blocky pictures?????????

[cam2085]

I am running a p4, 2gig processor & have tried both dvdx & (smartripper, dvd2av1 & TMPGEnc) but everytime I am finished a project whenever the movie comes to a fast moving scene the picture turns into blocks???????? I seem to be getting better results with dvdx but my friends say the 3 step procedure gives off better results.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Kdiddy]

you need to provide more detailed info...what and ALL the settings you have in TMPG, are you doing mpeg2 or mpeg1?

[vhelp]

also, U didn't say HOW you are watching these blocks form...
* TV or your PC monitor?

* viewing from your PC monitor will most definately give you viewable blocks. Why, mostly because it is streaching your 352x240 into, ie
1024x768 or higher resolition.
Not that the stretching is causing your blocks, but rather INhancing them for you to see.
* When you play/watch them on your TV via standalone dvd player, you don't really see them, unless may in some fast scenes, but fast scene blocks can vary form one to the other.
* it would also help to mention what movie U R refering to and at what scene too. So, maybe we can try it out ourselves and see your point or NOT.
* most DVD sources don't show blocks on TV except for those hard to encode ones, ie, outsite in bright sunlight, and/or too may details of moving parts, water breaking up 4 ie. Fire sometimes has this effect, but on my encodes, I have yet to see them.
* you do yourself falsely/unjust, by juding your final enocdes by PC viewing. You really have to judge by burning to CD and playing in your standaralone dvd player on your TV cause there's really no streatching of 352x240.
* it would be nice if people stated how they are judgeing, TV or PC
* also, please provide more detail or your process.

-vhelp

[Mekhu]

vhelp...

Fitst off, blockiness on tv...NOT PC...

Wanna post your settings? I too am using the three step process (Clad, DVD2AVI, TMPGEnc), but I am seeing some major blockiness in certain movies... (Matrix, Fast and the Furious, Made, etc)... The blocks seem to only appear on dark colors such as a black coat, or in FATF, car scenes at night.

It seems every movie I make has blocks... I understand going from 4 - 8 gigs down to about 1.5 will obviously provide some loss in picture quality, but I keep reading about how people are getting VHS quality and I am not :(

What my goal is, is to make a movie with minimal blocks that will fit on 2 cd's....

Thanks,

Mekhu

[vhelp]

mekhu,

ya cought me in the middle of a major encode project. I thought I had logged off the internet/netscape. no wonder why I was slow - 2sec or so.

Anyways,
I can post a sample clip for you to test and compare with yours for VHS quality. I can say this much for this paticular clip, its definately VHS or BETTER quality. Don't 4get... VHS has snow or static like quality!! ...though still good quality for low grade movie viewing.
If you like, and want to further go ahead with your VCD struggles, and like what I have to offer as proof of lowzy quality, then I will post a more "faster" scene clip. But, it would be better if you gave me the name of your movie and the scene exactly so that I can duplicate it as a sample clip for you to see - should I have the DVD in the first place.
So, let me know what you wanna do, else I'll continue with my other projects you interupted me from.

The clip I can post here is not a fast scene or anything, but just an appetizer to the VCD/VHS nonsense that's going around.

The clip is obviously from a DVD Source.

Q: whta is your DVD player brand?

** I just lost everything I typed in the post.


-vhelp

[Mekhu]

Hey v.

How about the start of "Made", starring Vince Vaughn...

Just a sample clip from the boxing scene at the start of the movie...

Thanks a million...

If you can help me with this, if you even need anything regarding web design just let me know!

Mekhu

[vhelp]

mekhu,

sorry, but don't have "Made"
What's it about?

* you say blocks in dark scenes...
do you mean in slow movements and/or fast movements?

-vhelp

[Mekhu]

Often both...

Actually if you could just maybe post me the bitrate settings, etc you use for a VCD, it would be much help...

[Mekhu]

Basically what I do is load up TMPGEnc and load in my video and audio file. Then I load a standard VCD template and hit start...

Am I missing some settings? Also, I know my DVD player plays XVCD, so can I take advantage of this?

[vhelp]

mekhu,

I gues you can take advant of your players' abil. to play xVCD.
In the case of your blocks, you may end up needing to raise your bitrate.

It is said that CBR yields pretty good quality. Well, in my experience, not so well. so, I use CQ_VBR - bascially using the standards template also. There's really no secret formula or hidden whatevers'
I just don't use CBR in the videocd template. try cq_vbr intead.
NOTE: not every dvd player is the same, so YOU will have to make he determination as to what values to use there. try for the standard vcd bitate, 1150, then 1250, 1400, 1500, etc. till you start loosing the blocks. Keep a good record of each and every settings (enclude vlaues in your filename) else you'll end up re-inventing the wheele every so often.

I think I have a sample clip waiting to be UPloaded for you to test.

What is your player?
Could also be you players poor performance.

-vhelp

[Mekhu]

Awesome vhelp... I will give those settings a go right now!

My player is a:

White Westinghouse... Me mommy bought it for me

[vhelp]

mekhu,

I'm uploading a file now. should be ready in 15min (its 1:34am now) i'll stay up till 2am or so, but that's about it. try and d/l it soon, cause i'll be deleting it or else I may make file un-D/L'able.

Just remember, it's a VCD not DVD.
And, it could be your dvd player. So, if you clip doesn't perform well, and MY clip doesn't, even though it looks great on both my apex plrs, then its your dvd plyr.

-vhelp

[Mekhu]

sweet man, appreciate it.

If it turns out to be the dvd player, guess what I am buying myself tomorrow

[vhelp]

mekhu,

clip is ready for your D/L !!
R U there???

-vhelp

[Mekhu]

yes

[vhelp]

Ok,

See if you can d/l this VCD clip

what's your speed ?? ...56k ???

Please let me know that YOU d/l'ed the clip!!!!!!

-vhelp

[Mekhu]

wow, 400+ k per second! Nice host!

Ok, you can remove the link now...

I will test and post results in a bit.

[vhelp]

mekhu,

Oh, I usually burn the test VCD's I create in Nero, with compliance off. Even though, 4 da most part, it is stndard 1150k, i do it just to be safe.

I'm not a VCD fan. I like my xSVCD's, but am in the debuggin mode with VCD at the moment. Because I keep hearing how much people complain about the VCDs and I was just curious how bad they are/were. Till one day, I gave this VCD another chance (just to play around with) and was I shocked at how wrong I was. At least when it comes form a dvd source. captures is another thing. they don't really come out well. But, I'm debuggin this as well. Trying to figure out how to get the best quality VCD from a captured source fo others here to learn and use in there VCD endevers.

Oh, I found out that your player is not listed in the "DVD Players compatibility list" Well,if my clip works good in your player/brand, you should be the first to post it. - at here I think.

Here is my player:
Apex AD-1500 for you to read up on.

-vhelp

[vhelp]

Well, since it's ben this long (1/2+) I'm gonna assume that the clip played like CRAP on your dvd player.

Sorry about that. I was hopping it would play really well.

You can look into the APEX AD-1500 (i posted a link above in my prev. post) tomorrow, go and get it and re-try my sample clip (as well as all those you created) They should play much better!!!

Welp, GOOD LUCK!!!
Sorry for da disapointment!

Good night!
-vhelp

[cam2085]

I am trying to create a mpeg1 vcd. I havebeen trying to rip Charlies Angels & have only tried watching it on my pc & didn`t put it on cd as I don`t want to end up with loads of coasters.
I haven`t changed any settings on TMPGEnc & it is compiling a MPEG-1 720x576 25fps CBR 1150kbps, Layer-2 48000Hz 192kbps.
I don`t know if this is any help but if you need more info I will post it.

[dizidave]

Use CD-RW for doing tests (assuming ur dvd player can read em) then just erase em and use em again

[cam2085]

I tried putting a clip on cd & it doesn`t look as bad on the tv but the fast movement scenes are still a bit blurry???
is this normal or do I need to change my settings????????