tmpegenc won't unlock

[fuzzzz]

I've read & followed the guides on how to put a movie on one CD. I've made my custon template specifying "MPEG-1 Video CD (non-standard)" but when I get to the final screen where I must set file size or bitrate, everything is locked. I also can't drag the blue boundary to the 74 minute point. If I go to 'expert', my format choices are MPEG-1 or MPEG-2; "MPEG-1 Video CD (non-standard)" is not in the drop down box. I am pretty sure this is why my parameters are locked. I have started with the "unlock" template and the result is very similar. I do not have "MPEG-1 Video CD (non-standard)" mode when it matters and I cannot choose it once my template has been used. Evidently this used to work, since (now closed) the postings for this guide show lots of success. I am using TMPEGEnc version 2.513.153.162 - evaluation. Any known work arounds or suggestions?

[ZippyP.]

when I get to the final screen where I must set file size or bitrate, everything is locked.

You have to pick a type of media (ex. CDR 80 min VCD/SVCD) from the drop down box, then you can adjust the bitrate to fit. 8)

[fuzzzz]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I have been choosing a medium. This gives all these size related parameters values, but they can't be changed. On the 'expert' screen, sometimes I can change the default bitrate from 1600 to 900, but it doesn't change the setting back on the main screen [from 1600] and going back to expert, it is 1600 again.

I just wonder if the particular version is 'broke' or if the evaluation feature set is limited.

[fuzzzz]

Regarding "A/V sync problems? Did you scan the file for bad frames first? Try here."

All I can say is i have made over 100 VCD & (mostly) SVCD and they all play with synched audio. Never came across anything labelled 'bad frame'. If I have any, I don't know it. All the CDs play on two stand alone DVD readers. I don't think this is the problem, but then, I don't really know what you are talking about.

This is before TMPEGEnc runs; it is still setting up the parameters before the reformatting begins. If there are any bad frames, they must have been generated/detected[?] by DVD2AVI or DVDDECRYPTER. That's all I run.

I have run across some DVDs that my DVD ROM has trouble reading. Some of them, I give up on. Others, I 'ignore' the read errors and the process continues. I have yet to detect the glitch that such a read error should cause in my output CD. This kind of error did not occur with the DVD I am trying to squeeze onto one CD.

[KDVD4ever]

You need to use the "unlock" code which is found in the template folder, the file extensiou cant find n is .mcf . If you cant find it do a file search for (*.mcf) after you make your changes save them as a new *.mcf template .

good luck
Tony

[fuzzzz]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I have started with the unlock.mcf template. I have set this template up to be 'non-standard MPEG-1' and saved it by another name, but it works the same way. When I get to the end, the size & rate fields are locked. Even if I go to 'expert' I cannot choose the non-standard format which would allow me to change them. Somehow, the specification of non-standard is getting lost. The 'expert' pull down menus don't include the non-standard option but mainly, I shouldn't have to specify it again in 'expert' since I started off that way.

Seems to me like a solid bug in TMPGEnc. But since it worked for so many in 2002, I have to wonder if it is only this version or is it due to my being in the trial period - not having paid for it.

Am I the only one trying to do this with this version? or the only one trying to do this during the trial period?