Seems a common problem...yet no answers

[Da Fish]

I have experienced this problem with all VCDs I have made, I have tried different capture formats, variations on encoding settings etc, yet this little annoying problem is always present. I have searched past posts on this forum and it appears this is a problem shared by many others yet most of the threads do not reach a conclusion. Surely someone out there must have hit the nail on the head???

When I create my VCDs I find every now and then, sometimes every 20 seconds or so there is a pause or skip in the video. This is like a pause in the video of maybe a couple of frames, the audio does not seem to be affected. The thing that puzzles me is that if I play the MPEG file with Media Player it plays smoothly with no hicups, however if the same MPEG file is used to create a VCD with either NERO or CD Creator I experience these pauses. I have tried capturing with different programs but all my encoding has been done with TMPGEnc12a to the PAL VideoCD Template. This problem is evident even with clean captures with zero frame drop, regardless of capture resolution. I have even tried extracting the MPEG file from my VCD data file, if I play this MPEG file it runs smoothly, only causing problems in VCD format. Another point of interest is that the pauses are at the same points of the VCD when played back a second time, this to me indicates the pause is in the CD not the player??? I've tried different CDR media, CDRW and different PCs. The pause is evident when playing on PC or Pioneer DVD player.

Any advice welcome, thanks

[shochan]

When you load the template unlock and lower the buffer size (set to 40) to 30 and see if that helps.

[thxkid]

I had this same problem when I used NERO 5.540 and 5.551 when I use NERO 5.535 I never have had that problem again.

[Da Fish]

Thanks for the help, I'll try to get that version of Nero and see how I go.

[Martí]

I've got the same problem, but I can't find a solution. I tried any program: Easy Cd, I-Author, diferent versions of encorders and Nero,... The file skips before burning it (I tested all in my Hollywood+). I want a real solution, please!

[VidGuy]

If your source is FILM (23.976/24 fps), and you're burning PAL with TMPGEnc, I'm pretty sure you're going to get 1 extra frame every 24 frames using a PAL template. I'm NTSC myself, but you might try creating a FILM VCD (i.e. use 23.976 frames/second on your VCD) - I do that all the time rather than converting - my Pioneer and Apex are both fine with it. I've heard that AVISynth will do a speed-up conversion of both the sound and video to "properly" convert to PAL (by playing the film 4% too fast). I've gone the other way with no problem.

Hope this helps.

[Martí]

Thanks, VidgGuy, but I'm only doing PAL DV to Mpeg PAL. I don't know how to solve this problem...

[Da Fish]

Thanks THXKID, I am keen to try nero 5.535 but I cannot seem to find it on the Nero site. Could you be so kind as to email me the file [assuming you still have it of course]. There is a site that says 5535 is available but this site does not respond and when I redirect to the mirror sites they recommend it works but the file is for 5551.
I tried your hotmail but came back undelivered?????
Thanks a lot

[Hateslife]

OK, my answer might be stupid, but could it be something as simple as bitrate? That seems to be the only variable that hasn't been adjusted. An excessive bitrate will cause skips.

Of course, the other possibility has already been mentioned, buffer underflows (and overflows, whatever those are.)

[kinge]

Vidguy,
Do you use FILM in TMPGENC for all your conversions, or only the movies that are rated as film? My apex 500 has this problem no matter what I seem to try.

[gambit32]

Just a suggestion...try unchecking "detect scene change."

[Da Fish]

I am fairly new to all this, started a few months back and really all my info and guidance has been from this site and the people that contribute.
I would have thought that if one used the PAL VideoCD template in TMPGEnc that the MPEG file created would be totally VCD compliant. I will gladly try changing bitrates etc [when I get home from work] but I honestly thought this would not be advisable as it is straying from the VCD specs??
GAMBIT32 .. I have not tried your suggestion as yet but I am not hopeful as these quick pauses occur randomly ie not near a sceene change.
One experiment I did was to take a VCD that I had given to me 6 months ago, this was the thing that got me interested in the first place. This particular VCD did not suffer from the pauses I mention. I extracted the MPEG file from this VCD data file, it played fine with Media Player. I then used Nero to create a VCD fron this MPEG, the result was identical to the original VCD ie it did NOT suffer from pauses. As I am new to this I don't know for sure what this indicates but I would assume it is suggesting the problem lies in the way I created my MPEGs.
I did notice that with this last test when I checked the properties of the MPEG it was 352x240 at with a bitrate of 1140. I assumed the slightly lower bitrate may have been to squeeze the contents onto the CD.
I'm still interested in Nero 5.535 if anyone can help...if it sounds like I'm clutching at straws...your'e right!

[fhofer]

If you like to create a PAL VCD you should use
252x288 at 1150 kBit (CBR) MPEG1

Details you will find on
http://www.vcdhelp.com/vcd.htm

Have a nice day
Franz

[pbavinck]

Sounds like the problem is in the MPEG file and your player has a problem with these specific files.

Perhaps you could try encoding with another encoder. I have positive experiences with FlaskMPEG 0.6preview1.1 with bbMPEG 1.24 (beta 18a). My (S)VCD don't have the problem you described.

Sorry, no "real" solution, just trying to help.

Peter

[Da Fish]

Thanks, I tend to think it is a MPEG problem also

[Martí]

Thanks all!

I don't think my Hollywood+ skips the file due to larger bitrates, since it can read DVD's too (up to 9800 Mbps), so I believe that it's another problem. Using CCE, Tmpgenc, LSX,... all of them seems to fail.

An IMPORTANT thing: It always happens if the source is amateur video (not stable images). When I encode my short films, the error is minor.

Another: I think it only happens when the codec is DV. Is it possible?

[Da Fish]

I have this problem even when I capture off a TV broadcast with no frame drop???