getting mpeg to fit on cd

[GimmeViagra]

Please be gentle as I am new to this stuff. OK so I have used panasonic to convert my DIvx/AVI file to an mpeg. Problem is it is too big to fit on CD-r. I tried to use AVIchop to break into half but then panasonic wont encode....I get this error in QUARTZ.dll message.
Anybody seen this or have a solution

[Quickstang45]

Are you trying to split the .avi file before you encode? If so don't do that. If it is a full length movie you will not get it to fit on one cd-r. Encode to .mpeg first then split it. If you still have problems splitting it try with AVIchop try TMPGEnc.

[Vejita-sama]

Ok, the below is really long (I cut/pasted from another post I made). For a DivX source the quaility is pretty poor so a VCD CBR encode is ok. But I thought I'd include all the xVCD stuff anyway.

While you can cut your DivX source, or cut your encoded MPEG it's much easier to tell TMPGenc to only encode part of your source. You use the source range command (see Sefy's Newbie guide for more info) to do this. The source range command lists both frame number AND runtime. Now you need to decide if you're making a VCD, xVCD, SVCD, xSVCD.

There are a lot of ways to use source range. First, if you are using the standard VCD template then video=1150kbit/s and audio=224kbit/s. This works out to 1min=10MB.
Since a 74min CDR holds 740MB and an 80min CDR holds 800MB (of mode2 data) you can do your calculations/cut with this in mind.

eg. 120min movie. Let's cut at ~60min, that would result in 2x 600MB files. Just use source range to select the first 60min (save project) then the 2nd 60min (save project). Then use the "file | batch encode" command to encode both projects.

Now you might ask if each 80min CDR can hold 800MB and I only put 600MB on it aren't I wasting space? And the anwser is yes. You can increase the video bitrate and get a better quaility encode. The key thing to remember is that the size of your MPEG is 100% dependant on the bitrate you use (notice it's kbit/s) the resolution of the MPEG has NO EFFECT. The size of the source HAS NO EFFECT.

[Please check to see if your DVD player/s support xVCDs]

You can use a bitrate calculator to predict what bitrate to use for X number of CDRs. Take a look to the left under Tools, at the vcdhelp.com bitrate calculator.
Enter your source runtime, number of CDRs you want to put/spilt it on, audio bitrate, etc. I suggest lowering the audio bitrate from 224kbit/s to 128kbit/s to give more bitrate to the video. (and as long as you're making an xVCD if you have a DVD source you might want to raise the resolution from 352x240 to 352x480 or even 480x480 for best results; for DivX source keep it at 352x240).

Now to make you'r xVCD:
1) Run TMPGenc, load the VCD template, then load the unlock template (../templates/extra). This will unlock all the greyed out parts of the standard VCD template.

2) Load your source file/s. Click on settings, under the video tab enter your desired resolution (352x240, 352x480 or 480x480).
For rate control mode, choose either: Constant bitrate (CBR) or 2pass variable bitrate (VBR). Click the little settings button next to rate control. For CBR just enter the bitrate from the calculator. For 2pass VBR enter min=300, max=2520, ave=# from calculator.
The difference between CBR and 2pass VBR is as follows. CBR uses the same bitrate for the whole encode. 2pass VBR actually encodes the movie twice (yes this doubles the encode time). The first pass is CBR, then it makes a 2nd VBR pass we it lowers the bitrate for low motions scences (to as low as 300) and raises the bitrate for high motion scences (as high as 2520), but raises/lowers so that the average bitrate is want you entered, and thus the final MPEG size is predictable. 2pass VBR gives better encodes that CBR, but takes 2x time! For a DVD source w/ lots of high motion scences 2pas VBR is the best, but the time might not be worth it. For a DivX source just do CBR

Under Motion search precision choose "high quaility (slow)", highest quaility just slows things down and makes no noticable difference in MPEG quaility.

3) Click on the audio tab, and enter the bitrate that you put into the calculator (eg 128kbit/s)

4) Click on the advance tab. Double click on source range, choose start/stop points for the first 1/2 of the movie (assume you want 2 CDRs, if 3CDRs then first 1/3).

5) Choose File | save project. Go back to source range and choose the 2nd 1/2 of the movie. Then save that project.

6) Choose File Batch encode. Add both projects. Then take a long nap/walk, go to work, etc.

[Mordant]

When I use 2pass variable bitrate for xvcd's in TMPGEnc the average bitrate doesn't seem to work correctly. If I use the calculator the and set a constant bitrate to the rate specified I end up with a file the right size. If I use 2 pass with the specified rate as the average and 2500 max 300 min, I end up with a file about 200megs smaller...

I can keep bumping the average up to about 2200 and still end up with a file that is too small. If I try constant at 2200 I end up with a gigantic file.

Anyone know what gives? =)

[TheeeGod 3]

vejita i dont quiet understand your approach. so you are saying that one should chop the avi/divx before its encoded as a mpeg? i dled a full divx movie and after i converted it into an mpeg it is about 900+ megs. so what would you suggest that i do now? i cannot burn this medium directly onto a cd because it exceeds the capacity of the disk. and u mentioned in ur post in ur post that "its much easier to tell TMPG to only encode part of your source". i have no clue how to do this. and i couldnt find sefy's guide. i have a pionerr dv 333 so it plays almost all the formats. can you tell me what you would do(would you make a vcd/xvcd/etc. and how would u encode the file) and how you would go along doing it? and what is the difference between vcd, xvcd, svcd, etc?

[Vejita-sama]

There are a lot of ways to spilt MPEG files.

1) Spilt source and then encode parts
2) Encode to huge file and cut
3) Use the source range command to only encode part of the source

#3 is the easist way to go, IMHO Here's how it works. Run TMPGenc, load your fav template, and load your source. Use a bitrate calculator if necessary (if standard VCD template than 1min=10MB, so 60min of source -> 600MB file).

1) Click on settings
2) Click on the advance tab
3) Double click on source range
4) Choose the start/stop frame you want to encode (in the top left there's a time stamp so you don't need to actually count frames)
5) Choose "file | Save project"
6) Go back to source range and choose the 2nd half/rest of the movie; and save that project (give the output a new name).
7) Choose "file | batch encode" add both projects and hit run.

[kidkurrupt]

Mordant, it's because with VBR it's being smart with the bitrate - it's not wasting extra bits on stuff it doesn't have to like CBR.

Using VBR to encode xvcd is wierd, because it never seems to get anywhere near the average bitrate. Experimenting with xvcd and VBR is a bitch, because it means wasting hours encoding a file just to check what the filesize, repeating, etc.

[Mordant]

Kidkurrupt, so am I best off using constant bitrate for xvcds then?

What about doing svcds with vcd resolution? SVCD vbr seems to hit things on the money.

[giuffro]

I've got the same question!!! does anybody know how to calculate which size a vbr xvcd will be?

[kidkurrupt]

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font size=-1>Quote:</font><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT SIZE=-1><BLOCKQUOTE>
On 2002-01-04 22:44:44, Mordant wrote:
Kidkurrupt, so am I best off using constant bitrate for xvcds then?

What about doing svcds with vcd resolution? SVCD vbr seems to hit things on the money.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, for xvcd's where you want to be able to estimate the final size, CBR is the best. It's like something about mpeg-1 and VBR sucks, probably cuz it wasn't made for it.
Basically use mpeg-2 for everything if your player can support it, the only real advantage of mpeg-1 is its speed.

[Mordant]

Yep, I'm back to making SVCDs. I love the speed of the xvcd, and the quality is pretty good...but I'll just leave my SVCD burns running over night. =)

On another note, I just installed WinXP and things seem much faster and more stable in general (up from win9. My DSL internet is certainly running much better.

I'm having trouble with my drives now though. I've got a CDRW set up as Master on my second chan, and a DVD rom as slave to that, with my hard drive on the first chan. It worked fine for me in 98, but since the XP install I've had a problem with large file copies or installs.

eg copying a DivX avi I had burned to CD back to my hard drive - about 80% in to the copy the computer just reboots. Every time, at different points 30% 50% and bam it reboots again. I finally opened the avi with nandub and did a direct stream copy of the file. It worked.

Next, I tried to install Baldur's Gate (full retail version - paid for and everything) and part way through the install while copying files the reboot hits again.

I've done a full CD burn since and that worked fine. Tried install and copy from 2nd drive and had the same probem.