XVCD resolutions?

[scottrempel]

I have done quite a few rips to xvcd but I always use 352*240 because I assumed you still had to use regular vcd resolutions. I have noticed some people talking about xvcd at 352*480. Is this correct and if so is it simply a matter of changing the setting in tmpgenc or is there more to it than that. I have a toshiba sd-2800 dvd player which excepts xvcd up to 5000kbits/s and was wondering if it can therefore play xvcd at this resolution or if this can only be allowed on some players.

I would really appreciate it if someone could give me some info on this subject or a spot I could read about it. I would like to know what resolutions are allowed in xvcd format and stuff like that.

Thanks in advance!!!

[vitualis]

"XVCD" = non-standard/non-compliant VCD.

You can change the framesize as well if you want...

They still work on many DVD players. Obviously, the more wacky framesizes you go into, the less likely they will play.

Regards.

[scottrempel]

Thanks alot vitualis. So basically just try and see what works. Am I coorect in saying that 352*480 will look better than 352*240. Does more frames mean an increase in file size or is that still only dependant on bitrate.

Thanks Again.

[vitualis]

352x480 will look better than 352x240 IF your bitrate is high enough to prevent significant artifacts.

For example, at low bitrate (or even at standard VCD bitrates), if there are not enough bits to go around, mpeg artifacts will become obvious (i.e., blocking). At the same bitrate, it will be much more obvious with a framesize of 352x480 than 352x240 as there are twice the number of pixels to encode.

However, at a sufficiently high bitrate (i.e., where mpeg artifacts are no longer a problem), the increased resolution will make the picture look significantly sharper and "nicer".

Framesize itself doesn't determine the size (bitrate does), but you generally need a higher bitrate to maintain a certain level of quality.

Regards.

[scottrempel]

Thanks for all the help. I have just one more question.
When encoding to xvcd from a dvd rip sould I be using any filters or anything. I normally only change the brightness setting in TMPG's "simple color correction" to -15 because I find the dark colors (blacks) look all blocky and grey if I don't. I ask because sometimes my movies seem a little blocky depending on the scene and the colors, etc. I have been using a max of 4000, min of 1150, and average usually ends up around 1700-2100 depending on movie length. Do know if these are good values or could I be getting more out of my movies in terms of quality?

Thank you once again!

[vitualis]

Filters is up to you. I don't use colour correction but it is really your preference.

By applying a softening / blur filter you can remove some of the blockiness at the expense of detail.

Also, use a lower min (e.g., 500). The only reason (generally) to NOT use a min. of 0 is because some players have difficultly playing back a video clip properly at very low bitrates. 500 kbit/s is considered quite reasonable, however.

Best of luck. I'm not really the best person to ask about XVCDs here so perhaps someone else can help you if you have more specific questions.

Regards.

[scottrempel]

Could anyone tell me if there is a more acurate way to predict file size with xvcd. I normally just use tmpgenc's calc but I have tried some of the other calcs from the tool section and they don't seem to work much better. Maybe I am using them wrong or something.
My problem is that depending on the movie sometimes my file size is only say 700 opposed to close to 800 like the average says it should be. Why is this? I know I am doing xvcd but shouldn't the avg still determine the file size? It is like tmpg is not keeping up to the avg I gave it. This is one of the reasons I have been using 1150 instead of 0, because it seems like I get more accurate predictions and I figured if its not going to use the space I give it I might as well have the best looking low motion pictures possible. HAHA

I would really appreciate some help with this because it is bothering me that I am not getting the most out of my movies.
Thanks for all the help vitualis!

[wulf109]

Fit CD is very accurate. You must use the average rate in VBR mode to determine file size. CQ mode is simply unpredictable. If your using the wizard in Tmpeg turn it off.

[guitar_george_skank]

I just use the calc on this website. Unless you really want 1 or 2 seconds more on CD it's quite accurate. As long as you use 2 pass vbr or CBR, then just use the value you get from the calc as the average bitrate and then use min 300-500 and max 4000 (or as much as your player can handle) for 2 pass VBR. CBR of course will just use the figure by itself.

GGS.

[scottrempel]

Hi there. Just me again. I tried to use FitCD this time and still no luck. I ripped Independance Day and used Tmpg to encode as xvcd. I put the length and all that other stuff into FitCD. I wanted to split it over 3 80 min CDs. FitCD told me to use a bitrate of about 1910kbits I believe, so I did.
The resulting files were all around 600MB instead of close to 800 like I wanted. I am using min=500 and max=4500. I use 2-pass VBR. I really notice large differences when I split into 3 parts. Sometimes, although not often, I do get file sizes close to 800.

I am using TMPGEnc 2.53 and was wondering if there was any problems with this prog and if so what is a better version.

Am I doing something wrong or is this as accurate as xvcd can be!

Thanks

[mats.hogberg]

What average bitrate did you use, and how long (timewise) piece of movie did you cram into each disc?

/Mats