I'm capturing from a Digital 8 camcorder with Pinnacle Studio DV. Then I render to MPEG (using their Video CD settings) which gives me a file I can play nicely using Windows Media Player. When I burn using Adaptec EZ CD Creator to an .mpg data file, I can still use the CD in the computer and play it with Media Player, but it won't be recognized by my Phillips 771 DVD player (which does play CDR's). When I use the Adaptec Video Creator, it says the MPEG is not the correct type. If I just lower the bit rate on the MPEG rendering will that do it or do I have to use an entirely different encoder like Xing or Panasonic? If so, will they take the .avi file that my Studio DV capture? Thanks from a newbie!

-- dennis ostrem (dster4@aol.com), June 04, 2000

Answers

I just want to offer you some insight on my experience with burning vcds. The easiest way to make vcds is to rip them off a dvd or a vcd using some ripping software. But thats a piece of cake. The challenging part is to put our favorite shows on vcd. I wanted to know how to do this because sending cdroms via mail is easier and cheaper compared to sending VHS tapes. If you know what I'm saying.

Back to the topic. I am using Pinnacle System's Studio DC10plus. Just like all of us Pinnacle users I have had some problems with it at the beginning of my recordings. I had problems with audio and video synchronization. I fixed this problem by replacing my $10 cheap generic PCI soundcard (I think the sound is still pretty neat) with an Ensoniq Sound Blaster PCI card. That said bye bye to the a/v sync problem. I record from my VHS player (my source) with 640X480 with 30 frames/sec, 5000 datarate. Some say that recording at 700X480 would help the picture quality. I don't know about this. I will try it soon. After I have recorded the movie into my harddisk I edit it using Adobe Premiere 5.1 because of the fact that there is the XingMPEG and the Panasonic MPEG encoder plug-ins available for Adobe Premeiere 5.1. This will enable you to make final video in mpeg format. Instead of rendering it into the final avi movie and THEN converting it to mpeg video cd format, why not go straight into making it an mpeg right away right? As long as you can play that movie in your Windows system that means you can edit it in Premiere (or Studio) and convert it into mpg format for VCDs.

I am still looking for that free XingMPEG Encoder and Panasonic encoder plug-ins for Adobe Premiere 5.1. If you could help me find it I would greatly appreciate it.

Brian

-- Brian S. (brianes@netzero.net), June 06, 2000.