Hopefully an easy one...

[Jonshez]

Hi.
I have 2 AVI files I want to burn as a VCD. The files are approx 300MB each. However when I try to burn them to a 700MB CD Nero says that the media isn't big enough.

So, what is making the files so much bigger (looks like 800MB or so)?
Is there a way to fool Nero, or reduce the files sufficiently to make them fit? I'm trying to avoid too much compression.

Thanks for any help.

Jon

[Roundabout]

How long (in hh:mm) are the two files put together? And what are you using to encode them to MPEG-1?
Assuming you are making a standard compliant VCD, you are limited to around ~82 min. (w/overburn in Nero activated) of MPEG-1 video to a standard CD-R. The video must meet the following specs to be a compliant VCD >>

PAL Standard VCD:

Video:
1150 kbit/sec MPEG-1
352 x 288 pixels
25 frames/second

Audio:
224 kbit/sec MPEG-1 Layer2

[Jonshez]

Thanks for the reply.
The files are approx 40 mins each. I had to do some jiggery pokery with Vdub to remove an audio scource.

As far as the Mpeg1 question you asked... erm ahem. Not sure.
The info on the file os as follows.

size 640 x 480
bitrate 56 kb/s
audio MPEG layer 3
frame rate 25 per s
data 122 kbps
video sample size 24 bit
video compression MS-MPEG4 V3

I hope that makes more sense to you than it does to me!

Looking at that I don't see MPEG1 anywhere which I'm wondering whether that is relevant or not.

Thanks

Jon

[Roundabout]

From the information you gave, that is the AVI file you have - it's not an MPEG-1 which is what you need. That file must be converted to MPEG-1 before putting it on a VCD. Otherwise, it won't play in your DVD player. Of course, Nero has a MPEG converter, and will do this conversion for you - though it is generally agreed on this site that Nero's conversion sucks.
You said the files are "about" 40 min. each. You need to know the exact length, because as I said, you can't get more than around 82 minutes on a CD-R. You can use Gspot to get more information about your video files (it's freeware and very useful).
Better you should use TMPGenc to encode your video then use Nero to burn it afterwards. You'll get better quality (and probably speed too) by using it for conversion of AVI to MPEG.

[Jonshez]

Hi again, and thanks for the info so far.

Ok so I converted the AVI with tmpeg and the file has grown 100MB. Thing is, the quality seems to have deteriorated. Much more pixelation than the smaller original. It's not unwatchable or anything, it's just noticably not as good.

Did I do something wrong, or is this normal?

Is there any way to avoid it?

I'm sort of accepting that it's going to be one episode per VCD, so file size is less tight, I can now go all the way up to the 700 MB.

Is it just something I'll have to live with?

Thanks

[ZippyP.]

Did I do something wrong, or is this normal?

Is there any way to avoid it?

I'm sort of accepting that it's going to be one episode per VCD, so file size is less tight, I can now go all the way up to the 700 MB.

Is it just something I'll have to live with?

VCD quite simply has limited resolution and isn't very good quality. One way to avoid it is to convert your file to SVCD which is 480X576 (Pal) resolution. The bitrate is not fixed in SVCD like it is in VCD so you can adjust the bits per second to fill up your disk. SVCD demands a higher bitrate because of the higher resolution so I recommend only 1 file per disk.

You can check if your DVD player will play an SVCD by looking in the "DVD Players" section over there <-<-<-.

Good luck.

Edit: BTW, an SVCD or VCD can hold 800 Mb on an 80 min. CD.

[Roundabout]

Like ZippyP says, since you have decided to go with SVCD, you will only be able to fit around half the amount of time on the CD - but with much higher quality.

PAL SVCD specs:

Video:
Max. 2600 kbit/sec MPEG-2 (Audio + Video bitrate max bitrate is 2778 kbit/s).
480 x 576 pixels
25 frames/second
with up to 4 Subtitles

Audio:
from 32 - 384 kbit/sec MPEG-1 Layer2
with up to 2 Audio Tracks

So at the maximum bitrate you will be able to put around ~35 min. on a CD-R, since you have 40 min. files, you will need to be under the max bitrate a little. Do the conversion with TMPGEnc and select the SVCD option. You will most definitely have better quality with SVCD than VCD - albeit with less time per disc.

[Jonshez]

Wonderful!
Thanks for the advice so far, I already feel less of an idiot.

Except....

Here comes the n00b bit again.

1) Is there a quick way to calculate the bitrate I need to make maximum use of the media space I have available?

2) When I was using VCD and converting with TMPEG, when I tried to burn with Nero, it seemed to want to re-encode it again. (Without using TMPEG I got the upside down, back to front problem in Nero). So in effect I was encoding twice. I have to be doing something wrong here but I'm not sure what it is.

Thanks again for the excellent info, even in preview mode I can see an increase in quality.

Jon

[Roundabout]

Here is a free bitrate calculator:
https://www.videohelp.com/tools?tool=5#comments
There are a couple of others in the tools section of this site. This one is free, though.
When you tried to burn with Nero Express, you may have noticed that it will check the file for compliance with MPEG-1 VCD specs - it's not re-encoding the file, but it does take a moment or two to run the compliance check.
That shouldn't be a problem now with SVCD. Use the bitrate calc and just encode and don't worry if the final file is over 700 mb, it can be a little over 800 mb and still burn OK, because a lot of the extra is file overhead.

[Jonshez]

When you tried to burn with Nero Express, you may have noticed that it will check the file for compliance with MPEG-1 VCD specs - it's not re-encoding the file, but it does take a moment or two to run the compliance check.

I'll take your word on this, it didn't take a few minutes though, it took an hour and the message was "encoding video". I'm assuming it was because I hadn't made the file VCD compliant. In other words I took an AVI, made it in to some kind of MPEG1 file (oooh look at me using terms like I know what I'm doing!) but not one that Nero knew how to turn into a VCD, so Nero then did it again.

I've just finished encoding the first SVCD so fingers crossed.

Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it. I was starting to lose my mind/will to live/free disk space.

If I get any other daft questions I know where to come.

Jon

[ZippyP.]

Don't let nero re-encode. If you use the Project Wizard in TMPGEnc then there is a bitrate calculator built-in, it's the 4th window. If you selected one of the TMPGEnc templates then your video should be VCD or SVCD compliant and nero should be able to just burn it as is.