1:1 VGA

Techno

On most .avi files that I convert to .mpg work fine, but occasionally I will come across an .avi file that will not give me sound on the finished .mpg. The wizard shows me that it has found the the audio, but yet no output.

Thanks

load virtualdub (download it from www.virtualdub.org)

open the avi in virtualdub

goto file > save wav and enter a file name to save the audio as.

Then load this wave and the video in TMPGENC and encode.

There should be sound now.

:)

Techno

Creating files to run on a BitBand Server . . . Encoding MPEG1's. Samples run fine on desktop, but when they load the files into the server, they're dead. Specification says they MUST be "program stream" not "transport stream". Don't know the difference, and can't find any settable parameter to specify the stream type. So far, nobody has an answer! HELP!

I have no idea what a transport stream is but I do know that "tmpgenc" makes "program streams" and "elementary streams" and that is it,maybe your problem comes from the way you are sending your files to your server,would they not have to be in a "transport stream" to transport them to your server, just an idea...hope you figure it out........sherlock

Hi there,
I've been looking for a converter software, that rips from a SVCD and turns it into a VCD (converts mpeg2 into mpeg1). The problem is that I have a new Stand-alone DVD player. It only plays VCDs but all the bloody movies are in mpeg2 format. I've already tried to just copy the actual movie file on my hard drive and then burn a normal VCD with nero. But of course that didn't quite work. So now I'm asking you, before smashing the SVCDs with... I don't know... something. PLEASE HELP ME!!!

KiwiHacker

try converting it (the .dat file) to VCD using TMPGENC but I do not think it will work as when burned, changes the file formats and cannot be "decoded".

I might be wrong but this is my theory.

Techno

Hmm I know that if you use vcdgear (www.vcdgear.com) you can convert .dat files to mpg and other stuff but I don't know if this works for SVCD but do have a look at the url.

:)

Once you figure out how to rip the MPEG2 file off the SVCD, you could try converting the file headers to VCD (without re-encoding to MPEG1), burn to VCD and fool your player into playing the SVCD files. See my post "Play SVCDs on your VCD-only DVD player!" - http://www.tmpgenc.net/cgi-bin/ebbs/board.cgi?board=tmpgenc#topic4516

-dooger

I converted a 640MB AVI to MPG and the MPG was 912MB I need it small enough to fit it on a cd I am using the NTSC VCD option.






Thanks,
Matt Nichols

MPEG and avi are different formats so you cannot expect the convertion to go smaller in size.

Try open the MPEG file and re-encoding it, it will NOT lose quality :)

You should find it is smaller in size

Also, if you are trying to burn it as VCD then burn it using nero, as long as it is less than 80mins (700MB) or 74 mins (650MB), nero will burn it, regardless the size.

I have tried it myself 2 days ago.

:)

Techno

Maby you could use

Bearson's Bitrate Calculator

You can get it from some of the URL's previously posted here.

The thing is that is calculate video data for DivX output size but I guess you could do it the reverse way if you know how much % you have to add or withdraw from the end results so you know what to keep the average bitrate to or constant bitrate to.

You just have to try. I suggest you go for 2 Cd's instead of one cd. Since VCD or SVCD is bigger that DivX, it has harder compression.

I would say that if you encode DivX to VCD or SVCD try to keep it to double the size, 1-cd with DivX would then be 2-cd's bith VCD or SVCD. But if you have a low quality DivX it's not worth re-encoding it to other formats.

Personaly im into re-encoding DivX stuff but then I only convert 640*360 divx or higher quality. Or if it is released on 2 cd's (the divx file)

/Regards Dennis

I have a vcd file that is at a bitrate of 3000kbs it is 40 minutes long and is 890mb but when I try to burn it with nero nero says it is 90 minutes long and wont burn it,or will burn it but not all of it,so I think the time scale in nero only works with compliant vcd and svcd bit streams,cuz no matter how long the file is nero wont burn more than 800mb on a 700mb cd....

How can I split my mpeg files so that I have only 700MB without having a loss at quality?

are u trying to burn it as a VCD?

if so, use nero:

make sure that the video is not more than 80mins.

You can safely burn this in nero as a VCD.

otherwise, you can use the source range filter, in the advanced settings, to encode into 2 parts.

you also may wish to use the merge and cut tool in the MPEG tools options in the file menu of TMPGENC.

Techno

sorry, I meant SVCD