Kevin's CCE : 2 divx CDs to 3 xSVCD/VCD CDs

[Kevin Henry]

Or splitting & joining while encoding in CCE ...

... downloaded a DivX movie on 2 CDs? Converting to 2 CVD CDs give too low bitrate? Dont want to make FOUR CDs? Getting no results or problems with other cutting & joining techniques?

Then have I got the solution for you! Only $99.99 in 10 easy payments ... er ... maybe not. Unless you want to give me some money

.: PROJECT : Split 2 DivX CDs into 3 CVD CDs - cutting into 3 parts & joining the end & beginning of the 'middle' DivX CD1 & CD2.

.: SOFTWARE : VirtualDub, FitCD, Windows Calculator , TMPGEnc, VFAPIConv, CCE 2.62

.: EXAMPLE : for today's lesson will be StarWars Episode 1. Came from ShareReactor in 2x 69min DivX files. Gave a bitrate of 1300 for 1:1 CD writing. YUK! Lets use 3 CDs and get 2200kbps ...

.: SYNOPSIS : Encode the DivX CD1's first 2/3s, encode DivX CD1 last 1/3 & DivX CD2 first 1/3 together, encode the last 2/3 of DivX CD2.

Sounds simple? It is!

.: AUDIO : Extract each DivX audio in VDub, save as .wav & convert to a real .wav if need be. Also, convert to .mp2 if you want to use TMPGEnc.

.: HDD : SWEP1_1.wav & SWEP1_2.wav

.: TMPGEnc : Set up your profile, that you want to frameserve to CCE. Save .tpr. Do this for the second DivX CD too.

.: HDD : SWEP1_1.wav & SWEP1_2.wav - swep1_1.tpr & swep1_2.tpr

.: VFAPIConv : Convert to a fake .avi. You CAN do the audio here, but it slows CCE right down. However, it's very safe for syncing the audio ... your pick.

.: HDD : SWEP1_1.wav & SWEP1_2.wav - swep1_1.tpr & swep1_2.tpr - swep1_1-vfapi.avi & swep1_2-vfapi.avi

Ok, here's the first cunning part ... tail, weasel, donkey

.: FitCD : Open your 'source' .avi's, note the times in minutes & seconds.

.: Windows calculator : add the times together to get total time for both DivX CDs - dont forget, the seconds are 'base60' & the calculator is 'base10'. You'll have to convert to fractions of minutes & add together.

.: FitCD : Enter the total time - swep1 is 138mins 42seconds. Cunning part : set your 'cd space' to 3x 80min CDs (using my 83min trick - see 'Squeee-eeezing...' here in the guides)
.: FitCD : write down your video bitrate.

Now, you 2 audio files for each DivX movie (swep1_1.wav & swep1_2.wav), 2 projects from TMPGEnc to frame serve to CCE & 2 fake .avi files.

BUT you have the video bitrate for THREE CDs.

Now, open CCE ... second cunning part coming up. Tail, hamster, elephant

.: CCE : Open, right click main window, add 'swep1_1-vfapi.avi' & 'swep1_2-vfapi.avi'
.: CCE : setup your bitrates & encoder settings. Now you have TWO files in the main window. 'swep1_1-vfapi.avi' & 'swep1_2-vfapi.avi'

Ok here is the cool thing.

.: CCE : add another of the swep1_x-vfapi.avi files. Doesnt matter which one. This puppy is going to be the 'middle' bit of the movie, where DivX CD1 & 2 join seamlessly . NOW you have THREE files in the main window.

.: CCE : Select the first file. 'Edit' the encoder options - rename the 'Title' to 'swep1_1.avi'. Change all the 'Output files' to swep1_1.mpv, .mpa, .vaf etc. Do this to all THREE files, numbering sequentially or CCE will overwrite all three files as it encodes with the same information.

NOW in the main window you have swep1_1.avi, swep1_2.avi & swep1_3.avi. We're getting there ...



.: CCE : swep1_1.avi - right click, 'edit', then click 'settings'. In the settings window, double click the 'swep1_1-vfapi.avi' & you'll get a little window of the movie & an info box.

Note the TOTAL frames & open Windows Calculator.

.: Calculator : enter total frames for swep1_1.avi & divide by 3, then mulitply by 2. eg. 98892/3*2 = 65928 (round down)

.: CCE : enter the 2/3 frame count in 'encode range' - 'out'. You can fiddle here so it's cutting somewhere convinient, like NOT in the middle of someone talking ... 'in - 0' & 'out - 65928'. 'Ok' back to the main window ...

So far : got the total time for the WHOLE movie, entered that in FitCD & gotten the bitrate for 3 CDs, cut the FIRST DivX movie into 3 according to frames & told CCE to encode the first 2/3s of that DivX CD.

You all with me? Good. Now comes the part you've been waiting for.

.: CCE : In the main window, 'edit' 'settings' double click 'swep1_2.avi'. 'Encode range - in' - paste the end of the first part. Now you'll see 'Encode range - in : 65928 out : 98892. 'Ok' back to the settings window. You've told CCE to encode the last third of the first part.



.: CCE : settings window - right click, add 'swep1_2-vfapi.avi'. Now you'll have TWO .avi in that window - 'swep1_1-vfapi.avi' & 'swep1_2-vfapi.avi'.

.: CCE : double click on the 'swep1_2-vfapi.avi' & take note of the total frames. divide by three, do the 'in' 'out' thing again - 'in : 0' 'out : 1/3 of frames'. Ok back to the main menu.



.: CCE : finally, 'swep1_3.avi' do the settings thing & enter the frames from 1/3 to 3/3.

Encode!



If you've down it right, after 6 hours or so you'll have these files ...

.: HDD : swep1_1.mpv & .mpa, swep1_2.mpv & .mpa & swep1_3.mpv & .mpa.

.: TMPGEnc : mux them together

.: HDD : swep1_1.mpg, swep1_2.mpg & swep1_3.mpg

DONE! And the seam between the 2 divx cds should have joined PERFECTLY without audio hiccups or video glitches.

Want pictures? Gimme some time to get it down & upload them ...

[Baldrick]

One tip...save the images as gifs or png with very few colors instead jpg. With for example PaintShopPro, just open the uncompressed image and select export to gif or png and you can easy adjust colors and stuff and see direct how big the file will be.

[Kevin Henry]

Ok, next time

[Vapor]

Not meaning to have a go about your guide, thanks for the work it is appreciated. It seems a long way around though.

1) Join the 2 avi's to start with Nandub/VirtualDub (append file).
2) Extract audio and recompress to mp2 with toolame or tmpgenc.
3) Encode avi (or frameserve using avisynth/vfapi) in CCE.
4) Mux and split with BBmpeg.

Maybe I missed something and if so I apologise but this is the same way I have been converting avi's for yonks.

[Kevin Henry]

that's the whole point - 'appending' with vdub then cutting with anything else gave me problems - the video wouldnt cut cleanly, i'd get an 'embossing' effect with the first few seconds of the cut, bbmpeg would crash 9 time outa 10 and THEN still give a scratchy mux, tmpgenc did a poor job of cutting, audio hiccups, video lags ...

but CCE joins so cleanly AND splits files nicely. It DOES have a strange frame count system, which is another reason I like to do all the splitting in CCE.

just another method, for those having no luck with others ...

[Vapor]

Ahh - fair enough.

Very odd though as I converted the exact same version you did and it worked like a charm. I must admit that I append with Nandub because the audio format support is better then scan for bad frames with latest version of VirtualDub and finally re-derive keyframes (in that order). That usually clears up those little errors.

Always useful to have alternate methods however and thanks again for the thorough guide.