Re: [VCDImager-GUI-devel] win32 binaries for still mpeg encoding...

[Laurens Koehoorn]

> >> just wanted to let you know, that I've been to build some tools under
> >> cygwin (win32), required to make stills...
> >
> > Well, I prefer the win32 way as I do now completely using the MPeG-Tools
of
> > TMPGenc and a utility - I wrote and included into my GUI : VCDwizard.
> well, there have been a few approaches to encode stills so far;
> 1) make this through some other (s)vcd authoring tool

The option I included into my app, is the last part where some bytes must
been modified (although a lot of testing will be done by the to ensure that
the correct type and format is presented to modify and also not an already
modified still is presented again -- just for safety).

> 2) let tmpgenc encode and mux a one-frame mpeg stream and then do some
> hex-editing on the resulting stream

That's how I do it now. Create some fancy JPG (or BMP or other format) and
save (for VCD) a copy in the format 352x288 and a copy in 704x576 (I create
PAL still's). I present them both to TMPGenc and using a "template" I create
a m1v and a m2v. I mux them both to a 2 frames mpg and then use the tool of
my app to create an 'acceptable' still, acceptable for a compliant
stand-alone DVD player, but after the fetching no longer readable by
MediaPlayer (who cares, I can ensure that the tool in my app will garantee
that the still is 'correct').

> approach... but as already said, it could well be integrated into a
> monolithic program if the muxer/encoder are available as DLL or
> something similiar...

My first choice, before I chose to follow the approach as I mentioned
earlier, was to 'rewrite' the MPeG-tools of the GNU OpenSource to fit them
into a Win32-DLL. I canceled this idea, because I only write in VC++ and the
language those tools were written in was for the linux-target. Yes, I found
some sources for the win32 environment, but they were so very chaotic and so
complicated, that I stopped spending time in this idea and searched for
another approach, as I've done by now.
For using still's in my app, I don't care how the still's are created
(although I test the MPeG's at 'low'-level, to see whether the app is
dealing with a MPeG-1, MPeG-2 or still (mpg1-or mpg2 still)). If my app
tells me the mpg is acceptable, I do a high-level test using MediaPlayer,
from which I get more typical information of the stream (like the timelength
of the stream).
Each user is free how he/she creates a STILL, I only offer a tool to binary
modify the still when they followed my approach (as which I will further
explain in the HELP of the gui as I did a very long search to find out how
to create stills - searching the net : no one could tell me how, neither at
the well-known forums of the 2 most known sites for (S)VCD). Yes, the only
thing I found was the 'complicated' way, using the mpeg-tools, but as
spoiled as I am I rather like to use an easy way. The way I found wasn't
completed, so I modified some at that approach until the one I have now (I'm
happy enough about it) which finaly only takes a few minutes of the process
to create a vcd (starting from capture - modify/verification - encoding -
authoring - burning).

> ps: We're all (at least I'm) quite curious to see your GUI when it comes
> out, and what new ideas it brings with it =)

Well, I hate typing guides, but am by now somewhere midway. Then I must
create some WindowsInstaller for the app - still must figure out how to do
this.
When all this is finished, I'll deliver the package to labdv.com. I think
Jim (of labdv) will then publish the 'announcement'.

Allthough I see that DVD comes more and more popular, I still cannot write
anything for it -- while you don't support it 'yet' in vcdImager - and I
still don't have the hardware for creating DVD-Video. I only can develop
something when I know how it works...
___________________________________________
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Laurens Koehoorn
address@hidden
http://home.planetinternet.be/~laurensk/
http://user.online.be/~lhksoft/
http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Pines/6750/

----- Original Message -----
From: Herbert Valerio Riedel <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Cc: Léon <address@hidden>; <address@hidden>
Sent: Wednesday, 16 January, 2002 16:56
Subject: Re: [VCDImager-GUI-devel] win32 binaries for still mpeg encoding...