VCD authoring

[dchip]

After I finish my movie, I convert the file to a VCD compliant stream using Panasonic MPEG-1 encoder, and then just copy the file from my hard drive to CDR drive using Easy CD Creator. Anyway, as I search around for more information on making better VCD's, I keep seeing the term "VCD authoring." Exactly what is VCD authoring. Am I "authoring" when I copy my NTSC-styled MPEGs to a CD or is there more to the process than that?

[Ghydda]

It is, AFAIK, when you burn the CD acccording to the White Book standard.

This makes it possible to play the darn thing in a standard DVD player.

See this for all the info you could possibly want about burning CDs.

Ghydda

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A slowly desintegrating nobody running this...




[This message has been edited by Ghydda (edited 13 December 1999).]

[RoGuE]

If you are interested in creating VCD's, check out http://www.flexion.org/video/vcd/

[This message has been edited by RoGuE (edited 13 December 1999).]

[elister]

Dont bother, i use Premier 5.1a and Panasonic Mpeg Plug in and i dont have a problem burning or viewing them on my Pioneer DV-414 (DVD Player) machine. Since im using Gold S-Video cables, the quality is very clear (well when capturing from a DVD type quality source).

Previously I had used LSX Mpeg Encoder and several mpeg stiching programs, those hosed the VCD bitrate and prevented me from actually burning them as a VCD.

[dchip]

Thanks. I guess I am authoring. All this is becoming clearer every day.

[wkulecz]

Ghydda,

I've not yet seen a VCD that approached VHS in quality. Perhaps you could arrange to post a short clip of your VCD mpeg to this forum as an example.

I've never used the panasonic encoder, what I've seen, if it has any info about the encoder used, has been Xing, Ligos, or the freeware avi3mpeg.

If there is a way to really get VHS quality from VCD I'd put the effort and expense into being able to do it, but every sample I've seen has left me with the "why bother with VCD" attitude.

--wally.

[dchip]

If I am lucky I can play mine in a consumer DVD player. I learned that only certain units recognize CD-R so I will be looking for one that does.

wkulecz, I can vouch for the Panasonic Encoder wholeheartedly. It makes the best MPEG's I have ever seen from software and I have used Xing, Ligos, etc. I still consider the Panasonic MPEG-1 encoder to be the single best download I have ever made and the wisest $80 I ever spent. I love it. I am not at my own computer now so can't post the webpage but will do so later.

Thanks everybody for all the good info.

[elister]

I totally agree, Panasonic's mpeg plug in is great! And I too have a DVD player capable of playing VCD's (Pioneer DV-414).

As for VHS quality? When your playing it on a TV via DVD player or even S-Video/RCA out to a TV, it looks fine.

I find that capturing video from a DVD source via S-Video and encoding with Panasonic creates even better mpegs.

Capture from VHS or even SVHS via svideo and its still not as good as capturing from a DVD source. But you can barley tell the difference when its being played back on your TV.

Also some mpegs just look like shit when you play them back on your own system. Ive seen some of my mpegs look ALOT better on other systems with different video cards.

[Trinity]

- Any observation about the quality of a
VCD has to be qualified by the size of the
TV it is viewed on. Mine look great (better than VHS) on a 14" TV but start revealing
visible flaws when you move up to a larger
set. The lack of chroma-noise is the biggest advantage of VCD over VHS.

- If you want the best quality from DVD, you
don't go through the analog stage (from DVD player to Marvel BOB). Instead, you rip the
MPEG2 files (VOBs) directly off the DVD to
your hard-disk and convert them to MPEG1. The
art of this process is very new and evolving
on a weekly basis. The results are excellent.

It has also been confirmed that it is
possible to create a CD-R formatted as a
DVD with VCD resolution, but retaining the
AC3 soundtrack and still be playable in
CERTAIN standalone DVD players (Pioneer 414
and 525).

- The Panasonic encoder has one fatal flaw; it does not insert sequence headers in the MPEG stream. The result is that while I can create my own graphic menus for my VCDs (just like DVDs), I have no ability to create chapter stops. If anyone knows of a
way to insert headers without re-rendering,
let me know.

- PS don't judge a VCD by how it looks when
played on your computer. VCD's actually look better when played from a standalone DVD player.

[dchip]

Where to get the Panasonic Encoder or Panasonic Premiere plug-in:
http://www.networkserve.co.jp/mpeg/index_e.htm