encoding problem, need help

[Glasswalker]

This is my first post...

Hello, I am trying to encode a number of ripped and downloaded movies to vcd for playback on my dvd player...

The dvd player I have is the Norcent DP-300
It has the latest upgraded firmware, and has been confirmed to play vcd, svcd, xvcd and xsvcd. So I should be good...

I burned first a normal vcd, and it played fine, but it skipped miserably in the film (by skipped I mean that the video would freeze for a moment, then play in fast forward for a second or two, and then play normal... sometimes it will skip a frame or two, or for a few seconds it will look like it is playing at like 5fps. Also once it skipps, the sound gets way out of sync... then it slowly comes back into sync)

Anyway needless to say these videos are not watchable...

So I tried multiple encoding formats, and found none that worked yet...

I am also trying to fit a video on a single disk... I tried reducing bitrate, and reducing framerate to 1/2. These helped quite a bit... but it also still had the same skipping problem... I have tried vcd 1.1 and vcd 2.0 all encoded with vcdeasy. using tmpgenc to encode them...

I need to know what it is that can improve this skipping, should I increase the buffer size? should I fiddle with framerate? Should I reencode the file... I don't know what to do... I have tried decoding a wave stream using virtualdub and remuxing it after to create a good stream... Nothing seems to work...

Also I am encoding from DivX Files...

If anyone knows any ideas how to fix this I would love to hear them... I have checked through the forum and searched for answers, but I haven't found anything yet... I am getting frustrated, and I would love to be able to encode these videos so I can watch them on the tv rather than just on the PC...

Thanks all...

Oh and HAPPY NEWYEARS!!!!

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Question-how does the mpeg file look after you've re-encoded using tmpgenc? Have you actually viewed the mpeg files before you've burnt them. Do they have any sync/skipping issues then?
Do you know if the files were PAL or NTSC, are you trying to convert from one format to the other without realising it?
Have you tried reducing your burning speed or tried different CDR/RW media to see if it'd make any difference?

[Glasswalker]

The mpeg files do not seem to play back at all after I change the settings... Not even on the PC... the only way they play back even on the PC is if I use ALL the default settings for a normal ntsc vcd... but even then it skips on the player...

I have not checked for skipping in the mpeg in a normal vcd format file yet, I will test that shortly...

I have tried different write speeds (1x - 4x) and I have tried different media (Sony, SKC, Sanyo, and noname)

When I play back one of the files on the PC It detects that the file is only 51 seconds long exactly (51 seconds exactly on every movie, no matter how long or what encoded at) and only plays that much, and it plays it in a small window in the top corner of the screen while the rest of the screen flickers from window, back to pure black, then back to windows (And this is NOT in fullscreen in mediaplayer.)

I have the latest divx codec and latest nimo codec pack, and I am using the latest windows media player for playback...

I am encoding using TMPGENC. The original file is ntsc, I checked... and I even left the resolution alone (encode center and keep aspect) so that it would not screw with that. The framerate I am encoding to is exactly half of ntsc (with an internal framerate of ntsc) so it should work fine...

The bitrate I set is anywhere from 800-1150

The VBV Buffer I set is anywhere from 0 - 128

The Framerate I have tried normal and half

The Disk type (using VCDEasy) is either vcd1.1 or vcd2.0

And still it skips like mad in my player...

But my player plays back dvd disks perfectly, no skipping or artifacts or anything...

And I checked in the compatability database and on a number of forums that talk specifically about my player and there is no mention of skipping and everyone feels it is a very good player... and it should play almost any format of dvd or vcd

I am getting really frustrated, I just want to start encoding videos... I don't even care if I get em on one disk anymore, I just want them to play... without skipping and desyncing badly...

Any suggestions or links to where I could find more information would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks

[zzyzzx]

Try using the VCD template that comes with TMPEGnc (not the VCD film template). I sometimes get the skipping when I am playing something encoded at 23 fps. instead of 29.97fps.

[FT Shark]

After re-encoding play the mpeg with windows media player. if all looks okay then it's your dvd player. I have had several dvd players that have the same frame drops & freezing, blockiness (all of which claimed they play VCD, SVCD, Ect.). The manufactures make these dvd players to play dvd's and don't put their best parts in to make the other formats playable. They do this knowing that most people won't play the other formats, but it looks good on the box. A lot of players have problems with the VCD playback (the processors can't handle them correctly). I suggest trying another player. preferably a higher quality one.

[narked]

Did u check the files for corrupt frames before encoding to mpg, corrupt frames can cause skipping and sound sync probs

[Glasswalker]

I checked with DivFix. And it detected 2 errors... but they are well into the video and the skipping starts well before that...

Also I tried to fix with divfix and it won't fix it...

it detects errors, and if I say rebuild it says it is rebuilding but when I exit and come back in it still detects the errors...

Also virtualdub detected no errors..

I know that this brand/model of player supports vcd and svcd and whatnot well because I have read posts on another forum fromlike 50 users all using this player and playing all kinds of disks... also using xvcd and xsvcd and other non standard disks skip free...

So I am not sure if I got a damaged player, maybe it needs cleaning?

Or if I am doing something wrong in encoding it...

The skipping is almost identical to the skipping seen in a divx movie when your computer is not fast enough (or you are running too much in the background)

I am about to try reencoding the file as standard ntsc (non film) as suggested above... that will take some time but hopefully that fixes it... Also when that is done I will try playing back again in media player... but as I have said all the other files I encoded will not play back at all in media player... so I don't know what to think...

(They actually play back much better in the dvdplayer than in mediaplayer)

Anyway thanks for the help so far all... I really appreciate it...
Any further suggestions would also be appreciated I desperately want this to work (and I can't return the player for another one because they are sold out of this model, and the next further up model is almost $100 difference and I can't afford it)