Variuos Multi-format Video Clips to burn on CD

[Swarmi]

I have been browsing this site for a few days, i downloaded TMPGEnc, AutoGK and various other freeware (I am broke ex-student!) and i havent found the courage to start mucking around with all the settings yet, and these programs seems to be for DVD? or not?

The main problem would be that i need to know if i really need to do all those steps ( b4 and after encoding)before i can watch a decent quality film?

I use Nero6se (OEM), which i later upgraded to NeroExpress 6se, NeroVision 6Se and Nero Startsmart. This program is Wonderful, it came free with the Cd-r/w drive, and is so user interface friendly but why there are two very similar packages in this Nero update.? Any one know???
Don't get it twisted, there are some.... the draw backs:-

1) some of my Clips are too long, is there no way to use two discs in any of these Nero versions?

2) I have noticed that most clips differ in quality, is this due to having different formats of source file? It doesn't effect me much, just when this happens on one disc, usually i Keep things 1:1.
Does this mean i have to seperately Encode all my files into a specific format before i use Nero to burn? Is there any advantage in this process if im usuing cd-r quality, and i'm on a older p3 system?

3)What should i do? i have run out of money, and memory!!! so I have to save some data to cd-r. Usually I try to make a PAL Svcd, so i can play it elsewhere aswell, what is the best soloution for decent Quality, less then a week encoding!!! and file manipulation, splitting or something so i can still keep all the data?

4) I have not spent my time waiting to post idle!, i have read up on Vbr's compared to cbr's, and frame rate issues to reduce overall file size, but alas no way to experiment with Vcd's.
:P Sorry about my first post being so long

[daamon]

Hi Swarmi,

Welcome to the forums.

I think the first piece of advice would be for you to understand that there are a fair number of factors relating to a source file that can determine different ways they are treated before ending up on any type of disc.

The second bit of advice, going on from the first, is to understand the GIGO principle - Garbage In = Garbage Out. Put another way, you can never get any better than what you start with. And if that's sh1t, then don't get your hopes up...

My recommendation is to:

1) Get yourself a re-writeable CD-RW. They're cheap (even for broke students), and it will allow you to experiment without wasting discs.

2) Do loads of reading, and experiment with making a VCD - from only one of your video clips. This way, you're keping your variables to a minimum and you can then learn what effects changing different settings has.

3) Do more reading and repeat your experiments. Learn from your results. In short, learn to crawl before trying to walk and even thinking of running.

TMPGEnc is a good encoder, and it's free for encoding source files to MPEG1 for VCDs. You have to buy it to unlock the ability to make MPEG2s for SVCDs and DVDs.

The recommendations and the encoder will go a long way to you gaining experience that will result in decent quality (depending on your source files) in less than a week (VCD encoding won't be too long).

There are also less variables in making VCDs, so les to learn and hence less to worry about.

Good luck, and post back with any specific troubles.

[Swarmi]

Cheers Dude, quite helpful, i will give Tmpgenc a try later today, but it seems a daunting task for a newbie... and i suppose it is a better program than Nero 6 se? can you cut files to be able to put them on two disc's? or maybe you haveto muck around with the bit rates to make each file fit?

[daamon]

The size of the output file is purely dictated by the bitrate and the running time of the contents (audio or video). In the case of video and audio together, this applies to both the video part, and the audio part and the final filesize is the sum of the two.

This is well demonstrated by taking a look at The VideoHelp Bitrate Calculator.

So, bearing this in mind, if you want a specific filesize you can only mess around with the bitrate and running time. VCDs have a fixed bitrate, so you're left with how long your footage runs for - if it's too long, either chop bits out or it'll have to go onto more than one disc.

I don't have TMPGenc in front of me right now, but I believe that you can tell it to encode only part of a file by setting the start frame and end frame. In this way, you could have one source file and do two encodes:

1) Frame 1 to Frame X - where X is the frame number at an amount of time into the footage that fills the first disc.

2) Frame X+1 to Frame Z - Where X is as above, and Z is the last frame of the footage.

If I'm imagining things, and this can't be done in TMPGEnc, then you can you should be able to cut the source files into two or more chunks - each piece being encoded and placed on its own disc.

You don't say what formats you have, but VirtualDub is good for AVIs and Mpg2Cut2 is one (among others - see here for more) that sounds good for MPEGs.

If you do have have MPEGs, check their info using GSpot (v2.52 beta) and compare that against the specs (see "What Is... VCD / SVCD / DVD" in the top left of the page). If they're already MPEG1, then no need to do any encoding.

[Swarmi]

Am i crazy or does the trail version have something like "Project file can not be readed or saved"?

The version linked through the tools page on here?!!?? i thought it was freeware ?????????

[daamon]

Am i crazy or does the trail version have something like "Project file can not be readed or saved"?

You don't say what formats you have ... check their info using GSpot (v2.52 beta)

...and post details here. The source files might be causing a problem. Also, see here: www.videohelp.com/tmpgenc.htm#problems

The version linked through the tools page on here?!!?? i thought it was freeware ?????????

It is. It's free for encoding to MPEG1.


Describe your source files, using GSpot, and the steps you're taking in TMPGEnc - what templates you're using, settings etc.