Amit
21st April 2002, 08:14
Hi all,
I am posting some test results that I performed with the newer version.
I am using V1.0.8b1 on Windows 2000, Intel P4 1.5 GHz. The standalone DVD Player used is APEX 1500 D Series without any Region/Macrovision crack applied to this DVD player. The Software DVD players used in testing are WinDVD V3.1 Muti-Channel, PowerDVD 4.0 XP Delux Edition and Creative PC DVD player with Dxr3 Decoder Card.
The movies I used are "Bridget Jones's Diary" Chapter 11 & "Shrek Bonus Disc" Chapter 17. Shrek Bonus Disc is an Anamorphic Widescreen DVD while Shrek Disc One is a Standard DVD for 4:3 TVs. The chapters in the above movies choosen because they are the smallest chapters on the respective disc and so that save some time while trying different options. There was no other criterion to select these chapters.
Since APEX 1500 only plays CVD subtitles and I don't have any other DVD player which can play SVCD subtitles so all the subtitle testing is for CVDs and not for SVCD type.
OK here we go.
1) No matter which movie I choose opting for Anamorphic movie, no borders 16:9 results in shaky movie on my standalone player. I even changed the setting of min. bit rate from default 300 to 0 and still the same shaky movie on standalone player. The movies plays fine in all the software DVD players. NOW here's something interesting that happened. While creating SVCD, when I opted to put the CDTitlePicture, the title picture shows up as 4:3 and then the movie shows up as 16:9 on Software DVD players. Since the aspect ratio is changed none of the Software DVD player is able to detect it and starts the movie in a 4:3 aspect window with Black bars at top & bottom. Now if you go into FULL SCREEN mode and return back, PowerDVD is able to show the movie as 16:9. I guess, PowerDVD is checking for the 16:9 flag again. That's all for 16:9 DAR flag testing from my side.
*** From this point on both the movies are encoded as 16:9 with borders *******
2) Regarding the CVD subtitles, as you guys already know none of the software player is able to show subtitles from SVCD so, they are already out. The APEX 1500 did show the CVD subtitles but almost all the subtitles have either white or grey line. Then I did some search and found the following thread
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=23057&highlight=108b1
So, I replaced the SubMuc with WinSubMux and poof all the lines are gone and the subtitles look beautiful.
*** BUGS ***
3) In the new build, the ASPECT RATIO Setting changes when you move from the conversion tab to any other BE CAREFUL.
4) In the preview movie window, the image shown has a WHITE LINE at the top. Quite thick as it seems to me. But it's just in a preview, its not there in the final encoded movie.
Hey, and I like the IMDB thing. The best new feature is that you can have the CDTitleImage same as the movie cover. Great work fellows.
*** Suggestion/Request ***
If the CDTitleImage is also converted into the same aspect ratio as the movie is instead of default 4:3 that will be great. It will help the software dvd players to play the movie correctly specially when it comes to Anamorphic SVCDs.
I hope the above information will be helpful.
-Amit
I am posting some test results that I performed with the newer version.
I am using V1.0.8b1 on Windows 2000, Intel P4 1.5 GHz. The standalone DVD Player used is APEX 1500 D Series without any Region/Macrovision crack applied to this DVD player. The Software DVD players used in testing are WinDVD V3.1 Muti-Channel, PowerDVD 4.0 XP Delux Edition and Creative PC DVD player with Dxr3 Decoder Card.
The movies I used are "Bridget Jones's Diary" Chapter 11 & "Shrek Bonus Disc" Chapter 17. Shrek Bonus Disc is an Anamorphic Widescreen DVD while Shrek Disc One is a Standard DVD for 4:3 TVs. The chapters in the above movies choosen because they are the smallest chapters on the respective disc and so that save some time while trying different options. There was no other criterion to select these chapters.
Since APEX 1500 only plays CVD subtitles and I don't have any other DVD player which can play SVCD subtitles so all the subtitle testing is for CVDs and not for SVCD type.
OK here we go.
1) No matter which movie I choose opting for Anamorphic movie, no borders 16:9 results in shaky movie on my standalone player. I even changed the setting of min. bit rate from default 300 to 0 and still the same shaky movie on standalone player. The movies plays fine in all the software DVD players. NOW here's something interesting that happened. While creating SVCD, when I opted to put the CDTitlePicture, the title picture shows up as 4:3 and then the movie shows up as 16:9 on Software DVD players. Since the aspect ratio is changed none of the Software DVD player is able to detect it and starts the movie in a 4:3 aspect window with Black bars at top & bottom. Now if you go into FULL SCREEN mode and return back, PowerDVD is able to show the movie as 16:9. I guess, PowerDVD is checking for the 16:9 flag again. That's all for 16:9 DAR flag testing from my side.
*** From this point on both the movies are encoded as 16:9 with borders *******
2) Regarding the CVD subtitles, as you guys already know none of the software player is able to show subtitles from SVCD so, they are already out. The APEX 1500 did show the CVD subtitles but almost all the subtitles have either white or grey line. Then I did some search and found the following thread
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?threadid=23057&highlight=108b1
So, I replaced the SubMuc with WinSubMux and poof all the lines are gone and the subtitles look beautiful.
*** BUGS ***
3) In the new build, the ASPECT RATIO Setting changes when you move from the conversion tab to any other BE CAREFUL.
4) In the preview movie window, the image shown has a WHITE LINE at the top. Quite thick as it seems to me. But it's just in a preview, its not there in the final encoded movie.
Hey, and I like the IMDB thing. The best new feature is that you can have the CDTitleImage same as the movie cover. Great work fellows.
*** Suggestion/Request ***
If the CDTitleImage is also converted into the same aspect ratio as the movie is instead of default 4:3 that will be great. It will help the software dvd players to play the movie correctly specially when it comes to Anamorphic SVCDs.
I hope the above information will be helpful.
-Amit