Mini-guide quick and easy - DVD to (S)KVCD with MencodeMe.
Translation by Prodater64
From original Maurus spanish work.
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DIRECT METHOD
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Introduction
This mini guide tries to cover with a simple form the method of codification of K(S)VCDs using MencodeMe, the popular GUI of VMesquita that abstracts us of the natural and arduous form to work with MEncoder from the command line. This encoder it comes from the Linux world and it encapsulates as well libavcodec library. It is fast and we can obtain a great quality, mainly in MPEG-2.
The method that we propose, as we has occasion to see, he is quite simple to follow and he is much less tedious than the one than normally we have used until now with AVISynth scripts, prediction stuff and CQ, TMPGEnc, templates configuration, etc.
The process that we are going to expose describes like directly making a K(S)VCD from a DVD.
Necessary Software
DVDDecrypter
In order to rip the DVD to our hard disk.
MencodeMe 0.23
The simple and excellent GUI of Mencoder, work of VMesquita. In order to codify the video.
Headac3he
In order to codify the sound.
BbMPEG
In order to multiplex sound and video. And in case of going to 2CDs, also to cut the film. To execute from runBBMpg.exe to go directly to the part of the multiplexing, that is the one that interests to us of this program.
Nero
http://www.ahead.de
In order to record to CD our creation. Optionally we can use
VCDEasy mainly if we want to add chapters so and as it is explained in the
Appendix that there is at the end of this mini-guides.
Just by these five applications we can make our work in an operative one that, as we have occasion to verify, are quite simple.
The advisable thing would be make a folder in desktop called, for example, KVCD. In it we created the five direct access to these necessary programs for our projects.
In this sense, maybe you enconter interesting this
KVCD Docking Gate link.
Step 1 (DVD Rip)
We will use for this step
DVDDecrypter, since we assumed that the source is a DVD.
Our objective here is to pass the audio content and video one of our DVD to the hard disk to be able to process it in the following steps, turning it finally our KVCD or SKVCD.
We will set DVDDecrypter of the following way:
First it is to select, if it is notalready,
IFO way in the
Mode menu .
We are going to cause that DVDDecrypter obtains an only great VOB file, for which we will go to
Tools/Settings/IFO Mode and we will change
File Splitting to
None . In this form, DVDDecrypter will create a single file VOB instead of cutting it in several fragments of 1 GB. We will take note from the duration of the film, data that we will need later in MencodeMe. This configuration will be enough with establishing it an only time, for the first DVD that we do, since in the successive, DVDDecrypter will remember it.
Later we will go to the eyelash
Stream Processing and we will check the check box
Enable Stream Processing . Now we will leave selected only video and audio in the wished language. By EACH OPTION that we left checked, we will change way to
Demux instead of
Direct Stream Copy that it comes by default.
We already can give to button
DVD to HD and to begin the rip process.
Once this process is completed, we will go to the folder where have been left the files resulting and we will see a file m2v that contains the video and another one ac3 that contains the audio one. We must to rename .m2v to .vob, before continuing with the following point.
Of this form, in a single step, we have extracted audio and video of our DVD, which already we can keep in safe place.
Step 2 (Audio)
We will use for this step Headac3he.
Our objective is here to turn the audio one extracted the previous step, from format AC3 (Dolby Digital) of the DVDs to MP2, standard format of (S)VCDs, and therefore of the (S)KVCDs.
We will config Headac3he of the following way:
Source File . To select our ac3 file, extracted in the previous step.
Destination Format . Always MP2, the format of audio standard of VCD or SVCD.
Destination File . To select the name of the mp2 file that we are going to obtain.
To activate check box
Resample to 44.1 Khz.
To activate check box
Booster and leave value 1. Parameter: 1,10, Strength: 1.00.
To leave the rest with the values by default.
To press the Options button > > and in the new window that appears:
To press the button 2ch .
Downmix type must say Surround 2 .
To put the Global Gain to 15.
Not to touch nothing else in this screen.
To press the
Options>> button again and we go with the third and last screen:
Bitrate:: 128 will be sufficient in most of the cases.
Mode:: CBR
Channel mode: Dual Channel
We left the rest of values by default.
Press
Start button .
When the process finalizes, we will have our audio in MP2 format. Maybe it is better to rename the audio file. For example: Movie.mp2.
We go now with the video.
Step 3 (Video)
We will use MencodeMe in this step. Our objective is to codify the original DVD video into (S)KVCD, with the purpose of preserving the greater quality possible and to lodge it in 1 only CD (2 at the most).
We will config
MencodeMe of the following way:
In
Source File we will select our VOB file.
In
Target we will select the format of final destiny:
-1cd - KSVCD. The compatible one with SVCD for 1 single CD.
-2cd - KSVCD. The compatible one with SVCD for 2 CDs.
-1cd - VCD. The compatible one with VCD for 1 single CD.
Of course, each film is a world and not all movies will respond equal with same parameters. It will depend on the type of film, the action that there is in it, the light, etc.
Normally, we will select
1cd - KSVCD option, unless film had more that 110 minutes. In this case we selected
2cd - KSVCD. If still we want to leave it in a single disc we will decide on the option
1cd - VCD. In principle, format SKVCD is the compatible one with SVCD, whereas the KVCD, is the compatible one with VCD. The SKVCD (as their brothers SVCD) have a resolution of 480x576/480, which are better than 352x288/240 of the KVCD one. Whenever we pruned, we have to choose SKVCD.
In
Filtering Combo we will select
DVD, that one invokes to an optimized MEncoder template when, as it is our case, the source is DVD.
In
Movie Length (min) we indicated the duration of the film in minutes. This data we could see in DVDDecrypter when we riped the film or perhaps also it is informed DVD cover.
In
Audio bitrate we selected 128, rate with which was codified our MP2, and as we saw in step 2. As the program takes built-in a bitrate calc, it calculates the rate to us of average that is going to apply and that we can see in
Bitrate.
Not to touch to the check box
Unlock Advanced nor the data to that we have access when we unblocked it, unless we know very well what we are doing.
We selected the resolution in
Final Resolution. If we have chosen to make SKVCD in 1 or 2 CDs, we selected 480 x 576 for PAL (480 x 480 for NTSC). If we have chosen to make KVCD, we selected 352 x 288 for PAL (252 x 240 for NTSC).
We selected the
FrameRate: 25 for PAL, 23,976 NTSC.
NTSC: If it's a hard telecined VOB, you must select framerate 23.976 and IVTC.
If it's interlaced, you must select deinterlace with the correct field order.
No interlacing encode support yet.
NTSC: If it's soft Telecined you must select output 23.976.
PAL: You must select the correct frame rate (25) and set the deinterlace options with the correct field order is needed.
The
Aspect Ratio will be the one that has the film. Also we saw this data in DVDDecrypter (also in the name of the video band) or can also see it in DVD cover. Usually it is 16:9 (panoramic), unless it indicates 4:3 or 1:33:1 explicitly.
We always selected
2 pass VBR to obtain the greater possible quality.
We already can press the
Encode! Button and to hope that process finishes to obtain the final video. The final file will be called VST_01_1.MPV and it will be in the same folder in which was the original VOB. The best thing is to rename this file with another more intelligible name. For example: movie.mpv.
Step 4 (Joining audio and video)
We will use
BbMPEG.
Our objective is to join audio obtained in Step 2 (Movie.mp2) with the video obtained in Step 3 (Movie.mpv). We will obtain a MPG file (Movie.mpg) ready to be burned. The file will contain together the audio one in MP2 plus the video in Mpeg-2 (SKVCD) or Mpeg-1 (KVCD).
In addition, if we have done a codification destined to 2 CDs, also we will be able to cut with this program the resulting mpg file, so we will have 2 fragments, Movie00.mpg and Movie01.mpg to burn each one in 1 CD.
We will config thus BbMPEG to obtain our objective. We pressed for it the
Settings button.
Program Stream Settings tab. If we have made SKVCD we are going to multiplex it as
SVCD, option that we will select. Mark check boxes
Write program end code,
VBR and
Write SVCD scan offsets.
If we have made a
VCD we will select VCD option here, mark check boxes
Write program end code y
VBR.
In both cases, we will put the option Forced Mux Rate (in 50 bytes/sec units) to 0.
Input and Output files tab. Here we indicated the final video name, as well as audio source (created in Step 2) and the video source one (created in Step 3).
Open PS. Name of the final file. Ex. Movie.mpg
Open VS. Ex. Movie.mpv.
Open AS 1. File with the audio one. Ex. Movie.mp2.
General Settings tab. Mark check boxes
Multiplex video and
Multiplex audio.
If you want to cut the film in 2, for 2 CDs, we will indicate it here, establishing the Max size (MB) in 795.
We left this screen with
Acept button.
Finally, we pressed the
Start button and the multiplexing process begins.
The final result will be one or two mpg files that contains as much video as audio, and that it is ready to be burned (one or two CDs).
Step 5 (To burn the film in the CD)
We will use
Nero.
Also we will be able to use any other software able to record VCD and SVCDs.
Our objective is to pass our creation to a CD, leaving it ready to be reproduced in any standalone player that supportS (S)KVCD.
We config thus Nero to make the recording of the film:
We chose the
Video CD option (in the case of KVCD) or
Super Video CD (in the case of SKVCD). The only thing that we must do is to drag the mpg file (in our case Movie.mpg) and to assure ourselves to leave unmarked
Create a standard compliant CD . The program creates the necessary structure for this type of video discs and lets the CD ready to be reproduced in our standalone. If we have two mpg files (2 CDs) we do this twice, one with each one of the CDs.
Normally, it is not recommended to make the recording at the high speeds, you can select 8 (Translator use: 12) safely.
If, optionally, we wished to include chapters we can use
VCDEasy, as it is explained in the Appendix at end of this mini-guide.
Goodbye
And up to here we have arrived. We have tried to explain the process which we have given in calling DIRECT METHOD without too many roundups, most concrete and, simultaneously, simple possible.
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METHOD USING AVISynth
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Introduction
It is similar to the previous one and it does not separate from the "quick and easy line? of this mini-guide, although he is something more elaborated. The entrance for MencodeMe is not going to be DVD extracted VOB file, leaving MEncoder applies its internal filters, but that we are going to filter the video through frameserver AVISynth, with a great variety and quality of filters.
This it is additional software, with respect to the direct method, that we are going to need:
DVD2AVI 1.77.3
Download last version (1.1.0. at 2004051
Unzip file
decodefix110.zip and we make a direct access in our (S)KVCD programs folder pointing to
DVD2AVIdg.exe. Also we need library
MPEG2Dec3dg.dll.
Avisynth v2.54
The program stars of this method. It is enough with installing it in our system.
MakeAVIS tool
It is for to create a false AVI, bridge between our AVISynth script and MencodeMe. We will install this package. We will create a direct access towards
makeAVIS.exe, that will be in the directory
"C:\Program Files\ffvfw".
Step 1 (Video Rip) and Step 2 (Audio)
We rip the DVD with
DVDDecrypter, of the same form that we have explained in Step 1 of the DIRECT METHOD. And we processed the audio one with
Headac3He, also same as exposed in Step 2 of the previous method.
Step 3 (Project)
We created a
project with
DVD2AVI that is going to serve as bridge between VOB file and AVISynth.
We config
DVD2AVI of the following way:
With
File / Open we opened VOB file. It will be in the
File List, where we pressed OK to confirm. We go away to
File / Save Project, we give it a name to our project (Ex. Movie.d2v) and we save it.
Step 4 (AVISynth Script)
It is a file with instructions for AviSynth for the filtrate and processing of the video coming from native DVD VOB file and that we managed to read through the bridge created in the previous step.
It is a short script:
Code:
LoadPlugin("C:\Path to dll\MPEG2Dec3dg.dll")
#
Mpeg2Source("C:\Folder to movie\Movie.d2v ")
BicubicResize(480, 576, 0, 0.5)
From here, we can introduce all the filters that we wish if we know the subject, either to make use of scripts made by experts. You can consult the
MA script of
Kwag or
Dialhot V series scripts. At the most filters exist in script, smaller is the speed of processing and greater it is the theoretical quality and the compressibility of the final result.
Here we have a connection towards a pile of filters of AVISynth. We will make sure always to choose corresponding to the version 2.5x.
We will create a text file called Movie.avs with the content of our script.
Once we have it, is good idea to open it with
Windows Media Player to verify it, being due to previsualize the video without problems in case that our script work fine, a text with the error in opposite case will be showed.
A version improved and slighter of the
Windows Media Player exists.
It is like traditional
WMP 6.4, but with many more useful characteristics.
Download it
here.
Step 5 (MakeAVIS)
This tool we are going to need it to create a false
AVI that serves as bridge between our AVISynth script and MencodeMe.
We config MakeAVIs in the following way:
We indicated in
AVISynth script the location of our script and in
Fake AVI the one of our false AVI, to which we will call Mpvoe.avi.
We selected
Store script in AVI option and pressed the
Create button. The work will conclude in seconds.
We already can leave MakeAVIs by means of the
Close button.
Step 6 (video)
Once made all the preparations, now already we are going to codify the video.
We will config
MencodeMe of the following way:
In
Source File we will select our false AVI. In our example Movie.avi.
In
Target we will select the format of final target:
-1cd - SKVCD. The compatible one with SVCD for 1 CD.
-2cd - KSVCD. The compatible one with SVCD for 2 CDs.
-1cd - VCD. The compatible one with VCD for 1 CD.
Following the explanations given in the previous method, normally we will select to the option
1cd - SKVCD, unless the film was bigger than 110 minutes. In this case we would have to divide it in 2 CDs, for which we selected
2cd - SKVCD. If still we want to leave it in a single disc we will decide on the
1cd - KVCD option.
In
Filtering Combo we will select
MakeAVIs, to indicate to MencodeMe that now, the application of filters of image processing and the resizing depends of AVISynth, through script that we have created to the effect.
In Movie Length (min) we indicated the duration of the film in minutes.
In
Audio bitrate we selected 128, rate with which we have codified our MP2 file in Step 2.
We do not have to touch the Unlock Advanced check box, nor the data to which we have access when we unblocked it, unless we know very well what we are doing.
It will be ignored what we select in
Final Resolution since as we are saying, AVISynth is in charge.
We selected the
FrameRate: 25 for PAL or 23,976 for NTSC.
NTSC: If it's a hard telecined VOB, you must select framerate 23.976 and IVTC.
If it's interlaced, you must select deinterlace with the correct field order.
No interlacing encode support yet.
NTSC: If it's soft Telecined you must select output 23.976.
PAL: You must select the correct frame rate (25) and set the deinterlace options with the correct field order is needed.
The
Aspect Ratio will be the one that has the film. 16:9 (panoramic) or 4:3.
We always selected
2 pass VBR to obtain the greater possible quality.
We already can press the b]Encode![/b] button and wait that the process finishes to obtain the final video. The final file will be called Movie.MPV.
Step 7 (To multiplex audio and video) and Step 8 (To burn the film in the CD)
Both last steps, consisting of multiplexing audio and video for, finally, burn the CD. This steps are analogous to Steps 4 and 5, respectively, of the direct method.
Until here the variant in which the video is served to MencodeMe through the traditional AVISynth. This method seems something elaborated more than the previous one, but since scripts is practically reused from a project to another one, it does not present excessive complexity once we have made our first work.
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APPENDIX
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Creation of chapters in our (S)KVCD
Necessary Software
VCDEasy 1.1.5
Last gratuitous version of this excellent program.
Introduction
Mobility by a film KVCD or KSVCD, when it is reproducing in our standalone, usually is sequential and slow. The solution happens to write a series of marks or chapters so that we pruned to go ahead and backwards easily among them through the keys of movement of our player.
We can easily make it with VCDEasy, application that, like the popular Nero, can record in a CD our (S)KVCD, but that in addition it has other many specific utilities of these formats like are the inclusion of chapters, that is what we are looking for.
We can record our (S)KVCD with the same VCDEasy or, record an image with this one and burn the disc with our usual Nero.
Arrived at this point, we suppose that already we have created our MPG file by one of previous methods.
Step 1 (To the controls of VCDEasy)
We loaded VCDEasy and appears the main screen. If it were not thus, we selected
(S)VCD in left column and
Main in the superior row of buttons.
In the option
VideoCD Type we selected
VCD 2.0 for
KVCD or
SVCD 1.0 for
SKVCD. In the combo at the right we will choose system the PAL or NTSC, according to it comes.
In
CD Writer it must be selected the device that will make the recording.
In
ASPI will appear the layers or drivers of access to these devices that we have installed. If we already have the software of Nero recording in our system, we will leave the
Nero option selected here. If it is not the this case, the best thing is to install the
ForceASPI, to reinitiate VCDEasy and to select just installed ASPI.
We can label the CD putting the name of the film in
Volume Label.
In
CD Files we will indicate the location of output image file(.bin). VCDEasy will create a pair of files cue/bin with the image of the recording. These files will be those that we pruned to import to Nero if finally we used this program to burn the CD.
In the window
Video Files/Images MPEG1 (or Video Files/Images MPEG2), it will be where we add our MPG file. We can do that dragging directly it from Windows Explorer or using
Add Files button.
Step 2 (chapters)
In the upper buttons select
Chapters.
Here it is where we are going to establish the chapters or marks of access to our (S)KVCD.
We have several options, but the normal thing is to establish chapters x seconds, with option
Create chapter every and establishing the time in the format (hours:minutes:seconds:miliseconds), as it is specified. For example, for a chapter every 5 minutes it will have to be readed 0:05:00:000.
Also times from DVD could be imported, extractin it across rip time with DVDDecrypter, a text file in one of the formats supported by VCDEasy and beating here, in the window of times, their content.
Step 3 (Burning the CD)
We can burn the CD with the same VCDEasy, pressing the
Gobutton. It must be selected the
burn check box, and unselected the
Simulate one in main window.
If we have some problem, we can go to
File/Settings and modify the configuration of the
CD Writer device.
Also we can choose to burn with
Nero the image obtained with VCDEasy. In order to obtain only this image (without VCDEasy tries the recording) we must to unselect the the
burn check box in
Main screen. A .cue file will be created and another one .bin file in the location specified in
CD Files path box of this same screen.
We will open
Nero and it is enough with selecting the option
File, record image and to choose the
cue file.
Normally, it is not recommended to make the recording at the high speeds, you can select 8 (Translator use:8-12) safely.
I hope that this mini-guide like you and can be useful. If it is thus, this work will have been worth the trouble. Thank you very much by listening.A greeting.
-Maurus
_________________
Camera Obscura, I Am Kloot, Muse, Essex Green, LadyBug Transistor, Beulah, Tyde, Fountains of Wayne, Grandaddy, Flaming Lips, Delgados, Jayhawks, Radiohead, Bronco Bullfrog, Belle&Sebastian, Pulp, Cotton Mather, Black Box Recorder, Cloud Eleven, Coral...
Congratulations Maurus for the guide, and Prodater64 for the translation! 
)
