Spliting mpeg file gives a second file unburnable...

[Dave Null]

Hi,

I've tried all methods i'm aware of to convert DVD or DivX to VCD or SVCD (42, ffmpegx, mmt). If the resulting mpeg file fits on one CD, all is ok : i may edit it with VCD Builder then burn it with Toast.

My pb arises when the result needs two CD : all is ok with the first mpeg, but i always fail to burn the second one..

If i drop the second file on Toast in VCD mode, Toast complains that this file is not a VCD one... Editing it with VCB Builder then burn it in XA mode gives a CD i'm unable to read on my home DVD/VCD reader (i may watch it with VLC or Mplayer, though). I repeat : all is fine with the first mpeg file...

I've tried to cut the big mpeg file myself, with mpgtxwrap : same thing

Is there something i miss with this splitting... Seems there something wrong with it ?

Any clue (i'm boring to use Windows software to do that...) ?

Thanks in advance

[ZeroSix]

One workaround for problematic mpeg files is to author the mpeg as a .bin image and drop the .bin file onto toast in VCD mode.

To do this, open ffmpegX, click on the TOOLS tab and clivk the button that says VIDEO and direct it to the mpeg in question.

Then, check the box on the right side that says POSTPROCESS SPLIT & AUTHOR only.

On the right side, check the box to author as .BIN / .CUE only.

Then click on GO and not ENCODE and you will end up with a .bin file that toast has no choice but to accept.

Here:

[Dave Null]

One workaround for problematic mpeg files is to author the mpeg as a .bin image and drop the .bin file onto toast in VCD mode.

To do this, open ffmpegX, click on the TOOLS tab and clivk the button that says VIDEO and direct it to the mpeg in question.

Thanks for your help, but that don't solve my problem

I succeed to burn the bin file with toast but my home DVD/VCD reader is unable to read it... It displays 'VCD' but that's all. This same reader says 'SVCD' when i put the CD containing the first chunk which is ok.

The Mac can open the CD and i can see it contains required structure (EXT, MPEGAV and VCD directories).

BTW: the file i'm talking about is a SVCD file, not a VCD (i've used MPEG2 to encode it, not MPEG1)... As your method makes author it as a VCD, could it be the reason of my home reader's trouble? May be i could try to author it as a SVCD one, with XA .img file ? If so, i think that is exactly what VCD builder do..., isn't it ?

Thanks again,

[ZeroSix]

well is it is SVCD then by all means author it as SVCD image. Try that and burn it in Toast XA mode and let me know how that works.

Let me know if you need help and if it works or not...

[galactica]

One other option is to use Missing Media Burner.
My player plays SVCD but cant handle the toast burned ones, even using the Multitrack options.

I only get successfull playback with Missing Media Burner.
Just a thought

also, i had problematic mpeg's when i would split them with anything but gumby, so perhaps its a splitting problem.

The first would always work, but anything beyond the 1st part would not play on my player, but did on my computer. strnage I know, but gumby was the only one that let the split mpeg file play on my SVCD player, after i imaged it to .bin/.cue with a vcd imager.

best of luck

[ZeroSix]

Galatica --

And that is very weird too, because i think that problem is player independant... I will have to look into using Gumby because whenever i burn video CDs for friends, sometimes they report that the second disc is unplayable. On some DVD players they get sound only and on others nothing at all.

I never really thought about that until just now.

I have a Panasonic Gamecube, and on it, the so-called problematic .mpg files that we are talking about in this thread all play just fine on it, and it seems to be a very picky player with no SVCD support and only liking movies burned at a certain speed with certain media.

the most common player i have heard of from friends and associates that will have those problems is the Apex players, which is strange as they seem to be a brand that plays almost anything you put in them.

When we are talking about splitting the mpeg files, what command / program is being used [aside from Gumby]? Is it mpgtx? I primarily use ffmpegX to automate this entire process of converting from one format to another.

Comments are appreicated.

tia.

[galactica]

usually i use mpegtx which gave the best results. Then it started giving me errors. Now i use gumby (followed by Missing Media Burner) to give a svcd that plays on my Apex 5131.

The problem is 42 wont make a 2nd .bin/.cue so i would take the mpeg that is in the temp file, and break it myself.

The first always worked and the 2nd would play on my computer fine, but never ever would it allow .bin/.cue creation. I tried all options under the output types.

Finally, gumby was recommended and it works fine. ffmpegx is not very user friendly to me, so i dont use it much. I always have problems when i run anything through it. It could have lots of updates since my version (g i think?) so that could also be why.

[Dave Null]

One other option is to use Missing Media Burner.

I only get successfull playback with Missing Media Burner.
Just a thought

also, i had problematic mpeg's when i would split them with anything but gumby, so perhaps its a splitting problem.

Unfortunately, MMB doesn't work yet with the new combo (Toshiba SD-R1312) shipped with last PM4 (i'm unable to use both cdrdao and cdrecord...).

I've tried Gumby and it seems it's fine : i've succeeded to burn both parts of a SVCD splitted with it. So, big thanks for this tip.

But, there's something curious : if i use VCD Builder to put some chapters (to use next/previous to skip to some sequence), VCD Builder is totally lost with the timing of these chunks (it says the first chunk is only 5 mn...). Furthermore my VCD reader starts at 65 minutes for the second chunk. So it's seems there's a mess with timing and Gumby. But, at least, i can read them...

While i'm here, is there some doc about Gumby... I don't understand all its functionnalities (Jelly, for example)...

Thanks again,

[Dave Null]

well is it is SVCD then by all means author it as SVCD image. Try that and burn it in Toast XA mode and let me know how that works.

Let me know if you need help and if it works or not...

It works (almost) now... See my answer to Galactica.

Thanks for your help, i'm still gonna try some other solutions as Gumpy doesn't allow me to put pbc index in the chunks.

[mephoneno]

If you want to cut a single .mpeg video file into two .mpegs that will both burn as an SVCD or a VCD, try using VirtualPC running TMPGEnc in Windows. I know you said that you don't want to use Windows - but it's a good workaround till something better comes along.

TMPGEnc is shareware. Availible from the array of applications on this site.

Open TMPGEnc - in the File menu, go to MPEG Tools - choose the Merge and Cut tab. Hit the edit button, load your MPG file and use the slider - hit the little parenthesis icons to lock-in start and end times, or enter the time values in the data fields. Hit "Run" and wait about 10 - 15 minutes. It creats the video portion, then the audio portion, then multiplexes them.
You have to create both parts one and two from your original file, but both burn without any problem.
Good Luck.

Dave