I am having problems with the playback of SVCD discs. I have managed to convert an AVI file into MPEG2, and burn it onto a blank CD-R disc, but when it plays back on the settop DVD palyer it only plays at half speed, with no sound, but if I press the fast forward button once, i.e to play at x2 speed, then it is more or less OK.
I used Studio DV version 1.26 to capture and edit the film, and then under the Make Movie settings I used the SVCD quality preset, which selected MPEG2 as the file type, size 480x756, Data rate 2400Kbits/sec, which as far as I understand all this, seems to be OK. It took a long time to create the file (over 2 hours for 16 minute film) but seemed to work OK.
I then opened Nero Burning (version 5.5.5.6 OEM) which came with the CD burner, opened the SVCD wizard, and dragged the MPEG2 file into the Track window. The Duration was listed as 16 mins 2 secs (correct) but the blue bar at the bottom shows about 32 mins of the disc being used, and sure enough, when played back on the settop DVD player the track length is given as 32 mins. The quality of the picture is very good, but I am clearly doing something wrong somewhere.
Later.........having read the Little Shiny Discs article Part 4 in the Nov 2000 edition of Computer Video, I downloaded the Tsunami (TMPGEnc) software and tried with that. I used their preset SVCD for PAL with the following settings Video Type = Interlace, Field Order= Bottom field first, Aspect Ratio 4:3 625 line. On the bitrate setting screen the Average Video Bitrate was 2520 Kbits/sec, and nder Movie Info it said 480x576 25fps/44100Hz Stereo and the movie length was listed as 16min 02sec. However, as with the Nero screen, there was a blue bar showing the space on the disc as being about 32 mins, althoutgh I did notice that if I reduced the Average Video Bitrate setting then this bar got shorter. I let it encode the file using the default settings, burned it to disc with Nero, and the same thing happened, the disc plays at half speed on the settop DVD player.
I have used Studio DV to create an MPEG 1 file of the same AVI file, and burned that as an ordinary VCD, and it works perfectly, although the picture quality isa not brilliant.
I hope that there is some fundamental mistake which I have made with one of the settings somewhere, If anyone can help I would be very grateful.
Computer details if of any relevance PII 450MHz, 256MB Ram, 10GB boot disc, 40GB video disc, TEAC CDW-254 E CDrewriter, Windows ME, Studio DV card and software. Settop DVD player Technics SL-HDV600. I used BASF 80min/700MB CD-R discs.
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Just a stab-in-the-dark...
Is it possible that you are managing to create video files with a 50Hz frame rate rather than a 25Hz frame rate? These would play back OK on a PC (software decoders are basically not limited in what frame rates they can support, as long as the CPU can do the work fast enough). However, a normal DVD player can only play at 25Hz so it will take twice as long to play the same material.
Actually, thinking about it is seems more likely that although your player seems to support SVCDs it can't read the data off the disc any faster than a standard VCD. Have you tried any other players?
[This message has been edited by Matt Beard (edited 21 March 2002).]
According to the file properties, it is definately at 25MHz, not 50. I don't have a DVD drive or software to play back MPEG2 files on the PC, but I will give the disc which I have made to a colleague to see if it plays with the same fault on his PC or stand-alone player
Adrian,
I would think the problem is with your DVD player and not the making of the SVCD. I had the same problem in trying to get a miniDVD play on a friends new Panasonic DVD. It played fine on my Yelo and when played on the Pan there was no sound and the picture jumped. I then tried SVCD again the same problem, it would only play when the file was coded as VCD at much reduced resolution and colour saturation. Does the player you are trying to use state in the instructions that it supports SVCD?
Andy
Andy
Can you post your method and software used to ceate your vcd and Svcd's
to be played on yelo 800
thanks in advance
bill
Process is as follows:
Edit movie in Premier and output to disk a standard avi using Premiere DV template, in my case PAL.
To produce the miniDVD I use TMPGn (I have versions 12a, 2.50, 2.51 and 2.53 all work fine) and use a PAL DVD template which Lynx supplied as a download with TMPGn12a from their website. I understand that this is no longer available since TMPG site now longer permit any site to offer for download any 12X version. The template sets a maximum datarate of 4000Mbits/sec (this includes any sound files). Any datarate above this (normal DVD would have a variable datarate upto about 8000Mbits/sec) will mean the video will either show picture disturbance and/or sound skipping as the player will be trying to handle CD media (ie slower disk rotation) containing DVD data. This process produces an mpeg2 file.
I then open NERO (5.5) and choose new super video CD. I then drag and drop the mpeg2 file into NERO which will then complain that it is not the correct format for a SVCD (which it is not because it is a DVD format file and is in the full PAL format resolution ie 768x576) but NERO will allow you to continue anyway. By making what appears to be an SVCD allows the disk to autorun when put into the DVD player.
The disk will then auto play in the DVD player (Yelo) with the message SVCD - play on screen at the start. The picture is then in full DVD PAL resolution but at the lower datarate of 4000mBits/sec and the consequence of this is a very slight shimmer on fast moving parts, but you get full saturated colours and pin sharp resolution.
I expect you can generate your own template from the standard DVD 8000Mbit/sec one by changing the rate parameter but if anyone wants the lynx template then I can e-mail it to you.
So far I have made 10 holiday movies each of about 20 mins length with titles, transitions and background music.
Andy