converting to MPEG2 but how can I get it to fit on 1 disc?

[buckeejit]

Hi I'm using TMPGEnc to convert 2 mpg files I have from an SVCD to MPEG2. Now when I burn the first 1, it equals to about 3.2GB. My question is.... is there anyway I can get both files to fit on 1 disc? thanx in advance.

[Baldrick]

Lower the video bitrate or use the wizard mode and you can specify the output size.

[mats.hogberg]

convert 2 mpg files I have from an SVCD to MPEG2.

That sounds rather superflous, as SVCD mpegs are already mpeg2...
If you want to author them as DVD Video, see svcd2dvdmpg

/Mats

[Baldrick]

Not if you want 1000000000% COMPLIANT dvds. .

[buckeejit]

thanx Baldrick but I already tried this and it cut some of the sound out.
mats.hogberg, is SVCD2DVD a good way of making DVD's out of SVCDs? I thought I had to convert the SVCD mpeg2 file to make it dvd compliant?

[bugster]

I thought I had to convert the SVCD mpeg2 file to make it dvd compliant?

You do, sort of. SVCD is already mpeg-2 but is not DVD compliant. SVCD2DVD is a way of getting SVCD video to be authored as DVD and play on many, but not all players. Try it, it might work for you.

If it does not, then reducing the bitrate is the way to reduce the size. I never use the TmpGenc wizrd, I set it up manually. Maybe you could try the same, or use the 'expert' button, which I believe allows you to do pretty much the same thing.

[mats.hogberg]

Not if you want 1000000000% COMPLIANT dvds. .

Correct, but I'm satisfied with just 99.9999999999%

/Mats

[mats.hogberg]

...or use the method used by those who can't understand/get to grips/don't want to bother with bitrate settings and bitrate calculators: Go ahead and author anyway to HDD, then use DVDShrink to get it down to DVD5 size.

/Mats

[buckeejit]

ok thanx, I think I'll go down the SVCD2DVD road first then if that doesn't work I'll go down the other road. I just remembered that the person I'm making a DVD for does not have a widescreen tv (I know, strange....eh?) so what would be the best setting?

[bugster]

ok thanx, I think I'll go down the SVCD2DVD road first then if that doesn't work I'll go down the other road. I just remembered that the person I'm making a DVD for does not have a widescreen tv (I know, strange....eh?) so what would be the best setting?

Well, SVCD does not support widescreen (16:9) anyway.

SVCD is 480 * 480 (NTSC). DVD supports 720 * 480, 704 * 480 or 352 * 480.

SVCD uses bitrates up to 2520Kbps, DVD goes up to 9800Mbps.

So, if re-encoding, I would reccomend 352 * 480, bitrate of 2500Max. If using TmpGenc, CQ mode or 2-pass VBR should be used.

[mats.hogberg]

Well, SVCD does not support widescreen (16:9) anyway.

You sure about that? IIRC, you can create 16:9 and 4:3 DAR SVCD... At least there's a flag in the mpeg2 header.

/Mats

[midnightsun]

well that would be a 16:9 letterboxed. to a 4:3 frame, i.e. a 4:3 frame with black bars at the top and bottom in order to fit the widescreen source in the fullscreen window.

Numerically: 480x480(576) with 60(72)pixels of black encoded in the mpeg at the top and bottom

[buckeejit]

ok I just tried it with lowering the video bitrate but as I said before, it takes a chunk of the audio out of the film. can anyone help me?

[bugster]

Well, SVCD does not support widescreen (16:9) anyway.

You sure about that? IIRC, you can create 16:9 and 4:3 DAR SVCD... At least there's a flag in the mpeg2 header.

/Mats

You have made me think now.
I am fairly sure that standard SVCD does not support the 16:9 DAR, but I can't currently find any reference to back that up. So I could be wrong.
I have never seen a 16:9 DAR SVCD, only letterboxed 16:9 (or other widescreen AR's).

[bugster]

ok I just tried it with lowering the video bitrate but as I said before, it takes a chunk of the audio out of the film. can anyone help me?

Lowering the video bitrate should have no effect on the audio. What exactly do you mean by "takes a chunk of the audio out of the film". Can you explain further.

[buckeejit]

yeah. there's audio missing all throught the film, like 12 mins for a little while and then 37 mins etc. there's just vid and no sound.

[bugster]

Try using TmpGenc Mpeg tools to demux the audio and video from the original. Then load the resulting mp2 audio file into BeSweet and convert it to wav. Use this as the audio source when you encode the video.

[mats.hogberg]

I can't currently find any reference to back that up. So I could be wrong.

Neither could I, so let's call it a draw!

/Mats