Converting VCD clips to DVD. A great sollution

[Radioman]

Hello all
Long time no see. It's been a couple of years since i posted here :)

I have now and then searched for a tool to convert from different formats to DVD. There is some tools available but it takes a looong... time to do the job. And to manually do file for file and then prepare for DVD is also very tedious, at least

I use to cathegorize my clips and for the moment I had 21 Analog TV-captured clips of Donald Duck in NTSC VCD format, and two slightly of in bitrate, (XVCD) actually a bit low. All in all 23 clips that I wanted to put on DVD.

The only tool that did the job exact as I wanted, and fast, was Ulead DVD Movie Factory. It's the only software around where you can tell it to not alter the video if it's in a compatible format. Why the :devil: does all tools around try to recode when it's not neccessary? DVD Movie Factory just resampled the audio to 48khz.
Everyone who is programming videotools software ought to know that f.e. a NTSC VCD at 352 x 240 is a perfectly compatible DVD format. Still every tool wants to recode it. It doesn't get better picture to recode it, it just takes more space :mad:

If you have different stuff, like wmv and divx in other sizes you can f.e. use WinAvivideoconverter, ConvertX to DVD or maybe the GUI FAVC which seems to be great for some people.

So, to use Ulead DVD Movie Factory for your captured vcd clips is a great sollution i think. How many more of you did allready know of it?

Specs:
Ulead DVD Movie Factory version 6 (I think even version 3 will do. It also have the option to not alter compatible mpeg files)
23 VCD files whiches gives more then 2.5 hours of Donald movies.
It took 29 minutes before the burningprocess (Portable Intel Dual Core PC)

[ChickenMan]

Thanks for that and welcome back :)

Another program worth looking at is TMPGenc DVD Author 3 (TDA3), as it does not re-encode VCD 352x240/288 when authoring to DVD. I know, as I just did one last week. TDA3 will however re-encode if you have a mixture of NTSC and PAL files your adding to the one compilation.

Yet another authoring tool, DVDLab Pro, also does not re-encode vcd standard MPEG1 video when authoring to dvd. Nor does it re-encode SVCD's either. It will actually author many out of dvd spec mpeg1 or 2 files, but no guarentee they will play as it depends on your actual DVD Player.

[jikchung]

I would like to add SVCD2DVD (http://www.svcd2dvd.com) to the list as well. It will make a DVD, with menu, out of compliant or non-compliant .mpg files (again, as Chickenman said, no guarantee that your player will handle them). It will also encode audio to AC3 if desired. It also handles just about any .avi/.mpeg4 format and even AAC audio for conversion to DVD. AviSynth support has recently been added.

[Radioman]

Thanks for replys.

I have to revert a bit though :(
As always when you stick your cheek out .... :)

I was so glad it worked so well but only on the PC and not on my standalone Kendo player. It usually plays everything exept avi's (4 years old).
You mentioned it and maybe my player is picky. But I have done similar authorings using DVD Movie Factory version 3 with no problem.

I have to look for what's happening. I'll be back when I know some more on whats going on.

Maybe I should try the TMPGenc DVD Author 3 as you have had success with Chickenman.

[Radioman]

OK Back again with new testinfo.

Doing VCD compilations with Ulead Movie Factory 6 doesn't work on my standalone. No picture at all. Doesn't work 100% on all PC's either.

Doing VCD Compilations with Ulead Movie Factory 3 (Disk creator) works perfect on my standalone if I don't upgrade it with the available upgrade patches. If I upgrade I can walk around in the menus but the player hangs when I try to play some clip.
Original version 3 is superfast. 16 minutes before burning gives me 23 VCD clips, 2.5 hour movies and only 1.8Gb ready to be burned to disk. :)

All infos on all VOB files on all versions says VCD format, In my case NTSC 352x240 and audio mpII 48khz 224kbit. I use Womble's mpeg-vcr software for this task.
It must be something with the authoring or the menus that brakes something. I will try some other conversion on MovieFactory 6 to comfirm I can use it at all :mad:
It seems you have to have several licenses of several programs and versions to be happy in this hobby ...:rolleyes: OK this is only a problem for the rich peoples part of the world :) Anyway it's a PITA.

I hope someone get anything out of this. I definately pinpointed the problem I had. I am happy for that because my wife didn't think I was totally OK in the head this evening....
All that Donald Duck testing .... a grown man at 45 years of age :D

[rendez2k]

Like jikchung, I use SVCD2DVD for VCD->DVD. Never had an issue!

[arionon]

Do you used Super DVD Creator?

Plz try it then to reviews your post!