Full Featured PAL/NTSC Demo Video-CD disc available for down

[mlimo]

Just thought I would share some of my experience with VCDImager...

I have just recorded Footloose onto my computer, and have created the XML and run it thru the build process (will have to rebuild with the Relaxed APS)

I put the Roxio VCDPlayer on the disc as well, which picks up the track points I put in fine, but my Pioneer DV535, DV717 and Sony unit don't recognise the track points.

BTW, I noticed someone suggested turning off PBC.. Does someone know how to do that on the Pioneer units?

Marcus

[vitualis]

Your player must have PBC turned on for the demo disc to play properly. Indeed, for ANY interactive content on a VCD (e.g., menus, chapters), PBC must be turned on. With PBC turned off, the VCD is simply played sequentially from the first video track to the last.

As for the whole APS relaxed option thing... this is sort of a hack and doesn't really create "compliant" VCDs. There is a way around this now.

I've tested the MPEG Sequence Header inserter proggy and it works! All you have to do is demultiplex your MPEG. Then, run the elemental video stream through the MPEG Sequence Header inserter proggy (in front of every GOP). Then, remultiplex your video and audio streams with TMPGEnc (make sure that it is set on MPEG-1 Video-CD, not auto).

The entrypoints can now be placed without the APS relaxed option set to true.

Regards.

[patrickm]

btw, for pioneer players, just hit 'stop' then any number and it will play through as sequential tracks w/o PBC

[Leehro]

I couldn't find much specific info for building an SVCD with entrypoints in the VCDImagerGUI manual. This discussion kindof concerned me too. If I want to use VCDImagerGUI to create an SVCD with entrypoints, do I need to do anything special when encoding? I created a quick sample VCD with entrypoints, and didn't do anything special with the encoding. It worked ok on my apex ad-600a. I'd like to make sure the SVCD will be compatible with as many DVD players as possible.

Thanks,

Dan

[rayjr13]

I'm in a similar boat as Dan everything I want to do now is in SVCD but none of the xml examples refer to SVCD nor do the manuals. Can any1 shed some light on EXACTLY what has to be done differently to make XML for SVCD, and the actual xml image? Particular interest for me is in the videocd_9.xml example. I didn't think that a CDi application was necessary for inclusion on a SVCD.?.

and vitualis are "multiple soundtracks, multiple subtitlwith VCDimageres, etc" the only features that aren't possible ?

ok I have a headache now but authoring/melting a beautifully designed SVCD 2night would help, ...and so would lunch...

dust

[vitualis]

<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>
On 2001-07-19 08:40:09, rayjr13 wrote:
Can any1 shed some light on EXACTLY what has to be done differently to make XML for SVCD, and the actual xml image? Particular interest for me is in the videocd_9.xml example. I didn't think that a CDi application was necessary for inclusion on a SVCD.?.</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

Firstly, in terms of the XML, VCD and SVCD will almost be identical. What would be different would be the first line that says whether it is a VCD or SVCD and that all your source files will be in MPEG-2 rather than MPEG-1. Also, CD-i app SHOULD NOT be on a SVCD.

BTW, I wrote videocd_9.xml and that was an XML for a VCD2.0, not a SVCD.

<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>and vitualis are "multiple soundtracks, multiple subtitlwith VCDimageres, etc" the only features that aren't possible ?</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't know as I don't really dabble in SVCDs. You should ask hvr or someone else that uses VCDImager to make SVCDs.

<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> ok I have a headache now but authoring/melting a beautifully designed SVCD 2night would help, ...and so would lunch...</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>



Regards.

[vitualis]

<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>
On 2001-07-19 08:09:26, Leehro wrote:
I couldn't find much specific info for building an SVCD with entrypoints in the VCDImagerGUI manual...
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

That's because VCDImagerGUI doesn't support any of the PBC functions. VCDImagerGUI was written for VCDImager0.6.2.

The PBC functions that can be created in terms of editing the XML file is only relevant for VCDImager0.7.x. There is not comprehensive GUI for this yet.

Belboz has recently released a small GUI frontend to VCDImager0.7.x for simple things like one page menuss, but it doesn't support entrypoints either.

Regards.

[LeveL_42]

Downloaded the Demo disc and burned it yesterday with Fireburner. Played it on my Toshiba SD-100 standalone DVD player and WOW !
Never thought this could be done with VCD ! The moving menus are great, really gives a DVD feeling !
Really inspires me to make some impressive menus myself !

I am most interested in it for the use of entrypoints. I want to dub live gigs from VHS to VCD, but I insist of being able to skip to a track without fast forwarding and not having pauses in playback. No other authoring tool I have found is capable of doing this. It is great to see that it is possible !

However, the Toshiba also suffers from the problems with the entrypoints as described above. Whenever I return to the main menu, or try to select the second or third part of the Soutpark trailer the screen becomes garbish and I have to stop and start the disc again.
However, the thing is that when I start playing the trailer from the start and then hitting the skip buttons, it works just fine.....

Anyway, I will try the solution to this as indicated and will let you know my results. Also have to do some serious studying of the XML files of the demo VCD, like with everything you learn, you start out by copying (and modifying) !

Thanks for the great work on the Demo VCD and I too would like to see various bitrate (X)VCD's for testing.

[vitualis]

<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>
On 2001-08-02 06:20:01, LeveL_42 wrote:
I am most interested in it for the use of entrypoints. I want to dub live gigs from VHS to VCD, but I insist of being able to skip to a track without fast forwarding and not having pauses in playback. No other authoring tool I have found is capable of doing this. It is great to see that it is possible ! </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

FYI, VCD Toolkit, VideoPack4 and VCDImager can all do entrypoints.

<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>However, the Toshiba also suffers from the problems with the entrypoints as described above. Whenever I return to the main menu, or try to select the second or third part of the Soutpark trailer the screen becomes garbish and I have to stop and start the disc again.
However, the thing is that when I start playing the trailer from the start and then hitting the skip buttons, it works just fine.....</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't remember what I wrote above, but I now fully understand the problem. This is mainly an issue with sequence headers. If you put in regular sequence headers before each gop, then you won't have this problem

To highlight two other potential problems in the Demo VCD, you must never define <auto-pause> settings for the play-item in a <selection> and you must set the "jump-timing" under <loop> to "immediate" if you are using a video clip as the background.

These issues will be addressed in the next release of the demo VCD.

<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>Thanks for the great work on the Demo VCD and I too would like to see various bitrate (X)VCD's for testing.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for your kind works. Good luck.

Regards.

[LeveL_42]

<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>
On 2001-08-03 19:13:57, vitualis wrote:
<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>
On 2001-08-02 06:20:01, LeveL_42 wrote:
I am most interested in it for the use of entrypoints. I want to dub live gigs from VHS to VCD, but I insist of being able to skip to a track without fast forwarding and not having pauses in playback. No other authoring tool I have found is capable of doing this. It is great to see that it is possible ! </BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

FYI, VCD Toolkit, VideoPack4 and VCDImager can all do entrypoints.

<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>However, the Toshiba also suffers from the problems with the entrypoints as described above. Whenever I return to the main menu, or try to select the second or third part of the Soutpark trailer the screen becomes garbish and I have to stop and start the disc again.
However, the thing is that when I start playing the trailer from the start and then hitting the skip buttons, it works just fine.....</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't remember what I wrote above, but I now fully understand the problem. This is mainly an issue with sequence headers. If you put in regular sequence headers before each gop, then you won't have this problem

To highlight two other potential problems in the Demo VCD, you must never define <auto-pause> settings for the play-item in a <selection> and you must set the "jump-timing" under <loop> to "immediate" if you are using a video clip as the background.

These issues will be addressed in the next release of the demo VCD.

<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>Thanks for the great work on the Demo VCD and I too would like to see various bitrate (X)VCD's for testing.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks for your kind works. Good luck.

Regards.

</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

I got Videopack 4 somwhere and tested it. It really could be just what I am looking for BUT it does only true VCD compatible MPEG files (1150 kb). I tried feeding it compatible VCD encoded MPG's created with TPMGenc but it refused to burn them. When I fed it an avi, it did the conversion itself but picture quality sucks big time.

Videopack 5 should be released in september by Roxio, and this looks very promissing indeed. However, spending 500 bucks an that is not my idea of having fun !

So it's back to VCDimager and now experimenting (with heaps of problems) with TSCV.

[vitualis]

None of the newer GUIs are perfect.

I suggest that you only use them as a helpful tool. At the moment, nothing replaces editing the XML file yourself with a text editor...

Regards.

[LeveL_42]

<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>
On 2001-08-14 15:55:16, vitualis wrote:
None of the newer GUIs are perfect.

I suggest that you only use them as a helpful tool. At the moment, nothing replaces editing the XML file yourself with a text editor...

Regards.

</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

That's obvious. However I don't know any XML (yet, will be following a workshop via my work shortly). However (maybe I missed this) but is there a good description somewhere what all the options do exactly. I am now trying to understand everything by looking and studying your Demo CD xml and what the GUI's produce but it's still kinda hard if you don't know the various functions.

[vitualis]

<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>
On 2001-08-16 01:32:04, LeveL_42 wrote:
That's obvious. However I don't know any XML (yet, will be following a workshop via my work shortly). However (maybe I missed this) but is there a good description somewhere what all the options do exactly. I am now trying to understand everything by looking and studying your Demo CD xml and what the GUI's produce but it's still kinda hard if you don't know the various functions.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

The VCDImager manual explains what every single tag does.

I also wrote an article on this as well here: http://www.geocities.com/medinotes/vcd/general_xml_structure.html

Regards.