VCD's not playing on standalone DVD player

[Kaboodle]

I'm hoping someone can help me out here, I'm having some trouble getting VCD that I author to work on my standalone dvd player. First off, I have an Apex AD-1200(not white sticker) that works fine for VCD's and SVCD's that I download the ISO and burn directly from the image. I downloaded an MPEG the other day and wanted to author my own VCD with it to watch on the stand alone DVD.
The MPEG I downloaded was in PAL format and was not the correct frame size. So using TMPGEnc 2.57 converted it to the proper frame size and left it PAL format. I burned it useing Roxio 5, wouldn't work on the APEX. Next I converted it using TMPGenc again to NTSC and again wouldn't work on the APEX. I then tried for the heck of it buring the original to VCD just to try it, didn't work. After non of these worked on the APEX I reburned all my converted files using Nero 5.5.9.0 and still none would work on my APEX. All these VCD I've burned work on the PC with PowerDVD, but would not play in the stand alone.
It has to be something in my authoring that is causing the problem because I can burn and view any VCD that I download of the internet, just not the ones I am authoring. If anyone could make a suggestion here I would greatly appreciate it!

[ya_jai]

This is one hard solution to figure so bare with me if I ask you some more detail becuz from your post seem like you know what you are doing.

you are saying that your downloaded file was not in proper resolution so what was it? Then you encoded in TMPGenc with PAL, Was it a default PAL template you used or you tweaked some of your own setting? I din't mean that you don't know about template but for my own experience I once encode SVCD but forgot to change to MPEG2- Super Videocd (VBR) so the come out cannot play on my APEX.

If you give more detail of how you encoded, someone might be able to help you here.

[Akai Rounin]

This part is rather confusing:

"The MPEG I downloaded was in PAL format and was not the correct frame size. So using TMPGEnc 2.57 converted it to the proper frame size and left it PAL format. I burned it useing Roxio 5, wouldn't work on the APEX"

You downloaded an MPEG file, but do you know if it is MPEG-1 or MPEG-2? OK, if it was in PAL format originally, this is both a frame size of 352x288 pixels (assuming VCD) and a frame rate of 25 fps. How could you possibly leave it in PAL format if you changed the resolution to 352x240 pixels? Also, did you convert the frame rate to 29.97 fps at any point? It really isn't very clear what you did in the first place. Armed with that information it would be easier to help.

HUN-YA!

Akai Rounin

[Kaboodle]

Ok I apologize, I do see how that was a little confusing now looking back at it. When I said it was in PAL format, what I really meant was that it was at the proper 25 FPS for PAL format, but the resolution was not 352 x 288 pixels. Sorry for the confusion guys. Yes I used the default PAL template when I encoded it, and I also tried it with the default NTSC template as well for the heck of it. I even retried it today buring at 4x (Slowest my burner can go) because I used to get better results with PSX games that way thinking it might help, but still will not play on my APEX. Again any suggestions would be appreciated because I am kinda stumped on this one.

[ya_jai]

So if you used default template and didn't tweak anything. humm it might be the way you burn then. Why don't you give us a detail how you burn this mpeg file. Did you use VCD format for burning in NERO? Can you try to create bin/cue file with VCDimager and burn with NERO, CDRWIN, BURNATONCE (whatever you have but not Roxio)

[Kaboodle]

Hmm, this just keeps getting more interesting. I took your advice and made an ISO with VCDimager (the one bundled with VCDEasy 1.1.2) and then burned it once with CDRDAO (again bundled with VCDEasy 1.1.2) and then once with Nero. Now neither one of these VCD would play on my APEX AD-1200, but every single one of the VCD's I've made from this MPEG played on my Toshiba SD-2800 that I have in my bed room (Wasn't hooked up before to test).

So basically where I am at now I have an APEX AD-1200 that will play VCD ISO's I download off the net, but none that I make out of video files and a Toshiba AD-2800 that will play a bunch of VCD's but none of the SVCD's that I have.

I am about to bang my head into a wall.

Anyone got any suggestions here??? I have sure stumped myself.

[ya_jai]

How big is your original file? Would you like to send to me to test it? I have DSL connection so wouldn't be that slow. Or if the file is too big you can cut with TMPGenc and send to me like a portion of humm... 5 mins. You can contact me if you're interested then we figure how to transfer file.

I do own one of APEX (apex 660ad) so it shouldn't be a problem of different brand of player.

PS it would be better if you send me both of original and encoded files. So I can test with my DVD player.

[ya_jai]

STOPPPPPPPP everything I just said,

I just came back from Apex phorum website. I dont really get it. Does your APEX have a yellow sticker or something say Kodak logo on the box? I hope your player is not this version(cross my fingers). I have seen so many posts complain about this version and VCD. It seems like this versions doesn't support VCD type or something like that. I have not read all the detail yet. But one thing I've seen, your player can play SVCD just file. so why don't you encoded to SVCD instead.

[Kaboodle]

I'll be damned... I checked my APEX box and it did not have the sticker covering the Video Compact Disc emblem, but I was pissed off at it and took it back to the store today and exchanged it for an APEX AD-1500 and it works perfectly. I guess it was my DVD player after all. THANKS ALOT ya_jai for all your help on this one man!

[ya_jai]

You are so very welcome and I'm glad you got a new player. cheer!