Hi, I'm having troubles with converting a DivX to MPEG because the initial file has a weird resolution [one of those DVD ones - 640x272]... Now when I convert and burn a VCD it still displays it full screen on my DVD [really streched out]. What's the best way to fix this? Thanx

This is an anamorphic resolution in 24:10 ratio.
You will have to use the custom settings to acheive the correct aspect ratio for this.
Just load your movie as normal and select 'Center (custom size)' as the Arrange method then set your frame size to 352x136.

Nope, didn't work [I did exactly what you said] - the image is still streched out on DVD even though it's correct in Media Player...

What settings are you using and which way is it stretched out, vertically?

These are the settings you should have:

1. Input aspect ratio - Set as stated above.

2. Output Resolution 352x240

3. Output aspect ratio 4:3

4. Make sure your DVD player is set for 4:3 output

If it still doesn't work with these settings then your DVD player has a problem with aspect ratios. Does the preview look correct in TMPG with black borders above and below?

Which software are you using to burn the VCD?

Yes, these are all the settings that I use. But I think the problem is that the black borders are not displayed. In Media Player the file seems right but the black borders are missing. As a result the output is stretched vertically in a DVD player [4:3 aspect ration, yup].

Thanx for your help.. after playing around with it for half an hour I figured it out. Regards

Im quite new to making VCD, only used nero making using files it would encode quite happily. Just downloaded a wicked film in this XVid format. But its 1hr 38mins long so first off i know it needs chopping in half and then i need it to goto vcd not svcd. Tryied to load the file into TMPG 2.5, the free one, but wouldnt have it
Any help would be greatly appreciated
andy

Try VirtualDub to cut the film in two parts and to convert to .AVI. Use TmpgEnc to convert from AVI to MPEG-1

No, no, no... don't waste time and quality by re-encoding to another AVI.
Install FFDSHOW then load your XVID. If you still have problems make sure XVID is checked in the FFDSHOW configuration settings and raise the priority of the Directshow reader in the VFAPI plugins.

TO ASHY - got to be honest i didnt understand much of that. I installed this ffdshow i got from mpegx.com Doesnt seem to be a program tho. So am complelty lost heading in that direction

to roland, i got virtual dub and ran into the problem of a huge sound sync problem towards the end of the file. So i gave up with that one.

Tonight i tried using adobe premier 6.5 to split the file into the encode a vcd file that way. Great except ive got no sound.

From what i gather i can take the sound file from this using vdub, but i dont like the program much. Wondered if any of yer knew of a program that will extract a wav file for me from the xvid.

seeing how premier is prop end and i know how to use it, thinking this is my way to go

You may also need to mess around with your option/environment settings/vfapi plug-in

Here's what I use for configuration

directshow multimedia file reader +3
avi2(opendml) +1
avivfw 0
cyberlink mpeg2 0
microsoft mpeg1 0
wavefile reader 0
bmp/ppm/tga/jpg -2
tmpgenc project file reader -2

Your list will probably not look exactly the same but try making the changes and see if it works for you
I pretty much never have any problems opening a file after making these changes to a newly installed version of tmpgenc. with the normal settings about a quarter of my files wont load. Good luck

FFDSHOW is an MPEG4 decoder for all types of MPEG4 AVI, DIVX,XVID, MS-1,2,3 and usually much better than the original codecs themselves.

If you have installed the correct version you should then be able to load, or play for that matter, any MPEG4 AVI into TMPG or Media player.
If not then you should find the configuration settings under FFDSHOW in your Programs list.

Hi. I downloaded an AVI that ended right at the last frame of the episode instead of showing the ending credits. So is there a way to add extra still frames of the last frame of the AVI? On my past VCDs I made, it seemed that the VCD stopped a few seconds before the end of the clip for some reason. But that was the ending credits so it doesn't really matter. Now I'm afraid for this current AVI because it doesn't have ending credits that aren't important!

Use the "Source Range" in the "Advanced Settings" and set it so tmpgenc encodes all the way to the end of the file then you shouldn"t have a Problem...

That's not the problem. I don't use Source Range when I'm encoding so it encodes the whole thing. I played the MPG file on the computer to make sure it goes to the end. But on the DVD player, it stops maybe 1-2 seconds before the actual ending. Why is this? Will Source Range solve the problem?

Well yes It Should ,that is Why I sudested it..The source Range tells Tmpgenc what part of the File to Encode so if you configure the source range to encode from the Very beginning to the very end then the Mpeg file should be the whole file and not missing a few seconds at the end...

You can try using VCDEasy to make your VCD. After youve made your VCD, open VCDEasy, click on the (S)VCD icon, then on the Main tab, then Add File and add the mpeg, then click on the Interactivity tab, then try setting it up like this 'PLAY ONCE then Wait 5 seconds then on timeout VIDEOCD END'. That way it plays to the last frame, pauses for a few seconds, and then stops.

I have a 920MB mpg file which I want to split in two parts so I can fit each part onto a 700MB CD. Can anyone tell me how to use TMPGEnc to do this?

go to "File" to "Mpeg tools" to "merge & cut" and from there I"m sure you can figure it out...

I have 2 dvd's with 4 episodes on each dvd. When I rip dvd#1 with smartripper, I can rip each episode and make a single vob of each episode because they have their own Program Chain ... so then I just rip to 4 vob's ... and make a vcd from them directly in tmpegenc without making a dvd2avi project. But the dvd#2 all the episodes are in one program chain. I have tried to split the vob's by max file size, so that I will only get 1 huge vob, but tmpegenc won't make a vcd mpg from it. It does not give any errors, but when I choose that file for video / audio source, it will only make an mpg thats about 0,2MB. So then I rip dvd#2 and split the vobs, and then open them in dvd2avi, and generate a project file, and a wav file. But when I am trying to make a vcd from those files, the audio gets a delay. Now ... what program makes this delay? Is it dvd2avi that makes it? Or is it tmpegenc that makes the delay? Since the video / audio is perfect when I put the vob directly in tmpegenc, I get the feeling that dvd2avi makes the delay, but I'm not really sure. Anyone here know anything about this? I hope you understand my problem. Tried to explain the best that I could. :)

The Differance between useing a D2V project file and just loading the VoB file directly into Tmpgenc is that when loading the Vob file into Tmpgenc It doesn"t Know what Audio track you want Pluss the Decoder that Tmpgenc uses to decode the VoB files is Slower and Of a Lower Quality than DVD2AVI"s Decoder, Pluss Tmpgenc in Most cases will Not decode the Audio From Most DVD"s Because it is usually AC3 audio..The Delay in the Audio is In the VoB files, You can see the Audio delay in smartripper while ripping and it is the same as the Audio delay in DVD2AVI, What I do is Use a Freeware audio encoder called "Headac3he" to encode the AC3 or Wav file from DVD2AVI to Mpeg1 layer2 audio and it will Compensate for the Audio Delay in the Audio file, and the Audio Quality from headac3he is Much better than Tmpgenc...

So what I should do is rip the dvd in smartripper and spilt by vob file (not max file size), and then make a dvd2avi project and then run the .wav generated in dvd2avi through HeadAC3he, and then start tmpegenc and use the d2v project file, and the .wav(?) file created by HeadAC3he? Do I then have to specify an audio gap in tmpegenc, or should the audio be in sync?

All you need to do is just use Smartrippers default settings. Just select the program chain you require in Smartripper then rip as normal.
If the audio in these VOBs is AC3 then just use VOB2AUDIO to rip the audio to a wav and then load the d2v that Smartripper creates and the wav from VOB2AUDIO into TMPG.
VOB2AUDIO should correct your sync problem as it uses Directshow to rip the audio which is the fastest and most accurate way you can rip the audio.

If I try to use the d2v file that smartripper makes, tmpgenc says: File _filename_ can not open, or unsupported.

You have the wrong version of DVD2AVI installed. The new version of DVDAVI is no longer compatible with earlier project files.
You need version 1.76 the copy the DVD2AVI.vfp from your DVD2AVI folder to your TMPG folder. http://www.kehuelga.org/video/dvd/app/DVD2AVI_176.zip

>You have the wrong version of DVD2AVI installed.

hmm ... did I misunderstand you? You said that I could use the d2v file that _smartripper_ made. You did not say anything about dvd2avi ... So ... what I have tried so far:

Rip the dvd with smartripper. Use vob2audio to create a wav file from the vob's. Then I have the dv2 file that smartripper made, and a wav that vob2audio made. This did not work since tmpgenc can't use the dv2 file that smartripper made as a video file.

I have also tried this:

Rip the dvd with smartripper, and them make a wav with dvd2avi. After this when I imported the wav into Headac3he I had to manually specify a delay ... but how do I know what that delay is?? smartripper does not say anything about a delay when I rip the dvd, and dvd2avi does not say anything about a delay when I make the wav ...

The only thing I have tried that worked out fine was to rip the dvd with smartripper, and then import the vob file directly into tmpgenc ... But this does not work with the dvd I am ripping now, because the 4 episodes on the dvd is in one Program Chain.

I am getting tired of this delay thing, because whatever I try, it's still there! :(

OK...When you extract the audio with DVD2AVI the File Name is Usually something like "Movie-Aud_English_AC3_(2ch)_48hz_Delay_39ms.Wav" so when you Load that File into "Headac3he" it sees the Delay in the File name and adjusts the delay automaticly, If there is No delay in the audio file it will say "0ms" next to delay in the file name..You will also get Better audio Quality if you set the audio to "DeMux" instead of "Decode" then you will get an AC3 audio file then use Headac3he to Encode the AC3 to Wav OR what is better is to encode the AC3(or Wav) to Mp2 audio(the same as VCD and SVCD audio) with Headac3he, then use the "Mpeg tools" Simple Multiplex" to Mux the mp2 Audio to the Mpeg video file encoded By Tmpgenc...As to you D2V file Problem, For Tmpgenc to decode D2V file as certail Plugin has to be installed, To install it you download "DVD2AVI 1.76" and in it"s Folder is a file called "DVD2AVI.vfp" now take this file and Copy and Paste it onto the "tmpgenc" Folder, Now it should accept D2V files, But might have Problems with a D2V file created By Smartripper, so I Think it is best to Use a D2V file created By DVD2AVI as opposed to Smartripper because they are More compatible with Tmpgenc...I hope this Helps...Cheers

>hmm ... did I misunderstand you? You said that I could use the d2v file that _smartripper_ made. You did not say anything about dvd2avi

OK lets explain this in simple terms.

A d2v file is a project file created by DVD2AVI.
Smartripper has the ability to create a d2v itself while ripping, but you still need to have DVDAVI installed for the d2v to work as DVD2AVI does all the decoding in the background via the d2v.

The only problem is that the author of DVD2AVI has changed the way his program works in his new version. This means that the new DVD2AVI cannot use the d2v files that Smartripper makes because they are incompatible and thus you will receive an error in TMPG when you try to load the d2v.

All you need to do to make TMPG accept Smartripper d2v files is to install DVD2AVI 1.76 on your system then copy from your DVD2AVI folder a file called DVD2AVI.vfp and place it in your TMPG folder where the .exe is located.

Now you will be able to open the d2v files which Smartripper creates in TMPG.

XP Pro with latest TMPGEnc Plus

I've used Merge/Cut many times before but can't use it with a series of MPEG-2 (SVCD) files I downloaded recently. Characteristics of these files:

480x480, 29.970fps, Avg bit rate 1689Kbps
Audio format 44KHz stereo, 128Kbps layer II

I can play the vids fine with any player on my system. Merge/Cut opens them fine and even plays them fine. It's just that the slider bar does not move; the best I can do is guesstimate the times and imput them manually.

I normally have no problem with the slider bar and just tried it with other types of files and it worked fine.

So are there some files that might cause this?

Thanks

Well I guess it could be that the Mpeg2 decoder that Tmpgenc is useing is Not very fast so it can not scan through the file very fast, Or it could be a Problem with the Time code in the File, Or it just could be the Fact that tmpgenc"s Merge & Cut is only supposed to be used with Files that were encoded By Tmpgenc so the Structure of the File could be a Bit different than the Merge & cut is used to, I would sugest that you use a Real Mpeg2 editor as even when the one in Tmpgenc works properly it doesn"r work Properly as with me Anyways I allways have Sync problems with Files edited By Tmpgenc, I now use "Mpeg2VCR for all My editing and it is a great and easy to use Editor...

Ashy, Minion Hello..

I have not been to the board in a while hope you are both well.

I have the following problem, made some .mpg files from a dvd and a couple of clips start to 'get choppy' or display frames longer than suppose to when the action scenes gets going. Is this because of using "CQ" constant quality rate control mode?

Or perhaps it is my system not being able to handle the encoding?
I'm on a Dell,Win98
P2
400mhz processer

Here what I did:

I ripped a DVD with SmartRipper
Used DVD2AVI to get the .wav and .d2v

Encode with TMPGenc
320x240
Aspect ratio: 1:1 (VGA)
29.97fps
RATE control mode; CQ
High Quality {Slow}

Video souce type: Interlace
Field order: BOttom field First
Source aspect ratio: 4:3 Display
Video arrange Method: Full Screen

Filters:
Deinterlace
Clip Frame

Can you suggest anything that may cause this?

BTW, I learnd this entire process via ASHY'S help and save the posts from last year. Thanks again man.

Regards
Fess

You don't say what bitrates you are using and why are you encoding to 1:1(VGA)?
Are you encoding to MPEG1 or MPEG2.
Does this happen on the PC only or does it happen on your DVD player too?

The cause could be a number of things.
1. Altered frame rate from that of the original.
2. Too high bitrate.
3. Wrong field order.

Try encoding a few test clips where the problem starts. One with a lower Max bitrate and one with a reversed field order then post back with the info we need above.

>You don't say what bitrates you are using

When I choose 'Constant Quality CQ' from the 'Rate control mode', the 'Bitrate' field grays out. So to find out this info, I went an opened it in Virtual Dub and got this dialogue box stating:

MPEG: Anachronistic or discontinuous timstamp found in video stream 0 at byte position 2064 (may indicate improper join)
MPEG: Anachronistic or discontinuous timstamp found in video stream 0 at byte position 4112 (may indicate improper join)

Now I'm worried, I have never see this error or what ever it is before. I then clicked 'Ok' and checked the 'File Info':
Average bitrate: 323KBps (40KB/s)


>why are you encoding to 1:1(VGA)?

The clips are for the internet and it states here http://www.dvdrhelp.com/tmpgencexplained.htm 1:1 VGA: This would be the correct aspect ratio if you plan to watch your video on your computer.

>Are you encoding to MPEG1 or MPEG2.

MPEG1

>Does this happen on the PC only or does it happen on your DVD player too?

Well, I have a DVD/CDROM so it does not happen on the DVD at all. Only in the clip.

>The cause could be a number of things.
>1. Altered frame rate from that of the original.
I made it a habit to write done whats on the info bar in DVD2AVI, and the 'Frame Rate' indicated 29.970fps, that's what I encode with TMPGEnc

>2. Too high bitrate.
323KBps is the bitrate or the problematic clip that's 'Constant Quality CQ", I usually go with 687 or so when using "Constant Bitrate (CBR)"

>3. Wrong field order.
Field order was: Bottom field First

>Try encoding a few test clips where the problem starts. One with a lower Max bitrate and one with a reversed field order then post back with the info we need above.

Regarding Lower Max Bitrate, I think you mean 'Lower" and "Maximum' Bitrate right?

at a lower bitrate of 323kbs/bottomfieldfirst field B - DID NOT 'skip/get choppy' but looked terrible.
at a higher bitrate of 1000kbs/bottomfieldfirst field B - DID NOT 'skip/get choppy'

at a lower bitrate of 323kbs/topfieldfirst field A - DID NOT 'skip/get choppy' but looked terrible
at a higher bitrate of 1000kbs/topfieldfirst field A -DID NOT 'skip/get choppy'

The problemitic clip was encode 'Bottom field First, I changed the field order to 'Top field first Field A"and left the "RATE control mode" to CQ - DID NOT 'skip/get choppy'

Trying to narrow it down has confused me because all the above test clips work now. And I tried to open them in 'Virtual Dub' and did not receive the error stated above.

What do you suggest?

Regards
Fess

I can't really say what the original problem was, but Virtualdub indicates there was some sort of problem with the timecoding which may have something to do with it.

As for the bitrate setting graying out. This happens because this setting is for the CBR bitrate setting. You need to click the 'setting' button next to it set the bitrates.

Ashy,

Thanks....I guess i'll encode the .d2v & .wav file again using maybe 'CQ' with higher bitrate settings

I posted the strange error I go at the Virtual Dub forum and got this advice:

>Those warnings often appear if an MPEG has been spliced, or if the timestamps in the streams don't begin at 0:00:00 as expected. But don't worry; they're just warnings alerting you to the fact, and they won't affect your processing at all.

Regards
Fess

One more questions I've been wanting to ask for a very long time now an never remember to do so...

When I make my mpeg1 clips (not just the ones of this discussion) and cut them, I notice the following when the clip plays in the page embedded QuickPlayer..

Right before the clip starts, the first few frames or frame have 8x8 pixel distortion then plays normally.

The distortion looks like if you would encode with a bitrate of 1. And I never encode any clip for the internet with a bitrate less than 687 usually.

Have you ever heard of this problem?

Any advice is appreciated
Regards
Fess

I guess this is more likely to do with the player than the file itself.
It could be that it's just a decoding problem with the player and is just playing junk at the beginning until it recognizes the file and selects the correct codec and parameters to decode the file.
Does this happen in any other players such as Mediaplayer?

Ashy...

The 'junk' is appearent in 'Quicktime' embedded page player-i guess it's called the quicktime plugin, and also visible in the stand alone player (v6.1 is what I have)

'Junk' is not present in Media Player7.1/RealPlayer8

Regards
Fess

So I guess it's just the player.

I made a dvd2avi project file and a tmpegenc project file. Then i converted both with vfapi.
The resulating (fake) avi from dvd2avi + vfapi has twice as much frames as the avi from tmpgenc. This probabely has to do something with interlacing etc. since the source is interlaced. Can someone give me some extra info on why this happens, and if i can get problems when i reencode the movie OUTSIDE tmpgenc.

thx

Well this isn"t really a Tmpgenc Question but anyways, There are a Few things you can do, You can load the d2v file into Tmpgenc then do your settings in Tmpgenc then Make a TPR project File then load the TPR Project File into the VFAPI Converter and it will Make a Dummy AVI file with all of the Perameters that you set in Tmpgenc, This should help fix the Problem But the Frameserveing will be slower, So the Best bet is to not use VFAPI At all,You will get Much Faster frameserveing Useing AVISynth and the Quality will be better Because VFAPI Converts all YUV Data to RGB which can introduce some Quality loss...

to minion:

ur answer doesnt really help me :(
maybe i wasnt clear enough so ill try to rephrase it a little better :)

tmpegenc always scans the source movie at the beginning. It knows if it's interlaced or not and if its "Video","Film" or "Video/Film mixed". This gives me the impression i should use tmpegenc as a frameserver. When tmpegenc knows what kind of source file it is, it probabely knows how to handle it. Is this true or is it completely bs ? :)


u suggest i could use avisynth. Since i dont know when the movie is correctly handled i dont know if avisynth does it ok. I know tmpeg examins the movie so tmpegenc probabely will.

I have tried to add a DVB-S Recording with 480x576, and no wonder, a error message about "non combliant mpeg stream".

But i i patch the resolution of the mpeg, and re-patch the resulting vob, many dvd-player could play such disks. I havent found one which couldnt for now.

It would be nice, if you could add a "i know what i do" option and allow "any" mpeg-stream to add.

This might be a reason to buy ;-)

I would like to have this option too!!!! Please!!!!

Hey guys

I'm having a few problems so here goes -

I used Virtual Dub to save the Wav file from a movie and then i went into TMPGenc and loaded both the Video and the Wav File into the respective boxes. So i was converting the file to a Pal 25fps movie. However when it completes and it is an mpeg and i play the file, i cannot here any sound. Any Ideas?

System -

AMD Athlon XP 2000+
512 MB Ram
Latest Version of TMPGence Plus

Also i am getting this error on some movies -

"At Address 000004B4, read error occurred against address 000004B4"

Thanks for any help in Advance, i couldnt find the solution at the FAQ

I am new at this, and I followed all instructions to the letter. I was all set to go and I had an error window stating: P3package.dll would not load. What is this and how can I fix it??? Thanks!!!!!

This error is Caused from Not haveing all of the Tmpgenc files in the Same folder, Every file that Comes with Tmpgenc has to be in the Same Folder and the Main EXE can"t be sitting on your Desktop as a Shortcut...

If would like to see TMPEGenc allow de-multiplex to extensions of .mpv
for video streams and .mpa for audio streams (as some DVD authoring programs require these extensions and do not allow .m1v and .mp2)

It would save me having to rename the files to proper extensions

Come on get real. I don't really think that is a valid request. It's no hardship to rename an extension and I prefer the extensions TMPG already uses as they are accepted in more programs than the ones you would like.

this is a nice request :):):)
but i dont think this is going to be honoured .

btw
if u cant open a file with the extension and there is no
"all files(*.*)" feature u can type a * int he name box and press ENTER.
this way u can see all file's, and choose any extension.