How to remove digital blocks

[dhoomketu]

Folks I am not sure where should I post this so am posting here and at nebie section as well.
I have a 600 MB MPG file (VCD-NTSC) that plays well except that instead of fine pixels, often huge digital blocks show up throught the movie. There is no problem with sound just that these digital blocks should not be there. Looks like it has not been ripped properly.
Does anyone know of any way I can re-rip the movie to remove or at least reduce these blocks?

[macleod]

It sounds like from what you posted your 600 meg video was from a dvd rip. The cause of blockiness comes from bitrate (there are other reasons, but lets focus on this one). An average DVD movie ripped to VCD quality is a little over a gig. The standard bit rate for vcd is 1150. With JUST what I've talked about here, you may get the ocassional pixelation (blockiness), but on the whole, the quality is good, etc. (mainly because it is from a DVD, but anyway). I would guess your DVD rip, in order to get it to one CD was in the range of 700-900. With less bits going into the pixel, you are going to get more blocks. Also, depending on the tools that were used, the filters, source, etc. you are going to get more/less blockiness.

If you want good quality vcd rips do not follow the "I can fit a movie onto 1 CD" guides. They will get you close, but it is a sacrifice of file size or quality. I am sure their will be posts right after this that talk about their settings or kwag's templates doing this or that, but for your situation (being a newbie), its best to read the guides.

In answer to your other question, are your wanting to rerip the source or rerip what you currently have (the vcd)? That follows the crap in crap out philosophy.

[dhoomketu]

Hi Mac
Thanks a million for the input.
This basically was a VHS I assume that was converted to a VCD.
So I guess now I dont have any way of reducing the blockiness in the video?