Let's talk about S... Yes I mean SVCD

[IvanP]

Hi All,

There was a link to Philips SVCD Authoring s/w on this forum with not very "huge" response later ...
On that site it looks very promising: VBR 780x576(480) MPEG2, two audio streams, MPEG1/2 audio, multi-channel 5.1 sound, overlay graphics, better navigation... up to 50-60mins HIGHT QUALITY video (anybody knows SVCD specs.). Everything on single cheap CD-R(RW) burned on acceptably priced rewriters. They are promising future DVD video players with SVCD support (not only Asian models which has it at this time). I thing it's only upgrade of existing firmware already developed for Asian market.

I thought that SVCD is forgotten and beaten by DVD. But there are still no "at normal price level" DVD-R or better DVD-RW(+RW) available. And who knows when they will and how long the DVD player's manufacturers will "invite" compatibility with the new rewritable media. Also we cant forget on film producing companies because they "don't like" any writable/rewritable DVD.

OK, I'm talking about home SVCD playable on desktop DVD player. It seems that Philips wants to revive this idea for this purpose.
(miniDVD has/(will have) not guaranteed compatibility with desktop players and maximum 18 mins on CD if you hold on DVD specs.)

I've made some experiments...

1. To resize 704x576 avi to 480x576 you have to change avi codec to Morgan MJPEG for example before resizing. We can discuss what filter is better (I'm using Premiere or VirtualDub). Maybe the best solution is a special filter that will perform some horizontal "analog/continuous resampling" from 704 to 480 samples for each scanned line. Or to find a way how to force Marvel drivers to capture @ 480x576PAL. There was some thread about hidden new driver features but I haven't tested it at this time.
2. Encoder parameters: Terrible, there are not any templates for SVCD. You can play with parameters while the resulting audio/video streams suit to strict SVCD parameters. I've tested LXS 2.51 demo (no VBR) and bbMPEG. Audio is accepted only encoded by bbMPEG because you need to set Error protection bit. Problems are with constrained datarate and VBV overflow. I have some "working bbMPEG" template. I have not tested LSX 3.0 VBR yet.
3. How to test resulting mpg or burned CD-Rs? SoftDVD with DVD add-on is completely out the game for mpg file and disk too. Only WinDVD was able to play SVCD's mpg file. I was looking for some SVCD s/w player but without success. Does anybody know some?

Anybody experienced here? I'm looking forward for any response.

Ivan

[This message has been edited by IvanP (edited 28 October 1999).]

[Jimmy Soo]

Hi Ivan,

May I know where to download a demo version of a SVCD authoring software. Perhaps I could try it out in my JVC SVCD player. The player could play out my home-made VCD very well.

Jimmy

[RoGuE]

Philips SVCD info can be found here. http://www.licensing.philips.com/new...d/newsvcd.html

------------------
aka Chris H


[This message has been edited by RoGuE (edited 29 October 1999).]

[salacious]

You can get a SVCD, CVD, VCD, DVCD, DCVD, DSVCD player from http://www.herosoft.com/edownload.htm
It is free to download and I have played successfully some VOB files.
I am not sure if it is limited.

[Jimmy Soo]

Hi Ivan,

Thanks for those keys. Unfortunately I am using Windows 98 and the software could only run in NT. I am particularly interested with the graphic overlay feature of SVCD in full frame bitmap files. Those menus and CG graphic I have created in MPEG1 for VCD are simply poor quality. Perhaps SVCD is the solution. Althought I have bought the JVC SVCD player but I haven't play any SVCD titles yet to witness the quality. Anybody knows where to order SVCD titles from the internet?

[IvanP]

Hi,

Thanx Salacious for the link. I've tested it only on Win98. It is first player that recognized SVCD as a disk. It properly scaled the picture to 4:3 but my "handmade" SVCD has played video stream slowly while audio at normal speed. When audio has finished the video quickly rewinds to the end of the shot. Now I don't know if it's my (authoring) or player fault.
On WinDVD it has played in proper synchro but only as a file but with some errors in video.

Jimmy I have no experience with graphic overlay yet. There should be some info in documents provided on Philip's web. There are also some test SVCD that are probably expensive. As far as I know SVCD was targeted to Asian market. Try to ask in some video lending or make yourself an own one.

Ivan

[This message has been edited by IvanP (edited 30 October 1999).]

[Jerry Jones]

http://www.uwasa.fi/~f76998/videocd/svcd_overview.htm

[Jerry Jones]

http://www.uwasa.fi/~f76998/videocd/svcd_overview.htm

I read the above Web site with interest,
but I can't help but feel depressed about
the state of "recording to CD or
DVD" in the world today.

Let's face it: Nothing exists that
really offers an ideal solution.

Check out the article in EMedia Professional
about the Pioneer DVD-R drive that burns
DVD discs that can't even be read by
standard DVD-ROM players. What a fiasco:
http://www.emediapro.net/news99/news1017.html

Super VideoCD just isn't being marketed
in any significant way (except in China).
If it were, then it might be an interesting
alternative.

But it's just not catching on in NA or
Europe... not yet anyway.

Most conventional CD video formats offer HORRIBLE quality.

Just yesterday, I converted a 5 minute
edited video piece (edited by myself) to
three (3) different compression formats:

a) Windows Media 4.0 (.asf)
b) Cinepak (.avi)
c) Zoom-TV (.avi)

My source video was MiniDV. So it
occupied more than one gigabyte of
hard drive space.

When I compressed it using the above
encoders, it was reduced in file size
drastically.

I'd say the Zoom-TV codec did the best
job... but even it was not even close to
the pristine playback of full screeen
full motion MiniDV on my 17" computer
monitor.

I burned all three files to a CD-R and
put it in the mail to the party that had
requested video on CD.

But I couldn't help but think to myself:
"CD video really bites."

[This message has been edited by Jerrold Jones (edited 30 October 1999).]

[IvanP]

Very interesting links, thanks.

One think I'll never understand: How it's possible that $70-80 DVD-ROM drive can read anything? I know the problems with cD-R and CD-RW set top player compatibility. The second generation players have written in their manuals CD-R compatibility but only on the paper. About DVD-R I'm surprised. I've read in some magazine DVD player test from(7/98). There passed Denon DVD3000, Panasonic 350, Philis DVD 930 and Sony DVP-S715 as DVD-R compatible.

Ivan

I'm not fool but I'm 90% sure that it's a Holywood lobby as a main brake of evolution at this field.

[This message has been edited by IvanP (edited 30 October 1999).]