Small file size on conversion, but settings indicate higher numbers?

[Dunnyman]

OK, I have a series of old VCD tv eps that I got in MPEG1 format, 352x240, mp2 audio, and if set up as a VCD, play fine, as they average around 420 megs each. (1 hour episodes) Now, when I try to convert them to XVID for my set top box so I can make a single disc of them (13 episodes), I set them to XVID, 512x384, 1600 kbps, with mp3 audio at 128, and yet, my finished file size is around 250-290 megs, whereas most one hour eps are at 512x384 and 900 kbps or LOWER, and the file size is around 350 megs.
Why am I getting such tiny files? They are complete, with no missing sections, etc, and they play OK, but it just seems odd that with the settings I should be getting 400+ meg encodes.

[jpschuck]

OK, I have a series of old VCD tv eps that I got in MPEG1 format, 352x240, mp2 audio, and if set up as a VCD, play fine, as they average around 420 megs each. (1 hour episodes) Now, when I try to convert them to XVID for my set top box so I can make a single disc of them (13 episodes), I set them to XVID, 512x384, 1600 kbps, with mp3 audio at 128, and yet, my finished file size is around 250-290 megs, whereas most one hour eps are at 512x384 and 900 kbps or LOWER, and the file size is around 350 megs.
Why am I getting such tiny files? They are complete, with no missing sections, etc, and they play OK, but it just seems odd that with the settings I should be getting 400+ meg encodes.

Your selected bitrate is probably too high compared to the other settings :
- 1100 Kbps is the default value for 512*384 videos (not 1600),
- your videos are scaled-up from 352*240 so this is easier (less complex informations) to encode than real 512*384 videos

Try playing with the quantizer value (dratiscally lowering qMax number). This should increase the final bitrate, filesize and quality.