OK, I don't mean this as a "pirating" issue, but I'm stuck, and don't know what to do. I have been trying to burn a VCD using Toast, and as I'm sure any of you who have tried this know, it kept telling me I needed to use Astarte M.Pack to prepare MPEGs for use in Toast. When I went searching for it, I found out that Astarte is now defunct, kaput, history. I finally found a place that still had a Demo version of 3.5.1 that I could download, but it will only produce something like 2 second videos in it's Demo mode. I'm trying to find out if there's any way to get a Serial Number for M.Pack, now that Astarte is gone. I obviously can't register it. Is there anyone out there that either knows an alternate way to register, or has a serial number they could give me? (again, I really am not trying to pirate, I just don't know any other option, and I don't think it's illegal when the company no longer exists.) Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

-- Jeff Fetrow (jefffetrow@yahoo.com), January 03, 2001

Answers

I have the registered mpack serial no. But I dun think its worth the effort. After using it to make a few VCDs, I regretted buying it cuz the quality of the image it produces SUCKS!!! I suggest u use media cleaner or switch to Query's idiscwriter. I'm not too sure about the latter, but I am using Cleaner. It works for me.

-- CiDeR (pyro009@fiberia.com), January 04, 2001.

I have Cleaner v5 and my cousin told me that it would make Toast ready files (I'm on a Mac, btw). but I didn't see that in the settings. is it there and doesn't say so, or what.

-- Arcadia (arcadiaproductions@swbell.net), January 04, 2001.

You can convert the mpeg using the Cleaner 5 or any other encoder to make the mpeg-1 VCD compatible file and then use VCDGear to convert it to toast ready mpg. www.VCDGear.com

Nor

-- Nor (nawDsign@yahoo.com), January 04, 2001.

Version 5.0.2 of Cleaner 5 supports Toast in the Output tab. It is still in beta, but will be released "soon."

The Video CD quality is still lame.

-- Len Goff (lengoff@dqsnet.com), January 18, 2001.

no probs. as the other guys have said the quality is not brilliant but this should get you started:

MP35-AMFR-FDAA-HMKN-RPAF MP35-MRNA-LPMD-EMCF-KRAK MP35-BFEL-MAAP-NKHE-MPAK MP35-QQQQ-CJLN-BFEB-LHAH MP35-GGQN-QFLE-MDFD-FRAG MP35-MJGC-PRFK-RDQK-DRAK MP35-QPDB-RMJL-KFEF-BRAG MP35-QKBE-FPHE-GAAL-DRAG

if you find anything better let me know!!

-- bahaman (darren@viewpointinteriors.freeserve.co.uk), January 24, 2001.

Hello, I have a new version od toast it is not on sale for retail yet it is called toast titaniumm, it is way better that adapetc toast and acceps any type of mpeg file as a vcd file, it is amazing and works well. It includes a pludin for imovie and quicktime to convert any movie file to a vcd compliant file and it works good and is the fasteset way to convert for mac yet. If you are intrested in toast timanium e-mail me and ill send it yo tou.

-- Joe Walrus (yem_34@yahoo.com), January 29, 2001.

I'm still looking for a good way to produce VCDs with Variable BR or even better, SVCDs. I'd like to use it with my DVD player (Philips 750), but I don't know how to improve the quality of VCDs. Any ideas?

-- Whopper (obseco@wanadoo.es), April 09, 2001.

(sorry) I'm a Mac-Man, I forgot to say it...

-- Whopper (obseco@wanadoo.es), April 09, 2001.

Hey there. Where did you find that demo version? I've recently run into the same issue with Toast.

-- kevin brooks (kevinb@mackie.com), April 17, 2001.

I use M.Pack to produce VCD and tried other program, but no matter what, MPEG-1 did not produce any good quality video resolution. Use of S-Video port is better than RCA input to record from the video source.

-- Abraham Armada (aarmada@onebox.com), April 23, 2001.

yes

-- sukhvinder (sukhvin_singh@yahoo.com), August 08, 2001.