[MPlayer-users] convert (S)VCD's to VDR files using MEncoder

[Nico]

Michael Reinelt wrote:

>> VDR files are interleaved PES: a non-standard stuff made of mpeg-ps 
>> without Pack headers.
>> mencoder generates mpeg-ps files with headers, so not what you want.
>> I  think that VDR doesn't usually play those files, but maybe it evolved
>
>
> If you consider the raw format that is transmitted via DVB as 
> "non-standard", you may be right. As far as I know, VDR does not use a 
> special format, but writes the (filtered) streams directly into the file.

DVB  transmits in MPEG-TS format, and IMHO that is the only thing  that 
should be saved (because it's exactly what comes out of the card and of 
the drivers).
Mpeg-PES isn't editable by any software and there are no tools (that I 
know of) to convert it to -PS, instead -TS files can at least be converted.

>
> And yes, VDR playes this MEncoded files without any problems.
>
>>> mencoder vcd://1 -ovc lavc -oac copy -lavcopts 
>>> vcodec=mpeg2video:vbitrate=2500 -vf scale=480:576 -of mpeg -ofps 25 
>>> -o 001.vdr
>>> Q3: is the command correct? should I specify any additional option?
>>
>> :mbd=2 or at least :vhq and :aspect=4/3
>
>
> I couldn't find anything about this mbd=2 option, could you please 
> give me a documentation pointer?

it's in the man page (man mencoder), at least with mplayer 1.0-pre3.
I forgot to say that a 2-pass encode will always look much better than a 
single pass.
Read DOCS/tech/encoding-howto.txt for details, but many of those 
informations are considered outdated
(I suggest you to use only the most basic options:
:mbd=2:aspect=4/3:vpass=1:vbitrate=2500:vcodec=mpeg2video  and vrc_maxrate)

>
> as for the aspect, what happens if I get a (S)VCD in 16:9 format? (I 
> don't know if this is even possible..)

it's possible ( use :aspect=16/9) , but how it's played depends on the 
player: some will show it correctly, others will show it in 4:3  aspect
(because the "standard" states 4:3 if I remember correctly).
Don't forget to add the horizontal black bars if you want to keep the 
correct aspect (-vf scale=...,expand= ...  )

>
>
> Thanks a lot, Michael

    Nico