Hardware Readers for ConvertX mpg files et al

[DonMac]

I have Plextor ConvertX M401U. I do not know what the difference is between the 1 and 2 versions.

I hate wasting time converting mpg files to burnable DVDs, i.e. in InterVideo parlance "Make a movie". This typically takes more time than recording a movie. The mpg files are more compact for the same quality, and they are playable using Windows Media Player (in XP anyway!), as well as InterVideo's WinDVD4 software player. Also it is often true that the mpg file of a movie will fit on a 4.7GB disk whereas the standard DVD (VOB) format will not (in which case on can use DVD Shrink, with some loss in quality).

Several weeks ago I asked on this forum if there was hardware out there that played mpg files. I have now tested two of the suggestions. I find that the Apex AD2600 does indeed play mpeg-2 type ConvertX mpg files in UDF (file size up to 4.5GB) or ISO (files less than 2GB) formats on +/-R media, (TAO closed or not closed), recorded using both Nero 6 or RecordNow Max. The Apex played every test mpg file that I had prepared. However the KISS DP-450, which is supposed to play mpg files, did not play any of my ConvertX mpg test DVDs. One can only conclude that there are different kinds of mpg files and that the KISS players are not compatible with Plextor's ConvertX mpg format.

Also, as InterVideo WinDVD Creator users know, it takes as much time to produce a "trimmed" mpg file that is stripped of commercials as it takes to "make a movie". I have tried quite a few mpg stripping programs and have found only one that works (on my XP system) with ConvertX mpg files and found it to be 10 times faster than WinDVD Creator. However it produces only 1 manually stripped file at a time (i.e. not automated for commercial removal like WinDVD Creator) and it can presently only correctly produce stripped mpg files that are less than 2GB in size. You can download a trial version from boilsoft.com.

My questions relate to the above. Are there other fast trimmer/splitter programs that work with ConvertX mpg files? What other hardware players are known to be compatible with ConvertX mpg files?

[Manokat]

The differences between Plextor's M401U and M402U:

1. M402U can capture DiVX, M401U can not
2. M402U comes bundled with Creator2, M401 with Creator.
3. M402U has two year full waranty, M401 only 1.

I got M402U and yes the issue of rerendering that takes a long time even though the "smart render" is already on still exits on Creator2.

What happens is the video profile in capturing the video does not match the video profile in making movie. For example in HQ (high quality) profile. When you capture HQ profile (preset) the bitrate for video is 6MB, but profile when you want to make movies (after edit, adding text and stuff) is actually 7.2MB for video. The user can not change that. There is no problem for audio. That is why when you choose make movies and select HQ, the software tries to rerender the capped 6MB video bitrate MPEG2 file to 7.2MB video bitrate.

You can try to use Ulead Video 7 for editing and making movies. There is an evaluation version on theair website. UV7 allows you to edit MPEG2 and smart render the video (make sure on project properties to set quality to 100%). Also there is no loss in quality whatsoever when you edit with UV7 and you can match output bitrate to input bitrate.

As for hardware that can play ConvertX mpeg2 file, Norcent DP300 can playback raw MPEG1/2 on DVD-R (both UDF or ISO format). What is nice with Norcent DP300 is that it can even Fast Forward or Fast Rewind those MPEG files on DVD-R. A feature that is missing in any other DVD player.

[DonMac]

Thanks Manokat for your comments. However I have a Norcent DP313 player that does not handle MPEG2 ConvertX mpg files (ISO or UDF, CD or DVD +/-R) at all.

I have since "discovered "Honestech's HT Video Splitter and Joiner but have not found it useful for mpg files. I goes through the motions, i.e. can read and output ConvertX mpg files. However the output mpg file audio and video were completely out of sync for all tests that I made, even trimming.

I will follow up the Ulead suggestion. Other posts (re Kworld) also suggest that Ulead Movie Factory might be useful as well.

[Manokat]

Well I do not have DP 313 but from the specs found here:
https://www.videohelp.com/dvdplayers.php?DVDnameid=3679&Search=Search&
It seems that DP 313 does not support MPEGISO which means it does not play mpeg files burned on ISO format cd or dvd at all.

I use DP 300 and Hollywood Plus. They play MPEG1/2 from Convertx nicely.