SVCD, XSVCD, XVCD creation/format questions

[markrb]

First off let me tell you I am one of those aweful newbies to DVD ripping. I have tried to read as much as possible before posting.
My goal is to get the best possible quality rip from DVD onto cd-r that will play on my pioneer DV-343. If that means using 3-4 cd-r's so be it. I have made VCD's using CladDVD, DVD2AVI + VFP Plugin, TMPGEnc and the Nero Burning ROM and these have been fine. Now I wish to increase the quality. I guess my actual questions are:

1: Is it worth it to burn a XSVCD over a SVCD?
1a: IS a XVCD even worth trying if I can play SVCD's?
2: I cannot find any guides on how to burn an XSVCD, how do I do it?
3: Is a XSVCD at 2500 mbps even worth making?
4: I have read both to convert to 24 fps and also to leave at 29.976 fps. Which is better?

I am sure I will have more questions in the future. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Mark

[Vejita-sama]

You might want to take a look at DVD2SVCD at http://www.doom9.org, look under 'the guides.' It's a pretty nice frontend program.

1)xSVCD and SVCD. VCD uses MPEG1 encoded files, and a SVCD uses MPEG2 encoded files. Both VCD and SVCD have standards (white book) and when you make a MPEG1 file that follows these standards it's called a VCD. If it's a MPEG2 stream, it's called a SVCD. Make a MPEG1/2 file that doesn't follow the standard and you make an x(S)VCD.
x(S)VCD are not better than white book VCD/SVCD, just non-standard. You can raise or lower the video/audio quaility, and encode in a non-standard format.

1a) Why do this? Because if you raise the bitrate you'll get a better picture, and if you lower the bitrate you can get more movie on each disc. At the same resolution and bitrate MPEG1 and MPEG2 are the same. The main difference is that the MPEG2 spec supports things the MPEG1 stream doesn't (interlace, subtitles, multiple audio tracks, multiangles, etc.).

2) Same as burning a SVCD, if your software asked to make a 'standard complince(sp) CD' turn that off (ie. nero)

3) An xSVCD at 2500kbit (not mbps), audio=224 is a standard SVCD. Again don't think VCD vs. xVCD, thing MPEG1 and MPEG2.

4) If you plan to play your x(S)VCD on our TV you HAVE to have a 29.97fps source. (ok this part is kind of long)

TV displays a 29.97fps interlace source. Each frame is made of two fields (odd and even). each field has half the displayed data. So when you put both fields together you get 1frame.

Films are shot at 23.976fps progressive. Progressive means that each frame has all the data and are just shown one after the other.

To view a 23.976fps movie on a 29.97fps TV you have to convert the film to 29.97fps. This process is known as Telecine (aka 3:2 pulldown). This will produce a 29.97fps source.

Ok, so let's say you've got two DVDs. One is from a TV show (eg. Power Puff Girls) and the other a movie (eg. Tiger Story). You rip both to your HD.

For the TV series, just encode it, and burn it.

For the film you've can just encode it and burn it. But you'll get a better quility MPEG if you convert it to 23.976fps (a process known as Inverse Telecine - aka IVTC), encode it, then convert it back to 29.97fps (re-telecine).

Why would we want to do this, well, it gives a higher bitrate/frame ratio. Image:

29.97fps @ 1800kbit/s = 60kbit/frame
23.976fps @ 1800kbit/s = 75kbit/frame

so it's like you upped the bitrate 15%, but still get the same length movie on the CDR.

So why doesn't everyone use IVTC? It takes a LONG time, it doesn't always work 100%, and if you don't do it (or just choose force film in DVD2AVI) the quaility is still 'good enough.'

Hope this helps, luck...

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Vejita-sama on 2001-09-04 15:48:40 ]</font>

[markrb]

Thanks for the info. I went to doom9 and read their guides.

[Vejita-sama]

DVD2SVCD is a REALLY nice program, esp for a newbie. BUT it's only for MPEG2/SVCD, CCE is much faster and better than TMPGenc at MPEG2, but for MPEG1 it has problems. CCE also isn't that good at encoding audio so you have to that yourself (ie. tooLame).

DVD2SVCD does it for you thou so...