VCD quality with TMPGEnc

[calx]

I am looking for opinions on the best quality mode with TMPGEnc while trying to fit most avi movies on 2-3 CDs.

Standard SVCD vs XVCD vs XSVCD

What bit rate settings do you use?

[2573]

Well, first i think the best ( compatibility and quality) is SVCD, i use that.

I use CBR and the bitrate depend of how many disk you want. More bitrate, more quality.

[hwoodwar]

Calx:

Of the three formats you listed, for greatest compatibility use SVCD.

Now you said AVI movies in TMPGenc. For the settings I use it depends on where you got the AVIs.

If you are "ripping" to AVI then I suggest you get DVD2SVCD with TMPGenc, set it up for 2 CDs, 2-Pass VBR and High Quality Motion Search Precision. DVD2SVCD will select good bitrates for the SVCDs automatically.

If the AVI's are captures, I would use High Quality Motion Search Precision and 2-Pass VBR with a min video bitrate of 1000, max of 2520 and an average of whatever a bitrate calculator tells you. Another way to find the correct average bitrate , is to separate your avis into 2 or 3 files (for 2 or 3 CDs) and use TMPGenc's project wizard to tell you what value is needed to fill the CD.

2-Pass VBR does take longer to encode than CBR or CQ modes, because it runs through the video twice. It provides for better distribution of the bitrate; higher bitrate, where it is needed in fast-action scenes and lower bitrate in scenes with little movement that don't need as high a bitrate to maintain quality.

[ZippyP.]

I am looking for opinions on the best quality mode with TMPGEnc while trying to fit most avi movies on 2-3 CDs.

Standard SVCD vs XVCD vs XSVCD

What bit rate settings do you use?

The absolute best quality:
SVCD on 3 disks, 2-pass (or more) VBR, average bitrate that will fill 3 disks (around 2500 for an average movie), minimum 1000, maximum 4000, highest quality motion search (very slow).

Unfortunately a lot of players (like mine) won't play SVCD's with bitrates that high.

Compromise setting (what I use):
SVCD on 2 disks (3 if over 100 minutes), 2-pass VBR, average 1800 to fill 2 disks (or whatever it takes if using 3) min 500, max. 2500, high quality motion search (slow).

My player doesn't like bitrates too high or low so that's what I use. I find quality starts to suffer if the average starts to go below 1800.

8)