SVCD with still pictures and/or movie clips with chapters?

[ghri]

I know this has been talked a lot, but still I do not seem to find the best way to do it. The request is simple:

I want to create a SVCD (not VCD) using still images with menus and chapters. The main menu shall show the first picture of each collection and I want to have the ability to view each collection of stills seperately (by just pressing the relevant numeric on my DVD handset.
Background music and cool transition effects are also a must. It would be cool if mpeg2 videos could also be inserted .

To have an idea, the best application that suits my needs is PicturetoTV www.picturetotv.com but this creates only VCDs (not SVCDs) and the picture quality is poor.

On the other hand, Nero can create SVCDs with combination of stills and videos but each still picture is considered to be a chapter in this case. Imagine the case of only 100 pictures.

So please anybody help.

[Baldrick]

svcd still pictures in high dvd quality(704x480/576) does not support any kind of transitions effects, if you want transitions you must make the pictures as a video clip in svcd mpeg quality(480x480/576).

[ghri]

Baldrick,

Even if we accept that transitions are out of the question in SVCD, then how to create menus with a bunch of stills behind it. See below:

1. Holidays 2002 (20 pictures behind)
2. My sons birthday (15 pictures behind)
3. Clip from my marriage (an mpeg2 video behind)
4. ...
5. ...

Thanks a million for your fast reply.

[SingSing]

Actually, this may work for you.

Create very short SVCD slice, ( 1 second or so ),
then increase the hol time in property of nero.
Now those trouble some still time,
end up work for you.

[ghri]

I'm not sure I understand SingSing's way of doing it (maybe if SingSing could provide some more details).

On the other hand I had some second thoughts about the issue:

If it is possible to create an MPEG2 (SVCD compliant) file using a bunch of stills then the problem is solved. Created several such MPEG2s, burn them with NERO and you finished.

BUT, how to create such MPEG2?

I feel that I'm almost there, with your help of course.

[Riccardom]

You can use a video editor like VegasVideo or Premiere.
Put the pictures on the timeline, with all fancy transitions you like, add music and then render to mpeg (or AVI and then mpeg with TMPGEnc).

Hope it helps
Riccardom

[tigerten]

i understand your very well. I just made my with vcdimager (no transition).

here is the diagram-flowchart:

Welcome (still mpeg)
NEXT
mainmenu:__1 slide show (3 slides starting from slide 1, if option 1 is sected)
2 home videos----submenu:___1 clip A
2 clip B
the mainmenu, submenu and all the slides are acompanied with background music from one of my favorite CD. a music would also be played after each movie clip until u make your selection or time out.

VCDimager is very complicated to learn. but if yu have some knowledge with xml, this is very powerful. Otherwise Philips VCD2TK is very good for VCD only.

email me if you want more details.

[tigerten]

ok i have writen it out:

http://www.vcdhelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=118383