Hi,

I've tried for several days to convert a 2-part xvid/AC3-movie (23,976) to either SVCD or VCD and encountered the following problems:

to VCD:

* I simply took the files and converted them via TMPGenc to an PAL-vcd (it worked for other 23,976-files...). I got audio-video-synch-problems.

* I converted the files via TMPGenc to an NTSC-film vcd. Again synch-problems.

* After I installed the AC3-decompressor I extracted the audio via VDub and again converted the files via TMPGenc and the extracted audio as input-audio-source to an NTSC-film vcd. Again synch-problems.

* Then I decided to use VDub to append the second part, split the movie at a different point (the first part originally ended in the middle of a scene) and saved both new parts with uncompressed audio (like indicated in the "DivX to (S)VCD"-guide on this site). Again I tried to convert it - again I had synch-problems.

The synch-problems don't start at the beginning, but after around 7 or 8 minutes and then stay pretty much the same (i.e. they don't get worse as the movie progresses). The video seems to be a bit faster than the audio. It's not by much, just enough that it's annoying.

BTW, I checked for errors or frozen frames - everything is okay, when I watch the file on my computer everything is okay.

to SVCD:

I tried pretty much the same as above, mainly with the preset settings in TMPGenc with CBR and 1600kb/s - and the result this time isn't synch-problems but rather that my standalone DVD-player (Thomson DTH 4200) won't play the SVCDs properly although in WinDVD the SVCD plays fine. A few minutes into the film the video will freeze for a couple of seconds, then resume, and again freeze etc. I never had these problems with SVCDs before. I tried burning the CDRs with different speeds but nothing worked. Interestingly though, burning the SVCD onto a CDRW works.

Any idea what the problem here could be? I doubt it's the brand of CDRs I use because I've been working with them for months and there hasn't been a problem like this before.

So, once I got to actually watch the movie with the CDRW (or on the computer) I noticed that especially movements or camera sweeps which last a couple of seconds seem to be jerky. But since the movie is roughly an hour long I can't really raise the bitrate all that much, at least not using CBR, because otherwise it'll never fit on a 80-minute CD. And since I don't want to lose any quality in the slow scenes I'm a bit hesitant to use VBR... Or are my worries here in vain and TMPGenc is able to balance the bitrate between slow and fast scenes enough not to lose quality but nonetheless not enlarge the file in a way that it won't fit onto a 80min.-CDR anymore?

And the 2nd problem I had on the CDRW with my DVD-player was that it didn't quite follow the menus I've authored with VCDEasy (again following the directions in the "DivX to (S)VCD"-guide). The picture I had intended for the beginning of the movie was shown - but not the one I made for the end of the movie. The movie just ended, but instead of my own picture, the last frame of the movie was shown until I removed the SVCD from my player/turned the player off. With WinDVD, everything works fine. Any idea here?

After browsing through this site and even reading guides which only marginally touch the mentionned problems I'd appreciate any help!

Nicky