MainConcept MPEG2 does NOT work!

jimcho wrote on 12/19/2001, 10:56 AM
It appears to render fine using the included SVCD NTSC template. When played back on my computer it looks OK, but not as good as the standard SVCD template that comes with TMPGenc which is likely due to the lower bit rate that MC uses (it produces a smaller file that TMPGenc).

However, when I burn an SVCD with Nero and play it back on my Pioneer DV-333 DVD player, it produces an image which is fat and squashed (ie. it only shows about 50% of the image streched across the screen). SVCDs encoded using TMPGenc work fine.

Bottom line: this encoder is useless to me. Since I only have the standard version, I can't try different settings.

To MCTech:
Please convince your people to produce a demo version of your encoder. I bought this encoder to save time, not waste more of it.

Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks.

Comments

SonyEPM wrote on 12/19/2001, 1:26 PM
We'll certainly take a look at this. I've been able to produce good SVCD's with the stock template, but I'll make some more just to confirm a bug didn't slip out.
jimcho wrote on 12/26/2001, 1:15 PM
I tried the MC encoded SVCD in another DVD player and it played fine. I suspect it should also play OK in most other DVD players.

So it appears to be a compatibility problem with the MC encoder and my Pioneer DV-333 player. The Pioneer was rated SVCD compatible by http://www.vcdhelp.com.

I should also note that the TMPGEnc encoded SVCD also produces the streched image for the first half second of video, but then pops into the correct aspect ratio.

In any case, I cannot use the MC encoder. What is the return policy for the MPEG plugin?
jimcho wrote on 1/19/2002, 5:06 PM
In the setup options for the Pioneer DV-333 player, the "TV Screen" setting has 3 options, 4:3 Letterbox, 4:3 Pan & Scan, and 16:9 Wide. Mine was set to 4:3 Pan & Scan. Setting it to 4:3 Letterbox solved the aspect ratio problem. Obviously, the DVD player thought the SVCD was in widescreen format and "panned" it.

So why did the TMPGenc encoded SVCD play correctly and not the MC encoded one? I think that the MC guys need to find out what needs to be included to tell the DVD player what aspect ratio it's in.

Unfortunately, the final SVCD still has jitter problems with still images and fast moving scenes which make regular VCDs the best choice for me.