@DVD2SVCD Timecode in CCE

[markrb]

Now that I am doing DVD to DVD conversions the timecode setting in CCE is important. CCE starts this off at 01:00:00, but for Mpv's that will be imported into Maestro this should be all 0's.

Could you look into a way to reset this in DVD2SVCD when you get a chance?

I can do it now by waiting until CCE has started encoding, canceling it, opening up the options, clicking on video and setting the 1 to 0, but it would be nice to be able to not have to do this.

If you can't or don't have time don't worry about it.

Thanks,
Mark

[RB]

Never tried this, but modifying the default template doesn't help?

[markrb]

DVD2SVCD just uses the default setting and as far as I can see it's not mentioned in the template. You don't need to adjust this to make it work. It's only when you try to author in a DVD program where this matters.
I looked and the line that needs to be added to the ecl is:
Timecode=0x0

I just don't know if I can add this anywhere and if I can where I put it.

Mark

[dvd2svcd]

I will make it changeable.

[RB]

Originally posted by markrb
DVD2SVCD just uses the default setting and as far as I can see it's not mentioned in the template.

The time code is in the ECL file DVD2SVCD hands over to CCE:

timecode=0x1000000

If you can't wait :), you can hack dvd2svcd.exe to change this to 0x0000000. Get a free hex editor (I use frhed from http://www.kibria.de/frhed.html) and load dvd2svcd.exe. Search for the string 0x1000000 (it will appear exactly once) and change it to 0x0000000, save.

[markrb]

@DVD2SVCD thanks.

@RB. I will definately try it, thanks. I am no programmer so my knowledge in this area is non exhistant.

Mark

[onesoul]

Since Mark brough up the timecode matter I would like toa ask if it being set to 1:00:00 or 0:00:00 makes any difference to a regular svcd? (My toshiba sd210e still can't play the svcd's at synch, could it be the answer?) It's really frustrating after so much time in learning at this great forum I can't do anything about it :(
edit: actually there is fix like it's being stated at one thread of sd210 but still can't figure it out why doesn't a svcd play nice.

[RB]

@DVD2SVCD: would it be also possible to make the "Add sequence end code" setting for CCE configurable in D2S? Thanks!

[onesoul]

@RB
Could you explain why do you ask that?
Thanks

[RB]

I found the "CCE guide by Tsunami" somewhere and he suggests that this setting, when enabled, causes some players to play the MPEG stream not to the very end but skip the last 2-3 seconds. Well, I have exactly this problem on my standalone (JVC XV-S300BK) with D2S created SVCDs. It stops approx. 2-3 seconds before the actual movie end while the sound still plays to the end. I already manually encoded a test clip with this setting off and all was fine.

[Matthew]

A timecode of 01:00:00 is fine. Many of mine are like that (I leave it as the default in CCE 2.66). If you re-author with unre-encoded video streams you will notice they have non-zero timecodes.

The only inconvenience is that you need to add 1 hour to each of the times in the chp file. I have an excel file that does that so no hassles there :) And for subtitles you can just change the timecode to zero in Maestro before importing subtitles (this doesn't work for chapters, hence the adjustment above is required) and then reset it back afterwards.

[markrb]

If you read any of the guides at Doom9 for DVD creation they all state very clearly that you must set the timecode to 00 or Maestro and Scenerist will have issues.

Mark

[Matthew]

And if you read my post you'll notice that I've made many DVDs in Maestro without problems :P Granted they have all been PAL.

Of course I've read the guides, but the guides are not always 100 percent correct ;) For example, robshot tells us (well implies anyway) to check upper field first when a movie is top field first. This is not necessary, as CCE always encodes top field first. Anyway in the case at hand he says to use a timecode of zero otherwise the authoring prog will have problems importing the video. Well that is simply untrue, the video imports with no problems in Maestro/Scenarist.

The fact is that commercial DVDs have non-zero timecodes, and they are authored in the apps we use (well Scenarist anyway). Just extract the m2v from a DVD, import it into Maestro/Scenarist and see for yourself.

Further, the CCE 2.66 manual says:

"Although you can change this setting, avoid using the
timecode 00:00:00:00 since this value has special meaning to Cinema
Craft Encoder SP."

Not sure about the validity of that either.

[waldok]

Mark,

There is no "big problem" keeping the 01:00:00:00 timecode in Maestro. I agree with you it is not the preferred solution though. But the only thing it can cause problems with is when importing chapter. To solve this, you only have to indicate an offset of 3600000 milliseconds in ChapterExtractor wheb extracting chapter information from the original IFO file.

What Matthew says about "directly extracted m2v files" with an offset (often it is 00:59:59:) is true, but even then, you need to compute the offset to include into Chapter Extractor if you want your chapters correct. See one of my recent posts with a link to a tool that calculates the offset in milliseconds).

I'm not too sure now, but I think you also just have to reset the wall clock to 00:00:00;00 in maestro before importing subtitles.
This should be OK.

To avoid this, now I don't use DVD2SVCD anymore when I just want to "prepare" a m2V stream for later DVD authoring.
I prefer to use DVDDecrypter, DVD2AVI and a standard AVS script I adapt everytime. So I can launch CCE directly and set all parameters correctly (icluding timecode to 00:00:00:00).

This being said, the "hack" proposed by RB is cool :)

Hope this helps

Waldok:cool:
(MArk, how well do you behave with your DRU500a ? Any coaster yet ?)

[markrb]

I don't use Maestro much anymore. I use Scenarist all the time now. It's a bear to learn, but is a little more powerful.
Would the same thing apply to Scenarist?

I have read the Guide to 2.50 and 2.64 and neither have any problem with changing the time to 00. I wonder if this issue that the CCE 2.66 talks about is specific to 2.66.
I have been manually setting CCE to 00 from day 1 and haven't had an issue yet.

Waldok not one coaster yet. So far I have only burned 1 non RW disc. Most have been RW's as I am still getting the hang of this and I am such a perfectionist that if I made a disc that wasn't as good as I could make it I would be pissed. Plus at about $1 a disc I would rather not have to throw them away because I didn't like something.

Mark

[waldok]

[Sorry a bit OFF topic] Mark, same for me here, not a single coaster yet although I tried very different brands (from bulqpaq to Sony, through Verbatim and Imation).
[End of OFF topic]

Well, I never used Scenarist (always said I would try but I'm too lazy), but as the time shift I suggest happens in Chapter Extractor, I suppose it would be the same. Once you have extracted your chapters indicating a 3600000 ms offset, the resulting file will be imported in any compatible authoring program, be it maestro or scenarist. (well,....should be)

Concerning resetting wall clock to 00:00;00:00, I honestly cannot tell, I don't even know if there is such a wall clock...

Good luck.

Waldok:cool:

[ChickenMan]

Thanks DVD2SVCD for putting the change Timecode option in latest build, it has made life so much simpler when using Maestro to author.

As others have said, putting 3600000 in ChapterXtractor helps with Chapters to be imported but does not for Subtitles, you just have to manually edit the *.SON file, twice on each line!

Changing the Timecode in Maestro to 00:00:00:00 once the m2v file has been loaded seams to do nothing also.

Thanks again, well done.
Cheers,
CM