mpg and cutting problems (TMPGEnc,DVtool)

[thedee]

I have problems in cutting some of mpg videofiles with TMPGEnc (v.2.512). With most of the mpg files cutting goes normal way with TMPGEnc. Many of the mpg files in which TMPGEnc does not work (in cutting process) DVTool (v.0.53) does work (I followed these instructions with DVTool: http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/mpeg_splitting.cfm and these with TMPGEnc http://nickyguides.digital-digest.com/cut-join-mpeg.htm)

1. I have file “A.mpg” (size according to Windows is 804 mb; see info below according to Avicodec program). It is a non-standard SVCD file. When I use Nero Burning Rom (v.6.6) and choose non-standard/compliant SVCD the file “A.mpg” is too big to fit into one 700 mb CD-R (after the analyse which Nero does it informs that the size is 710 mb; this is what I call “normal (S)VCD reduction in file size” 804 > 710). So I cut little part out of the “A.mpg” file with TMPGEnc (size according to Windows is now 797 mb). But when I put this new version of “A.mpg” file (cutted version) to Nero it informs me after the analyse that the size is 800 mb (again non-standard/compliant SVCD is chosen it Nero).

Why does this occur? The file should be now smaller than 710 mb (710 minus the cutted part) , but it is not. Why doesn’t the “normal (S)VCD reduction in file size” ( in lack of better description) happen with this new “A.mpg” (cutted version) file? The original and the cutted version both work ok in different players (Bsplayer, Windows Media Player). Am I doing something wrong, is the something wrong with the “A.mpg” file or is the problems with TMPGEnc (with cutting non-standard (S)VCD files with it)? With DVTool cutting process went ok (i.e. files were about 700 mb in Nero after analyse was ove so they did fit into one 700 mb CD-R) but why not with TMPGEnc?

Ps. The same thing happens to files B and C (they are non-standard VCD files). They are little too big as such (706-710 mb after analyse) but after cutting a little part with TMPGEnc the “normal (S)VCD reduction in file size” does not happen in Nero (in Nero the size is about 790-800 mb).

Avicodec (FILE A):
File : 804 MB (790 MB), duration: 0:42:07, type: MPG, 1 audio stream(s), quality: 80 %
Video : 722 MB, 2400 Kbps, 25.0 fps, 480*576 (16:9), MPG2 = MPEG 2 (SVCD/DVD), Supported
Audio : 67 MB, 224 Kbps, 44100 Hz, 2 channels, 0x51 = Mpeg-1 audio Layer 2 [0xc0], Supported

Avicodec (FILE B):
File : 798 MB (787 MB), duration: 0:54:24, type: MPG, 1 audio stream(s), quality: 68 %
Video : 700 MB, 1800 Kbps, 25.0 fps, 352*288 (4:3), MPG1 = MPEG 1 (VCD), Supported
Audio : 87 MB, 224 Kbps, 44100 Hz, 2 channels, 0x51 = Mpeg-1 audio Layer 2 [0xc0], Supported

Avicodec (FILE C):
File : 798 MB (787 MB), duration: 1:16:15, type: MPG, 1 audio stream(s), quality: 56 %
Video : 665 MB, 1220 Kbps, 25.0 fps, 352*288 (4:3), MPG1 = MPEG 1 (VCD), Supported
Audio : 122 MB, 224 Kbps, 44100 Hz, 2 channels, 0x51 = Mpeg-1 audio Layer 2 [0xc0], Supported



2. This problems occurs with file “D.mpg” in TMPGEnc (in cutting process). When I choose the the part that I am going to cut (from 0.00.00 to 1.15.00) the result is a file which is 1.07.31 in length. Why does this happen – the file should be 1.15.00 not 1.07.31 length. If I make another cutted version (from 1.07.31 to 1.22.18 ) the result is a 4 second long video file. If I use DVTool it makes two version. The first is from 0.00.00 to 1.15.00 and it is working fine. But the second part does not work in any player (in BSPlayer picture is black and no sound; same with Media Player but if I use the seek part I can see individual pictures but the video does not run at all; the same picture just stays in view). In TMPGEnc I did simple de-multipelxe (result video and sound separately in different files) and after that I did simple multiplex and the result was a file which was 1.07.31 long, not 1.22.18. What is wrong with this file – can it be fixed and do cutting process?

Avicodec (FILE D):

File : 763 MB (752 MB), duration: 1:22:18, type: MPG, 1 audio stream(s), quality: 41 %
Video : 676 MB, 1150 Kbps, 25.0 fps, 352*272 (4:3), MPG1 = MPEG 1 (VCD), Supported
Audio : 75 MB, 128 Kbps, 44100 Hz, 2 channels, 0x51 = Mpeg-1 audio Layer 2 [0xc0], Supported


3. How can one cut, with DVTool, mpg video from the beginning? I mean if I want to cut off the first frames how does that happen? Because If choose in DVTool that start is 0 and end is for example 166663266 DVTools starts to make 50 parts. I just want 2 part: one very small (the beginning 0-16663266) and one big (the end part).

[DRP]

Wow. Lots of questions here but I'll try to help anyway since I use the same tools with great success.

I have problems in cutting some of mpg videofiles with TMPGEnc (v.2.512). With most of the mpg files cutting goes normal way with TMPGEnc. Many of the mpg files in which TMPGEnc does not work (in cutting process) DVTool (v.0.53) does work (I followed these instructions with DVTool: http://www.afterdawn.com/guides/archive/mpeg_splitting.cfm and these with TMPGEnc http://nickyguides.digital-digest.com/cut-join-mpeg.htm)

Firstly let me just say that DVTools is a very buggy tool for cutting MPEGs. I use it for one thing and one thing only. It is the only tool I know of that is capable of finding the exact mid-point of a video file with respect to filesize of a VBR stream. This is important for me because I always go VBR *and* I need my videos split into exactly equal filesizes because I always get within a few seconds on my disc's ultimate overburnt capacity.

That said however, the actual job that DVTools does on the cut is very poor. The second portion usually ends up with no audio or may not even play at all. The only thing it's good for is finding the frame at which it should be cut. Do the actual cutting with TMPGEnc's MPEG Tools.

1. I have file “A.mpg” (size according to Windows is 804 mb

No problem. 804MB in VCD format will burn okay on every disc I've ever used. It will require a small overburn as the normal maximum in this format is 797.9MB, but since you're using Nero that won't be a problem.

It is a non-standard SVCD file.

Yeah that's fine. Nothing to worry about. It's a good idea to always make them "non-standard" anyway. "Standard" or compliant files just include a whole heap of padding and bloat which isn't needed for the file to actually play perfectly well. It just adds to the overall filesize.

When I use Nero Burning Rom (v.6.6) and choose non-standard/compliant SVCD the file “A.mpg” is too big to fit into one 700 mb CD-R (after the analyse which Nero does it informs that the size is 710 mb; this is what I call “normal (S)VCD reduction in file size” 804 > 710).

Yes, this is normal. The calulation Nero is doing is dividing the real size by 2324/2048 (~13%). That is the difference between VCD format and normal data format when burnt on CD-R. 804/(2324/2048) = 708.5MB.

708.5MB is greater than the disc standard capacity of 702.83 or whatever it is so unless you enable the overburning expert feature within Nero's Preferences then it will be rejected as being too large. Enable the overburning feature and your problems are over.

So I cut little part out of the “A.mpg” file with TMPGEnc (size according to Windows is now 797 mb). But when I put this new version of “A.mpg” file (cutted version) to Nero it informs me after the analyse that the size is 800 mb (again non-standard/compliant SVCD is chosen it Nero).

Don't cut it, just overburn the disc instead.

Why does this occur?

That's happening because when you cut it, you forgot to tell TMPGEnc you wanted the new cut version to be an SVCD compliant file. You told it to make it MPEG System file instead, so it did. It's now a computer file system file (ie. where 800MB really means 800MB), so now you can't burn it as SVCD.

If you really want to cut small portions out of your MPEGs (even though you don't need to as overburning will solve most of your dramas), then don't use either DVTools or TMPGEnc MPEG Tools to do it. Neither tool is particularly adept at doing this. Use Womble MPEG-VCR Editor instead.