VCD Chapter entrypoints, AVISynth, TMPGenc and VCDEasy.

[droopy]

Dear All,

I've found a strange problem for which I hope some of you have experienced it before and might even have an idea where to look for the solution. It only occurs with VCD's.

To separate different episodes on a VCD I use similar to following script to add about 150 frames together with a piece of text.

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ARacingCarIsBorn = SegmentedAviSource("d:\ARacingCarIsBorn_Episodes\A RacingCarIsBorn0104.avi").ConvertToYUY2

Episode1 = Blackness(ARacingCarIsBorn, 150).Subtitle("Episode 1",((ARacingCarIsBorn.Width-400)/2),((ARacingCarIsBorn.Height-66)/2+64),0,150,"Comic Sans MS",120)

ARacingCarIsBornVideo = Episode1
ARacingCarIsBornVideo = ARacingCarIsBornVideo + ARacingCarIsBorn.Trim(....,...)
ARacingCarIsBornVideo = ARacingCarIsBornVideo + Episode2
ARacingCarIsBornVideo = ARacingCarIsBornVideo + ARacingCarIsBorn.Trim(....,...) ,etc


#ARacingCarIsBornVideo.ConvertToRGB.VD_DynamicNois eReduction(6).VD_SmartDeinterlace("frame", "all", false,false, true, true, 3, 100).fadeout(50)
#ARacingCarIsBorn
ARacingCarIsBornVideo
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The problem begins when I want to set entrypoints in the final by TMPGenc, using closed GOP's and offcourse 1 sequence header before every GOP, encoded MPEG1 file. It is impossible to set entrypoints in the area of the MPEG1 containing the "Episode" text. I can set entrypoints anywhere in the MPEG1 on any I-frame, except in the area dividing the episodes.

If I only take the episode separating part of the AVS and make an MPEG1 out of it (see below script), again with closed GOP's and offcourse 1 sequence header before every GOP, it is also not possible to set entrypoints in it. When I load it in VCDEasy it tells me there is only 1 possible entrypoint, being the beginning of the file.

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ARacingCarIsBorn = SegmentedAviSource("d:\ARacingCarIsBorn_Episodes\A RacingCarIsBorn0104.avi").ConvertToYUY2

Episode1 = Blackness(ARacingCarIsBorn, 1500).Subtitle("Episode 1",((ARacingCarIsBorn.Width-400)/2),((ARacingCarIsBorn.Height-66)/2+64),0,1500,"Comic Sans MS",120)

ARacingCarIsBornVideo = Episode1

ARacingCarIsBornVideo
------------------------------------------

I've opened the latter file in a program called "MPEG sequence maker" and tried to add sequence headers. What it tells me though, as expected, is that there already are sequence headers before every GOP. Which is exactly what is needed to set entrypoints!!!

Programs I use are:

AVISynth 2.51, TMPGenc plus 2.59, VCDEasy 1.1.5(VCDImager 0.7.12)

I'm thinking this might have something to do with VCDImager, or VCDEasy itself. Do any of you have an idea, or experienced this before? Do any of you have an idea where to find the cause / solution for this?

It really puzzles me why this happens, as according to all rules it shouldn't.

Thanks for any offered assistance, Leon

[Peter B]

I can't say that I have got an answer, but I have experienced issues with Tmpgenc and VCD Easy have different opinions on where I frames are so to speak.

However, you may like to try Doom9 forums under VCD, as the creators of VCD Easy post on that forum I believe

[droopy]

Thanks Peter B

After posting me question here I continued searching for a solution and found this forum as well. So indeed I've posted it there also. My post here basically was because I know there's a lot of experienced people here with regard to making VCD / SVCD.

I'm just hoping to find a solution as it all seems very very strange. On normal captured video, encoded for VCD I can put entrypoints on any I-frame in the MPEG1. They're always spot on, well sometimes 1 or 2 frames off. Using the AVISynth "Blackness" and "Subtitle" commands not. Allthough according to MPEG sequence maker there are sequence headers before every GOP. My suspicions therefore go to VCDImager.

Even stranger is that the same file gives no problems as SVCD. That though is probably because the "Update scan offsets" is always activated with my for SVCD encoded files.

I've so far not thought of TMPGenc being the culprit. Its a good idea though for me to try another MPEG encoder.

Best regards,