MPEG Still

[Kryptic7]

I am attempting to add a simple, black-and-white image saying "Please Insert Disc 2" to the end of my SVCD (simple, I know, but I don't need anything complex or fancy). In any case, I want it to be an MPEG still that opens as soon as the movie on the SVCD ends. Using TSCV, I open the "Menugen" tab and hit "1st create an image (using MS Paint)" which I do. I then hit "Then encode you picture to still menu" and select the .bmp image and select the name of the resulting .mpg fle. However, when I do so, nothing happens!

Instead, I decided, I'll use TMPGEnc to encode the .bmp to a still mpg. I select the bmp file (without audio), select the same template as used in the movie (and all other settings for that matter), and enocde the picture. I open Windows Media Player and it sucessfully opens. So I then open TSCV and select "Extro MPEG" under the "Settings" tab and select the mpg I just made. I load the movie like usual and go through the usual process, but I get an error message when attempting to create the bin/cue files. It tells me that something is wrong with the "Extro MPEG"; I believe it says something to the effect that it is not 75 sectors.

My question is this: can an MPEG still be used for the Extro MPEG portion of an SVCD? If so, how? I know many people have added this message to their projects but I seem to have problems doing so. Thank you.

Mike

[Nostradumbass]

>My question is this: can an MPEG still be used for the Extro MPEG portion of an SVCD?

Not to my knowledge. Instead the still frame needs to be converted to special format. If you're using VCDEasy check the box "Hacked" underneath the SVCD Still type radio button. That should do it.

[kitty]

You can save a bit of headache by making a small motion MPEG extro. A VCD sample at the bottom of the link below. I know it is not as elegent or small a solution but it is very easy to do and the cost is a Meg or 2.

[vitualis]

The issue is there still images give much better quality (near full TV resolution).

I suggest that you try VCDEasy to make stills. TSCV doesn't make "real" stills and they may not work. You can't make MPEG stills in the correct format with TMPGEnc in any case.

VCDEasy contains a GUI of mjpegtools which is probably the closest thing there is to a freeware version of a S/VCD MPEG still encoder.

Regards.

[Riccardom]

On my Pioneer DV-444 the mpeg stills generated with VCDEasy are not displayed.
So I usually convert a BMP with TMPGEnc. VCDEasy says they are not correct but VCDImager accepts them, and in the end they works.
I managed also to build a 704x576 still mpeg (not real still, a video only movie of zero length) to keep the quality.

Riccardo

[kitty]

To avoid the error message you might have to add an audio file on encode. If you use Sound Recorder bundled with Windoze you can record a blank audio file of any length.

[cmacleo]

I have used proper mpeg stills, made using Phillips VCD Toolkit and using VCDEasy as the last track on a VCD (created VCD using Nero) and it worked just fine.