another bitrate question

[zak_swan]

i've got a svcd mpeg2 which i want to encode to a dvd mpeg2, the bitrate is 2520.
do i just encode using that bitrate?
how could i tell if svcd mpeg2 is cbr or vbr? (i want to encode using vbr)

if i want to convert to full screen would i have to up the bitrate?

also when i do encode (using mainconcept) to 4:3 from 16:9 it just seems a little bit bigger nowhere near full screen.

i know this topic has been covered before but everyone seems to have different views.

[Baldrick]

The source svcd bitrate does not matter. If you reconvert you should use highest possible bitrate for best video quality...but you will still lose some quality.

Do you crop with mainconcept when making it 4:3? Just change the aspect ratio wont help.

[the * dude]

svcd mpeg2... isn't that just 1/2 d1????

maybe you can burn as a compliant dvd???

make the audio 48khz btw


8)

[Baldrick]

svcd mpeg2 is not dvd compliant(480x480 or 480x576). you can make "dvdsvcd" using svcd2dvd that requires no video reconverting but if you are going to make it fullscreen you must reeeeeeencode anyway.

[GeorgeW]

svcd mpeg2... isn't that just 1/2 d1????

maybe you can burn as a compliant dvd???

make the audio 48khz btw


8)

It's more like 2/3 D1 (480x480 or 480x576). Some packages will allow you to use SVCD mpeg2's -- but they warn that they are "out-of-the-norm"

In addition to Baldrick's suggestion, DVD LabPro will also let you do this...

Agree that the audio needs to be upsampled to 48khz...

[zak_swan]

why when encoding an svcd mpeg2 to a dvd mpeg2 the size of file at least doubles?
it's same movie played on same dvd player.

[GeorgeW]

check the bitrate that your encoder is using when you are running your conversion...

If you take the other suggestions, you won't need to re-encode anything...

[zak_swan]

i can encode no problem.
i was just curious about the bitrate.
i use mainconcept vbr max 8000
average 4000
min 2500
and have never had a problem with these settings just dunno if they are too high or low.
have used dvd lab too works a treat.
never knew i had to crop to make 16:9 to 4:3 does that mean sides will be cut off?
the size question, i know a dvd mpeg2 is bigger than svcd mpeg2 cause they are different formats.
i'm just lazy posting on here will have to read up (again) on whole dvd thing.

[mats.hogberg]

Before going thru the hoops reencoding SVCD mpeg to meet DVD mpeg standard, try author it with DVD-Lab Pro, or run it thru svcd2dvdmpg and author with "anything". It might well work without reencoding.

/Mats

[GeorgeW]

the size question, i know a dvd mpeg2 is bigger than svcd mpeg2 cause they are different formats.
i'm just lazy posting on here will have to read up (again) on whole dvd thing.

It's not the different formats (resolution) that makes them bigger. It is the different bitrates you are using that's making them bigger when you re-encode. You are going from 2520kbps to an avg of 4000kbps -- that is what is making them bigger. And if you are changing the audio from mpeg to lpcm, that will also add more...

[zak_swan]

Before going thru the hoops reencoding SVCD mpeg to meet DVD mpeg standard, try author it with DVD-Lab Pro, or run it thru svcd2dvdmpg and author with "anything". It might well work without reencoding.

it's not going through hoops i can encode an hour long svcd mpg2 to dvd mpg2 in about 40 mins

It's not the different formats (resolution) that makes them bigger. It is the different bitrates you are using that's making them bigger when you re-encode. You are going from 2520kbps to an avg of 4000kbps -- that is what is making them bigger. And if you are changing the audio from mpeg to lpcm, that will also add more...

this is what i'm trying to figure out can i use same svcd mpeg2 bitrate when converting to dvd mpeg2?
will i lose quality and why?

[GeorgeW]

yes, you can use the same svcd bitrate for dvd, but quality depends on the source type/quality. Since your source is an svcd mpeg2, I would recommend you encode to Half D1 resolution, and use the same bitrate.

The audio will need to be upsampled from 44.1 to 48khz -- if you stick with mpeg audio, your resulting files size should be the same as your input file size.

Note: mpeg audio for DVD is not an NTSC Standard (but should play in most recent NTSC DVD Players). It was a PAL standard (now optional I am told). But I don't know of any PAL DVD Players that will not play mpeg audio (there's always an exception).

[mats.hogberg]

it's not going through hoops i can encode an hour long svcd mpg2 to dvd mpg2 in about 40 mins

That's besides the point (even if you did it in 30 sec). The quality will be better if you don't reencode, and a vast majority of DVD players play SVCD mpegs authored as DVD. Every reencode that can be avoided should be avoided.

/Mats

[zak_swan]

I would recommend you encode to Half D1 resolution, and use the same bitrate.

i do'nt see a half D1 option on mainconcept, however there may be one and i'm missing it.

That's besides the point (even if you did it in 30 sec). The quality will be better if you don't reencode

why will the quality not be as good if i reencode properly?

[mats.hogberg]

Because mpeg 2 is not a lossless codec. No matter how properly you you do it, you'll lose some quality when encoding to mpeg.

/Mats