Menu (VCDImager) plays but error reported upon build

[Vulcan]

I have made a simple Mpeg still menu (704*576 PAL) that works but generates the following warning messages:

"Mpeg user scan data: one or more BCD fields out of range for 'forward_I_offset': [00:0a.01]" and
"Mpeg user scan data: one or more BCD fields out of range for 'backward_I_offset': [00:0a.01]"

What does this mean and what can I do to correct the problem? (My best guess is that it has to do with the resolution since I got similar (but more) warning messages when using a resolution of 480*576).

[vitualis]

I don't get these errors. How did you make your still?

Regards.

[Vulcan]

I took the long road basically since I didn't really know how to do it (my previous menu's have been I-author menu bmp's and I'm not sure if all the steps where necessary). I did it the following way:

1. Created my menu in powerpoint and saved as bmp.
2. Resized to 704*576 in Photo Editor (guess this was stupid since P6 resized it to 720*576)
3. Fed the bmp to P6 and encoded as an avi (MainConcept). When loaded into P6 it said that there where 150 frames.
4. Encoded the avi with LSX as 704*576.
5. Multiplexed the resulting mpeg in Tmpgen 12h (read a post saying that you have to multiplex a still).

The menu works but the error message is annoying.

[hvr]

well, it's just annoying...

but as to the reason:

the IEC/philips specs differ from the chinese SVCD specs in term of scan offset user data syntax in the mpeg2 streams... and thus this message expresses that the scan data is non-IEC compliant...

but since very little playing devices take care about that, you can safely ignore this message...

[CornelisJ]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-07-18 19:59:12, vitualis wrote:
I don't get these errors. How did you make your still?
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

Vitualis, just out of curiosity, how do you make your MPEG still images?
I made an MPEG-2 still image with TMPGEnc from a BMP file, but VCDImager complained about wrong packet size, and that padding was needed.

[volleypotato]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-07-19 05:53:40, CornelisJ wrote:
I made an MPEG-2 still image with TMPGEnc from a BMP file, but VCDImager complained about wrong packet size, and that padding was needed.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

These warnings - not the errors of the original poster - can be avoided by making sure the multiplexing settings in TMPGEnc are set to MPEG-1 Video-CD instead of MPEG-1 System (automatic) which seems to be the default. At least that is true for VCD - as you are apparently creating an SVCD, you may need the analogous SVCD-specific setting.

[vitualis]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2001-07-19 05:53:40, CornelisJ wrote:
Vitualis, just out of curiosity, how do you make your MPEG still images?
I made an MPEG-2 still image with TMPGEnc from a BMP file, but VCDImager complained about wrong packet size, and that padding was needed.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
IMHO, there is still no foolproof way to creating the silly things with a freeware tool... so I use CDMotion. With CDMotion I create a simple VCD structure (with just the pictures I want as MPEG stills) and then create the VCD disc image (CDMotion creates them as CUE/BIN images).

CDMotion takes care of the necessary MPEG-1 encoding to normal and high resolutions and the correct muxing and headers. I then use VCDXRIP to exact the mpeg stills and use them in my own projects.

You can do this with Nero5.5 too as VCDXRIP will rip the proprietary Nero disc images as well.

Regards.

[volleypotato]

I've now successfully made dozens of working stills with TMPGEnc. It's somewhat tedious - encoding twice, then multiplexing - but hey, it's free.

[CornelisJ]

Vitualis and volleypotato,

I have now succeeded in making VCD and SVCD still images with TMPGEnc, that are accepted by VCDImager without warnings. Just encoding once, and no multiplexing needed. See this topic.

[vitualis]

CornelisJ, I've replied to your linked topic.

Regards.