DivX to SVCD - easy way?

[MacAttack]

I have a bunch of DivX files that I would like to play on my brand new Apex AD-1500 DVD player, but instead of burning them to VCD format, I thought I'd make the quality a bit better by burning them to SVCD format.

Is there an easy way to accomplish this? I've read the SVCD tutorial that comes with the OS X vcdtools distribution, but for laymen like me, it doesn't make much sense.

Can someone outline an EASY to understand method...that is, take me through the steps of how to convert my DivX files to a SVCD disc.

Thank you in advance!!

[jesnil]

Hi MacAttack!
The tutorial on my site (www.sbpr.a.se/vcdtoolsx) is not about encoding video. Wich is explained very clear in the intro.

There is no "easy" way convert DivX to SVCD. And all the ways include first converting to other formats (e.g. QuickTime). I think that if you dont want to spend alot of time learning how to compile unix apps and build X11 libraries there are no way to do this.

Use DivX to vcd its ok.

More info about SVCD encoding on mac:
http://www.bu.edu/linguistics/UG/hagstrom/vcd.html

[major]

right now, the only easy way to make a SVCD from a Divx is still to use TMPGenc on a PC for encoding.

If you have Virtual PC you can do it on your mac, but it will be very slow.

[microkid]

I do it all the time using TMPGenc. Takes a couple of hours, then split the file into 2 cd's and burn. Easy.

[MacAttack]

Ok, so I managed to convert a short DivX movie to SVCD by way of TMPGEnc in VPC. However, after processing the resultant MPEG2 file in vcdToolsX to burn it in Toast, the SVCD disc will not play back on my DVD player (Apex AD-1500).

I used the default SVCD NTSC setting file in TMPGEnc. And I can play back the file in OS X in VLC, so I know the file is good.

Why won't the disc play? I followed the SVCD tutorial instructions that came with vcdToolsX. Any ideas why it might not be working?

[major]

- have u encoded the file with the standard TMPGenc SVCD template without changing any settings?
- how many files have u obtained from VCDtoolsX and how u burned them with Toast?

[jesnil]

3 Things that often goes wrong:

1. The mpeg2 is not SVCD 1.0 (whitebook) compilant.
(re-encode)
2. The XML stucture was corrupt.
(read more about XML at vcdImagers place)
3. You didnt burn the CD right.
(only burn the "vidoecd_##.img" and in right order)

/Jesper Nilsson

[Thargok]

Here is my question...WHY SVCD?????? The quality cannot increase by converting it to SVCD, the quality of DivX files is not the best, and converting them to MPEG-2 will not increase the quality. Instead of wasting time and Cds why not burn it as a VCD?

[holistic]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-11-27 08:11:04, Thargok wrote:
Here is my question...WHY SVCD?????? The quality cannot increase by converting it to SVCD, the quality of DivX files is not the best, and converting them to MPEG-2 will not increase the quality. Instead of wasting time and Cds why not burn it as a VCD?
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

EXACTLY MY THOUGHTS...
Some people have this mindset SVCD = quality . NOT . IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BITRATE/time .

I this case GARBAGE IN = GARBAGE OUT applies .

A Divx(Mpeg4) has a low bitrate to achieve 1 CD movies. Although the new 4.11 codec has 2pass VBR it still comes in WAY below S(VCD) spec.

[major]

The reason is, many divx files are FAR better quality than VCD (both image quality and image size).

So if you burn them as SVCD you can at least keep about the same quality as the original divx AND play it on your DVD player.

If you burn them as VCD you will further downgrade quality, in most of the cases.

Quality is absolutely not limited to bitrate itself. You must consider the sampling method and the data compression ratio. Lower bitrate with higher compression ratio can actually result to better quality.

[jesnil]

About the DivX codec; Yes the image is more pixels per inchs! But the codec is shitty. I never liked any mpeg4 type of codec.

It looks better with a fast glimse but in the long turn I would rather look at VCD 2.0 (PAL o'course) than DivX- encoded movies.

DivX sux big time!!!