Post your best methods and tools (software) used to make VCD

[tienquang2]

Post here your best methods and tools (software) used to make VCD from DVD source or VHS source.

I used DVDx, which rips DVD to MPG. Then I burn the MPG to a CDR.
For VHS tapes ripping, I used AVERTV card with SVideo and audio line in to record to MPG. Then I burn the MPG to a CDR.

For DVD ripping, I was able to rip a 1 hour content in 2 hours, 30 minutes content in 1 hour and so on.

VHS tapes, it was done in real time.

Peace and have fun...

[Truman]

As many replies you'll get as many different opinions you'll get.
This is my humble opinion:
dvd2vcd: dvd2avi>Avisynth>TMPGEnc>VCDImager
vhs2vcd: AVI_IO(huffyuv or Leadtools MJPEG)>Avisynth>TMPGEnc>VCDImager

[tienquang2]

Truman, in my opinion why are u using so many steps. I have never use Avisynth and VCDImager, but it would seems that these steps would take a lot of times. I may be wrong.

[Zydar2000]

The tools I currently use for ripping DVD's are:

SmartRipper
DVD2AVI
TMPGEnc
NERO 5.5

I have had no problems using this set up, but i am fairly new to this so if anyone thinks this is a bad combination please let me know.
Also can anyone tell me what's the best software to use for adding chapters.


Zydar2000

[Truman]

Truman, in my opinion why are u using so many steps. I have never use Avisynth and VCDImager, but it would seems that these steps would take a lot of times. I may be wrong.

Because you asked for the best method. I recommend a high quality MPEG encoder, a powerfull video editor and a powerfull authoring tool unless you are in a hurry.

[bprothero]

Capture with Matrox PC-VCR, ULead Media Studio Pro 5.5 VidCap or VirtualDub.

Edit clips with VirtualDub... save direct video/audio (no generation loss).

Append all the clips in VirtualDub, set my prefered filters and frame serve to TMPEGEnc.

Burn to VCD CD-R using Nero 5.5 or VCDEasy (if I want chapter points).

[big dog]

Zydar2000,

If you look in the DVD ripping guide on this site you will find VCD easy. This is what I use for chapters and to burn my VCD's. It works great!!

Here is the link http://www.vcdhelp.com/sefy/?id=ClassicalGuide.html

Enjoy!! I love this site!

[Martyn1980]

For great VCD quality and a one click solution then use DVD2SVCD and set it to use Mpeg1 instead of Mpeg2
change the resolution to VCD resolution, make the bitrate min max and average all 1150kbps and use Tmpeg as the encoder,
you could use different bitrates than that but it would then be a XVCD, doing it this way, you will only need to set up DVD2SVCD and click on go and thats it, hours later you will have a nice image file ready to be burnt to a disc, this is the easiest way to get great quality if you dont want the hassle of messing with loads of programs or you dont want to learn how to do it yourself.

Do you rip the DVD to the hard drive yourself DVD2SVCD will do that for you, although i personally use an external ripper, and are you saying it takes 2 hours to rip a 60minute DVD thats painfully slow and it doesn't look like you have an old system, i can rip a 90minute DVD in less than 10minutes, have you got DMA enabled for your DVD Drive

[Martyn1980]

I just re read your post, by DVD Ripping do you mean you can turn 60minutes of DVD Video into a 60minute Mpg in 2 hours, if so, then its not DVD ripping, its encoding.

[vitualis]

DVD --> VCD (standard)

DVD Decrypter --> FlaskMPEG 0.6 (subtitled fixed version) --> Panasonic MPEG Encoder plugin 2.51 --> VCDImager 0.7.12 --> CDRDAO.

Regards.

[Executioner]

1. Smart Ripper
2. DvD2AVI
3. TMPGEnc
4. Chapter X Tractor
5. VCD Easy

[Akai Rounin]

1. SmartRipper - Has worked every time. Amazingly easy to use. I may try to learn how to make the most of its more advanced features. For now though I am very happy with it.

2. DVD2AVI - Someone said it is best to use some other external program to rip audio from DVDs... They said that DVD2AVI did not output a quality WAV file... I have had no problems with it really, except that perhaps the audio levels are a tad bit low. I think that can be changed in TMPGEnc though...

3. TMPGEnc - This program is an absolute godsend. I have learned SO much about video by using it and I love it. I use CG Animation pixel block format almost all the time, since even the live action and anime stuff I encode is full of computer generated elements throughout. The "Full screen (keep aspect ratio 2)" option under Setting | Advanced | Video arrange Method has been invaluable in making sure I maximize my viewing pleasure on an NTSC television.

4. Chapter X Tractor - This little thing is neat. It may not be absolutely necessary, but it saves me quite a bit of time. The same information is available in RAW format in the IFO file SmartRipper creates. But I like how this program's output is so easily accepted by VCDEasy.

5. VCD Easy - True to it's name, and then some! The VCD authoring functions in NTI CD Maker 2000 and Nero 5.5 really can't touch this. Chapters, PBC, Menus, MPEG Stills and the ability to burn 805 MB VCDs and more make this program a winner.

Unta Glebin Gloutin Globin,

Akai Rounin, The Cyber Sage

[MTMR]

Before I explain my methods and choice of tools, a word about the type of source DVDs which I generally work with when ripping. Perhaps then yo'll appreciate WHY I do it this way.

The DVDs which I have ripped so far are all LOW quality HK-DVD (hong-kong dvd, for all you newbies) anime DVDs. The video is in 29.97fps VBR MPEG-2, with discs ranging from bitrates of only 3.5mbps to a full 10mbps. The encodes often suffer from the affter-effects of bad de-interlacing jobs when the footage was processed, including color smear, extreme blockiness, and occasional video chop. The interlacing used on these DVDs, compared to the "official" licensed DVDs, causes severe glitching unless I force WEAVE in windvd or powerDVD. The discs are, however, all-region and contain no signs of copy protection such as Macrovision, etc.

The problem i have with these discs is this :

If you thought the english in "all your base" was bad, you should watch some of these videos. The subtitles can make even a serious show seem like a comedy. I can't stand the fact that I have seen fan-subtitled VHSes with better translations than this. So I have to take the time to do work on re-writing the subtitles to actually make more than "vague" sense.

I am willing to admit, as well, that these are rental discs, and they have to be back LONG before i can get them fully ripped. But, being episode based, anime is good that way.

My system specs and software choices :

433 mhz Celeron on generic Intel 810-chipset motherboard.
win2k extra-bloated edition
256MB pc-133 ram (actually, MB is only 66mhz bus, so slower)
4gb TOTAL space for video work, 3.2 for applications and OS.

I use :
DVDx
Virtualdub
SUBRIP
Substation Alpha and it's virtualdub script plugin.
TMPEG Plus 2.56

And for codecs:

Divx 4.10 High Motion.


If I want to inline the bad subtitles, I use DVDx to add them to the video stream for my VCDs/SVCDs. But it's getting to be more and more of a waste to me to spend all those long hours encoding just to have un-endurable english subtitles. So, lately, I have just been working with ripping to DIVX high-motion codec 4.1 at approx 1.5-2 times the SVCD bitrates, then using virtualdub to frameserve the re-subtitled video to TMPEG.

Before anyone takes pot shots at the quality this method produces, let me assure you that i do NOT care about quality. I spend gruelling hours in SUBSTATION ALPHA trying to re-write the dialog to make sense, then burn it for my own personal use. If I was THAT worried about quality, and had the HD space, I would rip the VOBs from every DVD I rent to my HD and work on them at my leisure. As long as my test clips are watchable, that's all I care about.

Sorry if this seems like a "rant" or a "tyrade". consider it more of a "longwinded explaination".

Just an obsessive anime fan.
--

[Akai Rounin]

Slightly OT: HK DVDs are CHEAP!

The DVDs which I have ripped so far are all LOW quality HK-DVD (hong-kong dvd, for all you newbies) anime DVDs. ... The discs are, however, all-region and contain no signs of copy protection such as Macrovision, etc. ... I am willing to admit, as well, that these are rental discs, and they have to be back LONG before i can get them fully ripped. But, being episode based, anime is good that way.

Hey, I am very much into anime myself. Unfortunately, I am also rather poor... Luckily HK DVDs of anime exist and I have found some pretty good sources for them online. Now I know it is nice to have a local video store with HK DVDs to rent, but given your system specs, I think you would save time and money by simply buying the HK DVDs instead of renting them and trying to rip them with your current setup. Alternatively, since these are for personal use and Macrovision isn't a problem, you could just record to videotape and later use a videocapture card to put the episodes on your PC, then edit the subtitles as you see fit and author VCDs. Before I found the Berserk HK DVD set, I rented the videotapes from a Japanese import video store and turned them into rather decent VCDs. So I know this will work fine. If you want to buy, I suggest ANIMEniacs or Deep Discount DVD. If you need to see reviews of the sets, check the forums you'll find at ArcticNightfall.

Unta Glebin Gloutin Globin,

Akai Rounin, The Cyber Sage

[RFontenot]

For DVD:

Smartripper
DVD2AVI w/Forced Film
TMPGEnc w/NTSCFilm template
Nero 5.5 w/o chapters
-or-
VCD Easy w/ chapters

For VHS:

Sony VHS -> ATI AIW Radeon w/MMC 7.6
TMPGEnc w/ITVC and NTSCFilm template
Nero 5.5 w/o chapters
-or-
VCD Easy w/ chapters


For AIW TV Recordings:

MMC 7.6 set to 720x480,MPEG-1, I-Frames Only@15Mbps
VirtualDub to edit commercials
Frameserve VirtualDub to TMPGEnc w/NTSC template
Nero 5.5

[missionmasque]

DVD to VCD:

CLADVDXP
TMPGenc
VCDEasy

Video or TV to VCD:

(WinTv Go Card)
VirtualDub
TMPGenc
VCDEasy

SVCD to VCD:

TMPGenc
DVD to Avi
TMPGenc
VCDEasy


Cheers

Tone.

[vcd4ever]

I capture vhs,tv,dvd with avi_io, then i frameserve from virtualdub to tmpgenc.

The mpegfile is then burned with vcdeasy.

vcd4ever.

[gcobb]

The tools I currently use for ripping DVD's are:

SmartRipper
DVD2AVI
TMPGEnc
NERO 5.5

Zydar2000

I'm with you on this. Once I got it set up I never had to change anything. I also tried Clad for the first two steps, but it just quit out of the blue, but life is good.

http://www.chatsouth.net

[MTMR]

Slightly OT: HK DVDs are CHEAP!

Alternatively, since these are for personal use and Macrovision isn't a problem, you could just record to videotape and later use a videocapture card to put the episodes on your PC, then edit the subtitles as you see fit and author VCDs.

There are a couple more couple reasons I do it this way :

1 : My PC **IS** my standalone DVD player =) I'm so poor I had to sell my standalone to pay rent last year. Pity... it was nice having it.
2 : That having been said, I haven't had a working VCR in ages either.

Actually, If I was going to use this method, I would use my standalone to feed the video through the genlock card in my Commodore Amiga, and use JACOSUB to inline the subs direct to tape. BUT, no standalone... no VCR.... but I still have the AMIGA. 25mhz of pure subtitling power. And it's even in near-mint condition.

Cheers.


P. S. Thanks for the links.