MPEG-1(VCD) or MPEG-2 (Super VCD /DVD)

2 replies [Last post]
Samuel
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Joined: May 21 1999

MPEG-1(VCD) or MPEG-2 (Super VCD /DVD)

I have created VCD with MPEG Encoding software (DVMPEG & Xing) and used DV and Hi8 and source.

My question is:
What format I will use to archive my edited videos digitally?

I assume you all know that optical disks such as CD, VCD and DVD are more reliable, easy to use, random access to scenes than any magnetical tapes. Therefore I want to get rid of all tape format.

I think VCD is only a distribution format and NOT to archive your source digitally.

To create DVD is not yet easy for consumers. It is far too expensive. However I found out that there is an alternative solution to archive almost the same quality as DVD, to do this by create MPEG-2 files and burn them on a Super VCD format in the usual CD-R (640MB)

Super VCD is not well known is western countries. This is known in far east Asia. SVCD can only contain about 10-15 minutes of hi-resolution video clips.

Currently I’m creating all my archive in MPEG-2 and copy them to CD-R. Unfortunately I haven’t got any software to create SVCD. I hope Adaptec EasyCD creator deulex and WinOnCD will make there future version of software capable creating SVCD.

Latest news: there is a new product called I-Author Deluxe 1.0 for SVCD. Anyone know any other solution to create SVCD. If I know the structure of SVCD I may write my own software to do this.

If anyone interested about me and the equipment’s I use:
I am using MSP 5.2 to edit all my videos with Marvel G200 and Firewire 8920. (I’m a software developer. I wrote few software such as DVD Soft player and Firewire controller my self in VC++)
Sorry, for any spelling or grammar. I’m bilingual.

Samuel

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[This message has been edited by Samuel (edited 21 May 1999).]

RichardJ
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Joined: May 7 1999

Some interesting ideas there!

I agree that VCD is no good for archiving - too low a resolution, if you re-edited it I think you'd loose mare than was acceptable.

I hadn't heard of SVCD, it sounds like a reasonable idea now that MPEG-2 software encoding is reasonably priced (though not cheap), but recordable DVD is still too expensive. But only 15 mins per CD is a bit limiting for an archive.

How is the quality of MPEG-2 using DVMPEG? Is there any noticeable degradation from say a Hi8 source captured at 3Mb/sec or higher?

Do you know if DVD players recognise and play SVCD disks? I believe that most are now happy with VCD, but if they can also play SVCD you would have a good medium for short videos.

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Richard Jones

Richard Jones, http://www.activeservice.co.uk
Home of the MediaStudio Pro Tutorial - Edition 3 for MSP 7

Freddy the Fish
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Joined: Apr 15 1999

Hi Samuel,
Great to see a new post on the MPEG board, and someone who unlike myself is not a novice in this complex subject.

I have 2 questions,

1. Do you get good results making MPEG in MSP and if so what settings are used, from capture through to Burn.

2. I understand that in the Fat East the VCD is still popular, I have a Phillips CDi which I use to play my home made Movies on, and they will also play in the DVD drive in my computer, what I cannot do is play my Commercial Movies, (Top Gun, Ghost etc) in the computer. So is there a CDi emulator of some kind.

I would appreciate any response

FtF