VCD/SVCD/DVD Discussion

[Paul Simmel]

Hello,

I am a Newbe and, I’m sure like so many other Newbes, I am somewhat overwhelmed with what I need to learn. I have some questions regarding VCD/SVCD/DVD, and was hoping to start a discussion wherein we Newbes can get answers and guidance.

I am working with a WINTV-PVR capture-card, so all my projects are 320x240.

Thus far I have learned enough to be able to burn test clips to a VCD, which plays in my Sony DVD player. I am not crazy about the quality of the tests (VCD). But I was reading somewhere on the website here that there is a learning curve to all of this, and so learning how to create VCDs will eventually be an advantage to creating higher quality video (SVCD/DVD). So I’m sticking with it for now, but I do have questions on what I will need to do in order to create SVCDs.

Please correct me if I am wrong, but, VCDS need the .AVI files to be encoded to Mpeg-1 before a burner like Nero can create the disk. I am assuming (or read somewhere) that SVCDs would need the .AVI files encoded to Mpeg-2? The difference between Mpeg 1 and Mpeg 2 is the compression QUALITYS, right? The .AVI file (what has been captured) is a “raw” file, which hasn’t been compressed (best quality). In order to create a VCD or a SVCD, it would depend on the Mpeg 1 or Mpeg 2 compression, done through an encoder like TMPGEnc. So am I right in believing that there isn’t a whole lot of difference in the actual PROCESS one goes through in order to create a VCD and/or a SVCD? Just the encoding procedure?

I have no clue as to what would be involved with creating a DVD. I understand that I would need a DVD burner, which I don’t have at the present. Assuming that the above concepts are correct, would it follow that the PROCEDURE of capturing/encoding is the same for DVD, accept that the .AVI file would require better compression of some sort – something specific to DVD quality? Is there an Mpeg type which is used for DVD quality? Mpeg-3 or Mpeg-4? I don’t know.

Any and all comments/discussion would be greatly appreciated. I’d like to get it straight in my mind what it is I am doing, and how this can be applied to future, higher quality projects. Thank you!

Paul Simmel

[Gazorgan]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but, VCDS need the .AVI files to be encoded to Mpeg-1 before a burner like Nero can create the disk. I am assuming (or read somewhere) that SVCDs would need the .AVI files encoded to Mpeg-2? The difference between Mpeg 1 and Mpeg 2 is the compression QUALITYS, right? The .AVI file (what has been captured) is a “raw” file, which hasn’t been compressed (best quality). In order to create a VCD or a SVCD, it would depend on the Mpeg 1 or Mpeg 2 compression, done through an encoder like TMPGEnc. So am I right in believing that there isn’t a whole lot of difference in the actual PROCESS one goes through in order to create a VCD and/or a SVCD? Just the encoding procedure?

You are not correct.

VCD's are MPEG1 and SVCD's are MPEG2. What the original file was before encoding doesn't matter (AVI, WMV, RM, MOV, MPG,DAT) much to the end product.

The actual process of makeng a VCD or SVCD from TMPGenc is pretty much identical, you simply decide which one you want to make. There are differences, but fundamentally it's the same.

On your capture card. Try IUVCR, it will let you capture in any codec, any resolution (up to 720x480/576). Nearly any video capture card can do this, most are based on the same chipset. The capture is typically AVI, that you then convert to MPG1/2.

Quality is MUCH better if you capture in 640x480 and convert+filter to 320x240 before converting to VCD, as opposed to capturing directly to mpeg1. SVCD is even better

Look here for capturing http://www.vcdhelp.com/mjpeg.htm to svcd

and here for VCD encoding http://www.vcdhelp.com/tmpgenc.htm

[Baldrick]

You can also capture directly to mpeg1(VCD) and mpeg2(SVCD,DVD) with your pvr card. And then you can burn directly to vcd,svcd using Nero,VCDEasy.

http://www.vcdhelp.com/wintvpvr.htm and visit www.shspvr.com for lots of useful pvr information.

[Paul Simmel]

Gazorgan,

As far as I know, my WinTv PVR capture card can only capture a max of 320x240. I do have a setting where I can change to 640x480, but I’m not sure what that would do. Under Video Format, I don’t have IUVCR, only 32 bit RGB, 24 bit RGB, 15 bit RGB, YUY2, YVU9, YVU12. I had been using 24 bit RGB. Any further advice on this would be appreciated. I will check out the links you have suggested also.

I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that one HAD to use .AVI capture in order to make a V(S)CD. That’s what I’m using because the quality is better than capturing as an Mpeg – at least it seems so on the tests I did.

But I am correct in that VCD is made by encoding whatever I have captured/edited, etc., to Mpeg-1, and SVCD is made by encoding to Mpeg-2… (the source files not withstanding)?

Thank you,

Paul

[Paul Simmel]

Baldrick,

Thanks for your comments. Have you tried capturing Mpeg-2 from PVR, and burning SVCD? How is the quality of that, compared to capturing an .AVI and then encoding the .AVI to Mpeg-2, instead? My very limited knowledge and or understanding is that .AVI gives the best quality insofar as a source file is concerned – apparently that’s why the file sizes are so large. But then again, I have not experience working with anything in Mpeg-2 yet, so maybe the quality is so good I am just “nit-picking”(?).

Question/Confirm: Mpeg1 is for VCD, Mpeg2 is for SVCD and DVD.

Paul