Trying to make SVCD VBR actually 800mb in size

[vulcan4d]

I know this is possible. I downloaded lots of different episodes off the net and they were all VBR and exactly 797mb in size. I want to do the same. Whether I try converting a divx to svcd or what I'm currently trying, converting DVD to SVCD(using DVD2SVCD) I always get a file that's 6XXmb. The free space is wasted, at 800mb the detail would be much better at VBR. How the hell do those guys to make those episodes do it?

[hwoodwar]

What CD size do you have listed/selected on the bitrate tabbed page?

[vulcan4d]

It's set at 800. The movie is very short, only 45min so it's perfect for 1 SVCD.

[hwoodwar]

I've used DVD2SVCD many times and never encountered this problem. I agree with you that 45 minutes should yield excellant quality at 800meg. I've gotten up to 65 minutes of excellant quality from a 800meg file using DVD2SVCD, TMPGenc and 2-Pass VBR.

The only thing else I know, that "might" fix the problem would be to uninstall/reinstall DVD2SVCD.

[vulcan4d]

I tried playing around with the bitrate. I set the CD size to 900, and changed the min and max bitrate to what the FitCD calculator said I should set it to. It's still 6XXmb . I'll try reinstalling DVD2SVCD just like hwoodwar mentioned.

I'm using it with Cinema Craft Encoder instead of TMPGenc and 2 pass VBR.

[supersam]

hey dude, i've got svcd templates for TMPGEnc. each template is designed for a certaing movie length. for example, if a movie is 1:45:11, u would use a 1:45:00 template. and if u wanna get superb quality u can mess around with the custom color correction, which holds the secret for getting outstanding quality results. i have been perfecting TMPGEnc for about 3 years now and im always finding something new making it better.
if u want the svcd templates just let me now..i will be happy to send them to u or to anyone

[SatStorm]

@ Supersam: Really interesting! Can you tell us, what you tweak on "custom color correction" and if those tweaks affects both on PAL and NTSC?

[vulcan4d]

supersam I'm interested, could you send me the templetes to vulcan4d@hotmail.com. Thanks.


Well I tried TMPGenc on 2 pass VBR and the SVCD turned out to be 800mb. So the problem was apparently with my Cinema Craft Encoder 2.50. Took longer with TMPGenc, but it doesn't matter as I set it for the night . Thanks for helping me out guys.

[supersam]

i use these methods on both pal to ntsc....i just load the template and change the encode mode to pal and change the size in the video tab to 480x576. my tweaks vary depending on the quality of the divx movie....but they are all needed as some movies need a few here and there tweaks. u know how when u encode a movie and now matter how much bitrate u set it for there are always little macro blocks or noise blocks during dark scenes or what not. well using a option in custom color correction called contrast(1base) and by moving the Y bar to the right u are able to darken the the movie ...but be careful not to darken it too much as the movie will become to dark to view. darken the movie enough to where u dont see any macro blocks on a dark scene, which means find a spot in the movie(usually in the beginning where the paramount logo starts to appear) and start moving the Y bar slightly little by little to the right until u start to see the blocks disappearing. once all of the blocks have been cleared out, u go to the drop down again(located on the right side) and select the contrast(0 base). this little baby will bring back the light to the movie, but heres the best part.....it wil bring it without the any blocks reappearing . just make sure u dont move the bar too much to the right as u dont want to make ur movie to bright. and sense ur gonna put the movie onto 2 cds u can use the sharpen filter which will greatly increase quality. i have learned that by using this filter at low bitrates i was getting ugly results cause in order for this filter to work properly it needs a lot of bitrate so that in can sharpen the movie to almost dvd quality. to use the option just go the advance section and select the sharpen filter. the one that i use here is the horizontal. the reason being is because i want it too look somewhat like a dvd. using ntsc as an example, dvds have 720x480 meaning that there are 720 lines left to right(horizontal) and there are 480 lines up and down. so the more lines from left to right(horizontal) the more sharper quality it will be. that is why dvds look twice as sharp as vhs cause vhs have twice as less on both up and down and side to side. u can set the horizontal to about 80 or 100 depending on how u set the bitrate. and u can litterly see the dramatic improvement as u slide the bar to the right. skin definition becomes much richer, background becomes more visible, etc. u can set the vertical too...but i never do sense this is not really as important as the horizonatal lines. i will write more when time becomes available as i am very very busy with work right now.....darn taxpayers.

[SatStorm]

Thanks for the details.
I once tested this technick you mention, but I found it good only for progressive mpeg 4 sources.
Another alternative is simply to blur a lot a movie and then sharp it again. This do the same and I believe faster!
But ain't that helpfull for interlace dvb and analogue sources....

I try to found a good alternative filter for the amazing 2D cleaner of Virtualdub (which is really sllllllooooooowwwwww but amazing!) or TMPGenc's built in noise reduction filter (even sllloooooowwwweeeeerrrr but pretty good also).

Other filters like static noise reduction, temporal smoother, etc won't produce the results I want from sources like those blocky DVB transmissions!

[supersam]

thanx for the comments satstorm. as of lately im getting farther and farther away from the svcd scene due to the fact that i have dvd burner now and have dvd encoding and authoring software, which can produce an enoded movie in matter of 2hrs or less. but just like u said, TMPGE has many filter options, but as for me i use sharpen filter and other ones that i have mentioned. i rarely use the options that u mentioned due to the fact that i had a slow pc back then which would make my encode time forever, so i had to improvise. before i gotten my dvd burner, i had encoded Lord of the Rings- Fellowship of the Ring using my methods and i got very very very good results..no macroblocks with very sharp picture. if u guys still need some pointers or advice on tmpge dont hesistate to post

until next time !!!!

[mgm105]

Hi Supersam!
I'm a real newbie in video and have a great lot of problems and questions. When I download a DivX movie from the net very often I get strange format: it's not 4:3 and not 16:9 - the frames are pressed on both sides, so everything is long and skinny. How can I fix this problem???

[supersam]

hey mgm105,
the way i fix divx movies that look "stretched out" is load a corresponding template according to their frame rate and format. after that all u have to do to make the movie stretch from top to bottom is go into video tab and go into source aspect ratio. in here to get that 4:3 ratio or close it is select 4:3 525 line nstc if u live in the states or choose the pal ratio if u live in europe, etc. just keep trying all of the different 4:3 ratios that are availabe and see which one gives u the best aspect ratio. i hope this helps

[matneaves]

or , in "video arrange method" select keep film ratio

[supersam]

oh thats right, i forgot to mention that one as well . just dont select full screen (keep aspect ratio) or it will keep it in the same format. try it out.

[supersam]

just as a reminder to all of u who use TMPGE that this program isnt always the same when using 2 pass vbr....meaning in older versions of TMPGE when using 2 pass vbr the quality was way better than CQ giving a specific amount of disk space to be used. in the new version that i have which is v2.59 using the exact bitrate and methods i have noticed that the quality isnt as sharp as in the old versions that i have had in the past. this is due when programs change TMPGE to another version, when they change it to another version they somewhat change the encoding method inside TMPGE which can make it better or a little bit annoying. if u have an old version of TMPGE than those templates will be better suited there. i know TMPGE has come out with a new version...maybe the 2 pass vbr method has improved as compared to the v2.59. the quality when using 2 pass vbr from old version up to the new versions isnt quite noticeable but its there if u really really look at it. i had the other version, which i think was v2.58 and that one was way better in encoding 2 pass vbr than compared to v2.59. this was just something that i wanted to share with u guys and something to think about it.