Lower bit rate... what's wrong?

[correioelet2002]

Thanks everybody.

First of all, I want to find out what's wrong with the lower bit rate issue. I'm not a complete ignorante on VCD but not an expert either, having converted basically standard format and not worrying too much.

I know it's my mistake, cause right now I got an mpg 93 mins long I downloaded, that fits perfectly on a cdr. My mpg on the other hand, is 84 mins long and even if I lower it to 600 kbps, Nero and VCDEasy seem to read it based on its duration (like an audio cd), so it won't fit.

I tried these convertion modes:

1- TMPGEnc VCD template modified to lower bit rate, CBR and VBV buffer size 0 (automatic).
2 - ES (video only) with the same settings above converting to .m1v and later multiplexing as non-standard VCD to add audio.

On the guide I found here at the site about lowering bit rate, it shows a picture of an option I should choose: "stream type: mpeg 1 VCD- Non standard" when modifying settings for conversion on TMPGEnc (instead of later on, when creating the image on VCDEasy or burning with Nero), on a "system" option inside the settings dialog box. Well, my version of TMPGEnc does not have that option. I am using TMPGEnc Plus 2.59.

I know I am propably doing something stupid along the way, but after reading the guides and messing around with it and having no succes, could anybody help me with this?

Thank you so much.

[andyp1]

I use Jimmalenkos giudes for one disc vcd , maybe they will help , here is the link.
http://members.dodo.net.au/~jimmalenko/guides.htm

[correioelet2002]

Yeah... that's the guide I was using. Didn't work!

[FulciLives]

The standard VCD video bitrate of 1150kbps is too damn low to begin with to get really good quality.

To lower it anymore is just silly.

CD-R discs are so cheap ... just split it up onto 2 CD-R discs!

*sigh*

- John "FulciLives" Coleman

[thor300]

Same here, use 2 disks and if you insist on making it non-standard VCD then increase the bitrate, dont lower it. 600kbps for video, that cant be good. If someone wanted to write a useful guide then write one how to max out the quality for 2 disks vcd instead, fill them to the rim.

I also experimented a little with low quality VCDs some time back, mostly with reducing the audio quality, the picture will get bad enough anyway at 1150. My standalone would not play them to the end no matter what i did, lowering the audio or video or both, nothing worked well. I suspect very many standalones will give this premature ending problem.

[teegee420]

Yeah... that's the guide I was using. Didn't work!

Well then something MUST be wrong with the guide. Or maybe something's wrong with YOU?

[correioelet2002]

Hell yeah! I am certainly doing something wrong, no doubt about it. Otherwise the guide wouldn't be up for so long.

I am working on it... Already discovered that (although not in the guide) multiplexing even as a non-standard VCD will take a lower bit rate video and create a 1150kbps mpg! That's something, but gotta figure out what's wrong with MY procedures, that's true.

Thanks!