Unexpected SVCD and miniDVD experience

[lchiu7]

My desktop with my DVD burner died (MB had to be replaced) so I had a ton of captured video (MjPEG format from TV) sitting on an extnernal USB 2.0 drive I couldn't author and burn to DVD

Seemed like an opportunity to try non DVD formats like minDVD and SVCD. For miniDVD I ran the AVI files through Mainconcept altering the data rate from 8MB to 4MB/sec and cutting the file down to about 20 minutes of video(720x576 - but I could probably do 353x576 given the video is PAL TV origin).. Then ran the output file through DVD MF to create a ISO image of a DVD and burnt the image to a CDR using Nero. The resultant file played fine in 2 of my 4 DVD players and the quality is fine

Then mistakedly on another trial fired up Nero, selected the SVCD template and dropped in the output file from Mainconcept without the DVD MF authoring before. Nero complained the file did not conform to SVCD specs but I let it go ahead and burn the disk and I tried to play it . To my surprise the disk played fine and with the same quality as the miniDVD I had authored. I am not sure what format I am using - it's not XSVCD since the AR is not 480x480 or 480x576 (bitrate is 4000MBs fixed) and it's non miniDVD since the disk doesn't have VIDEO_TS directory on it.

Whatever it is, I find now I can put an hour TV shows (minus ads of course) onto 2 80 minute CDR's with quality virtually indistinguishable from the original broadcast. That's quite useful. Of course I have no idea who also can actually view these disks but that's not a major issue


Larry

[Baldrick]

If it isn't svcd it is "xsvcd". Note that some player may have problems with high bitrates, the cd reader is too slow.

[lchiu7]

It's probably a xsvcd hybrid since it has the high bitrates associated with sxvcd but has the AR of a DVD (720x576). Whatever it is, it's an unexpected bonus since it saves one step of production over a miniDVD