Making Complex SVCD-Does Any One Care Any More?

[c_hernandez32]

I was really set on creating a "DVD" like SVCD for my sister so she could show it off at work, but I couldn't get TSCV to work. So for it seems like the only one capable of creating multiple menu and linking them together.

Example: Main Menu> Chapters>Pg 1, 2, 3, etc...

It wouldn't create the still menus and the motion menus didn't work well. When I would link them together and preview it, I would only see a black screen. I used the final release (.84 r2), but alot of times I only got German error messages. Plus only 2 website still have active links to download the program. Does any one have the earlier releases that are more stable or can you recommend a better program. I want to try VCDeasy, but when you have little free time and a 33.6 Kbps internet connection, you need to waste little time.

Is there another program that I can use to create the still and motion menus and just import them into TSCV?

Just one thing to add... don't say: "get a DVD burner", because I just want to make SVCDs, especially when you can get 100CDs for free.

[disturbed1]

The only good (IMO )SVCD apps are no longer available.

Those were IAuthor, Video Pack 5, and Philip's SVCD Authoring tool set.

Video Pack 5 wins hands down in the menu creation department. Really a shame that they quit updating this package.

Since SVCD doesn't support hot links on a DVD Player, all menu items are called by pressing the number key pad, any program will work to create your motion menus and still picks.

Create an SVCD compliant motion track, and a 704x480 still clip for the menus. VCD Easy is easy to use these with. And it's up to date.

[spiderman2k1]

try www.ulead.com

[c_hernandez32]

Well I just need a good program, I don't care if it isn't updated, but it has to be stable. I don't think that any new updates or changes were done to the SVCD standard.

I tried to get Video Pack 5, but the link is dead or messed up.

Will all Ulead DVD authoring packs do SVCD as well?

[spiderman2k1]

"c_hernandez32" yes Ulead DVD MovieFactory 3 Disc Creator will work with SVCD even the newest version.

[c_hernandez32]

Thanks for the help spiderman2k1!

I'll see if I can get it.

[reboot]

Another app that isn't so bad, is Nerovision Express, included with the latest package from Nero.
Don't use it to encode!!!, but it does a really nice job of authoring

[c_hernandez32]

I think that I will try VCDeasy, but I am trying to get TSCV to work. I really like its tools to make a motion menu with clips for each chapter. I read caveman's guide, but it relies on DVD menus, and I am creating SVCDs from home photage.

I can kinda of create the motion menu in TSCV, but TMPGenc Plus 2.5 won't encode the jpgs afterwards. I checked the folder C:\TSCV\seq and it contains all of the frames for the motion menu, but TMPGenc says that the file C:\TSCV\seq\seq- cannot be opened or is unsupported. I wanted to know if there was a way to encode all of jpgs into an MPG?

[reboot]

Again, Nerovision Express does a really nice job of a slide show.

[c_hernandez32]

Well Nero is VERY basic. No offense, but if I wanted something that simply I would simply put the video on a VHS. I want a SVCD with multiple menus and chapters. Nero only does thumbnails, some text above and below, but only one menu. I want a main menu that links to various menu such as special features and chapters.

I know that you can't use the arrows, so I have designed the still menus to have special instructions and numbers to choose the right menu.

[teegee420]

Sounds like you have a pretty ambitious project. It's nice to know someone is still interested in making a quality SVCD. Good luck to you.

[reboot]

I came up with a couple of things:
http://multimedia.downloadatoz.com/photo2vcd/
http://www.allthesoft.com/multimedia/author-tool/easympeg/index.html
http://www.allthesoft.com/multimedia/author-tool/photoshow-deluxe/index.html
Of course there's always Ulead MovieFactory.

On another note, you could import the mpeg and photos into dvdlab (or other really good dvd authoring tool), create the finished dvd folders/files. Rip the dvd files maybe using this guide http://users3.ev1.net/~CavemanLawyer/ and burn to SVCD.

[c_hernandez32]

Thanks Reboot,

I think that easympeg looks promising, but I wonder why every one mentions a photo slideshow. Its video shot of a teacher in her classroom. Its for a presentation. No still-images (except the menus).

My biggest obstacle to overcome is creating a chapter menu with moving clips of each chapter. I can make the individual frames with TSCV, but can't encode into an mpeg.

[adam]

I'm actually the author of the SVCD guide you were using. It does just use the menu's from the DVD, but you could easily use your own instead and still follow the guide.

In my opinion you should ditch TSCV as soon as possible. I always found it horribly buggy and overly complicated. VCDEasy is so much better and I believe it rivals I-Author and even Video Pack 4.0 (which did much more than 5.0 for SVCDs.) It definitely has far less practical limitations then any of these other older programs.

If you have a set of frames you want to encode to mpg then number them sequentially. Then load the first one into VirtualDub and it will load them all as frames. Save as avi and use any mpeg encoder. I believe TMPGenc can do this too.

One thing though, you say your sister is playing these SVCDs at work. Is she playing it on a hardware player? If she could just as easily play it on a pc then just make a mini-DVD. Use DVD authoring software to create your project and just keep the filesize below 800MB's and burn on cdr media. You can even include media player classic and an mpeg decoder on the disk and it will autoplay on any pc running windows.

[reboot]

Minidvd would be ideal for this! Too bad there aren't more dvd players that can handle it.
Paintshop Pro's Animation shop is another great tool for creating avi from multiple jpg's. Encode as normal in tmpgenc.
(I have no idea how I got stuck on photo slideshow, sorry)

[c_hernandez32]

Thanks everyone for the help and input, its ok reboot about confusing it with a slideshow. cDVD sounds like a good idea, but I want to make it as compatible as possible as a VCD. It might be used in older computers, so is there a small VCD player I can put on the disc to install on Win95 PCs?

How can I encode the individual frames (jpg) into a moving mpg?

See TSCV created a motion menu with a moving picture for each chapter. I created each individual jpg, but it won't encode it into an mpg. Is there a guide or somewhere I can find out how to do it?

[reboot]

Paintshop Pro's Animation shop will do it. Import your jpg, add any effects/transitions, then save it as .avi, or add all the pictures, add any transitions between them.
Encode as normal.
I'm sure other good graphics programs do this sort of thing too.

The original WMP from Win95 is small, and would probably fit.
You could even make it autostart when the cd is inserted.
Google for a guide. I know I found one somewhere, but didn't bookmark it

[teegee420]

Paintshop Pro's Animation shop will do it. Import your jpg, add any effects/transitions, then save it as .avi, or add all the pictures, add any transitions between them.

You know I've had Paint Shop Pro and Animation shop for years and I have never bothered to even play with Animation shop? I'll have to give it a try for authoring purposes sometime. Thanks for the tip.

[adam]

cDVD sounds like a good idea, but I want to make it as compatible as possible as a VCD. It might be used in older computers, so is there a small VCD player I can put on the disc to install on Win95 PCs?

Media player classic has versions for all windows releases including win95. It also works as a software vcd player if you are dead set on using VCD, but if you are only going to be playing it on pcs then I can tell you that a mini-DVD is every bit as compatible as a VCD if you do it correctly.(ie: include the necessary decoders on the disk itself.)

How can I encode the individual frames (jpg) into a moving mpg?

Re-read my first post. Its ridiculously easy with VirtualDub, and I've done this with TMPGenc too. I'm not sure why it didn't work for you. Did you number the pics sequentially?

[reboot]

c_hernandez32, I just found another app that might be exactly what you're looking for: http://www.icdia.org/sw_pc/vcdtools.html