So What's the Best Compressor in this Situation?

Post by **tfunch24** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 11:25 pm

I want to upload a silent clip that is four minutes in length with a resolution of 320 * 240 and a maximum size of 10 megs. The image quality would be slightly better than the image quality of this clip:

http://www.angelfire.com/indie/tfunch24/sundaydrive.avi

I've gotten good results with Cinepak but the file sizes tend to be on the larger side. What compressor would best suit my needs?

Tom

Post by **studiocarter** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 11:37 pm

mpeg

I use TMPGEnc from a free download trial. I bought it, eventually for the batch encodeing feature.

http://www.tmpgenc.net/e_main.html

My files are made into SVCD 480 x 480 or VCD 352 x 240 or some other varieties. Not everyone can play the SVCD but they are the best. VCD is MPEG-1 and good for all.

Michael

Post by **sigr** » Tue Dec 31, 2002 3:28 pm

Michael,

I recently came across TMPGEnc as well and was very interested in your comments. I have successfully used it to generate MPEG-1 VCD files from AVI movies. After burning them on a CD, they play just fine in my DVD player and the quality is quite good.

I have also just encoded a couple of the same AVI files into MPEG-2 SVCD files, but so far only played them back with Windows Media Player. The picture quality is great, but I sure don't like the horizontal squished effect due to the 480x480 resolution (1:1 aspect ratio). Is there something I'm missing here?

Also, what settings are you using in TMPGEnc (e.g. bit rate - constant or variable)?

Thanks,
SigR

Post by **mattias** » Tue Dec 31, 2002 4:03 pm

sigr wrote:I sure don't like the horizontal squished effect due to the 480x480 resolution (1:1 aspect ratio). Is there something I'm missing here?

you're missing setting the display aspect ratio to 4:3 (or 1.0 depending on terminology). we have the same problem with pal vcd's (352x288 instead of 384x288) and in cleaner, and probably tmpgenc as well, there's a setting to allow computers to show at the right aspect. a svcd player or svcd capable dvd player will play your file just fine though, so simply stretching the window on your computer will allow you to see it correctly...

/matt

Post by **sigr** » Tue Dec 31, 2002 5:03 pm

Thanks, Matt!

I had actually looked in TEMPGEnc for a setting of the aspect ratio to 4:3, but did not find it. However, I will look again and also burn the SVCD files to a CD and try it in the DVD player.

SigR[/quote]

Post by **studiocarter** » Tue Dec 31, 2002 5:07 pm

SigR

Try playing the SVCD full screen; type: Alt, Enter, to make WMP go full screen. That will adjust the image to the proper viewing one. Alternatly, the television does it from a SVCD CD disk in the DVD player.

I use a Hi-8mm extended resolution camera of about 440 lines. The SVCD quality is just as good as the source tape, perhaps better, playing off the DVD player.

I used to have a miroDC30+ card to make VHS tapes from, no longer. Now I only need to play the SVCD CD and make a VHS directly off the player with RCA plugs. Quality is better than I ever had earlier. NO shadow edges of white or black. This is great. My current card is a Ati all in Wonder. Captures have been at 640 x 480 and better resized in Premiere to 480 x 480, however, captures may also be AT 480 x 480 for the same quality with less work, using VirtualDub.

Michael

Post by **sigr** » Tue Dec 31, 2002 11:05 pm

Michael,

Thanks for your reply. I tried the ALT, ENTER to make WMP go full screen (guess I had already done that before with Wiew, Full Screen), but that doesn't really change the aspect ratio of the picture. All that happens is that you get the full width of the picture (480 Pixels scaled to the horizontal screen resolution, which in my case is 800) and the visible picture is cropped at the top and bottom, since the vertical screen resolution is only 600 (Again 800 pixels would be needed in a vertical direction to show the extreme upper and lower parts of the picture. Hope you understand what I'm saying). As a result the objects in the picture are still just as skinny as before. Hope this situation changes when I burn the SVCD file on a CD and play it back with the DVD player.

I'm using a Digital8 camera and mostly a Firewire card (ADS Pyro DV), but also have an ATI All In Wonder card for analog capturing when needed.

What software are you using for burning SVCDs? My CD burner has software for VCDs, but doesn't handle SVCDs. I'm currently looking at trying the NERO Burning Rom software, but haven't gotten that far yet.

Thanks again,
SigR

Post by **studiocarter** » Tue Dec 31, 2002 11:40 pm

My ViewSonic 17" flat screen monitor is set to 1024x768, one stop below full size, 32 bit, and when I play a SVCD in WMP it is square and squashed at first, then, after 'alt enter' it fulls the entire screen very nicely. No black bars. Try to increase the screen resolution. Or try WinDVD to play it. It also plays full screen. http://www.intervideo.com/jsp/Product_D ... p?p=WinDVD

TMPGEnc encodes the avi files to MPEG-2 for me. Then, Nero burns the SVCD. I only use default settings and templates provided.

One thing to watch out for is the field order. TMPGEnc will judge bottom field first most times, but after changing files in Premiere they are always top field first so I change it to top field first. Action will be very jittery if it is set wrong. A capture at 480x480 in Vdub will be bottom field first. After I got all that sorted out, it was smooth sailing

I'm glad someone else is making SVCD disks. They look great. It is the next best thing to a DVD burner.

Michael

Post by **studiocarter** » Tue Dec 31, 2002 11:46 pm

Now that I am thinking about it, WMP plays the SVCD files squareish, but they look alright. ? . Anyway, full screen looks the same in WMP or with WinDVD. WMP is easier as a default viewer, that's all.
Sometimes WMP won't play a SVCD, but it will after one view with WinDVD.

Michael