I have JPEG's that I want to put on cd or dvd. I have Nero StartSmart and started the process of trying to make a "VCD". I add all the JPEG's I have in one file (it comes out to like 350 mb altogether), and it isn't enough to fill one cd-r, so I figured I should be alright. Anyway, when I add, I get a prompt telling me something about needing to convert the JPEG's to MPEG-1 format. I ignore this and burn anyway. I use a Sony CDr to finish the project. The result, a really bad product. All the pic's are there, but their resolution are horrible! I have a Nikon 3200 digital camera and the pic's I view on them (or in my PC) don't come close to the train wreck I see on the TV. What happened? Is this normal? I've gone to the Nero website, but it hasn't been helpful. ThanX in advance.
I'm afraid that Nero tries to 'encode' the JPG files into bitmaps or to convert their resolution to a certain standard. When I used Nero to simply put 'Please Insert Disc 2' at the end of VCD / Disc 1, I inserted a 720x576 (I use PAL) BMP file and it worked gread (but it was such a simple image..). To avoid any convarsion problem (JPG -> BMP, 1345x675 -> 352x288 and so on), try to modify the pictures so that they become bitmaps of the proper resoluition with a good picture editor (resizing them or putting a black border. I use Paint Shop Pro and it works great). After that, you can put them in a VCD later using Nero. Othewise, use [bold]VCDEasy[/bold] (version 1.1.5.2 was still freeware, if you manage to find a copy) to make a VCD full of 'mpeg stills' (but you have to convert, with VCDEasy 'Tools--> MPEG Stills' a BMP --> MPEG Stil, first). VCDEasy's 'MPEG Stills' feature says that, for a PAL VCD still, the bast initial resulution is 768x576 pixels. For a VCD NTSC still the best initial resolution is 640x480. I don't know if this rule applies also to Nero, but if you want to use it, you can use this as a reference. Make your VCD then when watch it on your DVD player (use a CR-RW, to avoid losing a media). How does it looks?
First off, thanks for the response aldaco12. Yeah, I was afraid I needed to get some sort converter. I really don't have any photo editing software/proggies, I figured I'd just make a quick VCD, which obviously isn't going to happen. Is VCDEasy only PAL-compatible? All my video appliances are in NTSC. I'll try out the proggie and let you know how it goes. Thanks again.
No, VCDEasy can build (S)VCDs in both systems. But maybe Nero is enough. You just need to find a nice picture converter because I'm afraid you'll need, to have the maximum quality, to use 768x576 bitmaps ....
No. I reported that VCDEasy tells, on its 'Tools' page, that [bold]the optimal resolution for an image which must be used to make a (S)VCD still is 720x576 pixels (PAL) and 640x480 (NTSC) [/bold]. Note that this is true both on the 'MPEG still type' = 'High' (quality) and 'Low' . The resolution of the mpeg still you'll make will change changing from High to Low (High: 704x576/480 and Low: 352x240/288 for the VCD still and 480x480/576 for the SVCD still), but the 'optimal resolution' indicated that the input image must have won't change. And, as you can see, none of those input resolution matches (S)VCDs (325x288 is PAL and 352x240 if NTSC). Only, passing from Low to High quality, the output resolution changes: on 'High' it remains similar (note: only SIMILAR) to DVD, on 'Low' it matches (S)VCD's one. Note, I don't know Nero's behaviour, but I assume it is similar to VCDEasy, when you speak of "best initial image quality". I would prefere to get a free copy of VCDEasy and to make a 'image VCD' with it, which seems to be more versatile.
Hi there, Have a look a VSO PhotoDVD v2.0.14 (Latest Release): http://www.vso-software.fr/Photodvd/photodvd.htm for full details !
