why tmpgenc for multiplexing?

[jeffbay]

Thanks to input on this form, I am successfully burning XSVCDs. My steps are as follows1) Edit, use IMovie or Final Cut Pro to export movie for IDVD (or raw non-compressed for FCP).
2) Export the raw output to MPEG2 at 6.5M using the apple mpeg2 encoder (trancoder actually). My G4's encodes at 6x ish. Extremely fast as opposed to media cleaner pro which takes forever at 2.5 hours per minute.

3) I use Astarte M.Pack to make .mpa files from the raw .mov file of step 1
4) I multiplex the video (step 3) and audio (step3) using wiredmux.
5) Using Virtual PC and TMPGenc, under tools I "merge" the file by itself under the SVCD option.
6) Using the resulting TMPGenc "merged" mpeg2 files I then use VCDimager and Bchunk on OS X to successfully burn XSVCDs.My Alba DVD cheapie handles full screen PAL on a SVCD format up to 6.6M. I only checked on one other cheapie DVD player and it handled more than 7.4M. It seems the cheaper the dvd player, the less functionality is inhibited.MY question:Why do I need to use TMPGenc to kudge the mpeg2 complient file I build with WiredMux. I have also had do the same with cleaner program streams. How can I avoid this one step on a PC. What is the difference between a multiplexed file on the MAC and what TMPGenc does to it? Does TMPGenc pad it or change it somehow?Any help will be appreciated

[Vejita-sama]

I'm a bit confused. You say that step4 is to mux the video and audio. When you do this do you get a MPEG file? If so you can stop there. I'm not sure I understand step 5, are you saying you load the MPEG file and try to mux it to itself?

At any rate, it seems like you can stop after step 4, muxing with wiredmux.

[jeffbay]

I wish I could stop at step 4 but VCdimager will not accept mpeg2 files I have produced on the mac. I always get the error below. I have tried multiplexing with the apple mpeg2 transcoder, media cleaner pro and astarte m.pack & wiredmux. I think I have tried every variation.

VCDImager seems to only be happy when TMPGenc manipulates my mpeg2 program or elementary streams. I think the merge tool may do some padding even when you only "merge" one file. I trick TMPGenc using the merge tool because I dont want to multiplex again, but it also works when you use TMPGenc to multiplex my original elementary streams. I just wish I could use my MAC multiplexed files with vcdimager directly. Must be a way.

Has anyone succesfully used a mac multiplexed mpeg2 file with vcdimager?

Error---------
WARN: packet length beyond buffer (pos = 38 + size = 2314 > buflen = 2324) -- stream may be truncated or packet length > 2324 bytes!
**ERROR: input mpeg stream has been deemed invalid -- aborting

[Vejita-sama]

Ahh! Well truth is who knows what the MAC is doing to your files Can you skip the wiredmux step, and just mux with TMPGenc directly (or bbMPEG) and then use VCDImager?

[Ross]

TMPGenc adds the "User Data" blocks, same as does bbMPEG. If Cleaner or M.Pack could be hacked to add this required data you could transcode at (480x576 for PAL, 480x480 for NTSC) and 2324 block size straight to a VCDImager ready mpeg2 file.
AFAIK this is correct.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Ross on 2001-09-10 23:10:34 ]</font>

[Tim Goodwin]

I'm a little confused by Step 2. As I am relatively new to this please forgive my ignorance. I've been using iMovie to export for iDVD but was not aware that there was an Apple MPEG2 encoder (transcoder).Where can I get this or do I already have it and just don't know it?

Also, I've done exhaustive searches for WiredMuX but can find only references to using it not where to obtain it. Where might I obtain WiredMuX ?
Thanks

[major]

you do not longer need bchunk.. latest VCDImager supports Toast output as two XA tracks

[springtyme]

Question,

Are you burning with VCDimager in OSX or in VPC 5? I did not know VCDimager had an OSX version which would burn a VCD SVCD?

How would you being burning out of VPC 5? I thought you could not Burn via VPC?

Thanks

This may be my missing link.

jerry

[major]

yes, VCDImager has been ported to OSX; it converts an SVCD-compliant MPG2 file into multiple XA tracks ready to be burned with Toast;

two versions exists: the original command line package is here (version 0.7.12 Darwin):
http://www.vcdimager.org/pub/vcdimager/

and an easy to use GUI version is here:
http://www.sbpr.a.se/systemjammers/vcdtoolsx/index.html

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: major on 2002-01-12 15:40:20 ]</font>