CCE error message

[debit]

I installed Cinema Craft SP v2.62 with no problems. When I try to encode an .avi file I left click on title, then browse to the folder with the .avi file, then open it. I then highlight the file and hit encode. I get a message "read only 0 bytes while expecting 8 bytes". The .avi file has a fps of 29.97. I have an AMD Athlon 900Mhz with 256MB. I made the .avi file from a .mpg file using virtual dub. Any smart people with an answer? TIA

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: debit on 2001-08-07 15:08:39 ]</font>

[gambit32]

I just went through this problem...don't use CCE for encoding the audio. For some reason it doesn't like AMD's. Use another encoder for the audio. That will fix the error message. Here's a link to the lengthy process I went thru until someone figured it out for me:

http://www.vcdhelp.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=52382&forum=3

It's further down the thread, but disturbed1 told me not to encode the audio and it worked.

[debit]

Thanks for the suggestion Gambit. De-selecting audio encoding did not help. I still got the same error message. I suspect you might have had a slightly different error message. I think I will stick with Tmpgen if it means living with a buggy program and having to encode the audio separately.

[Truman]

CCE SP 2.62 endodes audio too. Version 2.50 is the only one, that can not encode audio when you have an Athlon.
But you can only encode video and audio together (PS) in CBR mode. CCE audio isn't as good as toolame's, but if you downsample the audio from 48 to 44,1kHz in advance, it will be quite good.
Do not feed in a video file only. You will need a video AND a audio source, even if you plan to disable the audio output. If your source is video only and don't want anything else than silent video, check "input audio from another file" and select any .wav file you can find on HDD.
Back to the encode settings disable "audio file"
Remember, CCE SP 2.62 does not accept Virtual dub or Avisynth frameserved files.
Hope this helps.
Honestly I never had any problems with CCE.

[debit]

Truman,
Thanks for the great information. You mentioned CCE does not accept Virtual Dub files. I needed a test file so I used virtual dub to convert a mpg file to avi. Perhaps I need to try another source for my test file because I tried your settings and still get the "read only 0 bytes while expecting 8 bytes" message? Good to hear that v2.62 fixed the Athlon problem.

[debit]

I tried another .avi file from a newsgroup. CCE SP v2.62 works fine with it. I tried both MPEG-1 set at SS and MPEG-2 set at PS and both work. I guess CCE does not like files outputted from VirtualDub.

I am a little confused about the optimal settings for SVCD and VCD. For SVCD I use CBR with bitrate set to 2300 and for VCD I use CBR with a bitrate set to 1150. I set audio at stereo (not joint stereo) and 224 kbs. Anyone have better settings? Also can I burn the resulting .mpg file with Nero or do I have to multi-plex adjust it in TMPGen first?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: debit on 2001-08-08 14:39:18 ]</font>

[Truman]

VirtuaDub: save old format avi or segmented avi. As far as I remember, cce2.62 will accept these files.
The deal with cce is its MPEG-2 VBR multipass encode. But sure, if you don't care about the filesize, CBR 2300-2500 is very good. For lower bitrates I recomment VBR 2-4pass.
As far as I know Nero, it burns everything, but when you encode a PS, you may have trouble with playing on a standalone player. In that case demultiplex/multiplex with TMPG.

[debit]

Thanks so much for all the help with CCE SP v2.62. I have used TMPG in the past and was hoping to find a better (faster speed and/or better quality) program. I think I am starting to understand CCE after reading these. I just have a few last questions which hopefully you all can answer. I have left space for answers, hope that is okay.

1) It appears that the CCE SP v2.62 no longer has the problems with Athlon processors that were noted in v2.50. Is this correct?



2) Although I can make a good quality SVCD (MPEG-2) with CBR and a bitrate set to 2300, I can also make a good quality SVCD with VBR set to 2-3 and a much lower bitrate (say 1500 or so?)? The advantage of the VBR is a smaller file size output. Is this correct?




3) To make a VBR SVCD I must select ES in CCE. It appears by doing so I will end up with a video file (.mpv) and an audio file (.mpa) rather than a single combined .mpg file that would result from selecting PS. Is this correct? The benefit of the mpg file is I can burn it directly with NERO while if I end up with a video and audio file I would need to join (multiplex) them using TMPG before burning with NERO. Is this correct?



4) Does the SVCD standard average bitrate limit of 2600 include both video and audio? That is if I am using an audio setting of 224 do I have only 2376 left to select for the video bitrate in CCE?



5) If I want to make a VCD would you recommend CBR or VBR 2-3 pass? Am I correct in assuming that the VCD standard is more strict requiring a bitrate of 1150 and audio of 224? If a bit rate of 1150 is used which format would give the highest quality? Is if true at 1150 both formats (CBR and VBR) would result in similar file sizes?


6) Last question. I noticed a discussion in this forum about changing the packet size to 4096 from 2048. It appears that CCE SP v2.62 does not allow any size higher than 2048 even if I put it in the ecl file. Correct? If not how can I change it and why would I want to?


I am running a 900MHz Athlon with 256MB. I intend to burn the movie files to a CD to play on my Pioneer DV-333 DVD player. Hope I have given you enough information to answer my questions. Thanks again for being there to help us out. You guys/gals are a truly great resource.

[Truman]

<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 2001-08-09 05:44:34, debit wrote:
Thanks so much for all the help with CCE SP v2.62. I have used TMPG in the past and was hoping to find a better (faster speed and/or better quality) program. I think I am starting to understand CCE after reading these. I just have a few last questions which hopefully you all can answer. I have left space for answers, hope that is okay.

1) It appears that the CCE SP v2.62 no longer has the problems with Athlon processors that were noted in v2.50. Is this correct?


yes
================================================== =======
2) Although I can make a good quality SVCD (MPEG-2) with CBR and a bitrate set to 2300, I can also make a good quality SVCD with VBR set to 2-3 and a much lower bitrate (say 1500 or so?)? The advantage of the VBR is a smaller file size output. Is this correct?

VBR multipass, not one pass
nin500, avg 1800, max 2500 gives you simular quality compared to CBR 2500
The resulting mpeg filesize is smaller compared to CBR
================================================== =========


3) To make a VBR SVCD I must select ES in CCE. It appears by doing so I will end up with a video file (.mpv) and an audio file (.mpa) rather than a single combined .mpg file that would result from selecting PS. Is this correct? The benefit of the mpg file is I can burn it directly with NERO while if I end up with a video and audio file I would need to join (multiplex) them using TMPG before burning with NERO. Is this correct?

you will end up with a video file only. Use toolame for audio encoding and after that multiplex with TMPG or bbMPEG.
================================================== ======

4) Does the SVCD standard average bitrate limit of 2600 include both video and audio? That is if I am using an audio setting of 224 do I have only 2376 left to select for the video bitrate in CCE?

for me 2500+224 work perfectly
================================================== ======

5) If I want to make a VCD would you recommend CBR or VBR 2-3 pass? Am I correct in assuming that the VCD standard is more strict requiring a bitrate of 1150 and audio of 224? If a bit rate of 1150 is used which format would give the highest quality? Is if true at 1150 both formats (CBR and VBR) would result in similar file sizes?

VCD is 1150+224 CBR, anything else is XVCD.
VCD is about 10MB/minute, XVCD VBR will be the same, if you set the AVG bitrate to 1150

================================================== =====

6) Last question. I noticed a discussion in this forum about changing the packet size to 4096 from 2048. It appears that CCE SP v2.62 does not allow any size higher than 2048 even if I put it in the ecl file. Correct? If not how can I change it and why would I want to?

?
================================================== ======

I am running a 900MHz Athlon with 256MB. I intend to burn the movie files to a CD to play on my Pioneer DV-333 DVD player. Hope I have given you enough information to answer my questions. Thanks again for being there to help us out. You guys/gals are a truly great resource.

</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR size=1 color=black></TD></TR></TABLE>

[debit]

Thanks Truman, fastest response in the West.

In your response to my second question you wrote "VBR multiplass, not one pass nin500, avg 1800, max 2500". What is "nin500"?

For VCD you said "VCD is 1150+224". In CCE does that mean I select a bitrate of 1150 for encoding VCD or bitrate of 1374? That is, is the encoding bitrate selection choice in CCE only for the video or should it be video + audio?

My last question about packet size did not make much sense to me either. I was reading one of your posts to someone else and you talked about changing packet size to 4096.

Thanks again for the great help.

[Truman]

"nin" means NINE INCH NAILS
No, seriously, I meant MIN (minumum).
For VCD set the video bitrate to 1150 CBR. To set the audio bitrate (224), select the audio tab.
Something about the packed size. I don't know much about it. But as you could read, I got two different file sizes using the same settings( I changed the packet size only). By default I use 4096, that work OK.
btw, I use v. 2.50 now, because 2.62 does not accept my .avs files.