Dark Avenger's

Multilingual DVD to SVCD Conversion Guide V1.12a (18.12.2000)

Introduction

This guide shows a way to convert DVD to about 3 SVCDs with 2 languages by using following software:

• DVD2AVI (+VFP) to demux AC3 and act as a frameserver
• TMPGEnc to do the encoding job using my template
• Soft Encode to decode AC3
• DSEnc to downmix 6 channels to a Dolby Surround stereo PCM WAV
• Nero Burning Rom to burn the MPEG as SVCD

Of course it is not an easy way as using FLASK, but I don't like the sound quality of FLASK and I think it is nearly impossible to make a SVCD with 2 languages with it. Furthermore you shouldn't have any a/v sync problems when using this guide. Please keep in mind that I made this guide for PAL DVDs only, since I don't have a need to convert NTSC DVDs. So please don't ask me questions about that.

I based this guide on Doom9's SVCD guide. Since he is running a great and constantly updated site, I recommend you to visit it regularly!

Check out my site as well, as I will be posting updated versions of this guide there!

Critique is always welcome!

HD Space

Preparations

• Make sure you unZIPed DVD2AVI (+VFAPI add-on) into TMPGEnc's directory.
• Rip the DVD to HD and "clean" the VOBs of unwanted segments. This is important for movies such as "The Matrix" since DVD2AVI cannot parse the IFOs. As an alternative you can use SmartRipper in chapter mode to rip the DVD. By this way the movie should be in a good convertable condition (but I have not tested it yet).

DVD2AVI

• Start DVD2AVI and File->Open and add the VOB files of the movie in the correct order.
  
• Go to Options->Audio Demux and uncheck everything (especially all Tracks in Decoding!!!) except Dolby Digital.
  
• Choose the appropriate iDCT Algorithm. I don't think that choosing Reference will yield to a much better result in the end, so it is rather a wastage of time.
• Go to File->Save Project and wait till DVD2AVI is finished. It will create a project file which can be opened in TMPGEnc and demux all AC3 streams.
• You may open Options->Statistics to watch the progress.
• Close DVD2AVI.

AC3->WAV

• This is done via Soft Encode and DSEnc. Refer to DSEnc's README how to make the necessary decoding and downmixing. In the end you should have a Dolby Surround stereo WAV of 48kHz for each language you want to put on the SVCD.
• To be strict SVCD compatible you need to downsample the WAVs from 48kHz to 44.1kHz, but my player has no problems with 48kHz, so I can be a bit off-standard. You need to find out whether your player likes it or not.
• There are many other (and much faster) methods for AC3->WAV conversion, but I prefer this one, since it yields to superior quality.

Encoding the Video

• Open TMPGEnc and load my settings file for PAL SVCDs with 48kHz sound. It is based on the one which comes along with the encoder. You may have to edit the file, for your favourite settings, especially if you want to convert NTSC material.
• Open the DVD2AVI project file, give a destination file name and make sure you selected the Video only option.
  
• Now it is time to Configure the mpeg-2 for the first disc.
• First of all you need to set the bitrate for MVBR. I use values from 2200 up to 2700 depending on the movie and on how much discs I want to put it. Keep in mind that 2700 is already off standard so you need to find out what maximum bitrate your player is capable of. If I archive anamorphic 2.35:1 movies, it is safe to go down with the bitrate to 2200 because of the black bars even in anamorphic 16:9. If you use letterbox instead of anamorphic you can even go down to 2200 for 16:9 movies. It depends on your personal taste.
  
• Make sure that you uncheck Interlaced in Video and select Non-interlaced in Advanced->Video source type.
  
• You need to select the appropriate settings for the aspect ratio, depending on whether you want your destination SVCD to be 16:9 anamorphic, 4:3 letterbox or 4:3 pan & scan:

  Destination format	Aspect ratio	Source aspect ratio	Image positioning method
  16:9 anamorphic	16:9 Display	16:9 625 line (PAL)	Center (preserve aspect ratio)
  16:9 anamorphic (alternative)	4:3 Display	4:3 625 line (PAL)	Center (preserve aspect ratio)
  4:3 letterbox	4:3 Display	16:9 625 line (PAL)	Fit to frame (preserve aspect ratio)
  4:3 pan&scan	4:3 Display	16:9 625 line (PAL)	Center (preserve aspect ratio)

  Examples

  16:9 anamorphic	4:3 letterbox	4:3 pan&scan

• Although I encode the video anamorphic, I select 4:3 for the output and 4:3 625 line (PAL) for input, since otherwise my DVD-Player shows the SVCD in 4:3 Pan&Scan which is very annoying on a 16:9 screen... The problem with this setting is that software players like WinDVD won't show the movie in the correct aspect ratio i.e. they will show it anamorphic.
• Select the portion of video you want to encode, by going into Advance->Source frame range. (Double-click it.) Here select start and end frame and press OK. If you use 2200kbit/sec you can fit about 45 to 46 min (with 2 languages) on a 80min CD-R. With 2700 kbit/sec you can safely put 38min onto a 80min CD-R.
  

  Safe Method

  • Instead of selecting the whole video portion you want to encode, select 3 to 5 min less, but set the end frame exact one frame behind a scene change (so no I frame is wasted). (Don't forget to write down your frame range(s)!)
  • Encode this portion (see down).
  • Check the filesize. The filesize of the complete m2v should not be much more than 650MB. So select the rest you wanted to encode (the few minutes) and encode it.
  • If you add both sizes together and you reach the 650MB - congratulations - it went OK. If you still have space, you can encode some more minutes. If your complete filesize is too much, encode the second part again, but this time make a smaller selection of frames.
  • Now you have two (or more) pieces of video which need to be joined. I don't now a faster tool, so I do it with TMPGEnc:
    • File->MPEG tools->Cut/Join
    • Select MPEG-2 Program (VBR)
    • Add your video pieces in correct order, select an output filename and press start and wait.
    • If you have used a non-standard bitrate like 2700 kbit/sec, you will get a warning at the end, but this can be ignored.
    • Go to Basic demultiplex, select your just created Program stream and press start. After processing you will now be having a m2v which consists of your concenated encoded pieces.
    • You can delete the Program stream you created, but I recommend you to not delete the m2v pieces which you joined, in case you did some miscalculation.
  • I use this method, because I don't know a good tool for splitting a video piece which is too large.

   

• Leave the MPEG Configuration by pressing OK and start Encoding.
• After several hours your job should be finished and the video file for your first CD-R is ready. Now comes the Audio:

Encoding the Audio

• Select your first language WAV as Audio source.
• Press Configure and double click the Source frame range option in Advanced.
• Now enter the negative DELAY which DVD2AVI included in the AC3 filenames as Audio skew. (If e.g. the delay was -18, enter 18. If it was 57, enter -57.) By this we get 100% sync audio.
• If you did the video encoding with the Safe Method don't forget to set the frame range to your complete video file! Press OK to leave the range selection.
• Even if you don't want to change the skew, make sure you re-check the Source frame range option.
• You may want to change the Bit rate for Audio, but I leave it at 224 and I don't recommend changing the Channel mode from Stereo as it could impact encoding quality and with it the Dolby Surround information.
• Press OK and select Audio only, give a output filename and start encoding.
• When finished, repeat these steps for your other language(s). (But don't forget to change to Video only or any other video option after having selected the next WAV, otherwise you cannot re-check the Source frame range option.)

Multiplexing

• Now you should have one video file and at least two audio files. (I never tried to make a SVCD with more than two audio tracks.)
• In File->MPEG tools->Multiplex select MPEG-2 Super Video CD (VBR) as Type.
• Add your video track, your primary language and then your secondary language track and press Start.
• If you have used a non-standard bitrate like 2700 kbit/sec, you will get a warning at the end, but this can be ignored.
• Now your MPEG for the first SVCD is ready. Its final filesize should be about 800MB so that you can put it onto a 80 CD-R with maybe slight DAO overburning.

Burning the SVCD

• Fire up Nero Burning Rom 5. (Make sure to always use the latest version as they constantly improved SVCD support.)
• Select the SVCD project.
• Drag the MPEG file onto the project. Nero will now scan the file and complain that it is (of course) off standard. Ignore it and choose to create a non-standard SVCD.
• Burn it in DAO mode!

• Repeat the above steps for your other discs.
• That's it! You can play these discs with some nice hardware DVD-players and the latest Intervideo WinDVD and Cyberlink PowerDVD software player.

Hints

• You can run DSEnc parallel to TMPGEnc, while it is encoding video. Since DSEnc stressed the HD, whereas TMPGEnc stresses the CPU, you can save some time by doing this. Make sure busmastering for your HD is enabled!
• Some DVD-players will recognize the SVCD faster if you include a still at the beginning. To do this, drag a JPEG with size of 704x576 onto the SVCD project and give it a pause of about 0 to 2 seconds. Either make it a nice intro screen or use a blank black one.