CCE Encoder problem

[species8514]

After dabbling with the CCE Encoder i have to say that its so fast and produces such high quality results that i really want to use it.

However, it doesnt seem to matter how encode the file - either from Adobe Premier, or using the CCE stand alone product, whenever i try and bring it in to Nero 5.5 it says stream encoding which is invalid - reencode file?

It doesnt give me any arguments about being the wrong size/frame rate/audio - just the invaild stream encoding.

I have tried CCE 2.5 and CCE 2.62, and tried SVCD Settings and VCD settings but to no avail.

Can anyone out there help me??

[Truman]

Demultiplex the .mpg with TMPGEnc and remultiplex with bbMPEG or TMPGEnc.

[homerpez]

I don't think this will help... this happened to me once, similar to a current problem I'm having, described in www.vcdhelp.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=53071&forum=3&12

On one I did, though... I encoded it using VBR MPEg-1, and it appeared to come out the correct file size... and, I was able to multiplex it with TMPGenc, no complaints.

But when I got to NERO, the size balloned to well over 900MB (from a source file of 750MB), and I couldn't burn. Plus, it gave me that error message.

What's more, I de-multiplex the MPEG later, and this time the video comes out over 1GB in size! All this from a file that plays, and is supposed to be 750MB with audio multiplexed with it...

You're not alone here, just wish I had an answer for us...

[Truman]

Hi again, homerpez, how do you burn with Nero? Do you select Video-CD from the wizard or do you create a image (bin/cue) in advance and burn the image with Nero? Are you sure, you are burning in mode2?
Excuse me species, I misuse your topic.

[homerpez]

i did it the same way I do those made in TMPGEnc... Just select "VideoCD" and burn it! It can even go as "compliant" (so long as it's MPEG-1, and the resolution is standard, NERO doesn't complain).

But like I said the problem with this one isn't NERO at all, though there's the slimmest possibility that VCDImager may help. It's CCE again!

I can tell, since I can demux the mpeg file NERO never touched, and it still "ballooned" the filesize, just by doing that.

CCE keeps doing this weird thing to me on filesize. ON this one I mentuoned, it did appear to have a suitable filesize, but in reality it didn't!

I don't know how VCDIMAGER can help with this, but I suppose I should try it at least once...

[Truman]

hehe, one more thing quickly. Remember my test.mpg? I did one more encode and set the packed size to 2048 (have a look at the .ecl file to change it). Believe it or not, after multiplexing I got a file size of 955MB instead of 793MB. Hope that are good news.

[homerpez]

BINGO! This is what I'm talking about... at least I think so...

Does anybody know what the normal "Pack Size" is supposed to be?

This cought my eye, but since I have no knowledge of that it is, should be, or what it does, I didn't play with it...

What file size are you aiming for? if it was ~690 to 700MB for the video only, then this is bad... but it shows that my (our?) problem is repeatable!

I wonder if maybe CCE just likes using a weird "pack size", causing the file size to be layed-out funny, or misreported?

Hey, this might just solve everything! (doubt it)

[Truman]

As mentioned earlier, select SS or PS instead of ES. Select video> system. Change the packet size from 2048 to 4096. I also don't have a knowledge of that, but 4096 always worked for me. I guess it should be at least 2352?
Then switch back to ES, The packet size is saved in the .ecl, no matter whether you select ES or SS.
My calculated filesize was 802MB (793+the usual VCD files), remember, in my example, that I sent to you everything worked fine.

[homerpez]

Can't select anything but "ES" when you also select "Multipass VBR". For some reason it only allows for CBR on that setting. As for the "Pack size", who knows...

Thanks again, Truman, but actually I think I may have just decided I'm not going to try CCE any longer for MPEG-1... if it was meant to work correctly, it wouldn't be this difficult! Might try it again if I try an SVCD (if I can figure out that), but for VCD's I'll stick with TMPGEnc for now... at least that works!

Unless anyone else has any startling revelations on how to fix this?...

[Truman]

homerpez, I worked with you to fix your problem. It workes for me and for other peoples too. Now I want to see, that it work for you too.
Right, with VBR is only ES possible. Read carefully, check audio file, select CBR, select SS(PS), select Video> system, probably now you see 2048. Change it to 4096. Hit OK. Back to the encode settings uncheck audio file, select ES, select VBR. That's all.
Or use the short way, edit the .ecl with notepad.
Edit line 14. "packet_size=4096"

I mentioned,that you could get problems with the max bitrate in MPEG-1 VBR mode. You should be able to avoid this, when you choose a lower max rate, for example 2300 instead of 2500.

I am sure, this will solve the problem. My opinion is, that a CCE encoded MPEG-1 VBR (3pass) look much better, than the TMPG encoded MPEG-1 VBR (2pass). It's your choise.

[homerpez]

That's what I was saying, though...

BTW: I really understated the amount of time you spent helping, I really do appreciate it a lot! But it just doesn't help me in this case...

I did read thru all the settings, and we do have the same. Mine always come up 4096 for the .ecl file, every time anyway... since it's already like that, I can't change it...

This one movie in question has been causing me hell anyway... I finally burned a 3rd time (encoded with TMPGEnc, muxed with bbMPEG), and I thought it was broken again, only to find a minute peice of dirt on the CD. UGH!

I'll make one more attempt, using a totally different movie, one that I even am apt to use 2 CD's for (the FIfth Element), but if I can get CCE working... heh heh heh!

[homerpez]

OK... tried it again. Fresh install of CCE, and fresh patch. Here's what happened:

I took a 2 hour movie, and applied an AVG bitrate of 720, which should have yeilded a video file 600 megs in size, give or take. I got a file only 261 megs this time, and as near as I can tell, it did the full 3 passes!

here is the .ecl file in its entirety:

-----------------------------------------------------------

; Cinema Craft Encoder SP -- Encoder Control List

[item]
title=FIFTH ELEMENT
vid_out=1
vaf_out=1
aud_out=0
vid_file0=D:\Video\vobs\FIFTH\fifthelement.m2v
vid_file1=D:\Video\vobs\FIFTH\fifthelement.m2v
vaf_file=D:\Video\vobs\FIFTH\fifthelement.vaf
aud_file=D:\Video\vobs\FIFTH\fifth_d2v-vfapi.mpa
file_focused=0
encode_mode=0
packet_size=4096
timecode=0x1000000
width=352
height=240
vmode=2
frame_rate_idx=1
cbr_brate=6000
opv_q_factor=60
opv_brate_min=2000
opv_brate_max=9000
vbr_brate_avg=720
vbr_brate_min=300
vbr_brate_max=2300
vbr_bias=30
vbr_pass=3
quality_prec=25
use_filter=0
filter_val=6
seq_endcode=1
dvd=0
half_width=0
half_height=0
fast_mode=0
progressive=0
alternate_scan=1
non_linear=1
top_first=1
lum_level=0
intra_dc_prec=2
aspect_ratio=2
gop_m=3
gop_nm=5
gop_hdr=15
seq_hdr=1
all_closed_gop=0
fix_gop_length=0
mpeg1=1
mpeg1_cps=0
samples_per_sec=0
stereo=2
brate_idx=7
crc=1

[file]
name=D:\Video\vobs\FIFTH\fifth.avs
type=0
frame_first=0
frame_last=181678
encode_first=0
encode_last=181678

-----------------------------------------------------------

And, just for good measure, my .avs file...

-----------------------------------------------------------

LoadPlugin("D:\WINNT\SYSTEM\MPEG2DEC.DLL")
mpeg2source("D:\video\vobs\fifth\fifth.d2v")
movie.bicubicresize(352,240)

-----------------------------------------------------------


Needless to say, I was persuaded to "Disable Smiles in This Post".

Just WHAT EXACTLTY is the problem?!?!?!


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: homerpez on 2001-08-07 14:32:33 ]</font>

[homerpez]

"Dumb" question coming also...

Does CCE even accept "Forced FILM" as an input framerate?

[homerpez]

Dammit, I hate talking to myself, but I think I discovered one problem... I'll keep silent as it's really embarassing... suffice to say it has to do with the avs file...

see if you can find it!

But, unfortunately, I don't know if this will solve my problem or not... just ONE problem...

[Truman]

First copy Avisynth.dll to D:\WINNT\SYSTEM\ instead of MPEG2DEC.DLL
Assuming your source is NTSC 4:3, the avisynth srcipt should be like this:
LoadPlugin("D:\program files\MPEG2DEC\MPEG2DEC.DLL")
mpeg2source("D:\video\vobs\FIFTH\fifth.d2v")
BicubicResize(352,240,0,0.75,0,0,720,480)

If the source is NTSC 16:9 (anamorphic):

LoadPlugin("D:\program files\MPEG2DEC\MPEG2DEC.DLL")
mpeg2source("D:\video\vobs\FIFTH\fifth.d2v")
BicubicResize(352,176,0,0.75,0,0,720,480)
AddBorders(0,32,0,32)

Something about the calculation, movie is 2 hours, avg bitrate is 720, then the video filesize is about 680MB (without audio). Or am I wrong?



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Truman on 2001-08-07 16:10:37 ]</font>

[Truman]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
Does CCE even accept "Forced FILM" as an input framerate?
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't know anything about "forced film" (my TV is PAL ), but CCE does not ask for a input framerate. Output 23,98 as well as 25 and 29,97 fps is supported.
Check http://www.doom9.org/mpg/d2a-mpeg2dec.htm for dvd2avi's forced film settings.

[species8514]

Guys, Guys!

Any chance you could make a new posting for this as i keep getting e-mail alerts.

Many thanks,

Species

[homerpez]

Truman,

I copied AVISYNTH.dll there as well, so it all works. I even tried it with Media player, just to see what the .avs was doing. Well, turns out that the .avs had a small error. Do you see in my script where it said "movie.bicubicresize"? It didn't know what "Movie" meant, and said so when I tried to play back the video. I took out "movie." and it displayed properly!

CCE, for whatever reason, will encode with whatever info it has at the moment, with wreckless abandon. In this case, it was a screwed up avs file, which probably only gave CCE bits and peices of video info, if anything at all!

I'll try AGAIN, this time with the fixed script, and the help you offered me... we'll see this time...

species8514: Sorry, guy. Sometimes you ask one question here, it opens a Pandora's Box.

I started up a new thread at www.vcdhelp.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=53805&forum=3&0, which should eleviate the problem, if this thread doesn't die on it's own.

EVERYONE POINT YOUR BROWSERS TO www.vcdhelp.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=53805&forum=3&0 FOR species8514!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: homerpez on 2001-08-07 19:12:39 ]</font>