Burning VCD Problem!!!

[davidcws2000]

Hi everyone, This is my first time burning VCD and i have overcome this problem. I hope you'll can help me out with this. Everythings seems to be find during the process. Firstly, I have converted the audio to WAV file using VirtualDub. Then, I encode the AVI file (with WAV file as audio) using TMPGenc. Everything seems to be find and no error message popping out during the process. Before i start burning the VCD, I try to watch the file using Nero Burner and it looks perfect like my original file. So, I started burning and completed. This is the time where the problem is. I try out the VCD which i have burn in my DVD player. The sound seems to be find but the picture looks terrible like 'blocky picture with a lots of stray pixel around'. It's the same when i try to play it on my Laptop. I'm not sure what the problem is where i just follow the guide as i move to another step. I try alot of forum asking why but some said its the birate problem and some say is the crapy quality of a standard Bitrate VCD. Huh...

This are the following information which i can produce during my process from burning an AVI file to become VCD..

'Video Stream'
Frame Size, fps : 640x480, 23.976 fps
# of frames (times) : 32856 (22:50)
Decompressor : Divx Codex 4.12
Number of key frames : 458
Min/avg/max/total key frame size : 1519/22584/60505 (10102K)
Min/avg/max/total delta frame size : 152/5332/64621 (168721K)

And this is the information on Tmpgenc

'MPEG Setting'
Video stream setting (VIDEO)
Stream type : MPEG-1 Video
Size : 352 x 240 pixels
Aspect ratio : 4:3 525line (NTSC)
Frame rate : 23.976
Rate control mode : CBR
Birate : 1150 kbits/sec
VBV buffer size : 40 KB
Motion search precision : Normal

Video source setting (Advance)
Video arrange Method : Full screen (keep aspect ratio)

'Birate Setting'
Movie Info : 352x240 23.976 fps/ 44100Hz Stereo/ 22 min 51 sec
Average video birate : 1150 kbits/sec
Audio birate : 224 kbits/sec

This is the following information from the mpeg file from the Nero 5.5

'MPEG Track Info'
Basic Information
File : xxxx
Resolution : 352x240 (NTSC)
Frame rate : 23.976 Hz
Standard Compliant : Yes

Could anyone please advice me so that i can overcome this problem. Does anyone have the same problem with me? How you overcome this problem? I would like to say thanks in advance for those who are trying to help me out.....

[Rowin Dincht]

I cant tell if its your settings or not, but I had a similar problem like your's in the past. To start off I have a Compaq 4400 which had its own 24x speed burner with it, so naturally I used that burner to burn my VCD's. Just like yours everything audio and video wise looked ok on my PC but when i popped it into the DVD player, I experienced the same problems.


The only thing that I could say which is leading to the problem is maybe the burner? You should try that same MPEG out and try burning it on a different burner other that the one your using now. This fixed my problem, but i cant actually say that it will help you out if you cant find another burner to make a new VCD.

Hope this helps

[johnathome2002]

Hi,
I had a problem similar to yours and it turned out i burnt it too quick!

I re-burnt at 2x and it was fine. What speed did you burn at?

[davidcws2000]

Hi everyone, I use 4x to burn the VCD. I shall try to burn using 2X speed. I think not my burner problem. Hope this will be find.....
If anyone have other idea my problem other than the above one, please do not hesitate to tell me.

Thanks

[davidcws2000]

Hi johnathome2002, it doesnt look good either went i use 2x. The picture are still blocky look with a lots of stray pixel around (but this time the picture looks better than the one i use with 4x). If i planning to make SVCD which make the birate higher, will the graphic of my anime become better like my Divx Avi file?

[KingJohn]

Does your DVD player Play 23.976fps ? (Film)

Video-CD NTSC (MPEG-1 352x240 29.97fps CBR 1150kbps, Layer-2 44100Hz 224kbps) This is the standard.

Video-CD NTSC Film (MPEG-1 352x240 23.976fps CBR 1150kbps, Layer-2 44100Hz 224kbps) Non Standard

[davidcws2000]

I think yes. I have colour and sound and have no error reading the file. It just that the anime movie have small boxes and pixel around the screen.

[KingJohn]

It just that the anime movie have small boxes and pixel around the screen.

I guess it does not play them ?, have you played standard compliant VCD's with 29.97fps ok ?

How are you using TMPGEnc ? are you loading the template ? using any 3:1 pull down with a VCD template ? Using the wizard ?

[davidcws2000]

Hi KingJohn, I have try the normal template's but it still the same. I think my main problem is the birate problem. This is because i have try higher birate (1380kbps) compare with normal birate (1150kbps) which i had better result (less pixel and small boxes around). So know i need to try even higher birates or maybe SVCD or XVCD level. I have download some of the template which is on the 'Tool' done by you guys. :P I have found out many different setting done by you guys. I think i will try out some of the settings done by you guys.

By the way, I would like to ask one more question. Is regarding encoding avi to SVCD. I have follow every step in the instruction to encode the avi file to SVCD but the result is where the mpeg file have no audio when i try playing on nero burner. I have change the audio to wav and used it on TMPGenc. Just following the steps shown. I wonder why and what steps i have mistaken or miss. For your info, i have use 'TooLame' in TMPGenc. Is TooLame causes the missing sound?

About your question, My DVD player is a multi region type which play VCD, SVCD, DVD and even Mp3. But i'm not sure it plays standard VCD's (29.97fps) or not ? About using 3:1 pull down (are you talking about 3:2 pull down), I think yes because i have every times enable the 'Inverse Telecine' in advance setting (is this the setting you are talking about?). This is the only information that i can provide and sorry if i bother you again (sorry for lots of question). Please advice

[KingJohn]

Well you should start with the standard temple and see if your DVD player will play it. Just because it plays VCD (Commercial Stamped disks) does not mean it will play CDR VCD, Most DVD players that play CDR VCD will play compliant disks, and its a bonus if they play anything else.

1150kbps should play just fine, but you would need to experiment with things if they did not. Naturally the source should be good, no good starting with a downloaded AVI that's bad quality.

I have follow every step in the instruction to encode the AVI file to SVCD but the result is where the mpeg file have no audio when i try playing on nero

Does it play with anything else ? Nero is total rubbish at converting anything of any use, so I hope you are using TMPGEnc for this, and WMP to test it ? I don't have too lame installed, so cannot comment on it, there are many with it, but many more without it

I guess you would soon know if it was that, if you tried without it, however make sure DirectShow has its priority level high enough.
TMPGEnc

Select options > environmental settings
click the VFAPI plug-in tab
right click the "DirectShow" and select higher priority, do this several times until its at the top with a value of 4

3:1 Its one of my special settings

[davidcws2000]

Hi KingJohn, I'm still playing with the setting and hoping that i can come out with a good setting. By the way,what you said that Nero is rubbish? That's true, that's true! I have try to burn SVCD although Nero doesn't play any sound on the mpeg file i have. The SVCD that i have burn have the usual sound where it is in my original avi file. But the litlle pixel are still there but is lesser compare with the quality of VCD. By the way, i have change the 'DirectShow' to 4 and the result is still the same. Everytime i play with the setting, the little pixel getting lesser and sometimes getting more. Hope to get one good setting for my anime movie.

As you said that you have a special setting, is it the setting which you put in the 'Tool' area? I would like to have some of your special setting. Can I? Can I? Pleaseeeeee

[mats.hogberg]

Encode with TMPGEnc.
Then author/burn with VCDEasy/CDRDAO.
A little bit (but not much) more hazzle than Nero, but in my experience, (and from what I've heard of others with this kind of problems) much better end result.

/Mats

[davidcws2000]

Hi Mats, as you say that using VCDEasy/CDRDAO to author/burn is more hassle than Nero. Do you mean that it will give me a better burning result? Like not having all the little pixel around the screen? If yes, I think i will download VCDEasy/CDRDAO and try it out....... Thanks for the info 8)

[mats.hogberg]

Well, it's really no hazzle - just a few more places where you CAN make a wrong turn...

I'd say that using this combo (TMP+VCDEasy) you'll get as good end result as the input variables allow, meaning source quality, encoding bitrate, CD-R quality - the whole chain.

...and you have full control over the whole process. Nothing gets done unless you ask for it, and what you ask for gets done, no more, no less.

/Mats

[davidcws2000]

But Mats, Did you hear before any problem regarding about some small boxes or little pixel around the screen during the playback? If yes, could you see how they could overcome this problem, please...

[mats.hogberg]

Can't tell if this will solve your particular problem - only way is to try, isn't it!
To me, it sounds like those MPEG artefacts you get around areas of high contrast - Like those seen around titles. Does the source include some dark border, that's included in the encoded area? In that case, crop the encoding area to just the part where the image is!

/Mats

[gribber]

youre settings in tmpg has to be. When u live in Europe

video cd pal mpeg 1 352 x 288 25 fps cbr 1150 kbps layer-2 44100Hz 224kbps

[davidcws2000]

Thanks Mats, I think I will try out EasyVcd and also try out the setting on TMPGenc. Huhhh Thanks for the info.

By the way Gribber, I was thinking about this problem. I using a Pal TV but i'm having a NTSC DVD player because i'm from Malaysia locally but studying in UK currently. I wonder which setting should i used? Pal or NTSC? I usually play my VCD/DVD movie (NTSC version) on my DVD player and and they work find. This is because my DVD player have a setting which could change the setting from NTSC version to PAL version. Gribber, have you have the same problem like i do? Small boxes or little pixel around the screen!!!

[jolo]

Forget the settings in TMPGenc and the hastle.

Take y our DVD, go to EASY VCD, put the CD in, pick the quality level from very slow, down. Click go, you'll get a great looking VCD.

Jon