I can't play VCD's in my DVD player. No video , but audio

[samyer]

I have an Xvid file, that i want to play on my DVD player.

1. I am sure my DVD player can play VCD's, ( my sister got a VCd and it worked on my player)

2.I burnt the file with Toast 6, and inserted the VCD into my player, i could hear the audio, but no video.

3. There was a message posted sometime ago about how to convert from VCD's to DVD.
I tried on my ibook and it didnt work,
I shall be glad if anyone can help me, because i have been getting headaches for the last few days trying to burn VCD's.

[tgpo]

Did you convert it with Toast?

[terryj]

More importantly, did you AUTHOR it with toast?
( Toast 6 window open, select Video Tab,
select Video CD, drag in XVID file to open window.)

I'm gonna take a stab here, but
I'm guessing either you didn't have
the latest XVID compents installed,
or you didn't convert the file to
a QTMOV with QT PRO and with the XVID
codecs installed...?

If not, then use QT Pro to convert the file
to QT MOV and try playing the movie it
makes. If there is no video in the mov,
you are missing a codec. if you get video,
but no audio, your missing a codec.

[samyer]

Well ,
Actually i didnt convert the file, i just burnt it with Toast.There was a link posted on this forum a few months ago, on how to make VCD's into DVD's, and the programs required, i think it was VCD tools. Toast, and some others.
But i have no clue as to how to follow the procedure. I am new to converting files,
So i am hoping someone could explain to me in layman's terms.
Oh and how do i know which codecs i have to install and where do i get them from?

Help would be greatly appreciated.

[tgpo]

That would explain why the video doesn't play. Move DVD Players can't decode XVID video tracks.

[terryj]

Ok,let's start at the beginning:

Do you have the following apps:

Quicktime Pro ( not Player, you would have paid Apple
$19.95 for this)

Toast 6

If you have these, then all you need is the codecs:

http://www.3ivx.com--3ivx D4 4.5.1 codec
http://www.divx.com--divx 5.1 codec

post back when you got 'em.

[samyer]

ok, well a slight problem.
i dont want to spend 20 bucks to get quicktime pro.
Any other suggestions on how to convert Xvid to DVD .

Thanks

[pixeljammedia]

ok, well a slight problem.
i dont want to spend 20 bucks to get quicktime pro.

You should reconsider, it is well worth it. I find it to be an indispensible tool in my video editing/encoding/converting toolbox.

Any other suggestions on how to convert Xvid to DVD .

Thanks

Well you could try DivX Doctor II to convert the file to MOV and using something like ffmpeg or MissingMPEGTools to convert it to mpeg. Your mileage may vary depending on how well DivX Doctor likes your Xvid file.

[DanSlagle]

ok, well a slight problem.
i dont want to spend 20 bucks to get quicktime pro.

Best $20 bucks you will ever spend on a video app

[galactica]

anything that wll convert that baby over to dvd will cost you, just like toast cost you.

mpeg2works is my favorite, but i have not tried xvid to dvd, but "maybe" it too would work

[terryj]

???????
This makes me beg the question:
Did you pay for your copy of Toast...?

[pixeljammedia]

Actually MMT EZ will do the conversion to DVD ready MPEG for you without shelling out $$$. You just need the file to start off as MOV to begin with. Then you can use Sizzle to Author and Burn using your app of choice. (hopefully legally obtained)

-PJM

[samyer]

Actually , I dont have Toast, my sister who earns more than i do, did buy Toast, i am a bit of a cheapskate when it comes to using programs ,
I make her buy it, but she doesnt want to buy Quicktime Pro.

Thanks for the help guys

[samyer]

Sorry guys, for posting it twice,

Ok! So I/My sister has quicktime pro, Toast 6 and a CD R.
so what steps do i follow to convert my Xvid/Avi file to VCD, to be able to play it on my DVD player.

[terryj]

ok, simplest method:

with the 3ivx codec installed ( www.3ivx.com)
and the divx 5.1 codec installed ( www.divx.com)
open the file in Quicktime Pro.
Export ( Save) as Quicktime movie self contained.

Drag and drop the QT movie file
onto The Open Toast 6 window,
with the VIDEO tab being the open tab showing.
Select Video CD, and put in a blank cd.
Toast will re-encode, and then Author the disc properly.

[samyer]

Quick Question.
While the QuickTime Pro is exporting the file, there is another quicktime file that is also being exported at the same time.
Anyone know why this is the case? and the purpose of the other file
QT-1236-bdc6c4e3-bfffe844-00, thats the name of the file.

And of by the way, My ibook is getting really really warm

[samyer]

Ok, so why is it that the mov file is much much bigger than the avi file,
doesnt make sense.
I used quicktime pro to convert it to mov file, and now i am encoding it using toast ..

Does the size of the file reduce once it has encoded the file, or does it remain the same size.

or am i going about it the wrong way ( from Xvid to mov to play on my DVD player)

[WiseWeasel]

Actually, if you have Toast Titanium 6.x, you shouldn't have to export from AVI to Mov for Toast to be able to use it, as long as it plays normally in QT. Also, if it still doesn't work, it could be you're trying to play PAL content on an NTSC setup, or vice-versa. Try playing that first VCD you made on your computer using VLC (www.videolan.org). If that plays normally, then you must switch your DVD player's color mode from PAL<->NTSC if possible, in its system menu. If it doesn't play in VLC, then you didn't make it right. If that's the case, then once you've verified that the AVI plays in QT normally, go ahead and put Toast in Video CD mode, and drag the AVI to its window and hit record. It should take a while and spit out a usable VCD.

[terryj]

Quick Question.
While the QuickTime Pro is exporting the file, there is another quicktime file that is also being exported at the same time.
Anyone know why this is the case? and the purpose of the other file
QT-1236-bdc6c4e3-bfffe844-00, thats the name of the file.

And of by the way, My ibook is getting really really warm

The first is QT writing its temporary cache file. That is ok,
they often look like that.

And yes, you are doing processor intensive work, your iBook
will get hot until its done.

[terryj]

Ok, so why is it that the mov file is much much bigger than the avi file,
doesnt make sense.
I used quicktime pro to convert it to mov file, and now i am encoding it using toast ..

Quicktime will make the file larger for its native format (.mov)
Alot of that depends on what Quicktime has to "fix" in order
to make it a proper .mov file spec. Sometimes Video, but mostly always audio.

Does the size of the file reduce once it has encoded the file, or does it remain the same size.

or am i going about it the wrong way ( from Xvid to mov to play on my DVD player)

Your fine, calm down. Yes the file will compress to MPG-1, and be much smaller when you drag and drop it into Toast.

The first steps you took where to get the file into compatible QT spec.
The second steps you take will get the file properly authored
and made into a VCD, with proper encoding.

oh, and your iBook will get hot again, just a fair warning....

[terryj]

Actually, if you have Toast Titanium 6.x, you shouldn't have to export from AVI to Mov for Toast to be able to use it, as long as it plays normally in QT.

thus the reasons for my steps...most XVIDS don't play normally in QT,
and to follow the KISS theorem for this newbie, I gave the shortest
route to grandma's house as possible....

[WiseWeasel]

They play normally if you have the Divx.com codec installed...

[samyer]

ok, so i did it, i could play my file on the DVD player, but now i am trying another file, and to make somewhere during the exporting process, it stops because my startup disk is almost full, what the h#$ does tha tmean, i have 5 gb of space
anyone help!

[terryj]

It means usually what it says...your disc is full,
more often than not as it tries to ramp up the memory cache, and create a temporary
cache for encoding, it will (tempoarirly) max out /eat up
disc space.

I'm going on a limb here..but I'm guessing you got
a 30GB iBook right? If you only have 5 GB free space
( Get info on Main drive), then you are eating up
waay over two thirds of your main drive.
You need to dial it down so you end up having
at least 12GB free.

time to clean up some mp3s, old video files etc.

[tgpo]

I usually try to keep 2x the amount I'm expecting the file to be free so the program encoding and plenty of space to play around with.

[samyer]

well,thanks a lot guys, i have accomplished what i set out to do,
I just encoded the Xvid file with Toast , and the quality of the video was better when i didnt convert it with quicktime pro.
and i remember someone on this forum telling me as long as the file can be played with quicktime, toast burning would work

But thanks a lot you guys.