Which is better? Join AVI or Mpeg?

[Trunks4191]

I have alittle bit of a situation and i am confused. I have a movie that is split into 2 Avi files. I am trying to make a VCD out of them, what is a better move? Join the AVI files or convert the 2 files to mpg and join them from there?

[hwoodwar]

I don't really think you have to join them. Just copy both of them into the file area of your burning software. Make sure part 1 is at the top. I have done this with VCDEasy and MPEGs and the switch between the two files was barely noticable. Try it and see how it works. On my DVD players it did automatically switch to the next file.

[Trunks4191]

really, so then i should convert the 2 avi's to MPEG eh? Well what if the files are together about 150 mins? What kinda of templates should i use? I have been hearing alot of the KVCD templates where you can out 120 mins of a file into an 80 min CD?
www.kvcd.net

Or should i just split them to 2 VCD files?

[hwoodwar]

Trunks4191:

I just recently learned how to join two avi files using virtualdub. It is in fact very easy.

Open virtualdub and open the first file. Move the slider bar to the end of the first file (This step may not be necessary, but I'm doing it to be on the safe side.) Select File >> Append AVI segment and put in the name of the second file. Then save to avi the combined file.

I don't really think either one is better than the other (combined or separate files) provided that your DVD player automatically switches to the second file in a short time (I'm not sure how many DVD players do this. I can only speak about the three that I own.)

When I am capturing on my own and encoding (I am making these strictly for myself and my own players. I know exactly what the limitations are on these players.) if I want a whole movie on one CD I will take Kwag's (he runs www.kvcd.net) LBR template, remove the inverse telecine (my systems have audio problems with this), use High motion search precision, and 2-Pass VBR. I use the Project Wizard to help me with this as it will calculate an approximate filesize. For about 90 minutes I have found a 800 min, 1100 avg and 1700 max fits on one 80min/800meg mode-2 disk. When I want something higher quality I use his SKVCD NTSCfilm template, same procedures and 1000 min, 2000-2200 avg and 3500-4000 max with this I can get 45-52 minutes on one CD.

As far as two separate files together being a total of 150min, with the project manager and 2-Pass VBR for each file adjust the average until the filesize is 400meg. There are separate bitrate calculators out there for constant bitrate and Kwag has his own way of calculating settings to fit on one or multiple CDs.

All of Kwags templates produce XVCDs or XSVCDs, mostly the former.

If you want to know more about Kwag's templates and how to best take advantage of them I suggest you look in the discussion forums at his website. He does frequent VCDHelp.com but more info is available at his website. He personally reads may if not all of the posts to his site and, if necessary responds promptly and politely.

One last thing. I suspect you may have already figured this out. A big part of this whole hobby of converting video to the various CD formats is testing. The setting I use, or somebody else may use could be unacceptable to you for various reasons. Try something, if it doesn't work, or you don't like the quality, troubleshoot, test again and then move on to another procedure, if necessary.

[kwag]

if I want a whole movie on one CD I will take Kwag's (he runs www.kvcd.net) LBR template, remove the inverse telecine (my systems have audio problems with this), use High motion search precision, and 2-Pass VBR.

Hi hwoodwar,

Have you tried CQ lately
http://www.kvcd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2073&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=225

-kwag