Luminance/Contrast Problem When Converting SVCD to DVD

[gnslinger]

I've been trying to convert SVCD to DVD for a while now and have had a problem with the output. The video looks very bright as if the contrast has been turned way up. The problem starts before I ever even encode it. After I frameserve with DVD2AVI, I tag it with AVISynth. This is where it starts looking too bright. I've talked with the author of the guide I followed, and he can't seem to come up with an answer. He thinks it has something to do with my DirectShow config. The whole conversation can be found here: https://www.videohelp.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=171216&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=60

I figure it's easier to read that than for me to repeat eveything we said on here (I also have pictures posted of the results in that topic). If anyone can help me out, I'd be very grateful, this problem has plagued me for a long time now.

[adam]

Reading through that thread you are using CCE to encode with correct? If so then just set DVD2AVI to YUV output. Look in Video->Colorspace.

After encoding do not just preview the mpg. Depending on your configuration, it may or may not expand the luminence ranges to 0-255 (what a pc monitor uses). Go ahead and author your DVD and then view it through a software DVD player, or on your hardware player.

This is clearly a luminence level problem. By setting dvd2avi to YUV output, frameserving through avisynth, and encoding to CCE, then you will ensure that the luminence ranges are unaltered. If it still looks wrong its a decoding problem at playback, so try it on a hardware player instead.

[gnslinger]

I've had it set on YUV all along, and I've viewed it on other hardware players and it's always looked the same.

[adam]

You are encoding with CCE correct? Make sure you are either using the latest version of mpeg2dec3 or that you are using the dgmpgdec package.

If your mpeg2dec3 filter is not up to date then I believe your source will be converted to RGB which could introduce this luminence change.

Just to validate what you are dealing with, in DVD2avi set output to RGB and then flip between tv scale and pc scale. When you choose tv scale does it look washed out and contrasty like in your final output?

Any chance you could make a very small sample of the original video available for download?

[reboot]

Why re-encode?
Author the svcd mpegs directly to dvdr.
They'll play in most players with no trouble.
I do this all the time in DVDLab Pro.

[gnslinger]

adam: Yes, I am encoding with CCE, but as I said in the other topic, this happens before I ever encode, it's after I create the AVISynth script and preview it with with either VirtualDub or Windows Media Player, but it's also still there after I do the encoding and burn it to DVD.

Where can I download the lastest mpeg2dec3 filter? And I tried using dgmpgdec instead of DVD2AVI, but I can't get AVISynth to recognize the .d2v file it creates.

I switched the output to RGB and flipped the tv and pc scale, and saw absolutetly no difference between the two, both were still washed out.

I will try and create a small clip for you, but I'm on dial-up and it may take a while, so no promises.

reboot: If the SVCD is in NTSC format, I do what you say, but in the case of PAL I have to re-encode.

[reboot]

Ah, gotcha.

[adam]

When you decode your source for playback, by viewing the avisynth script, you are decoding it to RGB and that is most likely when the luminence ranges are being adjusted. The point I was trying to make is that with the latest versions of mpeg2dec3 and avisynth, coupled with a compatible version of dvd2avi (1.76 to be safe) and CCE as your encoder, you are doing a direct YUV->YUV conversion thus it is literally impossible for your luminence ranges to be modified. I still think you are using an outdated version of either mpeg2dec3 or avisynth. You can get the latest versions at doom9.net.

As for a preview, I'd only need a few frames. I'm not sure, but I think you could just use this website so long as you keep the filesize below 150kbits. Rename the file extension to .jpg or .gif and upload in a post. You could use TMPGenc's cut and join option to trim your clip to a few frames that I can preview.