AVI to MPEG1-VCD conversion problems ?

[plomon]

I use TMPGEnc Plus 2.5 to convert an AVI file into MPEG1-VCD. However, unlike using the standard resolution of 352 X 240, I changed it to 720 X 400(the orig. resolution of the AVI file). Now, I begin the conversion with 1:1 VGA mode, and finally got the output.

When I played the video, as usual the small blocks started appearing in the MPEG1-VCD video indicating the inferior quality relative to the original AVI file. So, I installed ffdshow filter and now played the MPEG1-VCD file. This time, the small blocks disappeared, but the playback is somewhat slow(although I marked 29.97 fps or 23.976 fps in TMPGEnc Plus while encoding from AVI to MPEG1-VCD).

However, strange thing is that the small blocks disappeared only when the MPEG1-VCD video is played in Windows Media Player. When I play the same file in WinDVD 6 Platinum(as it has audio booster feature), the small blocks continue to appear. So, guys please suggest me a method where I can convert an AVI file with res. 720 X 400 into an MPEG1-VCD file with the same resolution and frame rate and ensuring that small blocks donot appear even while playing the MPEG1-VCD file in WinDVD.

Now, you may ask - Why not play the AVI file directly in WinDVD ?

My answer is 'NO', because WinDVD doesn't enable the Audio Booster feature while playing AVI files(even with ffdshow filters installed).

So, I've to necessarily resort to conversion of AVI to MPEG1-VCD(only VCD because I want to fit 1hr. 20 min. movie onto a single CD) in order to experience the Audio Booster effect in WinDVD 6 Platinum, which unfortunately plays the video with small blocks appearing.

Guys, pls help!!

[jimmalenko]

I don't know why you keep referring to it as "MPEG1-VCD", when MPEG1-VCD is 352 x 240/288, 1150kbps, 224kbps MP2 audio. and nothing else. period.

As for your "small block" issues, I'd suggest that the MPEG1 decoder that WinDVD is using is corrupted.

[plomon]

I don't know why you keep referring to it as "MPEG1-VCD", when MPEG1-VCD is 352 x 240/288, 1150kbps, 224kbps MP2 audio. and nothing else.

I already specified the reason for this in my first post itself. Here, it is:

So, I've to necessarily resort to conversion of AVI to MPEG1-VCD(only VCD because I want to fit 1hr. 20 min. movie onto a single CD) in order to experience the Audio Booster effect in WinDVD 6 Platinum, which unfortunately plays the video with small blocks appearing.

Read the info in the brackets in the above quote.

Primarily, my aim is to fit a 1hr. 20 min. movie having 720 X 400 resolution onto a single CD in MPEG1 format(either VCD or standard). The reason why I want an MPEG video is also specified before...read bold line in the above quote.

As I want to fit a 1hr. 20min. movie file onto a single CD. This is possible only through encoding the AVI into MPEG1-VCD, b'coz if an AVI file of (say) 700MB is encoded into MPEG1(standard or VCD), the encoded MPEG1 file occupies a size ranging from >700MB to <800MB. So, according to my knowledge, the only way to fit this >700MB MPEG1 file is to encode the AVI into MPEG1-VCD, b'coz, in case I encode the AVI into MPEG1-standard, it occupies >700MB and it has to be written onto a CD as Data CD. If I try making a VCD out of this >700 MB MPEG1-standard file, it will again be re-encoed(by Nero) into MPEG1-VCD and the resolution comes back to 352 X 240, which is what I don't want from the beginning, and which is the root problem for all the issues related to my aim.

MPEG1 decoder that WinDVD is using is corrupted.

1.) How do I know what is the MPEG1 decoder that WinDVD is using?

2.) After knowing it, how do I solve the problem, anyway?

[jimmalenko]

Well buddy, thanks for the offer, but I don't need things bolded or underlined

Read What is VCD ? and teach yourself exactly what VCD is, because VCD is the specs I specified - nothing else. You're creating an MPEG1 file that doesn't conform to any standard - VCD, SVCD or DVD - it is just a simple MPEG file, commonly known as an XVCD if using MPEG-1. I know why you're doing it, and that's fine, but you've got the terminolgy all wrong. The first step is actually understanding what you're talking about

[vcdforme]

Jammilinko(sorry) is right.
You are no longer within spec to be calling your thing a VCD.
VCD means something very specific, and you MUST be within
those parameters.

Why is it blocky? Because you're asking a limited bitrate, i.e.
1120 to now cover a much bigger piece of real estate 720x480.
It can't process all of that info and look pretty. You'll have to raise
the bitrate considerably., probably making you a 10 minute cd.
If you must have 1hr 20 min on a cd, you must go vcd, and the
best results will be with 352/240, and that's the vcd spec.
VCD is a wonderful invention for what it is, and tmpgenc is one of
the best encoders for it. Screw with the spec and you'll only be disappointed.

[plomon]

Well, since I cannot do anything about changing the resolution and as I cannot call that MPEG1 file(with changed resolution) as an MEG1-VCD, I prefer not to convert my AVI file into MPEG1. So, guys now the next alternative I've is to find out a way by which I can enable Audio Booster in WinDVD while playing AVI files. Pls tell me how do I do that, b'coz if I get that, there will not be any need for me to convert an AVI into MPEG1.

[Paul_G]

Instead of going from AVI - MPEG 1 just for audio reasons, why not take audio out of the AVI file, boost it up and put it back in AVI file.

[plomon]

Instead of going from AVI - MPEG 1 just for audio reasons, why not take audio out of the AVI file, boost it up and put it back in AVI file.

Could you pls elaborate on that.

[redwudz]

If you just want to increase the volume level in a AVI, you can extract the audio with VirtualDub (I use VD Mod) and save out the audio as a WAV.

Import that into a program like Audacity (Free) or Goldwave (Pay) and raise the level there. Then either use that WAV to encode with to MPEG, along with the original video, or convert to MP3 or other suitable audio format and mux it back into your AVI with VirtualDub and save.

[Paul_G]

Could you pls elaborate on that.

Demux audio from AVI file in Virtualdub mod, edit it in audio software of your choice and use Virtualdub mod to put the new audio in the AVI file.

[plomon]

help me mux the avi with wav audio...i don't know how to mux these using virtualdubmod. pls expalin the procedure.

[Baldrick]

https://www.videohelp.com/faq#multiplex

[plomon]

thx, i understood how to multiplex. but a new problwm agian. my orig. avi file is 85MB. I extracted the audio content. it is 38MB. afterboosting it also, it's size is 38MB only. now, when i opened both the streams - orig. avi and new wav audio, and started saving the new avi file, it's size is increasing enormously. the new avi file's projected size is going on increasing from 4GB onwards. what is this ?

how can i bear making a 4GB avi file from an 85MB avi source as video and 38MB wav audio source?

pls help!!!!!

[jimmalenko]

Make sure you go to Video > Direct Stream Copy, so that it is copying the video stream, and not saving it as uncompressed AVI.

[plomon]

Make sure you go to Video > Direct Stream Copy, so that it is copying the video stream, and not saving it as uncompressed AVI.

Thx for the idea. I followed it. I used 'Direct Stream Copy' this time and the problem is solved.

However a new problem arose with the boosted audio. After boosting the audio(now I boosted to 1536kbps), although the boosted audio's file size remained same, but, while using this boosted audio file for muxing with the orig. AVI video in VirtualDubMod, the target AVI's file size increased from 85MB to 124MB, and this file's bitrate is 1536kbps ofcourse.

Is this AVI filesize increase due to the fact that the boosted audio has 1536kbps bitrate. If yes, why hasn't this bitrate affected the boosted audio file size, but affecting the muxed avi filesize.

For confirmation, you can check out the screenshots describing the fileinfo of the original and muxed AVI files:

[plomon]

In goldwave, I saved the wav file as PCM audio. I realized now, that's the reason why the bitrate was 1536kbps.

I changed wav audio stream to mpeg1- layer3(mp3) while saving in goldwave with a sampling rate of 48khz and a bitrate of 224kbps - which is same as the audio of the orig. avi file.

this time again I muxed the new .wav audio file with orig avi and got the muxed avi filesize reduced to 91MB(from 124 MB when audio bitrate was 1536kbps). However, still I'm confused why is there an increase of 6MB in the filesize of the target avi file(as the orig avi filesize is 85MB) even though i use :

1.)'Direct Stream Copy' mode in VirutalDubMod.

and

2.) Boosted wav audio file with mpeg1-Layer3(MP3) stream having 48khz sampling rate and 224kbps bitrate.

Another info: The bitrate of orig avi file is also 224kbps. So, there's no increase in bitrate of boosted audio this time over.