Using Ulead Studio 3.0's facilities (transition, image, text, etc), I created video files in mpeg-1 format. I intend to store them in Video CD format but when I checked the files'Properties with IFilm Edit, it is not Video Ready. I would have burned the file into Video CD with WinOn CD 3.0.

Would appreciate if someone out there can help me convert my files into a Video CD ready file ? Is there a utility I can use ?

-- Philip Bautista (philipmb@sanmiguel.com.ph), November 12, 1999

Answers

You're right, Ulead's mpegs are not VCD compliant, but the worst part here is that Ulead's mpegs look more terrifying than Boris Karloff and Bela Lugossi together!! You better use Ulead to "Save as" .AVI and then convert to .mpep (VCD compliant of course) using well known software such as XING's: "www.xingtech.com" (yeah, I know it's expensive) G.Luck!

-- Matias (petrellm@telefonica.com.ar), November 12, 1999.

I tried with the trial version of Ulead Studio 3.0 to make the MPEG VCD compliant. You can do this by setting the rate at 29.97/sec, 352 by 240 the size of the picture, and check off the box for CDROM optimization which sets the properly audio and video rates. Since it only gave me 30 secs of making the MPEG file, I really did not get a good evaluation of how good the copy would look via free standing VCD or DVD player but I doubt that it would be very good since a good commercial MPEG encoder is more than the price of VS 3.0. The panasonic encoder is reasonable priced, easy to get from their web site, and gives a very good encoding.

-- somebody (somebody@anybody.com), November 12, 1999.

I think the only way now to get a good Mpeg1 Encoding is to buy either Ligos LSX or Panasonic encoders. Panasonic sells also a plugin for Adobe (not for Ulead) that is simply great. LSX has a slightly better overall quality, but can encode only from AVI, that means 2GB limit and reduced editing capabilities (Ulead and Adobe will need to generate a recompressed Avi to feed LSX). After some experience, I dropped IFilmEdit because on several projects the final rendering has big artifacts that appears randomly (such as big green and red squares). Better edit all I need on the timeline and then render directly to Mpeg with a plugin. Good Luck Brambus

-- Brambus (kdwbr@tin.it), November 13, 1999.

Hi guys, interesting comments that I agree with but please note my posting on blocky computer images. I have tried the VS3 mpeg and it looked dreadfull on my computer but that did not carry thro' to the dvd player image on the tv.

Then I found the computer solution described in the posting and the vs3 image looked quite good but not up to the level of the lsx or panasonic encoders (in that order). Not sure why all that should be so but it sure made a hell of a difference.

-- Ross McL (rmclennan@esc.net.au), November 17, 1999.

If you have Ifilmedit... Actually.. you've the answer yourself... IFilmedit will convert it for you... load your segment into the viewer and go to the Preferences menu... THEN, choose Video CD and you'll be given 2 options... Video CD, and Video CD (zeroes). Choose Video CD and then click on the "Build Preview" button in the RECORDER window. After the preview is created.. (can take some time if it's a large file.. slow computer.. etc) view it and click the record button (also on the recorder window). After this just click one last time, on the save button on the recorder window and name your file... this will create a NEW mpg that is white book standard and WinOnCD has liked the format every time i've used this process to make a Video CD... =) Sounds complicated.. it's not. michael

-- Michael (Paladin102@hotmail.com), November 17, 1999.