Ok, I finally was able to download the KDVD sample disc, and it works in my standalone (Pioneer 343) at all resolutions, even with "long GOP"! (The only problem is the audio is out of sync, but I don't know if it should be in sync as it's a "sampler" of videos rather than any continuous video).

However, when i try to make my own KDVD from scratch, the video freezes in my standalone, and only plays a few seconds at a time. I am trying to figure out what I am doing wrong!

It would help me if someone could answer some questions about the Sample Disc:

1. Should the audio be in sync?
2. What program was used to encode Edward Scissorhands? (I assume TMPGEnc, since it was encoded a year and a half ago).
3. Were these clips 23.97 fps with pulldown applied?
4. For the "long GOP" clip - what is the GOP set at? Are the GOPs closed or open?
5. What min/max bitrates were used in the sample clips?


Some information on what I have been trying to do so far:
a. Encoding with HCEncoder - could this be the problem? Not to knock HCEncoder at all, but it could be my player is very picky about the encoder used? (it is a fact that it can play (K)SVCDs encoded with TMPGenc, but NOT with QUenc/Nuenc - never tried with HCEncoder)
b. I am trying to encode True Interlaced material @ 29.97 - could this be a problem? Is it possible i need to still patch the header to say it is 29.97, or should I encode at 23.97 and do pulldown even though the source is 29.97 interlaced (DV)?
c. I have been encoding with these settings in HCEncoder:
Scenechange: YES
VBV Check: YES
Interlaced: YES
Seq endcode: YES
AutoGOP: NO
GOP Length: 18

Could any of these settings be causing me grief?

I'm sure I can work through this - at least I have a shimmer of hope since the sample disc works! (mostly other than audio out of sync)

I have faith in the KVCD forum members that someone can set me straight! I am very eager to learn!

Thanks in advance,
Icarus

I don't remember when I did them but I think audio is not in synch.

Tmpgenc, exactly.

Yes they are.

The same GOP used in KVCD, that is 24 long and open (but closed is not a problem).

Argh, good question. I think 64 - 3000 but not sure for the max.

May be, but I don't think.

Why path the header ? Your source is 29.970 ? SO there is nothing to patch.

Why don't you simply try with tmpgenc ?
You can have also a problem with the MIN bitrate that HC do not allow to set as the value you whish.

I'll try TMPGenc... I was hoping to find something better though, as it is so slow.... but maybe with my new 3 gig computer it will be faster (than my old 700mhz I'm sure it will be!)

TMPGEnc is getting me at least 90% there...

Unfortunately there seemse to be something about the other encoders that my standalone does not like, and I don't know what it is

Anyway, although it now plays about 90%, I am still getting occasional freezing of the video. There are only 2 things I can think of that could be causing my problem (but I'm no expert and it could very well be something else!):

1. Open GOP - I still get a warning in DVDLab about open GOPs, I'll try to re-encode with closed GOP.
2. Media - I'm using the cheapest DVD media I could find - Staples branded DVD-R that was on sale after christmas. I'll do some research and buy a pack of whatever those in the know deem to be "the best", and try again.

These play fine in my PC and in my cheapo portable DVD player, but I'm making these videos for family and I want to make them as universally compatible as possible!

- Icarus

Bitrate control !
Your problems with Quenc/Nuenc are the perfect illustration about why we're continously saying that libavcodec produces nothing but crap.

For HC, the only problem is with the min bitrate, that I think (not sure) is not controled in this encoder.

Open GOP has nothing to do with the freeze. Read the warning from DBDLab it explains clearly what are the "risk" of open GOPs.

If "90%" means that the 9 first 10th of your disc are correct then problems occur, then yes, this is probably due to media.

The bad parts seem to be equally distributed throughout the DVD. The sample disc played fine (although it was very very short so wouldn't give the best indication of the quality of media).

I'll go buy some new blank DVDs today. TDK seems to get good reviews.

I don't 100% remember the warning from DVD Lab (not at my home computer right now). Something about chapter points. Does it just mean the chapter points won't be 100% accurate, or that there could be freezing/sync/etc... errors AT the chapter points?

The problem is only on the accuracy of the chapter point. And probably also a short pixelization of the image when you jump to this chapter point. But only when you jump to it, not when you play the movie normally.
It is just because you jump somewhere that has not been prepared to receive you (that is the purpose of closing the GOP)

I made a KDVD that works in my player finally!

It seems I had two problems:

1. My player does NOT like HCEncoder encoded videos - TMPGenc worked fine.
2. My player does NOT like cheap DVD-R media. SONY DVD+R works fine (I don't know if it is the Sony or the "+R" part that my player likes).