Can I use Mpeg3 audio instead of Mpeg layer 2 for VCD?

[xzarkad]

Help.

I have noticed that I cann change (for VCD) the video bitrate in TMPGEnc from 1150kbps to 1246kbps.
This means that I have to lower my audio file from 224kbps to 128kbps. (the standard for VCD is a total of 1374kbps, and my standalone player cannot play any XVCD)
Now to my problem: The audio layer will be: MPEG1 layer 2. I doubt if the audio output will be okay, because of the lower bitrate. I also know that MP3 sound good at 128kbps.
My question is: can I add MP3 at 128kbps to my video stream of 1246kbps to get a compliant VCD? and if yes, how do I do this?

Thanks,

[Greg12]

I don't believe that is possible

[adam]

Its definitely not possible. Vcd requires mpeg1 audio layer II.

[xzarkad]

Thanks for the quick response.(although I hoped for another answer)

Can some-one tell me how the quality will be of Mpeg1 layer2 at 128kbps?

Thanks,

[patrickm]

decode a high-quality MP3 to WAV from winamp, then encode it with TMPG to layer II at 128 and just see for yourself.

[wcb4]

<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 2001-07-27 10:11:56, patrickm wrote:
decode a high-quality MP3 to WAV from winamp, then encode it with TMPG to layer II at 128 and just see for yourself.
</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>
is there any other, faster, preferrably one-step way to convert mp1 - layer3 to mp1 - layer2.

I genreally rip mp3s at 192 or 256kbps anyway, which is really about the same size as the 224 standard for vcd. But I got this idea in my head of using the menuing structure to create VCD audio albums and I am pretty close to getting it to work, which means that I will be wanting to convert a whole lot of MP3s to mpeg1 layer2. Is there anything out there to transcode directly without having to go through wav files first?

[tacosalad]

Yes, if you're planning on using TMPG (as described above) you can just supply the mp3 as the audio source file.

I did this today, using an AVI as the video source and an mp3 as the audio source, in order to get an mpeg video with the mp3 dubbed over the video. It should work just as well for audio-only.

[xzarkad]

I have just received a mail from one of the members of this forum. He explained that the program "lame" can be used in TMPGEnc as an external MP3 encoder.
I have tried to convert the audio part of chicken run (appx 80 mins) to MP3 . This was done in 12 minutes.
Then I compared the Mp3 sample I have made with the audio part of my VCD of chicken run. (this is a backup I have made from my DVD)
I did not notice a big difference in sound quality. Should there be a difference?......

[xzarkad]

Anyone?

[P@iNKilleR]

There should be no difference at all but when U put it back 2 vcd the file will be the same size, well its like the dvix conversion really. You are basically converting it back to the same format it was in to start off with when going back to VCD. I've just converted a dvix back 2 vcd which was compressed in mpg4 fast motion video & mp3 layer 2 audio & well the file is nearly 500mb from its origional dvix size of 156mb. Okay I may not have answered your question but I might have hit on something.

Cya M8

Kev!