TMPGenc does not produce VCD complient files!

[disturbed1]

Output interval of sequence header has to be set to 1. This puts a sequence header before every GOP.

Well, it doens't have to be 1, you can use 0, then just run the mpv through mpeg sequence maker. <- new link, this could cause jerks at scene changes of every 1/2 second. Have no sequence header, means no chapters though.

Other than that, it is a basic VCD template that shouldn't vary too much from anything that has been discussed, besides 1,151,600 which is usually just 1,150,000.<- new link, read again, and I see why it's 1151600.


Keep us posted after you try it out.

[Panash]

I can't follow your arithmetic. 1151600 seems like an old friend. where does it come from?

PN

[disturbed1]

I'm lost

The VCD Template is 1150 (1,150,000) but the site you linked to explains why that person chose 1,151,600. That bitrate works better than a setting of 1150.

Strange that 1,600 bits/sec would make a difference.

[flaninacupboard]

yeah, from what remember TMPGenc goes that 1000Kbps is 1000,000bits per second, not 1024,000bits per second.

[branch]

Yeah, Tmpgenc is a bit crappy. Usually when i try to join svcd's with it, they end up out of sync at the join point. Total crap.

[flaninacupboard]

*ducks from incoming flames*
it's VCD support is pretty good considering it's FREE!
Personally only ever had one problem with tmpgenc, that was when it decided to make CBR MPEG2 files that went over 9.8mbps instead of 6.5 mbps

[vcd4ever]

Panash,

I was also having playback problems with my first vcd's encoded with tmpgenc when playing them on 2 philips CD-i players (model 450 and model 210). These first vcd's was encoded with tmpgenc1.2a because this was the latest version avaible. Tmpgenc1.2a was not encoding a whitebook compliant mpeg and this was the reason for the playback problems on both CD-i players. I'm still using tmpgenc1.2a when encoding to the vcd format because i like tmpgenc's vcd quality. The difference is that the vcd's are now playable in both CD-i players without any problems. The mpeg that tmpgenc1.2a has encoded is now accepted by both CD-i players and philips videocd toolkit and therefore i'm asuming that these vcd's should play in a portable vcdplayer without any problems.

vcd4ever.

[Panash]

The difference is that the vcd's are now playable in both CD-i players without any problems

What are you doing differently?

I coded using

http://www25.brinkster.com/fletchlinks/napa311/index.asp

and found that there were periods in which the coding seemed better and times when the whole kitten-caboodle seemed on the edge of falling over. There were freezes, blocks from previous screens etc

I sort of get the impression that TMPGenc gets its quality from exploiting a super-set of VCD, which is MPEG1 complient, but the VCD player doesn't like. Almost like a motion vector that is set to be too far.

I'm going to experiment a bit more.

PN

[Panash]

I did a lot of encoding last night with as many encoders as I could download to do some comparative testing.

In order of VCD complience (ie least jerkyness in my standalone), best to worst

1) Mainconcept
2) Cucusoft (based on the Mainconcept encode engine)
3) Cinema Craft
4) BBmpeg (related to Mainconcept by Bert Beyeler)
--- all about the same: aceptably free of jerkynes

5) TMPGenc
6) Womble (built in encoder)
7) avi2vcd (would sometimes crash & freeze portable)
---all different: none were acceptable in my portable VCD

In order of Quality

1) TMPGenc
2) Mainconcept (& Cucusoft)
3) Cinema Craft
--- all about the same
4) BBmpeg
---which was nearly as good

5) avi2vcd crashes & freezes accepted
6) Womble --- absolute mush but in all fairness this is only an editor

In terms of being able to re-sync the sound from a DVB-T transport stream in PVA format

1) Mainconcept
2) Cinema craft
3) BBmpeg under Flask
----all resynchronised extremely well
4) Cucusoft
5) Womble
6) TMPGenc
----- no improvement
avi2vcd
-----no sound

I believe my earlier observations of jerkyness in BBmpeg were due to an artifact introduced by Womble.

My conclusions are that if I were buying an encoder, I'd buy Mainconcept, but using free tools, BBmpeg is the way to go, in spite of its clumsey interface. I just need to know if it runs better under FlasK or Xmpeg.

I think the ball is in the TMPGenc court to identify the fault, as it is with Womble (I've already emailed Womble regarding this)

Ones to avoid as encoders avi2vcd. Interesting tha Cucusoft did not resynchronise the sound to the video even though it is based on the Mainconcept.

More experimenting with the ability of these encoders to A/V re-sync transport stream after my wedding.

PN

[lordsmurf]

No Procoder demo?

[Panash]

No Procoder demo?

Oh bollocks! there's always one you miss isn't there? I'll include Procoder next pass & try to produce a definitive league table (that's if there's a demo available).

Anyway comparing Xmpeg with FlasK, it appears that Xmpeg is a development of FlasK. Interestingly there is specific discussion of re-sync A/V in the help file:

8. Video buffer state

XMPEG has a special thread which stores decoded and processed frames to compensate the time of DVD-Rom reading. With this system, XMPEG is faster on high access time drives, and uses the maximum amout of CPU. More than that, during reading process, XMPEG is able to continue to serve buffered frames.
This indicates how much of the Video buffer is full. The maximum number of buffered frames is about half a second of video.

9. Audio buffer state

Excatly the same thing as before, but for audio. It is normal that the audio buffer is full, when you are not asking for audio. In fact, XMPEG drops audio frames (or video frames...) to make the sound/video synchronized using input stream presentation time stamps (PTS).

Looks good

PN

[Panash]

Canopus seem to have withdrawn the trial versions (or am I missing something?)

PN

[vcd4ever]

The difference is that the vcd's are now playable in both CD-i players without any problems

What are you doing differently?

PN

Panash,

The difference is that tmpgenc is not capable in anyway to encode or multiplexing a mpeg that's whitebook compliant, and therefore after tmpgenc has encoded the mpeg i'm fixing the mpeg to be whitebook compliant. I'm also fixing some things that's required by the CD-i app because it's mandatory to include a CD-i app when using the vcd format.

vcd4ever.

[Panash]

I've now done a few conversions now with Xmpeg and its 10 points to BBMpeg & no points to TMPGenc. Although its a bit quirky, I shall be using Xmpeg from now on. Quality isn't quite as good & resizing options need improving, the complience is much, much higher. I shall also chase Womble to fix their broken muxer (or whatever is wrong with it).

Best of all though it that it restores lip synch automatically to DVB-T TS recordings!

PN