Poor VCD quality using Ulead VideoStudio 5.0

[hmpua]

Hi! I used Ulead VideoStudio 5.0 to make a VCD but the quality is poor. Can see big pixels. I email Ulead, they suggested that I download their latest patch. I did it but the quality only improve a bit. I want to ask if anyone knows how to improve the VCD quality using Ulead VideoStudio 5.0? If you suggest that I use other softwares, the problem is I have edited my video, it will take too much time to do it all over again. However, you can suggest a good video editing software for my future use. Thanks you!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: hmpua on 2001-08-16 22:47:54 ]</font>

[Beretta]

Save your output as .avi, not mpeg.
Then use TMPGEnc to encode it to .mpg

[hmpua]

Will saving in AVI needs very large harddisk space? Do you have any idea how big will the file be for about 30 mins video?

[jiheffe]

Lots of disk space Don't remember the up-to-the-bute exact amount, but for 30 minutes, be sureyou havze at least 7 Gb free (and that your OS can handle large files, or you will have to split it up; 4 Gb, limit in Win 98SE and WinME, will allow you to store about 20 minutes).

Regards,
Jiheffe

[hitechjunkie]

another alternative would be to create a custom make movie template, 720x480, using PicVideo MJPEG compression, quality setting at 18, and use this to save to avi instead. the resulting avi is much smaller with most of the quality retained in the video.

[Lamont Cranston]

Another suggestion is to save each edited clip as a seperate avi file (option). Then frameserve the avi clips to TMPGEnc with VitualDub. VS5 - It sounds like you are talking about blocking (large pixels) and you can reduce the blocking of VS5 VCDs by increasing the video bit rate and making an X(VCD). Use the custom template instead of the VCD template and increase the video data rate. Make sure your DVD player can play X(VCD)s.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Lamont Cranston on 2001-09-18 11:48:16 ]</font>

[hitechjunkie]

u know, i used a video bitrate of 2100kbps in VS5 when "making a movie" to a 352x240 MPEG and the blockiness was still very bad. i've got 352x240 MPEGs i've encoded in TMPGEnc at 1500kbps bitrates that look better. i'd stay away from the MPEG encoder in VS5.

[Lamont Cranston]

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On 2001-09-18 13:11:57, hitechjunkie wrote:
u know, i used a video bitrate of 2100kbps in VS5 when "making a movie" to a 352x240 MPEG and the blockiness was still very bad. i've got 352x240 MPEGs i've encoded in TMPGEnc at 1500kbps bitrates that look better. i'd stay away from the MPEG encoder in VS5.
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You are right. But the quesion was 'improve the VCD quality in VS5'. LSX35, TMPGEnc and Panasonic all do a much better job of encoding VCDs. You can read the proponents of each in this forum and decide for yourself which one does the best job. I am not going there

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Lamont Cranston on 2001-09-18 14:24:28 ]</font>

[Erwin]

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On 2001-09-18 13:11:57, hitechjunkie wrote:
u know, i used a video bitrate of 2100kbps in VS5 when "making a movie" to a 352x240 MPEG and the blockiness was still very bad. i've got 352x240 MPEGs i've encoded in TMPGEnc at 1500kbps bitrates that look better. i'd stay away from the MPEG encoder in VS5.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
I have VS4.1 and the video quality looks fine at 1150Kbps, but you have to have the performance set at about "11". I play my XVCDs on a '32 tv, so I know when pixels are visible.

[Lamont Cranston]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
I have VS4.1 and the video quality looks fine at 1150Kbps, but you have to have the performance set at about "11". I play my XVCDs on a '32 tv, so I know when pixels are visible.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
Unfortunatly, there is no performance setting in VS5.

[Erwin]

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On 2001-09-18 20:40:34, Lamont Cranston wrote:
Unfortunatly, there is no performance setting in VS5.
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Ouch! I was planning on buying version 5. The performance setting is the only reason I am able to make my XVCDs look decent without a high bit rate. You can get VS4.1 for as low as $14. It comes free with some capture devices out there (Belkin, ATI AIW). I got mine with the ATI AIW pro.

[kingoflubrication]

does VS4.1 support mpeg2 (ability to edit and export) like VS5?

[Erwin]

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On 2001-09-18 21:04:24, kingoflubrication wrote:
does VS4.1 support mpeg2 (ability to edit and export) like VS5?
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MPEG2 and AVI are formats supported in Ulead VS4.1

[kingoflubrication]

where can i find ulead vs 4.1? i am looking on ebay and can only find vs4.0. is 4.1 just a update to 4.0. in case you are wondering i have ulead vs4.0se basic, which doesnt have mpeg2 support nor performance settings. sorry if this is off topic.

[hitechjunkie]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-09-18 20:23:54, Erwin wrote:
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On 2001-09-18 13:11:57, hitechjunkie wrote:
u know, i used a video bitrate of 2100kbps in VS5 when "making a movie" to a 352x240 MPEG and the blockiness was still very bad. i've got 352x240 MPEGs i've encoded in TMPGEnc at 1500kbps bitrates that look better. i'd stay away from the MPEG encoder in VS5.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
I have VS4.1 and the video quality looks fine at 1150Kbps, but you have to have the performance set at about "11". I play my XVCDs on a '32 tv, so I know when pixels are visible.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

i've got both VS4 and VS5. i'll look for that performance setting u mentioned...

[hitechjunkie]

never mind - the VS4 i've got is not VS4.1.

aw well, guess i'll stick with tmpgenc...

[Erwin]

Sorry about the misinformation. I happen to own Video Studio 4. I don't think 4.1 exists. Anyways, if you have VS4, when you go to the capture section (before you press the record button); go to the little icon which kind of looks like a "gear" or "*". Then, go to "video properties", then go to the top bar in the box and change to "user defined". Now, you can change or alter the performance setting from 1 to 15. Make sure you have the right setting for VCD, such as video data rate (1150Kbps), and the audio would be (224Kbps/44100). Hope this helps. Maybe VS5 has this too, I hope.

[Lamont Cranston]

Ah yes, this setting is for Mpeg capture and VS5 also has this setting. If you capture in AVI and then mpeg encode there is no performance setting. However, if you use the Ligos LSX35 encoder there is a performance setting that ranges from very slow to very fast in 5 steps (similiar to TMPGEnc). If you encode a VCD using the LSX encoder with the performance set at very slow (default with VCD template) you will get very good results. Since the same encoder is used in VS5 you could get the same results if the performance feature was implemented but it may be a licensing restriction (just a guess).