QT 6 and MPEG 2

[SCB]

Apple just released MPEG 2 support for QT 6 - $20 from the Apple store. I was thinking about buying this so I could create SVCD's. I figure I could take the MPEG 2 video I would author in QT, genertate an XML file in MMT, and then build a Toast ready image. Anybody think/know if this will work?

[major]

The new mpeg2 component is for MPG2 playback and to convert MPG2 -> Quicktime.

For encoding Quicktime -> MPG2, the Apple MPG2 encoder was already bundled ages ago with DVDSP buth it doesn't allow to set the right format for SVCD, it's only good to make DVDs.

So to make a svcd you should still need the software described here http://homepage.mac.com/rnc/

[AntnyMD]

Is MPEG-2 encoding in Quicktime 6 scalable to other DVD spec resolutions, i.e., other than 720x480/576?

[jAY-R]

Is the MPEG-2 encoding in QT 6 better than QT 5?

[major]

The new Apple mpeg2 component is a decoder. The mpeg2 encoder is still the very same old Quicktime mpeg2 encoder plugin bundled with DVDSP.

[jAY-R]

Ok thanks. How about cleaner 5. Would I get better quality MPEG-2 encoding with this than QT5 pro? I figure that QT is optimised for speed so even though I may have to wait longer will it give me a higher quality file?

later

[major]

Cleaner 5 is a good encoder in terms of quality, however mpeg2 encoding with it is so slow that you would best also buy a time machine so as you could start encoding and use the time machine to find your output file 100 years later.

Best mpeg2 quality/speed encoding on OSX is right now obtained by using unix mpeg2enc from the mjpegtools package (there is a recently altivec-optimized build for mediapipe which is fairly quick on a G4).

[jAY-R]

Ok thanks for that. I'll check it out. Is cleaner really that slow? How long will 30mins of high quality footage take to encode(approx)? Are we looking at rediculous time?

later

[jAY-R]

Ok where can i get unix mpeg2enc from?

Later.

[major]

It is included with mediapipe, available through versiontracker.com

[Theo_dore]

Just for the record, I just started a:
4.5 Mbit/s MPEG-2 1-pass VBR encode
from a 28 min DV source
on a G4 450
using Cleaner (with charger)

Cleaners estimated time:
41h57m5s
1 min will take 1h25m31s

Granted, cleaner gives you some great options, but 40+ hours is 40+ hours ...

[jAY-R]

Ok thanks for that. I have cleaner with no charger. It will take just under 13hrs but unless I get charger my control is really limited. I think its around 5 Mbit/s and I assume constant bit rate.

I cant actually see much difference in the quality between the standard cleaner and QT5 pro though

Later.