Some SVCD answers please?

[Revhead]

Okay. I've done the reading but need a couple of confusing issues cleared up. Confusing to a newbie anyway.
I'm using DVD2SVCD, TMPG (CCE won't apparently work with a K6 of any description) and Nero to back up to SVCD.
I'm definitely getting close. I believe the software is all working properly and it's just the settings that I have to get right.
At the risk of sounding incredibly thick some questions remain:

1: Does DVD2SVCD control the settings in TMPG when it calls it in or do you need to enter them separately beforehand?
2. Why am I getting 2xMPEG files at the end of the process which are virtually the same?
3. Why am I not getting all 6 episodes of Hitchhikers Guide which is the disc that I'm working with?
4. Lastly, what's the difference between burning from the MPEG or burning from the .CUE file?

Here's the log from my last attempt.

- 15/11/2002 11:20:32 PM
- DVD to SVCD Conversion
- DVD2SVCD ver. 1.0.9 build 3
--------------------------------------------------------
Initializing
Initializing finished.

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- 15/11/2002 11:20:36 PM
- Analyzing subtitles
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Subtitle found: StreamID: 0x21 Language: English
Subtitle found: StreamID: 0x20 Language: English

Executing subtitle selection/verification.
Subtitle selection/verification accepted.
1 subtitle streams selected.
Saving Subtitles ini file
--------------------------------------------------------
- 15/11/2002 11:21:13 PM
- Free on drive E: 12145.77 mb
- Internal rip
--------------------------------------------------------
Preparing vobfiles to be ripped:
- G:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_01_1.vob
- G:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_01_2.vob

Ripping: G:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_01_1.vob
Ripping: G:\VIDEO_TS\VTS_01_2.vob
Ripping finished. Speed: 2707

--------------------------------------------------------
- 15/11/2002 11:29:02 PM
- DVD2AVI
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Creating DVD2AVI INI file:
- E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.INI

Variable settings:
iDCT_Algorithm: 32-bit SSE MMX

Executing DVD2AVI.
Executing DVD2AVI. Commandline:
"E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.exe" -CS=2 -YR=1 -EXIT -OF=[E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\DVD2AVI_Project_file] -IF=[E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\VTS_01_1.vob,E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\VTS_01_2.vob]
Framerate: 25000
DVD2AVI processing done.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 15/11/2002 11:32:36 PM
- Free on drive E: 12145.77 mb
- Extracting the subtitles.
--------------------------------------------------------

Subtitle extraction finished. Extracted these subtitles:
SVCD Stream no: 1 Language: English Num. of subs: 433

Saving Subtitles ini file
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- 15/11/2002 11:38:29 PM
- Free on drive E: 12145.71 mb
- AUDIO Extraction
--------------------------------------------------------
Found AC3 stream id: 0x80
Filename: E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\Extracted_audio_1.ac3
Audio1 delay: 0 ms
Audio extraction finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 15/11/2002 11:44:00 PM
- Free on drive E: 12145.71 mb
- AUDIO conversion
--------------------------------------------------------

Converting Audio to MP2. Filename: E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\Extracted_audio_1.ac3
Executing BeSweet. Commandline:
"E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\Extracted_audio_1.ac3" -output "E:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\Movie\Encoded_audio_1.mp2" -logfile "E:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\Movie\Encoded_audio_1.log" ) -azid( -L -3db -c normal -g max ) -2lame( -e -b 128 -m s )
Audio conversion of E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\Extracted_audio_1.ac3 finished.

Audio conversion finished.

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- 16/11/2002 12:01:34 AM
- Free on drive E: 12145.70 mb
- Converting Pictures
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Converting: E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DefaultTitlepicture.bmp
Converting: E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DefaultChangeCD.bmp
Finished converting pictures
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- 16/11/2002 12:01:41 AM
- Free on drive E: 12145.70 mb
- Video Encoding using TMPGEnc
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- Encoding E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\TitlePicture.bmp.avs
Executing TMPGEnc. Commandline:
"E:\Program Files\DVDrippers\TMPG\TMPGEnc.exe" "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\TMPGEnc_Project_file.tpr" /Encode /Close
Video Encoding finished.

- Encoding E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\ChangeCDPicture.bmp.avs
Executing TMPGEnc. Commandline:
"E:\Program Files\DVDrippers\TMPG\TMPGEnc.exe" "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\TMPGEnc_Project_file.tpr" /Encode /Close
Video Encoding finished.

- Encoding E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\AviSynth_Script_file.avs
StreamSectors: 770491988
AudioSectors: 32071200
VideoPAPO: 11438532
ScanOffsetBytes: 44385
SeqAligningBytes: 2820932
DVDBytes: 0
VideoEndHeader: 4
SubtitleSectors: 2142728
EmptySectors: 238.00
PictureSectors: 300.00
PureMPEGStream: 721974206.30
Seconds: 1977.68
CalcMPEGStream: 721974206.30
Frames: 49317
CDSize: 740.00
Cut point 732.00
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (No borders, encoded as 4:3)

---AVS Begin---
LoadPlugin("E:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\SIMPLE~1\SIMPLE~1.DLL")
LoadPlugin("E:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\MPEG2Dec\mpeg2dec.dll")
mpeg2source("E:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\Movie\DVD2AV~1.D2V")
SimpleResize(480,576)
----AVS End----

Executing TMPGEnc. Commandline:
"E:\Program Files\DVDrippers\TMPG\TMPGEnc.exe" "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\TMPGEnc_Project_file.tpr" /Encode /Close
Video Encoding finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 17/11/2002 10:30:56 PM
- Free on drive E: 11621.57 mb
- Converting Pictures from ES to PS
--------------------------------------------------------
Saving bbMPEG settings: E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini

Executing RunbbMPEG. Commandline:
"E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\RunbbMPEG.exe" "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\TitlePicture.bmp.mpg"
--------------------------------------------------------
- 17/11/2002 10:31:04 PM
- Free on drive E: 11621.55 mb
- Converting Pictures from ES to PS
--------------------------------------------------------
Saving bbMPEG settings: E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini

Executing RunbbMPEG. Commandline:
"E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\RunbbMPEG.exe" "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\ChangeCDPicture.bmp.mpg"
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- 17/11/2002 10:31:12 PM
- Free on drive E: 11621.52 mb
- Multiplexing and cutting
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Saving bbMPEG settings: E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\default.ini
Offset in Seconds: 2
Executing bbMPEG.
Variable Settings:
Movie offset: 2 seconds
Cut point: 732 mb

Executing RunbbMPEG. Commandline:
"E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\bbMPEG\RunbbMPEG.exe" "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\bbMPEG_Muxed_File.mpg"
Multiplexing and cutting finished.

--------------------------------------------------------
- 17/11/2002 10:41:08 PM
- Free on drive E: 11056.22 mb
- Determining length of audio
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Analyzing: E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg
1970.496 seconds E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg
Analyzing finished.

Saving Subtitle Timecodes.
SVCD subtitles.
Length of E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg
1970
--------------------------------------------------------
- 17/11/2002 10:42:24 PM
- Free on drive E: 11055.90 mb
- Multiplexing SVCD Subtitles
--------------------------------------------------------
Muxing English subtitles, CD 1
Executing SubMux. Commandline:
"E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\WinSubMux\WinSubMux.exe" -s0 "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\bbMPEG_Muxed_File00.mpg" "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\Subs\en1-1.sub" "E:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\Movie\bbMPEG_Muxed_File-subbed00.mpg"
Muxing subtitles finished
--------------------------------------------------------
- 17/11/2002 10:45:40 PM
- Free on drive E: 10488.04 mb
- Creating CD-Images using VCDXBuild
--------------------------------------------------------
- No. of chapters to create: 32

CD image #1: CD_Image_File_CD1.bin

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

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- 17/11/2002 10:50:04 PM
- Free on drive E: 9911.65 mb
- SVCD Creation finished!

[da franksta]

dear revhead
i'll give it a shot.
you might want to consider posting dvd2svcd questions in the dvd2svcd basic forum. that's where you'll find the real experts.

1) dvd2svcd will take care of the tmpgenc settings. untill you know what you're doing just leave it all at default.
2) i'm not sure what you mean by virtually the same. the size will be, hopefully. the point being to make maximum use of the cd size entered at the bitrate tab. the contents should be different though.
3) dvd2svcd will take care of one movie (or episode) at the time. by choosing the right ifo-file and playing around with the movie length setting in the conversion tab you should be able to find all the episodes you want.
4) just burn from the cue file. in nero, choose file-burn image and go!

most of these questions are answered here:
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23668
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=21859
http://forum.doom9.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19566

good luck! :)

[Revhead]

Thanks da franksta. That was helpful. I thought being a newbie the newbie forum was the place to start.
I'll repost in the D2S basic forum.
If I do each episode separately can I place the cue files together for burning.
Correct me if I'm wrong however, but if D2S (or TMPG) is only seeing one episode then isn't it going to allow the size to blow out to fill one CD. Therefore won't I end up needing 6 CDs - one for each episode?:confused:

[Abond]

You should calculate the lenght for each episode as percentage of CD space. For example I have two episodes one 25 min,the other 35 min total 60 min. 25 min is about 42% of the total. Now in the bitrate tab I will put 42% of 800 MB = 336 MB (let say 340 MB). For the second episode I will put the rest of the CD space 800-340=460MB. At the end I have 2 MPG files - one 340 MB (episode1) and second 460 MB (episode2). Then author it in VCDEasy both together and make one image, burn, ready.