I want to make a VCD that has multiple tracks (not indexes) but I dont want the tracks to have gaps in between. How do I create a VCD in which each track flows into one another seamlessly?

For instance, i have a large 70 min mpeg file. It has different scenes. I want to be able to (without splitting the large file into separate files) be able to burn the VCD and be able to press the Track up/Track down buttons on my DVD player or VCD player (or the number buttons) to go from track to track (and I am not talking about chapter indexes.

-- MrVCD (mrvcd@juno.com), March 03, 2000

Answers

I was going to contribute an answer until I noticed you mentioned you didn't want to spilt the file into smaller files and then I saw who was posting, you know way more about VCD's than I do. I've tried doing that too with no luck. I did find shareware that would split mpg files and splicing them with Adaptec is the only way I was able to do it.

-- Al McCraw (amccraw@ix.netcom.com), March 03, 2000.

Don't understand why you don't want index method.

-- Daniel Lee (siangneng@hotmail.com), March 03, 2000.

Daniel,

How do you do index method? What's an index method? Is it like chapters? Right now i am splicing my clip into individual scenes and use EZ to create single menu with play sequences to address them. I would like to make it one big clip without splicing them, and address them just as before with play sequence numbering system (i.e. 1,2,3,4, etc) If not then they will play as a single clip as normal. Can that be done?

-- lnguyen (wingstarzz@hotmail.com), March 03, 2000.

lnguyen,

According to VP4 online help,

"Remote controls of Video CD players according to specification version 2.0 have numeric keys (0,1,2.....,9) to access selection in the range of 1 to 32767. A Next key will support jumping to the next entry point or track, a previous key to the one before. A Stop key will return to menu"

I believe the 'next entry' above refers to an index point. I have a pirated VCD which contains a menu linked to 4 different stories. The 4 stories are saved in one .dat file only. But you can select any story by its corresponding number. You can also NEXT to the next story. This feature only works if the playback control of the player is on.

I think the disc is made with vp4. At the moment, I am toying with vp4 to see if I can make similar disc myself. I am willing to share my success, if any.

-- Daniel Lee (siangneng@hotmail.com), March 04, 2000.

Yes there is such a thing as a VCD with one long track (AVSEQ01.dat in the MPEGAV directory) but nonetheless has indexes in it. I bought this VH-1 Divas live 1998 double VCD. The player reports just one track. However, when I push -> (FF) the video jumps cleanly to the next song, and does so everytime I do at exactly the same spots. Ditto for the <- (RE) button. Clearly this is what Mr VCD and everyone else interested wants. I checked the same VCDs on the PC and confirmed that there was no segment directory and indeed there was just one track in the mpegav, and mercifully behaved as expected on indexing with Xing 3.30. Clearly how to do this will be what we will all be after now 'coz I've also got no idea apart from the multi- track approach.

-- EMartinez (epmartinez@yahoo.com), March 04, 2000.

To create one large file for playback from slices on EZ Creator you first add your start sequence and menu page. Then under sequence 1 you add all of your clips. They will all play back seamlessly if you select 1 from the menu. Then under sequence 2 you can add all but the first clip, then when you hit 2 from the menu everything but the first clip will playback. Continue this process until you reach the last clip

-- Al McCraw (amccraw@ix.netcom.com), March 04, 2000.

It can be made with VP4, For example, if you want to make 3 tracks, you have to create one MENU, and 3 PLAY LISTs. each play list will contain same mpeg file (PLAY ITEM) but with different ENTRY POINT.

The VP4 will then looking for the I-FRAME within the duration of about 30 seconds (I am not sure) of the entry point you defined. if it failed to find the I-FRAME there, it will report you an error.

To insert the I-FRAMEs into the EXACT points, you may need to load your AVI file into the Media studio pro or Premiere, set the markers,and then export the movie with the option of add KEY-FRAME to the markers. Encode the AVI file, and the new mpeg file will has I- FRAMEs at EXACT point you want.

You may also cut the mpeg file at the exact points, and then join it by iFilm editor again, the I-FRAME will be created at re-joint point.

Hope above may be of help.

Eric

-- Eric Chiou (eric66@netvigator.com.tw), March 05, 2000.

Eric,

30 secs search for an I-frame is a little excessive. Assuming a GOP of 15, the next I-frame will be available in 0.5 sec.

In my post above, I said I would try a vcd using the entry point feature provided with VP4. I wish to announce that I have completed a vcd layout to achieve this. Let's see if it will burn a vcd that behaves as expected or to its own death.

Perhaps Eric can let us know if he has successfully made such vcd before.

A minor shortfall in using entry point is that you cannot set the end- play point. The selected play item, once started, will play from set start-point and all the way to the end of the track, if no other button is pressed.

-- Daniel Lee (siangneng@hotmail.com), March 05, 2000.

Hmm...interesting. I noticed that panasonic has this option for encoding, FORCE I-FRAME. Does this has anything to do with it? I have IfilmEdit, so if i cut the clips with Ifilm and joint them together with it through the recorder, I can achieve this? Furthermore, VP4 has the option to select which entry points for your play sequence, how do you go about making it?

-- lnguyen (wingstarzz@hotmail.com), March 05, 2000.

lnguyen,

Q. ... panasonic has this option for encoding, FORCE I-FRAME. Does this has anything to do with it?

I don't use Panasonic. Can't comment on this.

Q. I have IfilmEdit, so if i cut the clips with Ifilm and joint them together with it through the recorder, I can achieve this?

You only can play a straight video without next or previous.

Q. Furthermore, VP4 has the option to select which entry points for your play sequence, how do you go about making it?

Have somewhat figured it out. Wait for my test results.

-- Daniel Lee (siangneng@hotmail.com), March 05, 2000.

Daniel,

Yes, I had successfully made such VCD before.

Some low cost hardware real time encorder will not gives you standard GOP, and I had experience that I can't find A good (acceptable by VP4) I-Frame in the duration of about 5 mins.

Yes, your "minor shortfall" is correct, but you can set "maximun duration of each play item" in the Play list to force it stop to play -- I did not try this, but it should be work.

Panasonic and DVmpeg have the option of FORCE I-FRAME, I did try Panasonic, it seems ok, but needs further test.

For made such VCD, I used to use VP4 to encode the AVI file, if I don't mine the EXACT point. The I-FRAME will be available within one sec around the Entry point. If I care about EXACT point, I used to use Media Studio Pro, and sometimes Premiere.

To encode AVI to Mpeg with VP4, Drug and drop the AVI file (with vcd format) into the "empty destination windows" of VP4, follow the interactive windows of VP4, the VP4 will encode it, and put the mpeg file in the temporary directory. The temporary directory is defined during VP4 setup, by default it is C:\windows\temp. The file name VP4 created is somewhat like "VVe.......XXXX.mpg", and XXXX is your AVI file name. VP4 encode quality is good but very slow, I used to encode one minute AVI for each entry point, and join all mpeg files by iFilm edit, the final mpeg file will be like: hardware encoded mpeg + VP4 encoded mpeg + hardware encoded mpeg + VP4 encoded mpeg + ......

When you start to burn the VCD, If the VP4 can't locate the I-FRAME around the entry point, it will pop up an error message like: C:\windows\temp\vv.scr line 65: Could not set entry ENTRY X. Again, the C:\windows\temp is the temporary directory defined by VP4 setup. Use the text editor (notepad is good enough) to view the vv.scr file, you'll find out which entry point time that VP4 is unable to locate I-FRAME there.

Eric

-- Eric Chiou (eric66@netvigator.com.tw), March 06, 2000.

Daniel,

You can control the exit point, it's just not called the exit point. VP calls it the Maximum Duration. It's on the properties sheet for each playlist node. The default is Infinite, which tells it to play through the end of the clip. What I don't recall is whether it counts the duration from the entry point, or from the beginning of the clip. Make a couple of test discs and find out.

-- Sean (sean@magnuminvestments.com), March 10, 2000.