TMPGEnc will not open video file!
 

hey there, I was very impressed with the quality of the kvcd samples so I'd like to convert vhs to kvcd. I'm a newbie so sorry if I ask any dumb questions. I made a 2.5 gb mpeg-2 file with WIN DVR from vhs. Then I copied the kvcd template into the template directory of TmpgE and it couldn't open the file. I also tried to load it with AviSynth and it said "unrecognized exception". I captured the vhs to mpeg-1 and converted to kvcd but the quality was really blocky (maybe because i went from 352x240 to 352x480?) I'm looking forward to your guides. Thanks

Rend,

There's a thread that may answer your questions already. If you haven't read it yet, here's the url for it.

gvarney and I have a similar method of doing this process.
I'm doing exactly this right now,,,,vhs to mpg2 and mpg1-vbr-kwag..


Zooter


http://www.kvcd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=18

hey zooter,
i read your post and it looks like DVD2AVI was the missing link for me. I downloaded TMPG encoder yesterday (I was using DVD2SVCD and CCE 2.5 before) and I was wondering if there is any kind of license protection on it..like will it put a logo on the video or stop working after 30 days or something- i couldn't find anything about that on their website. Thanks

TMPGEnc
 

TMPGEnc is freeware. no splash screens ,no nonsense.

EightBall

hi, I was successful this time but I have a few questions about how I can fit to one cd

first i made a 2.5 gb mpg2 capture from a 75 min movie. Then I loaded it into DVD2AVI (thx again ZTR) and then sent the .dtv and .mpa files to the video and audio sections of TMPG. Loaded Kwag's template (NTSC) and it created a 900 mb mpg1 that I can split with HJSplit and burn onto two cds with Nero.

how can I tell TMPGe to split the file to fit on two 80 min cds or do I have to use FitCD? Also I'd like to try an AviSynth filter to make the file smaller, which one should I use?

thanks for the help
Ren

Hi rendalunit:

You probably have to add Inverse Telecine on your .avs script and then process with the template. I say probably, because you do this ONLY if your original source was FILM.

Look at the this post:
http://www.kvcd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11

Your file will be way way smaller than 900MB.

kwag

Ren,

There's been talk of eventually charging for Tmpgenc Pro since like version 12 or somepin. The tmpgenc's that are available as freeware {or trialware} are called beta's. These are free and have no time limit for mpg1. If you are encoding mpg2 there may be a message saying that there are less than 30 dayz left on mpg2 encoding. If you wish to continue using the mpg2 function beyond that they are charging something like
$ 48 USD for the licensing i believe. There is a thread over at vcdhelp about the "Tmpgenc 30Day Limit". Try a search for it to know more about the Topic. Versions up to 12D or 12E of tmpgenc do not have this mpg2 limitation. I don't know how well these versions will run with Kwag'z template--though i dont imagine a problem. On my pc 2.53 runs faster {there are a couple of dll's, p3.dll and p4.dll}, that may optimize it for newer cpu's. But it's a bit more resource hungry.

If you use HJSplit and u get two files, file1.mpg.001 file2.mpg.002, or so,,
do these burn and play as vcd's on your dvd player?

FitCD will help you create a script to use with avisynth. If you use the mpg2dec.dll it will speed up the encoding somewhat.
If i'm using different avi's that were not captured as a sequence i use avisynth. If not virtual dub to edit out commercials and frameserv to tmpgenc/kwag.

Tmpgenc's MPGTools {file, mpgtools} has a merge/cut option that can split your 900mb mpg into two, or cut out a one minute clip to use as a sample. My cuts always come out in synch. You may or may not have synch issues.

Play around with the aspect ratio of your mpg2 capture in TMG {tmpgenc}. If you 'squeeze down' the resolution and fix the aspect ratio, i.e. 480x320, 480x304, and add black borders, there will be more bits going to encoding the video part (or there wont be as much bitrate wasted on encoding the black bars/area).

To fit you movie down you could try a few things.
changing the resolution down to 352x240, lowering the audio bitrate down to say 128, your video down to 2100 or 2000, and the quality settings down to around 65,60, etc.. Do test encodes of about 3, 4,5 mins. multiple the file size times the length of your movie:
3 min encode: 21 mb, length of movie 110 mins.
(21000/3 x 110) = 770000, 770mb. No prob fitting on an 80min cdr.
Its never a sure thing cuz it varies from movie to movie. Dvd sources compress better though not always.
Encode away, broah....

zTr

Sheit,,,thx kwag i forgot to mention IVTC,,it was on my list..

Sometimes on vhs capps i drop a lot of frames {VD, avi_io} if i try capping at 23.967 , i think that's the right #, anyway..but if i capp at 29.97, no drops at dvd settings.

I always leave ForceFILM 'On', when creating the Project in Dvd2Avi, and tmpgenc recognizes the 'Feed' as 23 fps,, then its left at 23.96 or enable 3:2 Pulldown on Playback for svcd


zTr

Hi zooter:

You have to cap at 29.97. Not at 23.976.

Then do IVTC if your target is KVCD, VCD, XVCD.

kwag

thanx for the info. Kwag im gonna follow your instructions a little more carefully this time (i forgot to set the destination size to 1/2 DVD in fitcd- i spent 9 hrs encoding an SVCD). Im trying this again with the 1-3-12-1 adjustment to the gop. Hjsplit files (*.mpg.001 and so on) play fine on my Sony dvp-nc600 standalone player. I don't understand why CCe is about 2000 bucks and it seems like it sucks compared to TMPGencoder!

Hi rendalunit:

8O 1-12-3-1 , not 1-3-12-1

Number of I = 1
Number of P = 12
Number of B= 3
Output Interval =1
( Max number of frames Default =0 )

Hope that's what you set!

kwag

Capture @640x480 or 352@480
 

Seem to me if I capture @640x480 avi file and run Kwag's template to convert to 352x240, the result is better than if I capture @352x480 avi file. I could be wrong or just depend on the quality of the tape? Can anyone answer it? or what is your recomend for the capture setting? thanks :roll:

Learn,

You're right about capturing at higher settings when resizing to kVCD. One school of thought which subscribes to the theory of capturing at the resolution that you will end up resizing to while others dont find it benefitial. If it works for you stick wit it.
If im capping a quick tv show , for later playback etc, i do 352x240 mpg2;(cuz my apex can handle a higher bit rate in xsvcd) if it's a show or movie capped off a clean channel i go 480x480. Depending on the how 'clean' the source is, i get away with that resolution. If im doing a vhs or dv capture (movie), i capp at 720x480, but mostly at 640x480 mpg2 , then resize to KvCD or mpg2 svcd.

Flexion.org had an excellent article on some fundamentals of capturing, but they're currently offline, rebuilding or somepin.
If u do want to have a read check out nicky's guide.

http://nickyguides.digital-digest.com/video-capture.htm

ztr

Re: Capture @640x480 or 352@480
 

Always capture at the resolution you intend to encode.

Note:
If you are capturing from a VHS tape or TV ( Satellite, etc. ), you capture at 352x480, not at 352x240.
This way you get both fields.

Even if your intention is to create a 352x240 VCD.


There is no quality gain by capturing above 352x480 if your target is 352x480 or below.


kwag

Thanks

l,
told ya there's another school of thought... j/k
:)

I've been using WinDVR to capture vhs straight to Mpeg2 720x480 and the results are decent, but I want to try and capture with Vdub. It looks like VDub only captures .avi files though, and since they're giant files I don't know if my drive is big enough (30 g).

What is a typical filesize of a 2 hr captured .avi file (I guess compressed with Huffyuv?) I'm trying to improve on the captured quality without resorting to upgrading my tuner card.

thanx

@rendalunit

Figure around 16GB per hour with the Huffy CODEC.

kwag

When you capture at 352x480 for dub down to x240, when does this translation occur? At what step is it? I saw something on different threads about averaging the two fields. Is that the idea?

TomG. - aka Plant_Guy

You capture at 352x480 with Vdub to get both fields. Then you encode at 352x240 with TMPEG if you want a standard VCD.

kwag