Guys a lot has been written today and I am somewhat confused in the outcome from some more tests tonight.

I installed a program called bbMPEG which comes in two stand alone versions one for DV and one for analogue source material. It can also be loaded as a plugin for Premiere and thats the version I used tonight - its free and in beta mode.

The SVCD standard default settings for PAL were given as 480 x 576 frame, 2600kb/s MP@ML Mpeg2, 12I & 3P's and 224 Layer 2 Stereo. Sorry I got to talk in PAL because I do not have any NTSC to encode yet.

It produces a good set of notes as it processes things and I was drawn to a note that effectively said, if the m2v video file and the mp2 audio file can not be multiplexed they will not be deleted.

I waited and 38 minutes later it had rendered my 720 x 576 DV AVI to a SVCD file and the final note was "Mux rate to low for the data rate, this file maynot be played by some equipment". It played OK with the Pioneer 104/Hollywood Plus decoder combination. Then I noticed that there was a unticked box that said "Auto" and when I ticked it the data rate went from 2600 to 2376 and the file was completed also 38 minutes later (for my standard 30 second test file) and there was no note as multiplexing was actually completed this time. Maybe Doug that explains why you have not been able to play your 2600 file in the 525, the file was not correctly multiplexed.

Now I gleened today that my test (2) in the posting "How good is SVCD...." was wrong from the point of view that frame sizes for the SVCD simulation were wrong. Daniel pointed that out (surprised you guys never said anything, this is all a learning curve for me). So I now have 4 good test files, the 720 x 576 VBR DVD compliant file which is top of the list but takes 2.67 hours per minute to make. A SVCD file that takes 1 hour and 26 minutes to make/minute of video. You guys are not saying how long! A Mpeg-1 file at 3000kb/s (and one at 4000kb/s) and a normal VCD all from a source based on a full frame DV AVI using NLE techniques and the Mpeg-1 3000 is still the best file if the DVD compliant file is neglected. That file has a data rate above what you guys are using in the high data rate VCD and I suggest the image quality difference will even be less noticable on my system.

Search me there has got to be a difference in mpeg stream generated files that appear to get a bigger boost from an increased data rate than the DV avi based system. Thats an interesting conclusion and one ponders where all this is leading, for me not to SVCD! I will be interested in Long's mpeg system results. I also wonder if there is a difference in NTSC & PAL, Walter what do you think being PAL (I think)?

Cheers

-- Ross McL (rmclennan@esc.net.au), February 28, 2000

Answers

Ross,

I have the same problem as you with NTSC. I don't have PAL input source. I can capture in NTSC and convert it to PAL format but that will defeat the whole purpose of the resolution thing. PAL will typically give higher resolution then NTSC due to the nature of the video scan lines. I guess you have a better video source to start with then us NTSC user.

-- lnguyen (wingstarzz@hotmail.com), February 28, 2000.