Sequence end code error in Scenarist

[Mac Sidewinder]

I have searched but couldn't find anything about this. Sometimes when I add assets to scenarist I will get "Warning - Number of Sequence End Code is 0" error on the video. Everything proceeds fine and the dvd is created ok. What is this error and do I need to be concerned about it?

Mac

[Arky]

It sounds as though you may be encoding your MPEG video steam(s) without adding a sequence end code. This should be available as an option in your MPEG encoder. Are you using Cinemacraft?


Arky ;o)

[Mac Sidewinder]

I'm using CCE v.2.67.00.23. I have never noticed in any guides that you should select this option. Will this cause any problems in the video?

Mac

[Pato]

I´m using Optibase Moviemaker 200S hardware encoder and when I merge 2 or more files with Scenarist´s New->Multi-file data feature I get that same message(it´s a warning not an error) usually in my case "Warning - Number of Sequence End Code is 2". I really didn´t mind about it and till now I have no complaints but I´d really like to know what it does mean and if Optibase´s encoder have such parameter control since i´m unable to find it.

PS-Arky´s brain(aka DVD enciclopaedia) probably has got the answer.:D

Thanks
Pato.

[Arky]

Originally posted by Mac Sidewinder
I'm using CCE v.2.67.00.23. I have never noticed in any guides that you should select this option. Will this cause any problems in the video?

Mac


It should cause no problems whatsoever - adding a sequence end code to an MPEG sequence is totally legitimate (and, indeed, Scenarist clearly expects one).


Arky ;o)

[Arky]

Originally posted by Pato
I´m using Optibase Moviemaker 200S hardware encoder and when I merge 2 or more files with Scenarist´s New->Multi-file data feature I get that same message(it´s a warning not an error) usually in my case "Warning - Number of Sequence End Code is 2". I really didn´t mind about it and till now I have no complaints but I´d really like to know what it does mean and if Optibase´s encoder have such parameter control since i´m unable to find it.

PS-Arky´s brain(aka DVD enciclopaedia) probably has got the answer.:D

Thanks
Pato.


This simply means that each of your constituent MPEG streams has a sequence end code. When you use Scenarist to concatenate them, it does not remove the sequence end code of any segment(s) that preceded the final segment. Thus, it flags the warning that (in the case of two constituent MPEG streams having been concatenated together) there are 2 sequence end codes in that Title track - "Warning - Number of Sequence End Code is 2".

It's not something to get terribly concerned about, but if you are authoring for replication then compatibility is the Holy Grail, so in that particular situation, I would personally choose to address the issue properly.

To do this, you could (if the Optibase card allows it) encode only the final segment of a concatenated sequence with an end sequence code. However, if this option is not available, then do not despair, because ReStream will come to your rescue (this is a great little util' and I believe every DVD author should have it in their arsenal). Open each of your MPEG segments (except the final segment, obviously), and select 'Remove Seq. End Codes'. Then add the segments to Scenarist in the usual way, allowing it to concatenate your files for you. When you multiplex, you should no longer see the warning flag about the number of sequence end codes :)


Incidentally, you might also like to experiment with the 'Reset Timestamps' option in ReStream, if you choose to concatenate using a util prior to importing into Scenarist, although this would be at your own discretion. In this instance, you'd use ReStream to remove extraneous sequence end codes, then concatenate (using your choice of util for the purpose), then open ReStream again, to restripe your timecode using the 'Reset Timestamps' option, then import the cohesive MPEG file into Scenarist, for authoring. Personally, I concatenate my (CCE encoded) MPEG segments on the Mac, using MPEG Append, because this automatically restripes the timecode to make a cohesive new stream, and it adds DVD SP 3 chapter markers at the 'joins', which saves me a bundle of hassle once I get into DVD SP 3 for authoring.


Arky ;o)

[Pato]

Hi Arky, thanks for your reply.
Restrean really did the job, and Scenarist no longer complained about sequence end codes. Thjanks a lot.
PATO.