Need help with making CDVD using Spruce Up

[dawsonj]

I have made MPG2 conversions of my AVIs with TMPGENC OK.
I tried the demo version of Spruce Up and created what I thought was a DVD on a 650MB CDR.
It has directories inside it to run WinDVD on the PC OK but it does not play in my standalone DVD player.
This DVD player plays VCDs and SVCDs I have made on the same media OK but it is just blank and the counter sits on zero with this home made DVD on CDR.
What could I be doing wrong?
Is there some limitation with the demo version.
Other strange thing is that while it was burning the CD (Matsushita CDR CW7502) only the read light was one (normally they are both on while burning) and yet when it was finished the CD did have the data on it.

[Mdanner423]

MINI DVDs play on very little stand alone DVD players

Matthew

[AntnyMD]

I thoroughly enjoy making miniDVD/cDVD with SpruceUp. These discs are mostly for enjoyment via computer. As Mdanner423 stated, very few standalone DVD players play miniDVD/cDVD.

The drawback to miniDVD/cDVD at DVD resolution and bitrate is the extremely short playing time. You could eeek out a handful more minutes at this resolution and bitrate if you made an XSVCD, which your SVCD-capable DVD player is likely to support more to your liking.

One way to increase the length of your miniDVD/cDVD is (obviously) re-encode your data at 1/2 DVD resolution (352x480; 352x576) but keep the bitrate high and variable. Variable bitrate makes it hard to predict filesize, though, so I use constant/controlled bitrate, and it actually looks mo' better when I play it back on my Apex 500 (no A, no W).

[dawsonj]

One more thing.

If I make a non-standard SVCD using these DVD compliant MPEGs they will play in my DVD player OK too.

The thing is stated as being able to play mini-DVDs and that is why I bought it and obviously it handles the mpgs since it will play them as non-starndard SVCD.

I think there is something wrong with how I did it. It has got the laser to read the CD and it can play those mpegs

[AntnyMD]

I've burned nonstandard SVCDs at DVD resolution, but I had to re-encode to lower the bitrate (my player seemed to choke on XSVCDs > 5 Mbps).

The other day I hacked the firmware. I lost the ability to read MPEGs off straight data CDs, but my shuffle function for MP3s came returned. I lost the ability for it to read miniDVD, but now I can play XSVCD up to 8 Mbps at full DVD resolution).

It still doesnt support anamorphic anything except DVD. I did notice, too, that when the Macrovision got removed, overall picture clarity improved! Even the blocky VCDs I used to complain about looked noticeably better.