VCD - playing with grain

[su]

Hi!

I'm trying to get some quality in VCDs... but I'm tier to try...
The last try that I had: I converted the AVI file to SVCD and then I used the "VCD Header trick" to create a file that I can saw in my DVD player.
When I play the VCD in the DVD player I can see grain in the image and in some images I can see digital squares. Does anybody knows what can I do?

(The source of the AVI file is a DV cam and the capture is done with firewire)

Thanks,
Su

[MpegEncoder]

Lots of detail missing...

What is the source? (Digital, High8, 8mm?)

Does the capture look OK on your computer?

What are the mpeg parameters that you are using for your conversion?

Let's start there.

[kitty]

The header trick does not work for all players. It sounds like the bitrate for the SVCD may be too high - did you keep the video bitrate <= 2500?

Is the quality overall better than VCD? if not just author VCD.

[su]

Hi, again!

I don't know if the "header trick" is better than VCD (!!!): somethings are better but others don't - the camera movement is more real in "header trick" but the image isn't clear (but I don't like the VCD image too).

I've used the standard TMPGenc SVCD (bitrate=2500).

More details:
- AVI file source: Digital Cam (Digital Hi8)
- the capture seems OK on computer
- when I convert to VCD the image is cleaner (without the "header trick" grain), but it has more digital squares and the movement is unreal.

Is there a way to test VCD or "header trick" without burning a CD?
(probably the problem is with the burning or with the DVD player; I need to test this step but I don't know how!)

[su]

Is it possible to create a DVD (instead of a SVCD) and burn it into a CD using the "header trick"? What's the maximum bitrate that I can use?

[mats.hogberg]

You can author a DVD the normal way, and burn it to a CD-R(W). This is a MiniDVD.
This raises 2 problems tho:

• At DVD bitrates, there's only room for 10-15 min of video on a CD.
  Most players have a hard time (read: will not be able to) spin the CD fast enough to pull the data at the rate required.

Check the compatibility listing for your DVD player, and/or make a test!

/Mats

[su]

Well! I've tried, but the image seems to jumping (just sometimes) and I had no sound (but I guess that I had no sound because I've choose the wrong settings...!

Could the jumping (independently if is a DVD, SVCD or VCD) be caused by the bitrate?

[mats.hogberg]

If it really is a VCD, then the bitrate shouldn't give you any trouble (if it can't read 1150+224 kbps, then it won't play anything besides regular DVDs). As for the rest: Sure could be!

/Mats