want to export my own home movies to MPEG2 or DVD qaulity. I use Xing mpeg encoder right now, and it seems to me to be the best mpeg1 encoder out there (software of course), and I also want to burn back ups of my movies to MPEG2. That way I can have a 720 X 480 version saved so when DVD burners come down in price, I will have my backups ready 2 go.

thanx 4 your time. D-Dave

-- Dave (davep649@rconnect.com), February 01, 2000

Answers

LSX has the option to make DVD compliant mpeg2 files but it takes a lot of time and CD's are a real limitation at 650M's. You can make variable bit rate mpeg2's as well. Its an interesting subject to prepare for later use, it has been discussed here before.

-- Ross McL (rmclennan@esc.net.au), February 01, 2000.

Take 2 - sorry I got interupted!

One thing that remains un checked in our efforts in this IS will it work in the future with what we decide to encode now? There are a lot of options in the DVD spec and also in the LSX encoder and what if you make the wrong decisions?

You will be surprised at the time it takes to encode in full frame, be prepared for a shock. The other problem I have is that at the moment I cannot play a full frame mpeg2 on my computer at above about 7 frames per second and I am not sure the option to encode mpeg2 files dvd compliant in 352 wide format is of much advantage. But again we have no way of checking the quality AS a DVD and I do not yet know might be possible with a dvd rom. I know and use mpeg2 in what I think are dvd compliant files for archive purposes and the Panasonic encoder does a good job of a vcd from a mpeg2 archive - but what when we actually do a dvd burn?

-- Ross McL (rmclennan@esc.net.au), February 01, 2000.

Dave I posted this in answer to another posting and just in case you do not read others here is a copy:

I think there are several important restrictions in DVD authoring, its not just a case of using MPEG2 encoding and expecting a DVD out the other end: In DVD, sound is restricted to a sample rate of 48kHz only. The general Mpeg2 specification allows for sample rates of 32, 44.1 and 48. So unless the DVD authoring software beyond the mpeg2 stage has the option to correct that you may not be DVD compliant unless your using the 48kHz sample rate.

Each video system under DVD mpeg2 has 4 frame size choices and MPEG-1 is restricted to only one size in each system, same as vcd.

Mpeg-1 SIF is the allowable DVD format and that is a constant bit rate format slightly higher than our VCD data rates. I am sorry Mr Emartinez but CBR is permitted in the specification for Mpeg2 based files and certainly the LSX DVD encoder projects allow for CBR as an option for encoding DVD compliant files.

The difficulties get even worse because in the choice for the variable bit rate; you are required to select the maximum BR, and then the tolerance on the average bitrate where the upper value is twice the lower value and it is possible to select incorrect rates. The maximum BR is 9.8Mbits/sec, not the 15 that the general mpeg2 spec allows for.

It seems that only two frame rates are permitted, 29.97 and 25Hz (some will no doubt challenge that and add 24).

The above is based on this site which gives some tabulated details that may help those considering the future.

http://www.mpeg.org/MPEG/DVD/Book_B/Video.html

Perhaps if people read this site they will begin to understand how difficult it may be to actually prepare for the future without actually carrying out a test now to check the choices made in advance.

If you consider I am wrong in the above then I suggest you take it up with the people concerned on the above mentioned web site. The LSX DVD encoder works with and provides for the options described above.

As I said yesterday in reply to another posting, be prepared for a shock when you go encoding in the full frame sizes and again in what you can actually fit onto an normal CD based archive.

-- Ross McL (rmclennan@esc.net.au), February 02, 2000.

I wante vcd to mpeg encoder softwaer

-- Aamir mahmood janjua (mahmood1270@yahoo.com), May 21, 2001.