Problem playing DivX5 AVI converted from SVCD

[JimmyBarnes]

Have a PAL SVCD/MPEG2 file 480x575 which I've converted to an DivX 5.0.5 AVI several times.

There is no problem with the conversion itself:
- Open MPEG2 in DVD2AVI 1.76
- Create D2V project file and MP2 audio stream
- Use LAME to convert MP2 to MP3
- Use VDub to convert the MPEG2 (via D2V) to DivX5 - only used neutral bicubic resize to 600x450 and Telecide() to get rid of frameshifting
- Mux the AVI and MP3 streams

The problem comes when I play the resultant AVI (WMPlayer 6.4)

On a PC with Duron 1300 MHz CPU the AVI plays OK.

On 3 PCs with Duron 800-1000 MHz CPUs, the AVI plays jerkily and audio gets out of sync.

Why should this be? Those 3 PCs play other DivX5 rips (from DVD), and straight DVDs, OK, so what is the problem??? I'm an experienced DVD->DivX converter.

Driving me nuts ... your help really appreciated

thanx
JB

[LeonMcNichol]

I don't think this is an SVCD issue. I think it's the way it's decoded. I have a similar problem when I try to playback OGM/MKV files on my mom's 667MHz PC. It plays back other avi files fine up to a certain size that is. (Like it wont play 720x540 video or something way too high of bitrate.)

Try using a lower bitrate or a lower resolution. Don't use vbr mp3, since it's a littler harder to decode. Try using ffdshow and no post processing. Don't use 600x450, since it's not mod16/32. It's mod4 and mod2, which can cause problems on playback of certain systems.

Oh, just for preferences, try DVD2AVIdg and mpeg2dec3dg.dll combo. Since it fixes that dropped frames at the begining issue.

[JimmyBarnes]

Originally posted by LeonMcNichol
I don't think this is an SVCD issue. I think it's the way it's decoded. I have a similar problem when I try to playback OGM/MKV files on my mom's 667MHz PC. It plays back other avi files fine up to a certain size that is. (Like it wont play 720x540 video or something way too high of bitrate.)

Try using a lower bitrate or a lower resolution. Don't use vbr mp3, since it's a littler harder to decode. Try using ffdshow and no post processing. Don't use 600x450, since it's not mod16/32. It's mod4 and mod2, which can cause problems on playback of certain systems.

Oh, just for preferences, try DVD2AVIdg and mpeg2dec3dg.dll combo. Since it fixes that dropped frames at the begining issue.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Did another full run last night with GMC and QPel enabled but no BDE. This seems to have fixed the problem. Plays on Duron 850 system without any special mods (still used mp3 VBR/divxdec 5.0.5 - no post processing as usual). Not sure how not using BDE affects quality. It increased 1st pass size (quant=2) dramatically (some 33 %) but at 600x450 1st pass percent was still almost 90 %. Not using BDE should improve the quality of fast motion scenes I believe.

I used 600x450 (wierd I know) because it equates closely in area to the source's 480x576 and the source was supposed to be 4:3 originally. I'm trying to minimise info loss in the conversion. GKnot suggested 5:4 however but I'm not sure how well it deals with MPEG2's "strange" (cf PAL DVD's 720x576) aspect ratios :confused:

There seem to be relatively few people into converting SVCD -> DivX as it usually the converse conversion that is desired. :(

cheers
JB

[LeonMcNichol]

Well, 608x456 or 592x444 are at least mod4.

I did a few svcd to divx/xvid conversions. I either made it 512x384 or 480x360. Since I really don't want to try and resize the width, because it gives a slight too much blur. More than what I would want. I don't really do a second conversion, because I have a dvd player that can play them. :D CD-Rs are cheep too.

[JimmyBarnes]

Originally posted by LeonMcNichol
Well, 608x456 or 592x444 are at least mod4.


I did another run at 608x456, quant 2 and various combos (or none) of QPel/GMC but not BDE. The final result with audio can be split and made into 2x 700 MB XCDs. Quality seems close to the original which is only moderate anyway unfortunately.


I did a few svcd to divx/xvid conversions. I either made it 512x384 or 480x360. Since I really don't want to try and resize the width, because it gives a slight too much blur. More than what I would want. I don't really do a second conversion, because I have a dvd player that can play them. :D CD-Rs are cheep too.

The original MPGs don't seek well - long delays.

If this weren't such a special movie to me, I wouldn't go to all this trouble... :D

thanks for your contribs

JB