VCD 2.0 limits?

[Mpegger]

Hi there. I've been capturing some video in mpeg2 format @4000kbps and am looking to convert them to burn some VCDs. I know that the standard VCD bit-rate for mpeg1 is 1150kbps and have tried some test footage to see how it comes out. Needless to say, the compression artifacts are just too much for my taste. However, with TMPPGEnc, I noticed that with the 2-pass VBR mode at its defaults (300-1150-3000), the resulting file looks as good as the original, and averages between 10-12mb per minute.
My questions: Can I use mpeg1 in VBR mode to burn compliant VCDs?
Would they also work in DVD players, or would I run into trouble with the VBR?

PS, I thought about SVCD, but it looks like its very difficult to author menus and such for it, and some DVD player dont work with SVCD either, so VCD sould be good enough for me.

[Anonymous65]

No, the VCD standard calls for CBR of 1150 Kb/sec. However, most DVD players can perhaps do VBR?

[Mpegger]

I guess I'll have to try my hand at SVCD creation then. My only problem now is that I have been capturing all my video at VCD resolution (352x240) and upsampling to 480x480 will look like crap. Hopefully, the shows will appear again and I can capture with some other software cause PowerVCRII doesn't have 480x480.
My main concern though was compatibility. My computer (and most others) can play the resulting SVCD file fine (already encoded a couple of test files), but then DVD players.. oy.
Oh well. "Quality first" as I always say.

[alucard2050]

settings i use for an mpeg1 vcd non standard is 480x480, cbr1700, audio128 stereo, use noise blocks and highest quality for motion. i got real tired of testing svcd's in my player so i stuck with vcd. i capture avi with Huffyuv codec..vcd's are much more flexable for now..my files are a bit bigger than 10-12mb a minute....

[Mpegger]

Does that setting work in any stand-alone DVD players?

Btw, I just tried some new encodeings at 1900VBR of a different show, and they look crappy. Looks like I'll need to use SVCD for some.

[alucard2050]

you'll have to look in the DVD section. if SVCD is working for you then i would suggest sticking with it. even though VCD is more flexable, SVCD is still kinda new. in time SVCD will be just as flexable. i have run many tests between VCD and SVCD for quality. even something as simple as leaving the settings the same and just changing from Mpeg1 to Mpeg2. i noticed a difference. once i master the art of SVCD's then thats what i'm sticking with but for the ease of it then i'm with VCD.