Rivergate Software Inc. - makers of DVDAfterEdit

Interesting quote from the Tully list. This is from Ray Wallick, a CCE distributor. It relates to multi-angle material, but the implications for SMS are interesting:

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First, let's look at some parameter settings and constraints in encoding for
Multi-Angle Video.

* All video streams must be encoded using a closed GOP pattern.
* All video streams must have the same GOP structure throughout.
* The combined bit rate of any one video stream and all audio streams,
including subtitles, cannot exceed 8 Mbps.

Now let's look at the CINEMA CRAFT Encoder settings:
As Andrew suggested, make sure you go to the ADVANCED settings button, and
tick as Joe says, the "DVD Video multiangle" box. This is equivalent to
selecting the following three options at the same time:

* Close all GOP's
* Disable auto I frame insertion
* Equalize each GOP's bit length

And now, and MOST IMPORTANTLY: I highly recommend that you use Cinema
Craft's powerful special feature called Multipass CBR. This Outputs a
constant bitrate stream in multiple passes. So, on the first pass, a
Single-pass CBR will be carried out to scan the complexity of the images
through the entire source video and record the information to the video
information file. From the second pass, encoding will be carried out with
calculating the bit allocation for each frame using the video information
gathered during the first pass. In multipass encoding, the video information
file will be modified again and again. In CBR mode, the more passes will
bring more constant and stable bit allocation for GOP's, and also the bit
allocation for each picture in a GOP will have been modified to achieve a
higher quality of image. I recommend more than 3 passes (including the first
pass for the video information file).

I would avoid using VBR in Multi-Angle encoding. It has been used by some of
my customers, but it has too many restraints. We already have enough
restraints when you use the Multi-Angle mode.

You shouldn't have any problem if you follow the above.
Hope this helps.

Ray Wallick
President
OMNI DVD MEDIA
Distributor for CINEMA CRAFT Encoders/SD/HD/Film Restoration
North America * South America * Mexico * Australia & Oceania
============================================================
180 Newport Center Drive
Suite 180
Newport Beach, CA 92660
T: 949-760-6664
ray@omnidvdmedia.com
www.omnidvdmedia.com