if you have MPEG1 file, is it worth converting to MPEG2?

[alandla]

I have a couple of MPEG1 files that I got from friends that they captured as MPEG1. I burned them to VCD's and it looks not too bad but I wondered what it would look like as an SVCD.
However, since the file is captured as an MPEG1, would running it through TMPG to encode it as an MPEG2 really do anything? I mean if the resolution was 352x240, how can it be re-encoded to 480x480?
Also, the same question applies to bit rate. Can I double the bit rate of my MPEG1 file to improve quality and have a bigger MPEG1 file or is it impossible since it wasn't captured at a high bitrate?
Thanks

[oddbod77]

No it will not make any improvement at all. Likewise doubling the bitrate will only make the files bigger it will not yeild any visual improvement.

[BJ_M]

most likly it will look worse --

[Gazorgan]

The best it will look is exactly the same. Typically it will look worse, blockier and washed.

There is no reason to convert VCD to SVCD, you gain nothing and lost qualite with an additional conversion.

[narked]

Basic formula with encoding:

Shit In = Shit Out