Help with CVD and Studio8

[Creative]

Hi,

I'm new in creating CVD disks, so please any help will be welcome.

I captured my homevideos from my camcorder ( D8 - Sony TRV740 ) via firewire port. I use the Studio8 to create a AVI - DV format file.

From this file ( DV ) i made some cuts and transitions and decide to burn a CVD. Here is the problem !

The Pinnacle Studio 8 can burn directly to a CD-R with the SVCD format, but don't allow me to change to 1/2 D1 resolution and uses always CBR.

So how can i create one CVD in my case ?

I imagine something like create a MPEG file, using a 352x480 CBR 2500 k/s and 44.1 KHz stereo sound.

Then use TMPGEnc to create de bin/cue in a 2pass VBR CVD...Is that correct? Is that a better way to do the job ? Will TMPGEnc reencode everything again ???

Thanks in advance...

[donpedro]

To start with... PS8 always use CBR.

To do what you need you have 2 options (or more... )

1. Create (make) MPEG file instead of burning direrctly with PS8. By choosing "custom" you can select resolution and bitrate..... Then take MPEG2 file and author it with (for example) Nero.

2. Create (make) full size DV AVI and use TMPGEnc to reencode to correct size and bittrate. Then author and burn with (for example) Nero.

Do not try to create MPEG and then re-encoding with TMPGEnc. You will loose too much of quality.

Pedro.

[Creative]

Thanks Donpedro,

Is it possible to create a CVD disk using the NERO ???

Looking at the new compilation menu on the left of the nero's interface its possible to choose SVCD, VCD...

If i trie to Author/Burn a MPG file with the structure of a VCD using the SVCD type of the nero, is it work ?

{}s

[donpedro]

I am sorry. I am not sure about that.... I don't have Nero on my laptop currently, so I can't chech that.

[Creative]

I've done 3 tests:

1) Created a AVI-DV Full and made a MPEG file via TMPGEnc (using Puertorico's NTSC template) then author/burn via NERO;

2) Created another MPEG file from the same AVI-DV, but using CBR 2350 k/s and Author/burn via NERO;

3) Created a MPEG file into the Pinnacle Studio8 using the custom settings (2350 K/s video | 44,1Khz 196k/s sound), then author/burn via NERO.

The quality was very poor in all of them and they were in this sequence: 1 > 2 > 3.

Then i burn a SVCD compilation directly into PS8, with BEST VIDEO QUAL. and the result was great !!! Almost the same image that i see when i play direct from the camcorder on TV...

Where's the problem in my CVDs ????

Another thing: The 3 files (MPGs) were big enough to fill a CD 700mb with over 36,8 mins of video....And the SVCD compilation in the same CD were able to store 34 mins.

A very small diference....I really expected more from CVD.

Anyone has an idea ???


[]s

[SatStorm]

The easiest proccess is like this:

You extract from your camera to PC, using whatever program you want. There are guides to do this in this forum if you want to try alternatives.
The extracted file must have the .avi extention. Load now this to the program virtualdub. You have to learn how to use this program, that's need reading. On this program you can add filters, if it is neccessary and you frameserve to TMPGenc (or the encoder of your choice). Frameserving make the proccess slower but it is better for various reasons.
On TMPGenc, you have to load a SVCD template, unlock it and costumized it as CVD. For your first tests, use CBR. I always use 2 PASS VBR. Others use CQ_VBR.
When the encoding finish, you have an mpeg 2 file with an .mpg extention. Now you open Nero and choose to create a SVCD. You load the mpeg file you created, and nero gonna say that is not SVCD. You don't bother with this, and you continue to burn your file to CD.
This now is a CVD.

CVD is an advance alternative of SVCD. When you master the SVCD creation, manually (don't expect automatic solution), then you can try the alternative called CVD.
One final true is that CVD and SVCD ain't enough for home movies. Home movies need bitrates beyond both CVD and SVCD specifications. That's why those who interest to convert there DVs (and their home VHS) to digital, they choose DVD.

[Creative]

SatStorm,

Thank you very much for the instructions. I'm almost there now. 8)

Yesterday, before read this msg i have tried something like you sugest:

1) Captured with PinnacleStudio8 and created an .AVI with DV codec;

2) Edited (cuts, scenes transitions, etc) in PS8 and created another .AVI - DV with the final material;

3) Encoded this .AVI to .MPG with TMPGEncPLUS 2.59 using the Puertorico Template ( 2PassVBR 2520-2350-1200k/s, HighestQual Motion,... ) and this time checked in the advance tab the SHARPEN EDGE filter;

4) Author/burn in NERO exactly like you said.

This time the result were much better then before....I imagined that this filters are necessary only with high definition TVs ( I have a simple color stream lumina Toshiba 29" )...

But:

a) The image in the SVCD burned directly in PM8 is even better ( more intense colors and contrast = more SHARP i think );

b) The sound was a little delayed from the image...

Now, with the information that you wrote, i'll try again. I imagine that the sound problem will be corrected by the virtualdub ( yes, i know this one a little bit ) but i still have two minor problems to solve:

1) Create AVI - DV is fast, but the file is so big...A 6 minutes test video has over 1.1Gb in the HD. I'm think that my final projects will have each one 30 to 40 mins. That created 2 problems: Max size of a file in FAT32: 4Gb and space enouth in HD.

Is there another type of intermediate file that i can use ??? Something a bit smaller that does not affect the quality of the reencode of TMPGEnc ?

2) Is there a better option of Sharp filter than the one included in the advance tab of the TMPEnc? Is better to apply this filter in the virtualdub process, before TMPGEnc?

Thanks again for the help....

{}s

[SatStorm]

SVCD is a bit sharper CVD.
On a mainstream TV the difference ain't that huge (I can not notice it, but there are many users out there who can notice it).
You can notice the difference on a monitor easier. (Again, I can't notice it, but my monitor is 1024 X 768 highest and 15")
From the other hand, there are also users (even advance ones, like Sefy for example) who don't see real difference between VCD and SVCD!
So, the who is right, is very ... personal. Test all the alternatives and choose the best for you!
Personally, I do those stuff more than 3 years, and untill today I still learn new things! And I manage to creat good CVDs, 6 months after I first test them! Those CVDs for the ones I am able to do today, are crap!

There are many reasons why the SVCD from PM8 is better those first CVDs you made. One of them is that PM8 is a dedicated automatic program for doing this and can give you about 80 - 85% of the best results they can be made with SVCD for the task that interest you.
Going manually doing the same, ain't easy. Needs heavy experiment, time and basicly, you have to master technics, tricks, etc...
You simply load a template, add a sharp filter and hit encode.
Don't expect that easy CVDs better than the SVCDs of a good program like PM8...
Read about frameserving. It doesn't need space.
An even better frameserving alternative is avisynth. I prefer virtualdub because it is better for my needs. Read about this alternative, it migh suit you more.
Also, start thinking upgrading to win2K. It will help you.

[Sefy]

@SatStorm, just wanted to add a couple of things about myself

I Don't consider myself advance, but a newbie, I don't know everything about
all this stuff, especialy not alot of the technical stuff, I just know the HOW TO.

Also, I don't see any difference from VCD to SVCD on the TV, on the PC it's
easy to see the difference because of the resolution, but on the TV, atleast on
equipments i've checked, I saw absolutly no difference.

[SatStorm]

Hi Sefy,
well myself ain't expert for sure! I know couple of stuff, but only for doing them or combine them. I also over the years manage to learn a few thing deeper, but I think I belong to the "power users" party, not the "experts" one!
About VCD and SVCD that's what I meant: Some people can't really see the difference on TV between VCD and SVCD. My brother for example...

Nice to see you around! Visit us more often!

[Sefy]

Hi SatStorm,

Always a pleasure reading you on the forum, and thanks, I will do my best to
stay around as often as I can, i'm on the opening 10, but I want to be back
for the opening 5, I got alot of competition

[Creative]

SatStorm and Sefy,

Thanks for the tips...i'll try i little more.

The only reason to insist in the CVD mode is that i think 34mins (SVCD CBR 2500) is to small for my videos...If i could get 42-45mins of good video in a CVD ou even SVCD it would be great.

Just another thing, is there a way to frameserve directly from the PS8 ??? I've read somewhere that there's a frameserve plugin for premiere...

I'm using winXP with FAT32...So if i have to create an AVI and then frameserve to TMPGEnc with virtualdub i will have to deal with the 4gb limit...Any suggestion here ???

Thanks again for the help...
{}s

[Sefy]

If you use any compression on your AVI (like MJPEG) you should be able to
avoid the 4gb file limitation easily

[donpedro]

Or just switch to NTFS

[Sefy]

I'll stick to FAT32 or move to OS/2 Warp instead :P