SVCD

[gkma01]

I am using VCDEasy (Version2.1.1) to produce SVCD's to play on my Samsung
DVD Player (model DVD E235D). Everything seems to work OK.
VCDEasy produces a disk which has an SVCD folder together with other
folders (EXT,SEGMENT, etc).I use TMPGENC to generate MPEG2's

But when I come to play the disk in my player the display panel shows:

C-VD

not SVCD as I believe it should . The player's manual indicates support for VCD
and SVCD and JPGs ( when the panel displays P-CD , which I assume is Picture CD.)

Maybe nothing is wrong but it does seem a little strange and I am
worried that I am not getting SVCD quality on my TV monitor.


Any help would be much appreciated.

PS : What is "C-VD" ?

[mikesbytes]

When they were producing SVCD, there was a competing standard called CVD, which ended up being incorporated into the SVCD standard. Perhaps it is referring to a SVCD with a horizontal resolution of 352 pixels, as distinct from SVCD's other horizontal resolution of 480 pixesl. Anyway, it doesn't matter if the DVD player is playing the disk.

[gkma01]

Thanks for prompt response . Sounds very plausible.

[gkma01]

Could my problem have anything to do with whether I burn using CD-R or CD-RW.

[mats.hogberg]

I second the opinion that the mpeg2 is CVD res, 352*480/576, and your player picks this up. CD-R or CD-RW is irrelevant.

/Mats

[gkma01]

I have doubts about this explanation . When I use VCDEasy I enable the feature which checks for
compliant files and which flags warnings if they have incorrect resolution ,
bitrates etc.

Since no warnings were flagged I think resolutions must be OK.

So I think it must be some other factor(s) which reults in my DVD player failing to identify
the SVCD files.

Unfortunately there are a lot of steps in the process ; I use Slide Show Movie Maker to
produce the avi file ;TMPGENC to produce the MPeg2 and VCD Easy to give me the SVCD disk.

I have upgraded these software packages from time to time and it may be that at some point (which
I cannot now determine) something has happened to produce the problem or I may be
inadvertently using some setting(s) which is giving me the trouble.

I appreciate the help and would welcome any other points I should check.

Thanks to all

[mats.hogberg]

Yes, VCDEasy should warn for 352*480/576 resolution, that's true. It's the setting of TMPGEnc that determines the mpeg properties, nothing else, so I should check (and recheck) those. On the whole, I don't think you'll notice much of a difference (OK, you're doing a still slide show - then it will matter!) - you will have a lower res, but then again more bits per pixel.

/Mats

[gkma01]

Thanks again . I'll have a look at TMPGENC settings but I think I was careful in following the wizard for svcd . Also tried to avoid any fancy stuff, but it's so easy to mess up.

I'l let you know what I find.

[gkma01]

When I use TMPGENC I use the wizard . So I select the
format on the first screen and do not make any other entries .There
is really no possibility of error at this point. I simply
move through the remaining screens , changing nothing.

This means that resolution is set by TMPGENC and this resolution
is the same as I set up in SSMM and the same as the one I see on
VCDEasy's screen when it checks the mpg file.

So as far as resolution is concerned I see no slippage .

I think it must be something else.

About the only things I can think of are:

Choice of Codecs in SSMM .
Failing to set(or unset) some values in TMPGENC
Failing to make appropriate settings in VCDEasy(I use the
NON EXPERT setting).

[Znooky]

Hi gkma01!

This means that resolution is set by TMPGENC and this resolution
is the same as I set up in SSMM and the same as the one I see on
VCDEasy's screen when it checks the mpg file.

This could be your problem. If you would like to make a SVCD using SSMM then the resolution in SSMM should be 640*480 for NTSC SVCD or 768*576 for PAL SVCD. Not the 480*480 or 480*576. Check this guide below to se the settings.

http://www.vcdeasy.org/modules.php?name=_Guides&id=Transitions

Since TMPGEnc will perform the correct aspect ratio then you can't have SVCD resoluton in SSMM.

Check the guide and make sure your resolution is correct in SSMM. Other than thay I don't see anything else that might cause your problem. Some DVD-players have trouble reading CD-RW discs but reads CD-R discs with no problem.

// Znooky

[gkma01]

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

Seem toget conflicting views on CD-R CD-RW. I tried both today and got same result , that is my player signalling a C-VD rather than SVCD.

I'll go back to ssmm and see what your suggestion produces.

[gkma01]

I have used the SSMM resolutions you suggest but it still gave me
C-VD* as the disk type on my player. It DOES play however but I can't tell if it is SVCD quality I'm seeing.

Also have tried using CD-rw and CD-r , with no difference.

Also checked the link you gave . Unfortunately it is a tutorial
showing how to produce VCD(not SVCD) with versions of SSMM, TMPGENC and VCDEasy much older than mine. So not really able to do a rigorous check but i can see no obvious errors on my part. The version I have of VCDEasy has a section (Expert\options) on SVCD and it may be I've got that wrong (Any ideas about enrties here ?)

My player's manual doesn't mention C-VD but it does say SVCD is supported.

So like you I am at a loss how to proceed.

One possibility is that the player's settings (very minimal) have
been altered in some way to affect its ability to show the correct disk type,
but I feel that is very unlikely.

This stuff is not for the faint hearted !

My thanks to all who have tried to help me.


* I saw something on the internet which defines C-VD as "China" CD !
Is this what the rest of us call SCVD ?

[Znooky]

Very strange. It sounds like your player identifies the disc as a CVD. A CVD disc is not the same as SVCD, since the resolution is a little bit lower. However, since you have made your SVCD using VCDEasy 2.1.1 I'm quite sure that the disc is infact a SVCD even if your DVD player identifies it as a CVD.

Look in the link below for a detailed explanation of what a CVD is.

https://www.videohelp.com/forum/userguides/98177.php

Also if you still not sure whether or not your DVD-player can play SVCD disc, then you can download a SVCD sample from this link below.

http://www.vcdimager.org/pub/vcdimager/examples/test_svcd/

Burn the bin file with Nero or VCDEasy and test the disc in your DVD-player. If your player identifies the disc as CVD but is able to play its contents then you know that your player support SVCD even if the display indicates others. Hope that will help you.

// Znooky

[gkma01]

Thanks for this . I will have a go at your suggestions and get back to you ----may take a little while.

[Poplar]

Hey, guys! CVD is way superior to SVCD in many ways. The biggest one is that CVD stream is DVD compliant, because it's 1/2 D1. I burned tons of CVD before DVD came along. Now I can transfer all my CVDs to DVD without reencoding them and they play all right! Try to do that with SVCD!

[lytlejva]

I've used VCDEasy and Tmpgenc for a couple of years now. Earlier versions of VCDEasy identified Tmpgenc mpgs as as non standard, but noted that the warning message should be ignored in this case. If I remember right from various sources, probably on this site, Tmpgenc uses, and may still use, the Chinese standards from CVD. Perhaps your player is picking up something. My Sony player identifies my SVCDs as SVCD so I don't think you have an issue. Try your SVCDs on different players and see what they say.

[gkma01]

Znooky

I've still got to to the tests you mentioned but your message got me thinking.
The disks which I prepared as svcd's for my standalone DVD player (to view on my TV) run in my PC's dvd drive -and guess what ? The status bar( I'm using WINDVD) shows them as being "SVCD" !

This seems to confirm your suspicions.

Have also made a start on the long detailed article you mentioned. It's a
bit too technical for me but the author seems to be saying that CVD is better than SVCD.

Thanks

[mats.hogberg]

CVD is better than SVCD.Thanks

That's a subjective statement - better in what way? Better, because it can easily be reauthored as DVD. Better, because it takes less bit rate to look as good as possible, thus enabling you to squeeze more onto a CD. Worse, because the resolution is lower.

/Mats