Using an already converted mpeg file as raw footage.

[TorontoKid]

Guys, I'm sorry if this is a dumb question but I can't seem to find an answer on here. I capture my analog video using virtualdub with the ATI VCR2 codec. I then convert this with Tmpgenc and the quality is great. when I burn it onto a vcd there is virtually no pixels to be seen on the tv.

Here's my question: I want to take the file I make with TMPGenc (which is (ready to be burned already) and edit it in Media Studio Pro 6. I want to render the output from msp6 in a format/codec so that once I re-encode it with tmpgenc the quality will be the same. I've tried this but my newly edited mpeg file has pixels now. I don't know if this is just a result of the editing, or if I just have no idea what setting to use. I'm setting the output file to the usual 352x240, 1150kbps, mpeg1 )I have the right audio settings too).

In case you're wondering why I go through all this trouble...The capture in virtualdub using the ATIvcr2 codec converted with tmpgenc is the best looking vcd I've ever been able to make....VHS quality. , but I've never been able to edit the capture and then convert. I guess all the AVI's I capture have errors and it causes msp6 to crash half way through the rendering. I tried checking the avi for freezes with vdubb and it causes vdub to crash, so I've never been able to fix the avi's. So I thought...why not convert the whole capture (Which I can do) and then just edit the material which is already in the format for vcd.

Thank?

[Tommyknocker]

Have you considered frameserving from Virtual Dub directly into the format you want out of TMPGEnc? It could save you a step, if I read your post correctly.

[KingJohn]

Ok I think your saying you want to edit out parts, so need it as a AVI with some other codec, or even uncompressed.

You can load it into TMPGEnc and select file > output to file > AVI

However if you just want to delete some parts, you can do that while you are encoding in TMPGEnc. Just select settings > Advanced > Source range

From there you can cut out parts you don’t want, then encode as normal.

[TorontoKid]

Well, I'm actually looking to edit the video with titles, transitions, background music...etc. I tried opening the capture in tmpgenc like you suggested, but it stalled at 60% just like it does in the video editing software. I'll try to explain the problem again because I don't think I explained it enough.

1. I capture in virtualdub using the ATIvcr2 codec. This gives me an excellent capture to work with. I can take this capture and just convert it to vcd using tmpgenc, burn it using nero and I get a perfect picture with no pixelation when I play it on television.

2. Instead of just directly converting the ATIvcr2 capture (which is an avi)
I want to first add my titles, music, transitions.etc. with Media Studio Pro 6.

3. I do all my editing with msp6 and then start the rendering..when the rendering is about halfway done (or soooner) it just freezes. Apparently, there is something wrong with my original capture that cause the program to crash.

4. I have used virtualdub to check the avi for freezes/errors and YES it has problems. But trying to fix the avi with virtualdub or avidefreeze or any other method of fixing avi's fails.

5. I have learned that I can edit just about any other format capture with Media Studio Pro 6 and it completes the task without freezing. The problem is specifically with stuff I capture in Virtualdubb using the ATIvcr2 codec. unfortunately, this gives me the best picture. Again, remember that I can convert the vcr2 capture to vcd compliant with no problems with tmpgenc...I just can't edit it in any program (adding effects, music.etc, not just cutting out parts)

6. So what I've done is convert my entire vcr2 capture to vcd compliant with tmpgenc. I then open this vcd compliant file in Media Studio Pro and edit it with my titles ans such. I then start the rendering and using a vcd complian file, it finished rendering the new file to my specs...I'm specifying mpeg1, 352x240, 1150kbps, and the proper sound for vcd. Nero lets me burn this new file. But here is the problem.

1 This new file has pixels. more than I'm comfortable with.
2. I don't understand why, if when I converted my vcr2 file with tmpgenc It gave me a great vcd compliant file with no pixels, why I get heavy pixels in the file Media Studio Pro 6 outputs.

3. I understand: Crap in= Crap out, but I'm getting Great in= Crap out.
how should I set up the output of Media Studio Pro 6 so the quality of the output is as good as the vcd compliant file I'm starting with. I don't care if I have to set it to output in something that is not vcd compliant because I can always just re-conver it with tmpgenc.

Thanks, please let me know if this is clearer.

[KingJohn]

OK, have you tried to capture with another codec ? I am sure you could match the quality of your ATI
It sounds like your capture is producing junk frames, you could be dropping frames, those may be the ones you are seeing. TMPGEnc can convert some AVI's that have that problem, other times it locks up

You can save out the AVI in TMPGEnc

But a better version for detecting junk frames is "vdub-mp3-freeze.exe" which was made a year ago when Vdub did not have the scan for junk frames, this version seams to be more stable for this work. It makes a log at c:\badframes.log which can be used to delete the bad frames, starting at the highest blocks first (At keyframe)

Any effects you may want to add, could be made separately, and either dropped into your authoring program along with the other mpeg's or joined with TMPGEnc split & merge

vdub-mp3-freeze.exe
http://www.digital-digest.com/dvd/downloads/virtualdub.html

[TorontoKid]

I tried fixing the bad frames with "vdub-mp3-freeze.exe" but it crashes too and doesn't post anything to the badframes file...it's there, but it's just empty. And you're right...I am dropping alot of frames. If I try to capture using MMC I drop over 50% of the frames, but with virtualdub or even the capture in Media Studio pro I get no dropped frames, but avi's that lock programs up. Maybe there's a way to fix the dropped frames issue. Maybe that can enable me to capture good avi's. I have no idea how to fix that problem though. Now I have a questiom, I set up the output of my video editor (MSP6) to match the output of TMPGenc exactly, but for some reason, when I try to burn that file, nero tells me it's non compliant and wants to re-encode it. So I end up running it through TMPGenc again, and that's when I get a picture with more pixels. How come if I set the same specs the output of MSP6 is non-compliant? There is a template in msp6 for vcd, but the boneheads set the bitrate at 1123 and you can't change it, so the resulting vcd is poor. Is there a way of changing the code that determines that bitrate? Since you can't change it, I just set up my own template for vcd using mpeg1 and the compliant settings, but that the file that nero says is non compliant.

[KingJohn]

First you need to experiment with your captures, maybe a DivX codec will be less demanding on your machine. If your CPU (750) can handle the compression and save quickly, that might be less demanding than the speed of your hard drive etc keeping up.

Capturing to MMC is never going to work on your machine, that's uncompressed, your hard drive would need to be super fast, and your CPU would need to be faster. There are lossless codec's like huffy that might work.

If you lower the size of the screen and bit rates at first, set them low and work up. If the ATI codec was error free, then you should not have more problems. I have used that codec myself a long time ago, in fact I needed to re-install it to convert some home movies I did with it a year ago, at that time I also also had dropped frames but used Vdub to convert to DivX and eventual VCD

Do ATI have a newer version of that codec ?

Quite a lot of programs don’t produce files that are 100% for VCD, its usually the bitrate that's wrong they have their own ideas I think. Best to work with AVI then when your ready to convert use TMPGEnc then there should not be any problems of that type.

Not much you can do without upgrading to a faster CPU and a mpeg capture card.