DVD-SVCD on a Pioneer DV-343?

[MattO]

I just purchased a Pioneer A05, and made an DVD-SVCD.

I didn't think that there would be any problem playing these on my DV-343 since the HOWTO on making DVD-SVCDs stated specifically in it that this was tested on a DV-343.

http://www.vcdhelp.com/svcddvdr.htm

However, upon playing, I noticed that the player doesn't scale the 480 x-resolution to 720. It displays only 480 pixels of width and fills the remaining 240 pixels with black...

I am a bit disappointed since I have tested this disk in another machine and it worked.

Is it true that the DV-343 won't play DVD-SVCDs? And if so, perhaps someone should take the line out of the HOWTO that states that it has been tested.

[BJ_M]

343 plays svcd perfect -- as well as xvcd @ 720 x 480

scales the 480 x 480 perfect ... i've used now 3 of the 343 and just this morning killed the third one ...

[MattO]

No, I know it plays SVCDs just great.

I am talking about DVD-SVCDs.

Are you sure that these work as well? If so, do you use the same steps as in the HOWTO: http://www.vcdhelp.com/svcddvdr.htm or did you use some other way of doing it.

[BJ_M]

yes it will play the svcd-dvd also .. make sure you re-write the mpeg header to "480x480 change to 352x480" .. i tried it and it worked ..

i seem to recall using bitrate viewer full version to change the headers though ... never used that other program it mentioned ..

[FUNIL99]

Yes, plays very well, I use this trick to not reencode the Mpeg , and works like a charm...

Funil99

[MattO]

I used DVDPatcher, and did the 480x480 to 352x480 to DVDMaestro to save, then back to 480x480, and it didn't work.

Can you guys tell me what authoring program you used and what program you used to do the header patching?

Unless you are telling me I should just change to 352x480 and just leave it that way and not change it back after importing and saving in the authoring program....

[BJ_M]

yes -- just change it to 352 x 480 ... and leave it ..

[MattO]

Thanks for the info, I will try this instead of repatching.

Another question, does the DV-343 have any problems playing DVD-SVCDs that are encoded in PAL instead of NTSC? The ones I have tried so far are all NTSC, but I have a PAL SVCD that I want to try.

Thanks

[BJ_M]

i dont think it will (be a problem)- as long as your tv supports pal also -- all the 343 i have seen play both pal and ntsc ... but some versions of the 343 you have to solder in a jumper (or put a switch in) on the main big brown circuit board right at the back ... it is clearly lableled where the switch/jumper goes. If you open a 343 -- it is basicly an empty box but the transport assembly comes apart VERY easy for cleaning ..

[MattO]

Ok update.

I tried patching the file as 352x480 and leaving it, and it still comes out the same on my DV-343 player. The header shows the following attributes:

Bitrate 2450000
Framerate: 29.97fps
Size: 352x480
Aspect Ratio: 4:3

Perhaps it is the program I am authoring with or burning?

I am using DVDPatcher 1.05b to patch, DVDMaestro 2.9 to author, and Nero 5.5.10.0 in DVD-ROM(UDF) to burn.

I want to get this to work, but I don't know what i am missing.

[MattO]

I wanted to download the NTSC DVD Sample that used to be up, but the download link is down. Wanted to test to see if maybe I am doing something wrong.

Can anyone who has made DVD-SVCDs tell me what programs you used?

Also, anyone have a working link to the NTSC DVD Sample?

[MattO]

Well, I did some research and I believe I may have found my problem. I was looking on the doom9.org forums and I came across this topic.

On the third page, Nahie gives a .pdf guide to converting from SVCD-DVD, which is similar to the one here. Nahie has the same player that I do, and had the same problem I do. I guess she says that it only occurs on NTSC formated SVCDs. Not only did she have to patch the header, but you must use MPEG Repair to patch the MPEG file to include Pan and Scan information. The MPEG spec allows you to specify a pan and scan portion of the mpeg file. You must tell it to use 480 x 480 as the pan and scan profile, so that the DV-343 will show this area in full screen on your TV.

Now I know that I am experiencing the exact symptoms that Nahie is, but BJ_M and FUNIL99, you guys don't have this problem with your DV-343s?