why not use handbrake instead of fort-tw-dvdmpp-plus for vcd

[tab75-13]

Hi,

I know that handbrake produces divx files (which i guess may not be playable on one's standalone dvd player (right?). is that why one has to use forty-two dvd mpplus and ffmpegx to convert a dvd to svcd rather than just use handbrake which seems to be a fantastic application otherwise?

Also, once one has a divx file produced via handbrake, I guess one can use divx doctor to convert the file to quicktime format, i.e.convert mpeg-4 to mpeg-2 format, right?

Also, alternatively one could use sizzle and mpeg2works to convert the resulting divx file from handbrake's rip to convert to a dvd-r, right?


sorry for these probably inane questions. would appreciate the edification/instruction.

thank you en avance.

tab

[live4ever]

I know that handbrake produces divx files (which i guess may not be playable on one's standalone dvd player (right?). is that why one has to use forty-two dvd mpplus and ffmpegx to convert a dvd to svcd rather than just use handbrake which seems to be a fantastic application otherwise?

Usually Handbrake is used to compress a movie to take on the road with you (say 700mb .mp4 vs. 5gb Video_TS-DVD) it saves space. It does only this but it does it well.

Also, once one has a divx file produced via handbrake, I guess one can use divx doctor to convert the file to quicktime format, i.e.convert mpeg-4 to mpeg-2 format, right?

I use the ffmpeg encoder (much faster than Xvid) and the resulting .mp4 file is fully QT compliant (also mpeg2 doesn't = QT, if I read your example right).

Also, alternatively one could use sizzle and mpeg2works to convert the resulting divx file from handbrake's rip to convert to a dvd-r, right?

You wouldn't want to do this because of loss of quality (ie. mpeg2>mpeg4>mpeg2 ???) , why not just compress the original DVD (if needed - or extract only certain chapters) with DTOX to DVD-R.

[tab75-13]

I ran into problems with attempting to compress a video_ts folder to 700 mb today twice. Twice in the last 18 hrs. I ended up with files that were zero kb, i.e. after 4-5 hrs. of handbrake's processing, the end result was an empty set. Last night I had been able to produce a file, (an avi file, all that hanbrake produces), but it had been 1gb in volume. I had forgot to check the target 700 mb space along with the only a single pass having been made. Thus this morning I had 1 gig file that played in VLC. (I have since downloaded Divx Doctor II which I assume allows the avi file produced via handbrake to be Quick Time player playable: am i right ? Once I get another avi file, having trashed the one gotten earlier, i will attempt the quicktime conversion.)
The problem is that even though I have twice tried to end up with a 700 mb avi file, I have ended up with zero kb files instead. The first time when i actually ended up a file I had neither attempted a second pass nor checked the 700 mb target size, to reiterate.

have you or anyone else had this happen in your experience?

Thanks

[thoughton]

Just to add to Liver4ever's helpful answer:

the topic says you want to make a VCD? If that's correct you probably don't want to be using Handbrake at all. Handbrake makes divx files while VCDs are mpeg1.

Also, divxdoctor doesn't encode video. It basically just "fixes" non-playing-audio and puts the contents of your avi container into a QT-friendly mov container. You cannot make mpeg2 files with it.

Live4ever is also spot-on about using mpeg2works and sizzle. Yes, it CAN convert a divx into a DVD/SVCD, but you'd get much better results doing the conversion direct from the exracted DVD instead of from a divx. (Every time you convert video you lose quality, so you just want to do it once if at all possible).