Help, my SVCD time display is way off!! And I can't get up!

[kreg]

I was hoping someone could help me make a more compliant SVCD. Seems everything is working great with CCE to bbMPEG, but when I burn the SVCD's, either with Nero or vcdimager to CDRwin, the timescale is basically double the time that the actual SVCD is. I've been trying different things, like checking and unchecking soemthing about svcd scan-somethings..I'm not sure. Maybe someone would know what I'm supposed to do with that part. Anyhow, the SVCD's look and play great but the time is annoyingly way off. Could someone please tell me how to fix or standardize how a SVCD is supposed to be created to make the time read properly.

Thnaks
Kreg

[kinneera]

This is often due to the way in which software/hardware interprets playtime on a CD. Many assume the 74 min. length of classic audio (or standard VCD) discs. Thus it maps sectors of the disc, roughly speaking, to times that relative to a maximum length of 74 min, or 80, or whatever is the specified size of the CD. For every number of sectors read, it assumes that a given amount of time has passed towards that goal.

In the case of SVCD, about half as much video fits on a disc as the disc's billed length (ie, 35-40 min. on a 74 min. CD), thus the timecodes are doubled relative to the actual video as your SVCD plays.

[homerpez]

Not so. Well, mostly not so.

It also depends on the multiplex. I noticed when I used bbMPEG to multiplex SVCD, it generated incorrect "relative" timescale. When I multiplexed SVCD with TMPGEnc, however, it generated the correct timeline.

Kind of...

My Apex 500w is nuts about timescale, but I could tell it worked because the bbMPEG versian said 78 min total, the TMPGEnc version said 99:53 (the highest time allowed under VCDImager and SVCD is 100 minutes I guess)...

Let me know if that helps...

[kinneera]

I'm sure it can be a combination of both. I say this based on personal observation - my high bitrate XVCDs exhibit that behavior, and TMPGEnc seems to generate scan information properly for VCDs.

[kreg]

Hmmm,

Well, i am not sure what to put blame on. The SVCD time display was read doubled on both WinDVD software player and my Phillis DVD825 in the living room.

Are either of you suggesting that I try to mux with a different program other then bbMpeg to make SVCD? I've heard many a people dislike how tmpeg mux's a SVCD.

Not sure what you are suggesting.

Kreg

[UsualNoise]

Well, I use TSCV (and Nero to burn BIN/CUE) to author my SVCDs, and I've found that although the time is messed up playing via WinDVD, it displays correctly while watching on my Apex 500-W. I have a feeling the playback medium controls time display.

[kinneera]

Yeah, muxing with another program is not likely to yield different results. I just wouldn't worry about it, unless you have some pressing reason for needing to know the exact time correctly.

[kreg]

Thank you for the responses. My observations show that working with other programs and stuff, or doing anything to author the SVCD differently doesn't help the time display correctly. I would agree UsualNoise that it would be up to the playback medium, because here at the house neither WinDVD on the PC and my Phillips DVD825 show the time correctly. However, some of the DVD players at Circuit City showed them just fine. They were newer models that likely have more attention to the SVCD standard. But this is all just a assumption from my various testing. However like I said, the SVCD's come out great and work wonderfully. I am pleased with the format since it supports interlaceing mostly, and if I ever buy a newer DVD player in the futre, I'll just do what I did today. Take a SVCD that I made and stick in a player to choose which one to buy. >: )

At Circuit City, they had a DVD player on a HDTV. I was curious if a HDTV can put itself in a interlace display mode, since they are natually (i think) progressive displays like our computer monitors. That would make the SVCD's of TV shows that I make look much nicer.

That guy Kreg

Note: Never put your hands down a garbage disposal.