bad picture quality with pal dvd

[blozo]

I'm encoding a PAL dvd (the Sixth Sense) using dvd2svcd. I used the settings as described in doom9's guide and then with other settings i read in this forum. The quality is in my eyes quite bad, it is certainly not the quality of some svcds I've downloaded (like lord of the rings dvd screener, ocean's eleven).

The picture is not very clear, there are too many blocks/noise... i dont really know how to describe it, sometimes it really looks like blocks, sometimes it looks more like noise... i tried to increase the anti-noise filter option to 12 and 24, it still gives the same result.

i thought maybe it gave the blocks because its a interlaced source (i loaded the vobs in dvd2avi, let it play and it gave me source: interlaced), i tried no deinterlace, and smartdeinterlace and telecide. it all gave more or less the same result.

i tried some combinations of settings. i always used 4 pass CCE.
image quality at 17 and at 22 too
anti noise filter at 2, at 12, at 24
bitrate i left at default.
sharpen filter at 0.4 and once with sharpen filter off.
used simpleresize filter and bicubic filter (0, 0.60)

my system is:
athlon xp 1600+, 256 mb ddrram, winxp, 80 gig hd 7200rpm...

im pasting the log of one of the tests ive done:

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 11:26:44
- DVD to SVCD Conversion
- DVD2SVCD ver. 1.0.9 build 3
--------------------------------------------------------
Initializing
Initializing finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 11:26:48
- Free on drive D: 25950.22 mb
- Internal rip
--------------------------------------------------------
Preparing vobfiles to be ripped:
- D:\Movies\Sixth Sense\VTS_23_1.vob
- D:\Movies\Sixth Sense\VTS_23_2.vob
- D:\Movies\Sixth Sense\VTS_23_3.vob
- D:\Movies\Sixth Sense\VTS_23_4.vob
- D:\Movies\Sixth Sense\VTS_23_5.vob

Ripping: D:\Movies\Sixth Sense\VTS_23_2.vob
Ripping finished. Speed: 4475

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 11:27:53
- DVD2AVI
--------------------------------------------------------
Creating DVD2AVI INI file:
- C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.INI

Variable settings:
iDCT_Algorithm: 32-bit SSE MMX

Executing DVD2AVI.
Executing DVD2AVI. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.exe" -CS=2 -YR=1 -EXIT -OF=[D:\Movies\tests\DVD2AVI_Project_file] -IF=[D:\Movies\tests\VTS_23_1.vob]
Framerate: 25000
DVD2AVI processing done.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 11:28:15
- Free on drive D: 25674.81 mb
- AUDIO Extraction
--------------------------------------------------------
Found AC3 stream id: 0x80
Filename: D:\Movies\tests\Extracted_audio_1.ac3
Audio1 delay: -208 ms
Audio extraction finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 11:28:33
- Free on drive D: 25658.78 mb
- AUDIO conversion
--------------------------------------------------------

Converting Audio to MP2. Filename: D:\Movies\tests\Extracted_audio_1.ac3
Executing BeSweet. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "D:\Movies\tests\Extracted_audio_1.ac3" -output "D:\Movies\tests\Encoded_audio_1.mp2" -logfile "D:\Movies\tests\Encoded_audio_1.log" ) -azid( -L -3db -c normal -g max ) -ota( -d -208 ) -2lame( -e -b 192 -m s )
Audio conversion of D:\Movies\tests\Extracted_audio_1.ac3 finished.

Audio conversion finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 11:29:31
- Free on drive D: 25650.69 mb
- Video Encoding using Cinema Craft
--------------------------------------------------------

Executing Cinema Craft Encoder.
StreamSectors: 771186864
AudioSectors: 8631336
VideoPAPO: 11812392
ScanOffsetBytes: 10493
SeqAligningBytes: 666876
DVDBytes: 0
VideoEndHeader: 4
SubtitleSectors: 0
EmptySectors: 238.00
PictureSectors: 1.00
PureMPEGStream: 750065763.47
Seconds: 354.76
CalcMPEGStream: 750065763.47
Frames: 8744
CDSize: 740.00
Cut point 735.00
Variable Settings:
Frames: 8744
Anti Noise Filter: 12
Passes: 4
Image Quality: 17
VAF file creation: On
Video Encoding Mode: Multipass VBR
Min. bitrate: 300
Max. bitrate: 2530
Avg. Bitrate: 2230
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (borders added, encoded as 4:3)

---AVS Begin---
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\MPEG2Dec\mpeg2dec.dll")
LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\INVERS~1\DONALD~1\decomb.dll")
mpeg2source("D:\Movies\tests\DVD2AV~1.D2V")
Telecide()
BicubicResize(480,432,0,0.60)
AddBorders(0,72,0,72)
ResampleAudio(44100)
----AVS End----

Closing program
CCE Max Speed: 0.730
Video Encoding finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 12:10:17
- Free on drive D: 25555.28 mb
- Converting Pictures from ES to PS
--------------------------------------------------------
Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini
--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 12:10:20
- Free on drive D: 25555.28 mb
- Converting Pictures from ES to PS
--------------------------------------------------------
Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini
--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 12:10:23
- Free on drive D: 25555.28 mb
- Multiplexing and cutting
--------------------------------------------------------
Saving bbMPEG settings: C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini
Offset in Seconds: 2
Executing bbMPEG.
Variable Settings:
Movie offset: 2 seconds
Cut point: 735 mb

Executing RunbbMPEG. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\RunbbMPEG.exe" "D:\Movies\tests\bbMPEG_Muxed_File.mpg"
Multiplexing and cutting finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 12:10:45
- Free on drive D: 25452.81 mb
- Determining length of audio
--------------------------------------------------------
Analyzing: D:\Movies\tests\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg
347.280 seconds D:\Movies\tests\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg
Analyzing finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 12:10:53
- Free on drive D: 25452.78 mb
- Creating CD-Images using VCDXBuild
--------------------------------------------------------
- No. of chapters to create: 1

CD image #1: CD_Image_File_CD1.bin

Executing VCDXBuild. Commandline:
"C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\VCDImager\VCDXBuild.exe" --verbose --cue-file="D:\Movies\tests\CD_Image_File_CD1.cue" --bin-file="D:\Movies\tests\CD_Image_File_CD1.bin" "D:\Movies\tests\VCDXBuild_Script_1.xml"
CD-Image creation finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 1/07/2002 12:11:05
- Free on drive D: 25347.66 mb
- SVCD Creation finished!
--------------------------------------------------------

[gerti67]

Hi blozo,

and welcome to the forum. :)

Hmm, I did this movie in the past and was very pleased with the result I got.

What I can see from the log is the following - although you only did a small chapter:

Set all your CD sizes to 800 MB in "Bitrate" tab - or do you really only use 74 Min CDs? - I guess not. If you use 80 Min CDs you will get better quality.

As it seems you are doing the PAL version like I did, you don't need to use any deinterlace filter on it so just use "No deinterlacing" in "Conversion" tab - it is not interlaced just like 99% of all PAL movies and don't just believe what DVD2AVI tells you - just look for combing artefacts - if you don't see any - then it's not interlaced.

Further on, raise your "Max. avg" bitrate to perhaps "2400" because it acts like a upper boundary and won't let CCE go any higher with the bitrate if using only "2230" - but be aware, it can cause CCE troubles on some instable systems if the gap between "Max" and "Max. avg" is smaller than "120".

I did it with BicubicResize 0.00/0.60, AntiNoise Filter "2" and Image Quality Priority of "17" and as I said before - the result was very good.

Hope this helps,
Gerti

[Jason28]

If you want you can try these settings and see what you think. They are what I use for all of my movies.

On the audio tab set your audio to 192 or 224. You DONT need to do the audio downsample as most DVD players can play 48KHz.

On the frameserver tab select TemporalSmoothing with a stregth of 2 and a radius of 1.

On the bitrate tab set the max bitrate to 2500 and the min bitrate to 300, uncheck min average and set max average 2350.

On the encoder tab select CCE with 1 pass VBR. Make the q factor 5 and set Image Quality Priority to 5.

With these settings and an Athlon XP 1800+, I can do a 2 hour movie in about 3 hours and the quality is some of the best that I have seen.

[blozo]

sorry for the delay in replying... ive been sick for a few days, then got busy with other stuff...

i tried both your suggestions. and the svcd still looks bad. maybe im being picky? because i am comparing it with lord of the rings dvd screener svcd (that 4 cd one) and it doesnt come close to that.

[VILLA21]

"With these settings and an Athlon XP 1800+, I can do a 2 hour movie in about 3 hours and the quality is some of the best that I have seen."
Jason28, what about the number of CDRs u create with these settings..?

[Jason28]

I leave the default settings in D2S for the number of Cds. The only thing that I change is the size of the cd from 740 to 800 for all the times. This will most of the time make a movie that is 2 or 3 cds.

[UltimateDBZ]

Originally posted by Jason28
If you want you can try these settings and see what you think. They are what I use for all of my movies.

On the audio tab set your audio to 192 or 224. You DONT need to do the audio downsample as most DVD players can play 48KHz.

On the frameserver tab select TemporalSmoothing with a stregth of 2 and a radius of 1.

On the bitrate tab set the max bitrate to 2500 and the min bitrate to 300, uncheck min average and set max average 2350.

On the encoder tab select CCE with 1 pass VBR. Make the q factor 5 and set Image Quality Priority to 5.

With these settings and an Athlon XP 1800+, I can do a 2 hour movie in about 3 hours and the quality is some of the best that I have seen. 2 or 3 hours, you say? I'm gonna have to try out these settings too :) Your speed may just be due to your AMDness though *has p4, is jealous* ;)

[Jason28]

If you have a P4 that is about 1.8 GHz then you should be able to get about the same rate as me, prolly a bit better. IMHO I think that a P4 is better at this then a XP. As long as they are about the same clock speed then the P4 should accually be a bit faster.

[UltimateDBZ]

Hmm... that's debatable I suppose. Personally I'm pro-AMD all around, so it'd be hard for me to say Intel was better at anything. Some thorough tests may prove useful for this...

[Jason28]

I am about to get a P4 1.6. I will overclock it to 1.8 and I will let you know what happens with that and what speed I get with CCE.

[UltimateDBZ]

That, I would be interested to know, considering that I have a P4 1.6 - I hate Dell for putting in their own motherboard with 0 overclock capabilities, or else this one would've been running much faster by now ;)