What is autopadding?

[chromeman]

Hi there,
I've searched through this forum and google about autopadding and I can't find an actual definition of what autopadding is, can anyone help?
I have 2 MPEG-2 files that both get the autopadding message when I load them into VCD Easy. How can you get this message to go away without allowing VCD Easy to pad them and make the file too large for the disc?
Thanks for any help !

[vitualis]

You can't just use any MPEG file for VCDs or SVCDs. They must be structured in a very particular way. This has to do with the packet size on the CD when it is burnt.

If your MPEG file is not correctly multiplexed for the task, then VCDImager (i.e., the guts of VCDEasy) must FORCE the MPEG file to fill the physical packets. This is called padding ("auto" insofar the program does it automatically).

Padding essentially means that null bytes as placed into the MPEG stream to fit into the contraints of the disc. This not only leads to a bloat in the filesize, it can affect the disc playability as well.

The avoid autopadding altogether, you schould multiplex your MPEG streams properly before bringing them to VCDEasy.

For standard VCDs, use TMPGEnc.

File --> MPEG Tools --> Simple Multiplex.

And change the setting to "MPEG-1 Video-CD".

For non-standard VCDs, use the setting "MPEG-1 Video-CD (non-standard)".

For SVCDs, use the obvious setting for SVCDs.

Regards.

[chromeman]

Thanks vitualis, worked like a charm! Thanks also for the explanation!

[flip82]

Thanks vitualis! That fixed the problem for me to.
The first place I looked for a clue about padding was in the glossary... maybe add the term there?

Thanks again man