Best method for DVD->SVCD ?

[ffooky]

I've been having great difficulties in making this conversion. The best results so far have come with extracting the DVD to a single VOB with 0SeX and then using ffmpegX (SVCD ffmpeg setting). The huge drawback with this is that I've run up against the 4GB filesize limit in Quicktime and just get a stream of error messages if I deselect the "decode with QuickTime " option. Using "SVCD mpeg2enc" didn't work either and nor did MPEG2 Works 4.

My preferred option would be to split the VOB into 3 parts and convert each separately using SVCD ffmpeg but I have been unable to find an app to split a VOB without errors. Tried converting the VOB into MPEG with MPEG Streamclip but that didn't fly either. I'm loth to pay for Forty-Two as the reviews on Version Tracker are so negative.

Is there an effective method I've yet to try ?

[Case]

Either your system or the VOB file is faulty, because all the tools mentioned did the trick for me in the past.

[ffooky]

I don't think it's the VOB because everything goes swimmingly with SVCD ffmpeg until the 4 gig mark when the audio freezes. The errors with "decode with QuickTime " unchecked are rc buffer underflow. I have no real idea what that means but it sounds painful.

Is there a tool that can split VOBs correctly ?

[SERBIAN]

MPEG2 Works 4 works just fine for VOB > SVCD conversions...Just use preset button under "VOB" section..

[ffooky]

Ah, thanks Serbian, I'd been using the NTSC section and selecting DVDNTSC 4:3. I'll do as you suggest overnight and I'm sure it'll be successful.

[ffooky]

Well MPEG2 Works 4 did a very nice (albeit slow) job using the default bitrate but converted the original AC3 audio to 48kHz MP2 rather than 44.1kHz. No problem with my DVD player but might this make the resultant SVCDs incompatible with some players ?

[SERBIAN]

Yes, it might makes troubles with old DVD players, but there is a workaround for that and it can be found on MPEG2 Works forum..

However all newer models will play those SVCDs without any problems...