How to convert stills for VCD?

[golev]

Hi ppl!

I would like to create a slideshow album on VCD 2.0 with PAL hi-res (704x576) pictures.

Questions are:
1. What software (w2k) do I need to convert my stills to MPEG stills?
2. If there's no software capable of batch converting what is the correct TMPGEnc setup to solve my problems?

Batch converter is better, I cannot imagine converting 700 images using GUI

Thanks in advance!
Alexander

[Lepy]

Yes, I would like to know and easier way to jpgs to stills. I have used tmpeg, but it takes a long time to load up each picture manualy 1 by 1. Especially when you have 200+ pictures.

[normando]

I have struggled with this topic myself and after a few hours of playing around, I found a method that produced excellent results. I needed to put hundreds of pictures onto a vcd that I can play in my DVD player. Here is what works the best for me:

1) Get a file renaming utility,(I use CKRename), and rename your files sequentially, (ex. slide_001, slide_002,...)
2)Use QuickTime Player Pro..yes you have to pay the $30.. but it is worth it. File - Open image sequence, I then specified 3 seconds per frame.
3) File - Export... Export it as an AVI file, click on the Options button and use Intel Indeo Video 4.4 at the best setting. (It took me forever to find the best compressor). 4) Create a music track with an audio program, such as sound forge, that is the exact same length as your finished avi file. I always use a 4 second fade out at the end of my wav files.
5) Open TMpgEnc and specifiy your finished avi file as your video source and your wav file as your audio source.
6) Load a video cd encoding setting and create your final mpeg-1 file. My DVD player can play mpg1 files encoded at higher bitrate settings, so I have created my own high quality encoding settings.

I put over a 100 photos on a CD and had tons of space left over. I just did the math.. and at 3 seconds per picture, you should be able to fit over 1400 images on a disc. What an awesome method of archiving your digital camera images! Now I have to find a way of breaking it up into sections. TMpgEnc has Merge & Cut tools under File-Mpeg Tools. WinOnCD would be the ticket for creating multiple menus. Now I only have to find the time to actually make one!

Enjoy

[dgraham]

I believe Normando's method will get pictures onto a VCD, but these are not the hi-res mpeg stills that golev was asking about and that the white book standard says exists.

I'm still looking for a good way to convert a batch of pics to hi-res mpeg stills too, if anyone has a better way that some of the convoluted methods in the forum, I'd like to hear it.

[mystikaldawg]

The best and easiest way to make good Picture CDs is to get Easy CD Creator Platinum 5.0 or Nero. With Easy CD Creator You Can Add Music Or Any Comments To Each Picture. With Nero it's just the picture.

Easy CD Creator:
1. Open Easy CD Creator
2. Select Make A Photo or Video CD
3. Pick Photo Album
4. Add you photos
5. Add any comments or music
6. Burn

Nero Burning Rom 5.5:
1.Open Nero
2. Select Create VCD
3. Drag And Add Your Pics To the Layout area (JPEG only)
4. When Your Finished Burn

[patsym1]

You can't beat WinonCd 3.8 It does everything you want,once you take the time to learn how to use it.


Regardsatsym1

[Lepy]

I have used Nero for all of my albums so far and it works great. I can't get EZ CD Creator 5 Platinum albums to work on my Apex 660 though. When I put in the disk it takes around 2 mins to boot up, then it goes into the mp3 menu. =/

As for Nero, it is the easiest and fastest way to make albums, but it has one major drawback: only sequential picture access. This is one major drawback for me because I put 400+ pictures on the disks, so it takes me a while to view pictures over #200. I have used the menu selection, but I can only play the first 99 that show on the menu and not the other 300+ pictures.

Does anyone know how to overcome the sequential access on Nero? Stills are the next best thing as you can fast foward, rewind, and even make them into segments, but they take up alot of space. WinonCD sounds pretty good too though.

[golev]

WinOnCD 3.8 seems to be able to answer my question. I will try it tomorrow and probably I will let you know the result of my experiment

[Bilyk]

To overcome the problems which have been mentioned, i.e encoding to video does not give high resolution, and sequential access, I have used vcd2tk which has allowed me to make a vcd with over 500 photos, accessible by menus, which in my case are up to 3 layers deep, so that you dont have the sequential problem, and you can navigate backwards and forwards thru the menu system. I also put an introductory video with music which plays automatically when the vcd is inserted. I did it this way for a friend because it will play on her vcd player.

[Greg12]

neor does it for u