VCD Help Please

[Sulaco]

1st post here. I have been coming to this site for a while and I just found the forums a while back. Anyway, I have a Sony DCR-TRV240 Digital8 camcorder and I am trying to make VCD's with it. I made one about a year ago that turned out great! The only problem is, I cannot remember what software package I used and now, I am trying to use TMPGEnc and they are turning out poorly. I have tried every setting I can think of to no avail. I want to say I was using an older version of TMPGEnc or Flask, but I have not been able to re-create the results with either. Does anyone have any advice on how to ge the quality I am after, or that I got once before? I know, vague, but I don't know a ton about this stuff, so if someone could tell me what they need to know, to better help me, I will be more than happy to oblige. Thanks for the help guys!

[DJRumpy]

Try using a newer format, like CVD, or SVCD, rather than VCD. CAM source tends to use a lot of bitrate due to the high motion (skakey vision). VCD is strained enough as it is without dealing with all the bumping about. Move your source into TMPGenc, and select SVCD for the template (change the Output resolution to 352x480 for CVD).

Was the source file that you used a year ago from a CAM as well?

[Sulaco]

Yes, the source file was from the same camcorder I am using now. That is what is getting me. It seems like it should work, but it isn't. My DVD player doesn't seem to play SVCD's and I don't know what CVD's are. I checked the reviews here on my DVD player, and some people are saying it plays SVCD's, but mine doesn't seem to. At least not the one I made with TMPGEnc. Can I make a CVD with TMPGEnc? Also, are their any good "general" settings to use with TMPGEnc when creating a VCD? Thanks for the help.

[videojoe]

I use my Sony TRV340 for video capture with great results and TMPGenc to encode to SVCD. VCD always looks pixelated to me, SVCD or CVD is the way to go for good results

Also, whenever I view the raw DV file it looks like crap, after filtering and encoding it looks as good or better than the source video (old VHS).

[Sulaco]

Thanks for the reply, videojoe, but you forgot to tell me how you set everything up to get such good results. I too have noticed that the DV file (avi) looks pretty bad. I guess it is because our camcorders record an interlaced source and then, when played back on a monitor, to look good, it would need to be de-interlaced, or progressive scan. I also create videos to put on a website for download and have very good results with them. I use AVISynth and VirtualDub to de-interlace them and then encode them as 1500Kbps 640x480 wmv files. I am very happy with those results. I just wish I could figure out this Video CD thing.

[Sulaco]

Come on people, 90 views and 2 people post? TTT

[Poplar]

If your DVD player can't play SVCD, that's too bad. Better get one that can. Shouldn't be too expensive.

CVD = MPEG-2 at 1/2D1 (352/480-NTSC, 352x576-PAL). It can produce better results than SVCD in many cases and more compatible with DVD.

[DJRumpy]

Sorry Sulaco (is that from Alien?). I try to follow up on my posts, but I've been busy with the holidays.

Poplar is correct about better results. The drop from 480 to 352 will allow the encoder to use the additional bitrate for image quality, while still keeping the same MAX bitrate values of SVCD.

Think of it as trying to carry 5 gallons of water in a 4 gallon bucket...you lose some water. Make the amount of water you have to carry less (say 3 gallons), and you can carry it without losing any.

CVD is basically an SVCD with a different horizontal resolution (352x480 instead of 480x480). Just select the standard SVCD template in TMPGenc, and change the resolution on the Video tab to 352x480 using the settings button.