KVCD: Max Bitrate Problem?

Paulus · #1 10-21-2003, 06:46 AM

I have a Cyberhome standalone which plays (almost) everything without a problem.

Now I have borrowed a SKVCD from a colleague which doesn't even load in the player (display goes black).

I suspect the movie was encoded with a max bitrate that is too high (bitrate viewer software shows max bitrate is 3600 / avg is 950 or so).

Is it possible to change / lower the bitrate relatively simple or will it be difficult (de-muxing, re-encoding, remuxing, or something like that.).

kwag · #2 10-21-2003, 06:51 AM

That seems to be a media problem.
If the CD doesn't load, it's a media problem.
The DVD drive doesn't know anything about the bitrates when you insert the disk. It only reads the file structure to determine the type (format) on the disk. Only when you press play, is when data will be read.

-kwag

Paulus · #3 10-21-2003, 09:10 AM

Maybe I should have explained better "doesn't load".

It DOES load and the "svcd" logo comes on the TV screen, but immediately after the TV screen stays dark. Display on DVD player also also "shuts down" and the player had to be "rebooted" with the powerbutton (disc doesn't exit). This also happens on a friends DVD player with the same disc.

But............on another DVD player (a real cheapo, like 50 USD) -> the SAME DISK plays without any problem !

I gues I can burn again myself another CDR (or RW) to test again (Meanwhile I've got the original BIN files aswell).

............but what does the max bitrate readout mean of "Bitrate Viewer" software program ? Isn't 3600 way to high a bitrate for SKVCD (which it is).

kwag · #4 10-21-2003, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paulus

Maybe I should have explained better "doesn't load".

It DOES load and the "svcd" logo comes on the TV screen, but immediately after the TV screen stays dark.

Ahh, then that's another story

Then it IS related to bitrate

Quote:

............but what does the max bitrate readout mean of "Bitrate Viewer" software program ? Isn't 3600 way to high a bitrate for SKVCD (which it is).

I think that 3,000Kbps is way too high for some players. I haven't tried anything higher than 2,500Kbps on my Cyberhome 300.

-kwag

Paulus · #5 10-21-2003, 09:21 AM

Can you "tune down" this bitrate maybe with a program or do you have to "dissasamble" the .mpg file and than join audio and video again... (the "hard way") ?

kwag · #6 10-21-2003, 09:31 AM

You'll have to re-encode.
What you really need is a transcoder, so you could "clip" down the maximum bitrate.
One way, which you could possibly try, although it's a very tedious process, would be to create VOBs out of your MPEG file. Then run your VOBs through DVD Shrink ( or DVD2ONE ), with a custom size.
Then recreate your MPEG from the VOB.
But with all that hassle, you might as well re-encode

-kwag

incredible · #7 10-21-2003, 09:31 AM

I heard of some people using a Cyberhome that on some models its important to set the min. bitrate at least to 400kbit in combination with the option "enable .... not to be lower than min bitrate" enabled, in the CQ bitrate settings.
Depends on the model but maybe it just also denys streams set to other than 480x576/mpeg2 in svcd mode. Like some mustek players.

Try to find out who encoded this stream and which settings he used.

Paulus · #8 10-21-2003, 09:47 AM

I use a min setting of 400 on all my encodes because I have noticed (pretty sure this was the cause) problems also on Philips DVD players with min setting of 300 which I used earlier.

Maybe that "enable padding......." option is also usefull to try for better compatibility (cost a little more space on disc maybe but that's worth it), although this option has to do with the MIN bitrate setting where in this case I think the MAX bitrate is my problem.

I will also check the firmware for my Cyberhome (AD-L 528 I think it is), maybe they changed something.

My Cyberhome plays everything else just fine although I believe it likes MPEG2 KVCD's better than MPEG1 (als tried "header tricks"). Even the picture quality with MPEG2 KVCD's is better than with MPEG1 KVCD's (I followed Dialhots suggestion to try MPEG1 encoding for KVCD and than mux as SVCD). I also use CVD resolution MPEG2 which also plays fine on the Cyberhome.

On the other hand...........I seem to have very small audio synchro problems more with MPEG2 than MPEG1............again, I'm not sure if MPEG 1 / 2 causes this problem but I have a strong feeling that it does.................Anyway, that is a completely different thread...