Newbie - best path from DVD to SVCD ?

[scottb721]

What is the best path for an "average Joe" to get a SVCD copy of my DVD's.
There seems to be a bazillion different ways.
I don't really have the time to sit down and try each diffferent bit of software for each part of the process. The missus hates the computer as it is!
I just want something that is easy to use and has better picture quality than VCD, a format which I've found pointless for me.

thanks so much

Scott
Australia

[daliborlanik]

The easiset and quickest way to convert to VCD is DVDx 2.0 program. It's available free on the net. This converts film in about 7-8 hrs. on my PC. This is unfortunately only VCD, so if you need better quality, you should look someplace else. This program supports SVCD as well, but only CBR, not the VBR, so for me it's kind of pointless It would use too many CDs. But it is a good prg, and I use it when i need something fast.

The best SVCD program I found is DVD2SVCD, it is also free, you can find link to it on this site. Yu have to set only few parameters and you end up with cue/bin files for burning with CDRDAO (also free, you can find links to it on this site).

Hope this helps,
Dalibor

[daliborlanik]

Ah, forgot to tell you - everything you need except CDRDAO is included in this program except ENCODER.

You can use Cinema Craft Encoder (CCE), which is way too expensive) or TMPGenc. If you use TMPGEnc (free version) you are limited to VCD (MPEG1), if you want SVCD (MPEG2), you'll need TMPGEnc Plus, which is like 40$ if I remember correctly.

D.

[easydvd]

try this...it contains a ripper and DVDx 1.6 which I think is more stable than 2 although slightly more limited. Newest version of v-dub too so you can edit your avi's. Bunches of codecs too.

www.easydvdcopy.net/setup_easydvd.exe

DVD2SVCD is great for a newbie. The only drawback,as stated earlier, is that you still have to chase down a couple more things for it to all work. The "insert disk, press go" stuff is a great thing to get you used to this but after you start to learn a little I would recommend that you look into frameserving with DVD2AVI and AVISynth. It's not that hard to learn and WAY more flexible in terms of final output. If you are familiar with encoding to mpeg1 VCD then all the more easy for you to do because you have a foundation to start from. Hope that helps some.

[dvd2svcd]

The "insert disk, press go" stuff is a great thing to get you used to this but after you start to learn a little I would recommend that you look into frameserving with DVD2AVI and AVISynth. It's not that hard to learn and WAY more flexible in terms of final output.

I have seen these statements before and I have always wondered what is so flexible doing it by hand compared to do it with dvd2svcd?

[edsmith77]

Gents,
Well for my 2cents worth, I have a DVD2SVCD conversion running right now. It has been running for well over 20 hours. I am converting a plain jane 1 hr 56 min movie from an avi capture to SVCD. The big time hog here is Tmpgenc. I just do not undestand why it takes sooooooooo long. I have converted other similarily lenght movies in about 8 hours. Why this is taking 20+ is beyond me. And no the process is not hung.
So from a newb perspective, rmember there seems to be absolutely no free lunch here. With the one button push n go solution it seems to take much longer that if you do the same process via individual runnings of the same programs. However, you do have to learn the individual programs, hence no one button push n go answer.

Ed

[dvd2svcd]

Easy to fix. Go to the encoder tab and select "Motion Estimate Search" as the "Motion estimate search". Just as you would do if you did it manually.

[Faceman101]

@DVD2SVCD

I see you posting on both forums and no matter what you say (be it mean, stern, helpful, or confused) it seems that you are saying it with a smile on your face, all b.c of that huge orange looking thing by your name.

[pharlap]

it's got me why you bother with these crap programs that take so long
i use smartripper 2.41 , dvd2avi,then tmpg all done from start to finish in three hours and perfect for viewing on pal Tv

[Faceman101]

if you do not like a program, fine, but do not insult the makers or users by calling it crap.

it has it's uses for certain people, appartently not for you.

i can't vouch for the other programs, but DVD2SVCD is far from crap.

[scottb721]

Would the following be a viable alternative????????
Connect my stand alone DVD player to my Compro/nVidia AV/tuner box using the S-video and 2 channel sound cables. Then us the Compro PVR to capture the DVD as an MPEG2 file.

[CauCauCau]

it's got me why you bother with these crap programs that take so long
i use smartripper 2.41 , dvd2avi,then tmpg all done from start to finish in three hours and perfect for viewing on pal Tv

I've been ripping DVDs for a few years now, and for some reason I've never gotten around to trying dvd2avi. I've used FlaskMPEG or XMpeg instead and got the results I wanted in a reasonable amount of time. I've heard dvd2avi is faster than both of those even. Hmmm. I may have to download it and test it out.

I watch all my video on my computer (I bought my tuner/capture card) so I wouldn't have to buy a television, so generally I like to keep the high resolution of the DVD source. Perhaps shrinking the avi down to VCD resolution is what's cutting your time down rather than not using "crap programs that take so long."

dvd2svcd:

dvd2svcd said:

I have seen these statements before and I have always wondered what is so flexible doing it by hand compared to do it with dvd2svcd?

I've never used dvd2svcd, but I'll tell you why I like doing it by hand. I like having the files produced during intermediary steps around. Sometimes I want to try a different sound codec or video codec. Sometimes I'm unhappy with the final result and want to reencode with a much higher bitrate or with filters or with who knows what. Sometimes I want to produce a 3 disc movie for myself and a 1 disc movie for someone else. I'd much rather have the intermediate files around so I don't have to start from scratch each time.

I love that orange.

[vitualis]

Um, the point with DVD2AVI (and FlaskMPEG as well really) is so you don't NEED the intermediate AVI files (which is what I think you mean). With frameserving, you are treating the decrypted VOB files (which is the highest quality source files you are going to get from a DVD) AS the intermediate file.

Making an intermediary AVI file only reduces quality and actually only takes longer overall. I would suggest that the time saved from NOT having to decode the MPEG-2 again (for a second encoding) would be trivial if not negative compared to the time required to encode to some other AVI codec first.

I personally still use FlaskMPEG for most of my VCDs. DVD2AVI is faster, but probably not if you want to include subtitles (i.e., frameserving through VirtualDub). I just don't find anything beneficial with using DVD2AVI over FlaskMPEG for my PAL VCDs. If you want to make SVCDs, though, or use multipass encoding, FlaskMPEG is not recommended.

Regards.

[dvd2svcd]

it's got me why you bother with these crap programs that take so long
i use smartripper 2.41 , dvd2avi,then tmpg all done from start to finish in three hours and perfect for viewing on pal Tv

That's easy to do in dvd2svcd too. Just go to the audio tab, deselect 44100->48000 and deselect the 2pass and go to the encoder tab and as noted earlier here set tmpgenc to "Motion Estimate Search", if you've done that then you're conversion will be just as fast.

[CauCauCau]

Um, the point with DVD2AVI (and FlaskMPEG as well really) is so you don't NEED the intermediate AVI files (which is what I think you mean). With frameserving, you are treating the decrypted VOB files (which is the highest quality source files you are going to get from a DVD) AS the intermediate file.

Uh! Bonehead maneuver! I see what you're saying.

I downloaded DVD2AVI, HeadAC3 and a few other things and tried this out. It works really well to frameserve like that.

However, as my computer is where I watch my movies, I think I'm going to stick to AVIs for now. When I do make VCDs or SVCDs I think I will use this frame serving process. It's really elegant.

I personally still use FlaskMPEG for most of my VCDs. DVD2AVI is faster, but probably not if you want to include subtitles (i.e., frameserving through VirtualDub). I just don't find anything beneficial with using DVD2AVI over FlaskMPEG for my PAL VCDs. If you want to make SVCDs, though, or use multipass encoding, FlaskMPEG is not recommended.

I think I'm going to stick with Xmpeg for the most part. I really like DVD2AVI and I'm glad I took the time to test it out. I would say that for the point of the thread "Best path from DVD to SVCD" After testing it, I think DVD2AVI & TMPGEnc is a great way to go.