Movie Maker Manual 138Seiten

MPEG ComposerMPEG-1 Encoding User’s Manual

Application

Trademarks

MPEG Composer, MPEG9000, DVD Fab!, MPEG ShowSite, MPEGMovieMaker, MPEG Forge™, MPEG Fusion™ , Super Suite, MPEGLab™, MPEG Lab™ Suite, PCMotion™, VideoPlex™ and PCMotion™Pro are trademarks of Optibase, Inc., Optibase Ltd.

Microsoft, MS, and MS-DOS, ActiveMovie, Windows and Windows 95 is atrademark of Microsoft Corporation.

SoftVTR is a trademark of Moonlight Technologies.

IBM PC, XT, AT are registered trademarks of International BusinessMachine Corporation.

All other trademarks mentioned in this manual are the sole property of theirrespective manufacturers.

Copyright

Optibase Inc., California

(c) 1999 Optibase, Inc. All rights reserved.

Published 1999, Printed in Israel

Notice

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Optibase,Inc. and Optibase, Ltd. assume no responsibility for any errors that mayappear in this manual. Companies, names and data used in examples hereinare fictitious unless otherwise noted. No part of this document may becopied or reproduced in any form, or by any means, electronic ormechanical, for any purpose, without the express written permission ofOptibase, Inc. Optibase makes no warranties with respect to thisdocumentation and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability orfitness for a particular purpose. From time to time changes may occur in thefile names and in the files actually included on the distribution disks.Optibase makes no warranties that such files or facilities, as mentioned inthis documentation, exist on the distribution disks or as part of the materialsdistributed.

ContentsChapter 1 ......................................................................... 1-1

Overview ...................................................................... 1-1

MPEG Composer Tools ..........................................................1-2

What’s in this Manual.............................................................1-4

Chapter 2 ......................................................................... 2-1

Getting Started ............................................................. 2-1

Overview.................................................................................2-1

The MPEG Composer Desktop...............................................2-2

Working with MPEG Composer Windows.............................2-2

Selecting MPEG Composer Options.......................................2-3

MPEG Encoding: The Basics .................................................2-4

Error Logging..........................................................................2-6

Chapter 3 ......................................................................... 3-1

The Device Control....................................................... 3-1

Overview.................................................................................3-1

Working with Device Control.................................................3-2

Using the Device Control........................................................3-3

Setting Device Control Properties ..........................................3-4

Using Device Control Functions.............................................3-7

Chapter 4 ......................................................................... 4-1

Encoding with the MPEG Composer ............................ 4-1

Overview.................................................................................4-1

Encoding an MPEG File .........................................................4-2

Previewing an Encoded MPEG Stream ..................................4-6

Setting System and Encoding Parameters...............................4-7

Using the Preset Mode ............................................................4-8

Using the MPEG Detailed Encoding Mode............................4-18

Chapter 5 ......................................................................... 5-1

Using the MPEG Organizer .......................................... 5-1

Overview.................................................................................5-1

Using the MPEG Organizer ....................................................5-2

Multi-session Encoding...........................................................5-5

Editing Encoder Files and Clips .............................................5-7

Decoding Play Lists ................................................................5-15

Multiplexing MPEG Files.......................................................5-18

Setting Properties of Target Files ...........................................5-19

Setting Properties of Source Files...........................................5-22

Multiplexing Files ...................................................................5-24

Chapter 6 ......................................................................... 6-1

Playing Back MPEG Files............................................. 6-1

Overview.................................................................................6-1

Using the MPEG Player ..........................................................6-2

Setting Playback Options ........................................................6-3

Playing Back Files...................................................................6-4

Viewing File Information........................................................6-4

Appendix A: A Guide To MPEG Compression

Appendix B: SoftVTR Supported VCRs

Appendix C: Troubleshooting

Appendix D: Time Code Types

Appendix E: MPEG Composer Preset Mode Values

Glossary

Index

Screen CapturesThe Device Control Window ..................................................3-3

The Device Control Properties Sheet......................................3-4

The MPEG Encoder Main Screen...........................................4-2

The Preset Source Tab ............................................................4-9

The Preset Calibration Tab .....................................................4-11

The Preset Target Tab.............................................................4-15

The Detailed Source Tab ........................................................4-18

The Detailed Signal Calibration Tab ......................................4-21

The Detailed Target Tab .........................................................4-25

The Detailed Advanced Tab ...................................................4-33

The Scheduled Commands Tab ..............................................4-41

The MPEG Frame Sequence...................................................4-43

The MPEG Organizer .............................................................5-2

The MPEG Player Main Screen..............................................6-2

The MPEG Player Properties Sheet ........................................6-3

The Player File Information Tab.............................................6-4

Chapter 1

Overview

The MPEG Composer™ is a Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 softwareapplication that controls Optibase’s family of real-time MPEG digital videopublishing systems. The MPEG Composer consists of several tools that havebeen designed to optimize and facilitate MPEG encoding.

In this Chapter:

• MPEG Composer Tools, page 1-2

• Features, page 1-3

• What’s in this Manual, page 1-6

MPEG Composer User’s Manual

1-2 MPEG Composer Tools

MPEG Composer ToolsThe MPEG Composer contains several tools:

MPEG Encoder

The MPEG Encoder encodes MPEG-1 streams. It accepts versatile videoand audio formats in NTSC or PAL. The MPEG Encoder interface has beendesigned to provide maximum ease-of-use with maximum control for singlesession encoding. To this end, the MPEG Encoder offers two modes forsetting system and encoding parameters: a Preset mode and a Detailedmode.

The Preset mode allows you to select generic encoding categories withouthaving to know specific MPEG encoding values.

The Detailed mode is designed for video professionals who are familiar withthe MPEG algorithm and want the power to adjust all MPEG parametersdown to a specific value.

The MPEG Composer offers sophisticated calibration and preview features.You can calibrate and filter your input source before or during encoding.When combined with the optional VideoPlex MPEG-2 decoding board,MPEG Composer’s Preview feature lets you preview the encoded streambefore it is stored to a hard disk. In this way you can adjust calibration andfilter settings during encoding before the output file is saved to disk.

For more about the MPEG Encoder, please see Chapter 4.

Device Control

The Device Control lets you control your source device from your screen.The Device Control is useful for previewing your input source. It also letsyou achieve frame accurate encoding. A list of device control supportedVCRs appears in Appendix C.

For more about the Device Control, please see Chapter 3.

The Device Control is only available with the MPEG Composer Plus.


MPEG Composer Tools 1-3

MPEG Organizer

The MPEG Organizer is a software component that acts as a centralplatform for controlling all MPEG Composer tools in batch mode. TheMPEG Organizer has three tools:

• The Encoder tool lets you carry out multi-session encoding jobs. Eachencoding job is made up of batches which consist of files.

• The Player tool supports multiple play lists, allowing you to play backmultiple MPEG files consecutively. The Player tool is available whenthe optional VideoPlex MPEG-2 playback board is installed.

• The Muxer tool multiplexes different types of MPEG files.

For more about the MPEG Organizer, please see Chapter 5.


MPEG Player

The MPEG Player plays back MPEG-1 streams with the ActiveMoviesoftware player or MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 streams with the optionalVideoPlex board.

For more about the MPEG Player, please see Chapter 6.

Diagnostics

The Diagnostics utility lets you test the Optibase hardware installed in yoursystem.

For more about the Diagnostics utility, please see your encoder’s HardwareInstallation guide.


1-4 What’s in this Manual

What’s in this ManualThis manual has been designed to take you easily through the MPEGencoding process.

• Chapter 1 presents an overview of the MPEG Composer softwareapplication.

• Chapter 2 guides you through MPEG Composer’s interface.

• Chapter 3 explains about using the Device Control and shows you how toachieve frame accurate encoding.

• Chapter 4 shows you how to use the MPEG Encoder’s different encodingmodes to complete a successful encoding job. You will learn how to usethe Preset and Detailed modes to enter system and encoding parameters.

• Chapter 5 shows you how to use the MPEG Organizer to carry out multi-session encoding, decoding and multiplexing.

• Chapter 6 shows you how to play back MPEG files with the MPEGPlayer.

Chapter 2

Getting Started

OverviewThis chapter gives you a quick tour of the MPEG Composer’s desktop. Youwill learn about the MPEG Composer’s interface and how to use MPEGComposer windows. This chapter also explains the basics of MPEGencoding.

In this chapter:

• The MPEG Composer Desktop, page 2-2

• Working with MPEG Composer Windows, page 2-2

• MPEG Encoding: The Basics, page 2-4

• Error Logging, page 2-6


2-2 The MPEG Composer Desktop

The MPEG Composer DesktopMPEG Composer contains several tools which are represented by differenticons in the MPEG Composer folder. To invoke an MPEG Composer tool,double-click the tool’s icon.

Each MPEG Composer tool has a main screen which contains a Propertiessheet. All MPEG Composer tools have a similar design and use the sameWindows conventions.

Working with MPEG Composer WindowsThis section shows you how to work with MPEG Composer windows.

To ... Do This...

Drag Windows • Place the mouse pointer on the window’s blue titlebar.

• Hold down the left mouse button and drag thewindow to its new location.

Minimize Windows • Place the mouse pointer on the Minimize button,and click the left mouse button.

Close Windows • Place the mouse pointer on the Close button, andclick the left mouse button.

Status Bar

Menu BarTitle Bar

Minimize

Restore

Close


The MPEG Composer Desktop 2-3

Selecting MPEG Composer OptionsMPEG Composer tools contain Properties sheets where you enter or selectencoding parameters. MPEG Composer Properties sheets are divided intodifferent tabs. You select a tab by clicking its label.

There are several ways to enter or select encoding parameters:

• Boxes: toggle the arrows or enter a number to set a specific value.

• Checkboxes: select the box to enable the option.

• Sliders: drag the slider to set a value.

• Lists: click the arrow and select an option from the list that appears.


2-4 MPEG Encoding: The Basics

MPEG Encoding: The BasicsThe MPEG Composer is designed to make encoding as easy as possible.You use the MPEG Composer Encoder to carry out single file encodingsessions and the MPEG Composer Organizer to carry out multi-fileencoding sessions.

All MPEG Composer windows are linked. This means that you can setencoding parameters in one window and they will be automatically updatedin all other windows.

The MPEG Encoder has a Properties sheet where you to set encodingparameters. When working in Preset mode, the MPEG Encoder’s Propertiessheet contains the following tabs:

Source Tab

• Source parameters relate to the properties that affect the audio and videosignal which is fed into the encoding system.

Signal Calibration Tab

• Signal calibration settings allow you to calibrate your audio and videosignal before it is encoded or during encoding.

Target Parameters

• Target parameters determine the properties of the MPEG file you want toencode.

The MPEG Encoder has two user modes for setting system and encodingparameters. The Preset mode is intended for video professionals who are notMPEG professionals. This mode lets you reach high quality encodingwithout being familiar with the MPEG algorithm.

The Detailed mode gives you numeric control over all your system andencoding parameters. This mode has been designed for MPEG professionalswho want to set specific numeric values and who want maximum controlover all encoding aspects. When working in the Detailed mode, the MPEGEncoder’s Properties sheet contains five tabs.


MPEG Encoding: The Basics 2-5

The following table gives an overview of single file encoding with theMPEG Encoder.

To... Go To...

1. Set Source parameters The Properties sheet’s Source tab.

2. Calibrate the input signal The Properties sheet’s Signal Calibrationtab.

3. Set MPEG parameters The Properties sheet’s Target tab.

4. Preview the MPEGstream

The MPEG Player.

5. Encode an MPEGstream

The Encoder’s main window.

The following table gives an overview of multi-session encoding with theMPEG Organizer.

To... Go To...

1. Set Source parameters The MPEG Organizer’s Source tab.

2. Calibrate the input signal The MPEG Organizer’s SignalCalibration tab.

3. Set MPEG parameters The MPEG Organizer’s Target tab.

4. Set Advanced parameters The MPEG Organizer’s Advanced tab.

5. Set In and Out points The MPEG Organizer’s Clip tab.

6. Preview the MPEG stream The MPEG Organizer Player tool.

7. Encode an MPEG stream The MPEG Organizer’s main window.


2-6 Error Logging

Error LoggingThe MPEG Composer has an error log that lists system errors and warnings.This is useful for tracking repetitive system errors and for technical support.

When an error or warning occurs the Event Viewer appears. You can alsoopen the Event View from the MPEG Composer’s program group.

To set Event Viewer Options:• Click the Event Viewer’s Properties button; the Properties sheet

appears.


Error Logging 2-7

The Event Viewer’s Properties Sheet

Viewing EventsThe Event Viewer lets you select what type of event you want to view.

• To select events, click the General tab and select the type of event youwant to view.

Using FiltersYou can filter the types of events you want to see.

• To filter events, click the Event Filter tab and then select Use Filters.

• To view errors, under Type select Error.

• To view warnings, under Type select Warning.

• To view information, under Type select Information.

Event IDEach error that the Event Viewer displays has an ID number. The Event IDbox lets you specify which errors you want to view.

To specify a range of errors to view:1. Click the Event Filter tab.

2. Under Event ID, in the From box, select the ID number of the first erroryou want to view.

3. Under Event ID, in the To box, select the ID number of the last erroryou want to view.

TimeThe Time boxes let you set the period of time in which you want to viewerrors.

1. Click the Event Filter tab.

2. Under Time, in the From and To boxes, enter time values.

Chapter 3

The Device Control

OverviewThis chapter shows you how to use the Device Control to browse throughyour input source and achieve frame accurate encoding.


In this Chapter:

• Working with Device Control, page 3-2

• Setting Device Control Properties, page 3-4


3-2 Working with Device Control

Working with Device ControlThe Device Control lets you control any frame accurate VCR that supportsRS422 remote control and follows the Sony command set protocol.

The Device Control is a very useful search and preview tool since it allowsyou to control your source device from the MPEG Composer. You use theDevice Control to browse through your input source and mark the framesthat you want to encode. You also use the Device Control to browse throughyour input source during calibration.

When using the MPEG Organizer to encode multiple clips from differentsources, you can assign each source device an ID tag. The MPEG Organizerprompts you when to switch source devices. When you do assign sourcedevice ID tags, the Device Control displays which source device is currentlyin use.


Working with Device Control 3-3

Using the Device ControlYou can open the Device Control from the MPEG Composer folder or fromthe MPEG Encoder.

Device encoding is not available when encoding QSIF resolutions.

To open the Device Control:

• In the MPEG Composer folder, double-click the Device Control icon;OR

• In the MPEG Encoder window, click the Device Control button; theDevice Control window appears.

The Device Control Window



Setting Device Control PropertiesBefore you use the Device Control, make sure that the Device Controlproperties are correctly set.

To set Device Control properties:

• In the Device Control window, click Properties; the Properties sheetappears.

The Device Control Properties Sheet

Setting a Device DelayWith some encoding jobs, there may be a lag between the first frame youspecified for encoding and the first frame that MPEG Composer actuallyencodes. If the first frame that MPEG Composer encodes differs from thefirst frame you specified, you can instruct the MPEG Composer to startencoding after a specified number of frames has elapsed.



To set a device delay:

• In the Delay box, enter the number of frames that will elapse beforeencoding begins.

Setting a Preroll DelayThe preroll delay is the time it takes a VCR to reach full playback speed. Toset this value, refer to your VCR’s technical specifications. When you set apreroll delay, MPEG Composer synchronizes with your VCR one secondahead of the preroll value you specify.

To set a preroll delay:

• In the Preroll box, set the correct preroll delay.

Selecting a Color SystemMPEG Composer lets you set the encoder and your VCR to different videoformats. This is useful if you are using a PAL/NTSC converter that convertsthe signal between your VCR and the encoding board. When you do use acolor system converter, the VCR’s color system is used to determine timecodes. Note that you must set the Color System value to your VCR’soriginal color system setting.

To set the video format of your source device:

• In the Color System list, select NTSC or PAL.

Selecting a Time Code FormatValid time code values are VITC, LTC or CTL. The Device Control andyour VCR must use the same time code format. When you change time codeformats, the Device Control closes automatically. Note that when working inCTL mode, the time code must always be positive.

Time Code Notes

Working with negative time code values leads to unpredictable results. A detailed explanationof time code formats appears in Appendix D.



To set a time code:

• In the Time Code Format list, select a time code format.

Encoding with Drop Frame ModeIn NTSC, the actual frame rate is not exactly 30 fps, but roughly 29.97 fps.This means that the time code doesn’t match clock time. Thus, when thetime code indicates 1 hour of film, 1 hour, 3 seconds and 18 frames worth ofactual time has elapsed - or a discrepancy of 108 frames. This mode ofoperation is called Non Drop Frame.

Some VCRs operate in Drop Frame mode. This mode resolves the time codediscrepancy by dropping two frame numbers every minute, on the minute,except the tenth minutes. For example: 01:12:59:29 à 01:13:00:02. If thetime code display on your tape skips two frame numbers at the beginning ofevery minute, except for the tenth minutes, then your tape is operating inDrop Frame mode.

MPEG Composer and your VCR should operate in the same mode. If yourVCR is set to Drop Frame mode, you should enable Drop Frame mode in theMPEG Composer.

To activate Drop Frame mode:

• Select Drop Frame mode.



Using Device Control FunctionsThe Device Control window contains playback functions that you use tocontrol your source device. In addition to the regular playback buttons, theDevice Control has a slider that simulates a VCR’s shuttle function.

You can use the slider to shuttle at speeds between -x1/4 - x32 in bothdirections.

To shuttle:

1. Hold the mouse button down and drag the slider until you reach a desiredplayback speed. The playback speed appears in the status bar at thebottom of the Device Control window.

2. To maintain a desired playback speed, press the CTRL button whileholding down the mouse button. When you release the mouse button theDevice Control plays back at the speed you set on the slide bar.

To go to a specific frame:

1. In the Go To box, enter the time code of the frame you want to locate.

2. Click Go To.

To learn how to use the Device Control to set first and last frames forencoding, please see Chapter 4.



Using the KeyboardYou can use the following keyboard shortcuts for the Device Control’splayback functions.

Function Key Combination

Rewind CTRL + ALT + R

Step Backward CTRL + ALT + B

Step Forward CTRL + ALT + F

Fast Forward CTRL + ALT + T

Play CTRL + ALT + P

Pause CTRL + ALT + A

Stop CTRL + ALT + S

Mark In CTRL + ALT + I

Mark Out CTRL + ALT + O

Chapter 4

Encoding with theMPEG Composer

OverviewThis chapter shows you how to encode with the MPEG Encoder. You willlearn how to use the Preset or the Detailed mode to set system and encodingparameters.

In this Chapter

• Encoding an MPEG File, page 4-2

• Using the MPEG Preset Mode, page 4-8

• Using the MPEG Detailed mode, page 4-19


4-2 Encoding an MPEG File

Encoding an MPEG FileThe MPEG Encoder’s main screen contains all encoding functions. In thissection you will learn how to complete a successful encoding job using thedifferent encoding modes.

To invoke the MPEG Encoder:

• In the MPEG Composer folder, double-click the MPEG Encoder icon; theMPEG Encoder appears.

The MPEG Encoder Main Screen

Saving or Loading Encoding ParametersWhen you open the MPEG Encoder, it automatically loads a product file(*.prd file) with default encoding settings. You can save changes you maketo the default product file.

To save encoding settings:

1. On the main screen’s File menu, select Save As; the Save File windowappears.

2. Enter the name of the file you want to create and click Save; MPEGComposer saves your encoding settings in a file with a *.prd extension.

Minimize

Restore

CloseMenu Bar

Status Bar

Title Bar

Tool

Timecode Display


Encoding an MPEG File 4-3

To open an existing product file:

1. On the main screen’s File menu, select Open; the Open window appears.

2. Browse for, or select the name of the product file you want to load andclick Open; MPEG Composer loads the encoding parameters specified inthe file you opened.

Creating an MPEG FileYou save MPEG streams as MPEG files. MPEG files have differentextensions depending on the file type you choose to encode.

• Video-only files have an *.mpv extension.

• Audio-only files have an *.mpa extension.

• System, Program, Transport and VideoCD have an *.mpg extension.

To enter an MPEG file name:

• In the main screen’s File Name box, enter or browse for the name of thefile you want to encode. MPEG Composer automatically assigns thecorrect file extension according to the file format you select.

Manual EncodingIn the Manual mode, MPEG Composer starts encoding when you click theEncode button and stops encoding when you click the Stop button. You canpause encoding by clicking the Pause button. To resume encoding to thesame file, click the Encode button again. Pausing encoding allows you toswitch input sources or skip over frames that you don’t want to encode(Pause is unavailable in QSIF resolution).


4-4 Encoding an MPEG File

To activate Manual encoding:

1. In the MPEG Encoder’s main screen, click Manual Encoding; the InPoint, Duration and Out Point boxes are unavailable.

2. Click Initialization to initialize the encoding boards. Clicking theInitialization button is not a compulsory step in the encoding process.The Initialization function prepares the boards for encoding and preventsan encoding delay when you click Encode. It can be useful in Manualencoding when you want the MPEG Composer to begin encoding assoon as you click the Encode button.

3. To start encoding, click Encode; encoding information appears in thestatus bar.

4. To pause encoding, click Pause; to resume encoding click Encode.

5. To stop encoding, click Stop.

Semi-manual EncodingIn the Semi-manual mode, MPEG Composer starts encoding when you clickthe Start button and encodes the period of time you specify in the Durationfield.

Semi-manual encoding is only available with the MPEG Composer Plus.

To activate Semi-manual encoding:

1. In the MPEG Encoder’s main screen, click Semi-manual Encoding; theDuration box is available.

2. Click Initialization to initialize the encoding boards. Clicking theInitialization button is not a compulsory step in the encoding process.The Initialization function prepares the boards for encoding and preventsan encoding delay when you click Encode.

3. In the Duration box, enter the period of time you want MPEGComposer to encode.

4. Click Encode; MPEG Composer encodes the period of time youspecified in the Duration box.


Encoding an MPEG File 4-5

Device EncodingThe Device Encoding mode lets you use the Device Control to accurately setthe first and last frames you want to encode. When you use DeviceEncoding, the Stop and Pause buttons are not available. Device Encoding isunavailable when encoding QSIF resolutions.

Device encoding is only available with the MPEG Composer Plus.

To activate Device encoding:

1. In the MPEG Encoder’s main screen, click Device Encoding; theDevice Control window appears. (For more details about the DeviceControl, please see Chapter 3.)

2. In the Device Control window, click Play or use the Shuttle slider toview your input source.

3. When you reach the first frame you want to encode, click the DeviceControl’s Mark In button; the frame’s time code appears in the mainscreen’s In Point field.

4. When you reach the last frame you want to encode, click the DeviceControl’s Mark Out button; the frame’s time code appears in the mainscreen’s Out Point field. The Duration field in the main screen shows theperiod of time you want to encode based on the In and Out frames youspecified.

5. Click Encode; MPEG Composer encodes from the first frame youspecified to the last frame you specified. Encoding information appearsin the main screen’s Status bar.


4-6 Previewing an Encoded MPEG Stream

Previewing an Encoded MPEG StreamWhen the optional VideoPlex MPEG-2 playback board is installed, MPEGComposer lets you view encoded MPEG streams in several ways.

• You can view an encoded MPEG stream without saving it to a hard disk.

• You can view an encoded MPEG stream while it is being encoded andsaved to a hard disk.

• You can use the MPEG Player to view an encoded MPEG stream afteryou have finished encoding. To learn more about the MPEG Player,please see Chapter 6.

Viewing an MPEG Stream without Saving it to a HardDiskThe MPEG Encoder has the ability to output an MPEG stream withoutsaving it to a hard disk. This ability saves you having to save a file to disk inorder to test MPEG encoding settings. When you click No Output, MPEGComposer operates in Decode while Encode mode without saving theencoded stream. With the No Output mode, you can use all MPEGComposer tools to calibrate and modify your system and MPEG settingswhile viewing the MPEG stream.

To view an encoded MPEG Stream without saving to hard disk:

• In the main screen, click No Output; the Output File Name box is notavailable. You can now encode your MPEG file as if you were saving itto disk.


Setting System and Encoding Parameters 4-7

Decoding while EncodingMPEG Composer lets you decode the MPEG file while it is being encoded.This option lets you compare different calibration settings in the sameMPEG file.

• In the main screen, click Decode while Encode. When you click Encode,you will be able to view the decoded stream.

Using the MPEG Player

• The MPEG Composer lets you access the MPEG Player so you can viewthe file you’ve just encoded. To learn more about the MPEG Player,please see Chapter 6.

To open the MPEG Player:

• Click Play; the MPEG Player appears.

Setting System and Encoding ParametersMPEG Composer offers two ways of setting system and encodingparameters:

• The Preset mode is intended for video professionals who are not MPEGprofessionals or who don’t want to deal with MPEG specifics. This modelets you achieve high quality encoding without being familiar with theMPEG algorithm.

• The Detailed mode is intended for video professionals who are alsoMPEG professionals. The Detailed mode offers you total MPEGparameter control. It lets you control all MPEG encoding parameters andadjust them down to a specific value.


4-8 Setting System and Encoding Parameters

Using the Preset ModeThis section shows you how to use the Preset mode to set system andencoding parameters. When you select the Preset mode, system andencoding parameters are represented by graphic icons. Please see AppendixF for the specific system and encoding values that correspond to thesegraphic icons. (To view these icons clearly, set your display monitor to highcolor, 800x600 resolution.)

To use the Preset mode:

1. On the MPEG Encoder’s View menu, select Preset Mode.

2. Click Properties; the Properties sheet appears.

The Properties sheet contains three tabs that let you set various encoding andsystem parameters.


Setting System and Encoding Parameters 4-9

Setting Source ParametersSource parameters relate to the properties of the video and audio signalbefore it is encoded.

To set Source parameters:

1. Click Properties and then select the the Source tab.

The Preset Source Tab

Selecting a Color System

The color system determines the video standard of the video input. TheMPEG Composer and your source device must be set to the same colorsystem.

To select a color system:

• In the Color System list select PAL or NTSC.


4-10 Setting System and Encoding Parameters

Selecting a Video Input

The Video Input is the type of video signal that is encoded. MPEGComposer supports four types of video input.

• Composite. Composite video is video that combines all the componentsof the signal in one video stream.

• S-Video. S-Video is a video signal that carries separate luma andchrominance signals.

To select a Video Input:

• In the Video Input list; select a video input.

Selecting an Audio Input

The Audio Input is the type of audio signal that is encoded. The MPEGComposer supports three audio input formats:

• Unbalanced. An analog signal in which the audio is a single voltagerelative to ground or common. Unlike, Balanced Audio, the signal is notseparated into three currents.

To select an Audio Input

• In the Audio Input list, select an audio input.

Closed Caption Encoding

Closed Captions are data that are hidden in the part of the video signal that isnot usually displayed on the screen. They are hidden in line 21 of the verticalblanking interval (VBI) of an NTSC TV signal.

To encode Closed Captions, you have to connect a Data Recovery Decoderbox to the MPEG MovieMaker board’s RS-232 port. The Data RecoveryBox extracts the Closed Caption data from the analog stream and converts itinto digital format.

If you have connected a Data Recovery Box to the MPEG MovieMakerboard, select a Com Port from the Com Port list. To enable Closed Captionencoding during transmission, check the Enable Closed Caption box.


Calibrating the Video Source 4-11

Calibrating the Video and Audio SourceMPEG Composer lets you calibrate and filter the incoming video and audiosource. You can calibrate the input source before it is encoded or use MPEGComposer’s calibration on-the-fly feature to adjust calibration duringencoding. To preview the calibrated video, make sure that your encodingboard is connected to a TV monitor. If the optional VideoPlex board isinstalled you can use the Decode while Encode mode to preview the inputsource.

To calibrate the video and audio source:

• Click Properties and then select the Signal Calibration tab.

Preview Notes

The best way to preview the calibration changes you make is to use decoding while encoding.This option, which is available if the VideoPlex playback board is installed, lets you see thechanges as they appear in the encoded stream. If you don’t have a VideoPlex, you can usethe monitor output on your encoding board.

The Preset Calibration Tab

Calibrating the Video Source


4-12 Calibrating the Video Source

MPEG Composer lets you calibrate the video source before or duringencoding. The default settings of the calibrator sliders were determined toprovide a proper color vector when the MPEG Composer is fed with a colorbar. You can calibrate hue, saturation, brightness and contrast.

• Hue is a term that defines the wavelength of the base colors in a videosignal (red, green, yellow). When you adjust Hue, you create a linearchange in the phase of all the colors. Hue is only adjustable if yourvideo source is NTSC.

• Saturation is the amount of color in the signal. For example, a lightlysaturated red will appear pinkish in color.

• Brightness refers to the amount of light emitted by the video signal.

• Contrast refers to the polarity between the white and black in the videosignal. If the white is very distant from the black, a signal has highcontrast. If the white is closer to the black, a signal has low contrastmaking it appear greyish. When you adjust the Contrast, you change therelation between the color steps.

To calibrate the video source:

• Use the sliders to adjust hue, saturation, brightness and contrast, or entera value in the boxes to the right of the sliders.


Filtering your Input Source 4-13

Calibration Notes

When you adjust these parameters you are changing the quality of the incoming video signal.You can see these adjustments on your composite monitor. However, if the settings on yourmonitor are not calibrated correctly, the adjustments you make may under or over drive thevideo signal. This may result in poor encoding quality. The only accurate way to assure youare making good adjustments is to feed your encoder’s output (i.e., the output from yourdecoder) to a waveform monitor for calibration.

• Adjust vertical and horizontal offset as required. The Horizontal Offset isspecified in pixels; the Vertical Offset is specified in lines. A negativehorizontal value moves the screen right; a negative vertical offset valuemoves the screen down. The changes you make appear in the encodedMPEG file only. They are not visible on your encoding board’s monitoroutput.

Filtering your Input Source

MPEG Composer can improve encoding quality by filtering the incomingvideo before it is encoded. You select the strength of filter according to thequality of your input source. MPEG Composer offers four filter settings.The recommended initial filter setting is None or Low.

• None. Select None if your input source is very clean and has no artifacts.

• Low. Select Low if your input source has very sharp colors which youwant to soften during encoding.

• Medium. Select Medium if your input source is noisy.

• High. Select High if your input source is very noisy and has manyartifacts.

To select a Filter:

• In the Filter list, select a filter according to the quality of your inputsource.


4-14 Adjusting Audio Gain Control

Adjusting Audio Gain Control

MPEG Composer lets you adjust the audio input gain before or duringencoding. If the volume level on the volume bar reaches the red levels, theincoming audio signal is being distorted. This occurs when the incomingvolume is too high.

To adjust audio gain control:

• Use the slider to adjust the audio gain control. The volume bar representsincoming volume levels. Alternately, select a value from the list to theright of the Audio Gain slider.


Setting a Target Media 4-15

Setting Target ParametersTarget parameters affect the MPEG file that is being encoded. See AppendixF for the values that correspond to the preset options offered in the Targettab.

To set Target parameters:

• Click Properties and then select the Target tab.

The Preset Target Tab

Setting a Target Media

The quality of the file you want to encode determines its playback rate andthe storage media you want to use. The better the video quality, the higherthe bit rate used and the more storage capacity necessary.

To select a Target Media:

• In the Target Media list, select an option that suits your storage medianeeds.


4-16 Selecting the Type of Movie Content

Selecting the Type of Movie Content

MPEG Composer adjusts encoding parameters according to the content ofthe clip you want to encode. You can choose between four types of moviecontent.

• Mixed. Select Mixed if the content of your clip contains fast and slowmovement.

• Fast Movement. Select Fast Movement if your clip contains manyaction scenes.

• Talking Heads. Select Talking Heads if your clip contains frequentshots of people talking.

• Landscape. Select Landscape if your clip contains panorama scenes.

To set movie content:

• In the Movie Content list, select a Movie Content option according tothe content of the clip you want to encode.

Selecting a File Format

The File Format is the type of MPEG file you want to create. MPEGComposer lets you create various kinds of files.

• System. When you select this option MPEG Composer encodes anMPEG-1 compliant multiplexed system file with an *.mpg extension.

• Program. MPEG-2 system files that are designed to support a largenumber of known and anticipated applications. Program streams retain asignificant amount of flexibility while providing interoperability betweendifferent device implementations. Program files have an *mpg extension.

• Transport. MPEG-2 system files that are designed for transmission.Transport files define issues such as error correction for noisy channels,encryption and high speed network protocols.

System, Program and Transport streams are only available with the MPEG MovieMaker Plus.

• Video elementary. This kind of file contains MPEG-1 video data.Video-only files have an *.mpv extension


Selecting a File Format 4-17

• Audio elementary. This kind of file contains MPEG-1 audio data.Audio-only files have an *.mpa extension.

• Video+audio. When you select this option, MPEG Composer createsseparate audio-only and video-only files with the same base name. Thevideo-only file has an *.mpv extension and the audio-only file has an*.mpa extension.

• Video CD. When you select this option MPEG Composer creates anMPEG-1 compliant multiplexed Video CD White Book system file. TheVideo CD video file is created with a *.mpg extension.

Video-CD Notes

Due to incompatibility problems between Video CD manufacturers, there may be problemsplaying CD files generated by MPEG Composer on some kinds of Video CD players.

To select a File Format:

• In the File Format list, select the file format of your choice.


4-18 Selecting a Color System

Using the MPEG Detailed Encoding ModeThis section shows you how to use the Detailed mode. The Detailed modeoffers you total MPEG parameter control.

To use the Detailed mode:

1. On the MPEG Encoder’s View menu, select Detailed Mode.

2. Click the Properties button; the Properties sheet appears. When workingin Detailed mode, the Properties sheet contains five tabs.

Setting Source ParametersSource parameters relate to the properties of the video and audio signalbefore it is encoded.

To set Source parameters:

• Click Properties and then select the Source tab.

The Detailed Source Tab


Selecting a Color System 4-19

Selecting a Color System

The color system is the video standard of the video input. The MPEGComposer and your source device must be set to the same color system.

To select a Color System:

• In the Color System list, select PAL or NTSC.

Selecting a Video Input

The Video Input is the type of signal that is fed into the MPEG Composerfor encoding. MPEG Composer supports four types of video input.

• Composite. Composite video is video that combines all the componentsof the signal in one video stream.

• S-Video. S-Video is a video signal that carries separate luma andchrominance signals.

To select a Video Input:

• In the Video Input list, select a video input.

Selecting an Audio Input

The Audio Input is the type of audio signal that is fed into the MPEGComposer for encoding. The MPEG Composer supports three kinds of audioinput:

• Unbalanced. An analog signal in which the audio is a single voltagerelative to ground or common. Unlike, Balanced Audio, the signal is notseparated into three currents.

To select an Audio Input

• In the Audio Input list, select an audio input.


4-20 Closed Caption Encoding

Closed Caption Encoding

Closed Captions are data that are hidden in the part of the video signal thatis not usually displayed on the screen. They are hidden in line 21 of thevertical blanking interval (VBI) of an NTSC TV signal.

To encode Closed Captions, you have to connect a Data Recovery Decoderbox to the MPEG MovieMaker board’s RS-232 port. The Data RecoveryBox extracts the Closed Caption data from the analog stream and converts itinto digital format.

If you have connected a Data Recovery Box to the MPEG MovieMakerboard, select a Com Port from the Com Port list. To enable Closed Captionencoding during transmission, check the Enable Closed Caption box.

Calibrating the Video and Audio SourceMPEG Composer lets you calibrate and filter the incoming video and audiosource. You can calibrate the input source before it is encoded or use MPEGComposer’s calibration on-the-fly feature to adjust calibration duringencoding. To preview the calibrated video, make sure that the videoencoding board’s monitor out connector is connected to a TV monitor. If theoptional VideoPlex board is installed you can use the Decode while Encodemode to preview the input source. For more about previewing your MPEGfile please see page 4-5.

The default settings of the calibrator sliders were determined to provide aproper color vector when the MPEG Composer is fed with a color bar.

Hue calibration isdisabled when

Analog Componentis the input source.


Calibrating the Video Source 4-21

To calibrate the video and audio source:

• Click Properties and select the Signal Calibration tab.

The Detailed Signal Calibration Tab

Calibrating the Video Source

You can calibrate the video source before or during encoding.

To calibrate the video source:In the Source Calibration tab, use the sliders to adjust hue, saturation,brightness and contrast.

• Hue is a term that defines the wavelength of the base colors in a videosignal (red, green, yellow). When you adjust Hue, you create a linearchange in the phase of all the colors. Hue is only adjustable if yourvideo source is NTSC.

• Saturation is the amount of color in the signal. For example, a lightlysaturated red will appear pinkish in color.

• Brightness refers to the amount of light emitted by the video signal.


4-22 Calibrating the Video Source

• Contrast refers to the polarity between the white and black in the videosignal. If the white is very distant from the black, a signal has highcontrast. If the white is closer to the black, a signal has low contrastmaking it appear greyish. When you adjust the Contrast, you change therelation between the color steps.

Calibration Notes

When you adjust these parameters you are changing the quality of the incoming video signal.You can see these adjustments on your composite monitor. However, if the settings on yourmonitor are not calibrated correctly, the adjustments you make may under or over drive thevideo signal. This may result in poor encoding quality. The only truly accurate way to assureyou are making good adjustments is to feed the video encoding board’s output to a waveformmonitor for calibration.

• Adjust vertical and horizontal offset as required. The Horizontal Offset isspecified in pixels; the Vertical Offset is specified in lines. A negativehorizontal value moves the screen right; a negative vertical offset valuemoves the screen down. The changes you make appear only in theencoded MPEG file.


Filtering the Video Source 4-23

Filtering the Video Source

MPEG Composer has two filters that let you improve the quality of theincoming video before it is encoded. You can adjust filter settings before orduring encoding and view the results in the encoded MPEG stream. Formore about previewing an encoded MPEG stream, see page 4-5.

Horizontal FilterHorizontal filters are decimation filters that perform accurate horizontalfiltering of the input data stream. Signal matching before the decimationstage is done to reduce artifacts caused by pixel dropping. You can choosebetween 7 horizontal filter strengths, depending on the quality of yoursource material. There are no set rules here. Select the filter strength thatgives you the best quality results. The recommended initial setting is for a 2level horizontal filter.

Vertical FilterThese filters offer different settings designed to correct artifacts caused byline dropping. The Y and UV data are processed by two different filterswhich create an average.

To select a filter:

• In the Filter list, select a filter according to the quality of your videosource.


4-24 Adjusting Audio Gain Control

Adjusting Audio Gain Control

MPEG Composer lets you calibrate the audio source before or duringencoding. If the volume level on the volume bar reaches the red levels, theincoming audio signal is being distorted. This occurs when the incomingvolume is too high.

To adjust Audio Gain Control:

• In the Source Calibration tab, use the sliders to adjust the audio gaincontrol. The volume bar represents incoming volume levels. Alternately,

• In the Audio Gain box located to the right of the Audio Gain slider, set avalue of your choice.


Setting Bit Rates 4-25

Setting Target ParametersTarget parameters affect the audio and video signal when it is encoded.

To set Target parameters:

• Click Properties and select the Target tab.

The Detailed Target Tab

Setting Bit Rates

The bit rate is the number of bits compressed per second. MPEG Composerlets you set target, video and audio bit rates. When using the MPEGMovieMaker XPress, bit rates are limited to 3 Mbit/s.

The target bit rate is the combined bit rate of the captured audio and videostreams plus additional overhead for multiplexing information. When youadjust the audio or video bit rates, MPEG Composer adjusts the target bitrate accordingly.


4-26 Setting Bit Rates

• When you select Video CD as your File Format, MPEG Composer setsthe video bit rate at 1.12 Mbit/s, the target bit rate at 1.4112 Mbit/s andaudio bit rate at 224 Kbit/s.

• If you want to compress separate audio and video to carry out off-linemultiplexing to Video CD, set your video bit rate at 1.152 Mbit/s andyour audio bit rate at 224 Kbit/s.

Audio bit rates range from 32-384 Kbit/s. The MPEG standard defines theaudio compression modes that can be compressed at specific audio bit rates.The following table shows audio bit rates and allowed audio modesaccording to the MPEG standard.

Audio Bit Rate (Kbit/s) Allowed Audio Mode

32 Mono

48 Mono

56 Mono

64 All Modes

80 Mono

96 All Modes

112 All Modes

128 All Modes

160 All Modes

192 All Modes

224 Stereo, Intensity Stereo, Dual Mono





Selecting a File Format 4-27

To set bit rates:

• In the Target Bit Rate box, set a target bit rate.

• In the Video Bit Rate box, set a video bit rate.

• In the Audio Bit Rate list, select an audio bit rate.

You can toggle the bit rate values by clicking the buttons to the right of thebit rate boxes.

Selecting a File Format

The File Format is the type of MPEG file you want to create. MPEGComposer lets you create various kinds of files.

• System. When you select this option MPEG Composer encodes anMPEG-1 compliant multiplexed system file with an *.mpg extension.

• Program. MPEG-2 system files that are designed to support a largenumber of known and anticipated applications. Program streams retain asignificant amount of flexibility while providing interoperability betweendifferent device implementations. Program files have an *.mpg extension.

• Transport. MPEG-2 system files that are designed for transmission.Transport files define issues such as error correction for noisy channels,encryption and high speed network protocols.

Program, Transport and System streams are only available with the MPEGMovieMaker Plus.

• Video elementary. This kind of file contains MPEG-1 video data. Video-only files have an *.mpv extension

• Audio elementary. This kind of file contains MPEG-1 audio data.Audio-only files have an *.mpa extension.


4-28 Selecting an Input Resolution

• Video+audio. When you select this option, MPEG Composer createsseparate audio-only and video-only files with the same base name. Thevideo-only file has an *.mpv extension and the audio-only file has an*.mpa extension.

• Video CD. When you select this option MPEG Composer creates anMPEG-1 compliant multiplexed Video CD White Book system file. TheVideo CD video file is created with a n*.mpg extension.

Video-CD Notes

Due to incompatibility problems between Video CD manufacturers, there may be problemsplaying CD files generated by MPEG Composer on some kinds of Video CD players.


• In the File Format list, select the file format of your choice.

Selecting an Input Resolution

MPEG Composer encodes MPEG-1 resolutions. QSIF resolutions areavailable only when using Manual encoding.

The following table shows the hardware systems that MPEG Composersupports and their encoding modes.

To set an MPEG Resolution:

• In the Resolution list, select a desired resolution. (A resolution that is notsupported by your hardware system will not be available.) Becausechanging the resolution is a low level operation, MPEG Composer takesabout a minute to execute the selection.


Setting Sampling Rates 4-29

Setting Sampling Rates

The sampling rate is the number of frames per second that MPEG Composerencodes. Encoding low bit rate QSIF files at reduced frame rates increasesthe quality of the file, especially for playback on software decoders. Thedefault Sampling Rate for QSIF encoding between 90-300 Kbit/s is one thirdthe full frame rate (10 fps in NTSC and 8.3 fps in PAL). The defaultSampling Rate for QSIF encoding between 300-500 Kbit/s is half the fullframe rate. These default settings have been determined to give you the bestquality at low bit rates.

Sampling Rate Speed in NTSC Speed in PAL

Full 30 frames per second 25 frames per second

Half 30 frames per 2 seconds 25 frames per 2 seconds

Third 30 frames per 3 seconds 25 frames per 3 seconds

To set Sampling rates:

• In the Sampling Rates list, select a desired value.

Setting an Output Time Code

The value you specify in the Output Time Code field determines the timecode that is stamped on the first frame of your MPEG stream. Whenworking with the Device Control, you can instruct MPEG Composer to graba specific frame’s time code as you browse through your input source. Thisfeature is available only with Device Encoding.

To set an Output Time Code:

• In the Output Time Code box, set an Output Time Code, OR

• Click Get TC to the left of the Output Time Code box. When using theDevice Control, MPEG Composer inserts the time code of the framecurrently playing.


4-30 Encoding with 3:2 Inverse Pulldown

Encoding with 3:2 Inverse Pulldown

Some NTSC videos originate from 24 fps film. In order to convert 24 fpsfilm to NTSC (30 fps), every fourth frame of film is duplicated. Whencompressing video that originated from film, it is unnecessary to compressthese duplicated frames. To avoid compressing these frames, you can enablethe 3:2 inverse pulldown tool that converts 30 fps video to 24 fps video byeliminating the duplicated frames. This means that during encoding, 24frames are compressed instead of 30 frames. This increases encoding qualityand reduces the size of the created file.

You can use the MPEG Player to determine whether your video originatedfrom film or not. Use the Player’s Single Frame Forward button to viewencoded footage frame by frame. If you notice a repeated frame after everyfourth frame, your video probably originated from film. In this case, selectthe 3:2 pulldown feature and recompress your footage. You will not be ableto detect duplicated frames if your video has been edited.

When using MPEG Fusion and MPEG Super Suite hardware, 3:2 Inverse Pulldown isavailable in SIF encoding only. When Using MPEG Forge hardware, 3:2 Pulldown is availablein SIF and Half D-1 encoding only.

To enable 3:2 Pulldown:• Under Video, select 3:2 Inverse Pulldown.


Encoding in Drop Frame Mode 4-31

Encoding in Drop Frame Mode

In NTSC, the actual frame rate is not exactly 30 fps, but roughly 29.97 fps.This means that the time code doesn’t match clock time. Thus, when thetime code indicates 1 hour of film, 1 hour, 3 seconds and 18 frames worth ofactual time has elapsed - or a discrepancy of 108 frames. This mode ofoperation is called Non Drop Frame.

Some VCRs operate in Drop Frame mode. This mode resolves the time codediscrepancy by dropping two frame numbers every minute, on the minute,except the tenth minutes. For example: 01:12:59:29 becomes 01:13:00:02. Ifthe time code display on your tape skips two frame numbers at the beginningof every minute, except for the tenth minutes, then your tape is operating inDrop Frame mode.

MPEG Composer and your VCR should operate in the same mode. If yourVCR is set to Drop Frame mode, you should enable Drop Frame mode inMPEG Composer.

To activate Drop Frame mode:

• Under Video, select Drop Frame Mode.

Selecting an Audio Mode

MPEG Composer lets you encode different types of audio streams. TheMPEG standard defines the audio mode you can select for a specific audiobit rate. Please see page 4-27 for a table of audio bit rates and their allowedaudio modes.

• Stereo

• Mono

• Dual Mono: an audio mode where two audio channels with differentaudio content are encoded within one audio stream. This format is usedfor Kadaoke CD.


4-32 Setting an Audio Frequency

• Intensity Stereo: a method of combining the high left and right sub-frequencies that reside in the compressed MPEG audio signal. Becausethe high sub-frequencies contain redundant information it is possible tocombine left and right sub-bands to better utilize encoding resources.Intensity Stereo refers to the part of the frequency in which sub-bandshave been combined.

The Audio Bound box in the Advanced tab lets you specify the first sub-band you want to combine into Intensity Stereo. The sub-bands below thenumber you specify will be encoded in stereo.

To select an Audio mode:

• In the Audio Mode list, select an audio mode.

Setting an Audio Frequency

When you set an audio frequency, you determine how many samples of theanalog audio per second are taken during the capture of the audio stream.When you encode a digital input, the audio has already been sampled at aspecific frequency, usually 48 kHz or 44.1 kHz. The audio frequency youselect on the MPEG Composer must correlate with the frequency of yourdigital input.

You can select between 32 kHz, 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz.

To select an Audio Frequency:

• In the Audio Frequency list, select a frequency.


Setting an Audio Frequency 4-33

Setting Advanced MPEG OptionsMPEG Composer allows you to set various advanced MPEG parameters.The advanced MPEG parameters let you achieve a high level of control overyour MPEG file.

To set Advanced MPEG options:

• Click Properties and select the Advanced tab.

The Detailed Advanced Tab


4-34 Setting SCR or PCR (SCR)

Setting SCR or PCR (SCR)

The SCR (System Clock Reference) or PCR (Program Clock Reference) isthe internal clock that synchronizes audio and video compression. Someplayback devices require specific SCR values (Video-CDs require the SCRto be set to 36000).

To set SCR or PCR:

• In the First SCR/PCR box, set a SCR value.

Maintaining Audio and Video Synchronization

If your video source is being filtered by an external filter, MPEG ShowSitecan store the incoming audio signal until the video reaches the encodingchip. In this way, video and audio are synchronized when encoding begins.The Signal Delay must be a positive value. It is specified in number offrames.

To maintain audio and video synchronization:

• In the Audio/Video Sync box, set a value in frames.

Setting a Transport ID

The Transport ID is a 16 bit value that identifies the entire Transport stream.

To set a Transport ID:

• In the Transport ID box, set a desired value.

Setting a Program Num

The Program Num is an ID tag assigned to each Program in the Transportstream.

To set a Program ID:

• In the Program ID box, set a desired value.


Setting PMT PID Values 4-35

Setting PMT PID Values

The PMT Packet ID (PMT PID) is the ID tag assigned to PMT packets.PMTs (Program Map Tables) contain important system informationnecessary for random access into the Transport stream and for recovery incase of data loss.

Setting a PMT Packet ID:

• In the PMT PID box, set a desired value.

Setting a PCR Location

Each Program in the Transport stream has its own clock, known as theProgram Clock Reference (PCR). The PCR value can be inserted into audioor video streams.

Setting a PCR Location:

• Under PCR Location, check Audio Packets or Video Packets.

Setting the Distance between I Frames

N is the distance between two adjacent I frames. A low N value increasesthe number of I frames in the MPEG file and thus its quality. However, verylow N values can also cause poor encoding quality because there may not besufficient bits to support their compression. For this reason it is notrecommended to set an N value much lower or higher than the default (15for NTSC, 12 for PAL).

To set N parameters:

• In the N box, set a desired N value.


4-36 Setting the Distance between P Frames

Setting the Distance between P Frames

M is the distance between each adjacent I and P frame or the distancebetween two adjacent P frames. In NTSC and PAL, M is often set to 3.Decreasing the M value, increases the number of P frames in the MPEG file.This in turn increases the size of the MPEG file. Very low M values can alsocause poor encoding quality because there may not be sufficient bits tosupport their compression.

To set M parameters:

• In the M box, set a desired M value.

Setting GOP Size

The GOP parameter specifies the number of sequence headers containedbetween two Groups of Pictures (GOP). A sequence header indicates theinsertion of an I frame in the encoding sequence. MPEG Composer inserts asequence header at the beginning of every GOP. The sequence headercontains various MPEG parameters that facilitate editing.

To set GOP size:

• In the GOP box, set a desired GOP value.


Setting Video Buffer Verifier (VBV) Levels 4-37

Setting Video Buffer Verifier (VBV) Levels

The Video Buffer Verifier (VBV) is a mechanism that simulates the videobuffer levels of playback devices. By simulating the video buffer levels ofplayback devices, MPEG Composer prevents data overflows or underflowswhen you decode your MPEG file. Note that a playback device that has asmall VBV will not be able to play back high quality clips since it can onlystore a limited amount of data in its buffers.

The Initial VBV value indicates at which buffer level threshold the playbackdevice starts to decode. This value affects the first frame that is decoded. Ifthe initial VBV value is low, the playback device will not be able to decodea high quality frame.

VBV values are defined by the MPEG standard. Therefore, most MPEGplayback devices have standard video buffers values. Some playbackdevices however, have a specific VBV size. Unless you know the VBVvalue of your playback device, it is recommended that you set MPEGComposer to the default VBV values.

When using MPEG Fusion and MPEG Super Suite hardware, changing VBV parameters isavailable in SIF encoding only. When Using MPEG Forge hardware, changing VBVparameters is available in SIF and Half D-1 encoding only.

To set VBV Buffer size:

• In the VBV Buffer box, set a buffer level.

To set initial VBV size:

• In the Initial VBV box, set an initial VBV size.


4-38 Assigning Video Stream IDs

Assigning Video Stream IDs

MPEG Composer lets you assign ID tags to video streams residing in thesame MPEG file. An MPEG file can contain up to 16 video streams.

To assign a Video ID:

• In the Video Stream ID list, select a video stream ID tag.

Setting Video PID Values

Transport streams consist of different types of data packets. These datapackets can be video, audio or PMT packets. Each type of data packet has itsown ID tag.

To set a Video Packet ID:

• Under Video, in the PID box, set a desired value.

Encoding with Scene Change Detection

MPEG Composer maximizes encoding quality by automatically inserting Iframes at scene changes. When you disable the Scene Change Detectionfeature, MPEG Composer does not automatically insert I frames at scenechanges.

When using MPEG Fusion and MPEG Super Suite hardware, Scene Change Detection isavailable in SIF encoding only. When Using MPEG Forge hardware, Scene Change Detectionis available in SIF and Half D-1 encoding only.

To insert I frames at scene changes:

• Under Video, select Scene Change Detection.


Encoding with Closed GOPs 4-39

Encoding with Closed GOPs

The Closed GOP parameter relates to editing requirements.

• When Closed GOP is selected, the B and P frames in each GOP (Groupof Pictures) are not based on I and P frames in previous GOPs, but on theI and P frames in the same GOP. This means that when you edit anMPEG stream, cutting the stream in the middle of a GOP will not reducethe quality of any frames in the GOP because all the reference frames arecontained in the same frame sequence.

• When Closed GOP is not selected, the B and P frames in a particularGOP are referenced to B and P frames in previous GOPs. This meansthat when you cut a stream in the middle of a GOP there might be a dropin quality in B and P frames that are referenced to B and P frames inprevious GOPs.

To encode with Closed GOPs:• Under Video, select Closed GOPs.

Assigning Audio Stream IDs

MPEG Composer lets you assign ID tags to audio streams residing in thesame MPEG file. An MPEG file can contain up to 32 audio streams.

To assign an Audio Stream ID:

• In the Audio Stream ID list, select an audio stream ID tag.


4-40 Setting Audio Bound

Setting Audio Bound

When your audio output format is intensity stereo, MPEG Composer letsyou select the sub-band above which you want to combine audio bands.There are a total of 32 bands in a stereo signal. If, for example, you set audiobound at 4, MPEG Composer encodes the first four sub-bands in stereo andthe remaining 28 sub-bands in intensity stereo.

To set Audio Bound:

• In the Audio Bound list, select a Bound value.

Setting Audio PID Values

Transport streams consist of different types of data packets. These datapackets can be video, audio or PMT packets. Each type of data packet has itsown ID tag.

To set an AudioPacket ID:

• Under Audio, in the PID box, set a desired value.


Setting Audio PID Values 4-41

Working with Scheduled CommandsSchedules Commands are commands that are sent to the encoder duringencoding at specific time codes. At present, only I frame insertion isavailable.

When using MPEG Fusion and MPEG Super Suite hardware, Scheduled Commands areavailable in SIF encoding only. When Using MPEG Forge hardware, Scheduled Commandsare available in SIF and Half D-1 encoding only.

To work with Scheduled Commands:

• Click Properties and select the Scheduled tab.

The Scheduled Commands Tab

To improve encoding quality, the MPEG Composer lets you manually insertI frames at scene changes. When working with manual I frame insertion, youprovide the MPEG Composer with a list of time codes which you wantencoded as I frames. The MPEG Composer regards each time code as ascheduled command. The list of scheduled commands is stored in a text filewhich has a *.scc extension. You can also import a CMX EDL file that


4-42 I Frame Insertion

contains an editing list and convert it to a list of scheduled commands. Youcan only use scheduled commands when encoding in Device Mode.

Before creating a list of scheduled commands or importing a CMX EDLfile, there are several encoding considerations which you should take intoaccount when inserting I frames. These are explained below. For a betterunderstanding of the MPEG encoding process, please see Appendix A.

I Frame Insertion

When you insert an I-frame at a scene change two situations can occur:

1. The scene change time code you selected corresponds to a P-frame (areference frame). In this case, MPEG Composer encodes the frame as anI-frame.

2. The scene change time code you selected corresponds to a B-frame. Inthis case, MPEG Composer takes the first P-frame following the B-frameand encodes it as an I-frame. Thus, the time code that appears in the listof scheduled commands is internally adjusted to that of the next P-frame.

MPEG Composer always stops encoding on a P or I frame in the displayorder. If the last time code you specified is not a P or I frame, there might bea slight discrepancy between the last frame you specified and the last framewhich is actually encoded. This discrepancy is usually no more than 1 framebefore or after the last time code you specified.


I Frame Insertion 4-43

I, B and P FramesB frames are called bi-directional prediction frames because they are basedon either past reference frames, future reference frames or both past andfuture reference frames. When a scene change occurs on a B frame, themotion estimation algorithm usually identifies a major difference betweenthe B frame and the previous P or I frame, whereas it notices little differencebetween the B frame and the next P or I-Frame. MPEG Composer thereforeencodes the B frame based only on the future P or I frame. However, if thisfuture frame is a P frame, its description will be based on the previousreference frame that relates to the period before the scene change. Thefuture P frame may then be improperly coded. By placing an I frame next toa scene change, the B frames located between the scene change and this Iframe are properly coded because they refer to a ‘reliable’ frame. In thisway, the quality of the frame at the scene change is improved.

Scene change

BI B P BNewscene

B P

a. Without Scene change insertion

Bad prediction

‘Bad’frame

BNewscene

B

b. With Scene change insertion

Scene change

‘Good’frame

BI B P I

The MPEG Frame Sequence


4-44 I Frame Insertion

Creating a list of Scheduled CommandsThe list of scheduled commands is an ordinary text file which is saved witha *.scc extension. The time codes you list have to be synchronized with theoutput time code that is stamped on your MPEG file. For this reason, whencreating a *.scc file, it is best that you compress your input source and thenplay it back on an MPEG player that displays output time codes. Now, youcan go over the compressed file and list the time codes you want tocompress as I frames. You list the time codes you want encoded as I framesin the following format: [Time Code] I

The following list of time codes is an example of a scheduled commandsfile:

01:12:59:18 I

01:13:02:20 I

01:13:05:05 I

01:13:07:25 I

Converting CMX EDL files to Scheduled CommandsMPEG Composer can import CMX EDL editing lists and convert them to ascheduled commands file.

To import CMX EDL files:

1. From the MPEG Composer program group, open the MPEG Organizer.

2. On the MPEG Organizer’s File menu, click Import; the Open Filewindow appears.

3. Select the CMX EDL file you want to import and click Open.

4. In the Import CMX EDL File window, select Scene Change and clickOK; the MPEG Organizer loads the list of scene changes as a batchentry. The converted file also appears in the MPEG Encoder’s ScheduledCommands tab.


I Frame Insertion 4-45

MPEG Composer automatically saves the newly created *.scc file in thesame directory as the original CMX EDL file.If you change the name of the*.scc file that appears in the Scheduled Commands tab, it loosessynchronization with the original CMX EDL file.

Encoding with Scheduled CommandsWhether you loaded an existing *.scc file or converted a CMX EDL file, thescheduled commands file should appear in the Scheduled Commands tab, asfollows:

To encode with Scheduled Commands:

1. Make sure the MPEG Encoder is in Device Encoding mode.

1. Click Properties and select the Scheduled Commands tab.

2. Check Use Scheduled Commands. If the checkbox is disabled, load thedesired *.scc file into the Scheduled Commands tab.

3. Proceed to encode your MPEG file as explained on page 4-2.

Chapter 5

Using theMPEG Organizer

OverviewThis chapter shows you how to use the MPEG Organizer. The MPEGOrganizer is a software tool that acts as a central platform for controlling allMPEG Composer tools in batch mode. The MPEG Organizer allows you tocarry out multi-session encoding, play back and multiplexing.

The MPEG Organizer is only available with the MPEG Composer Plus.

In this Chapter:

• Using the MPEG Organizer, page 5-2

• Multi-session encoding, page 5-5

• Decoding Play Lists, page 5-15

• Multiplexing files, page 5-18


5-2 Using the MPEG Organizer

Using the MPEG OrganizerThe MPEG Organizer is a powerful tool that lets you encode, decode andmultiplex multiple clips.

• The MPEG Organizer’s Encoder tool lets you carry out multi-sessionencoding.

• The MPEG Organizer’s Player tool lets you play back multiple playlists.

• The MPEG Organizer’s Muxer tool lets you carry out off-linemultiplexing.

Because all MPEG Composer tools are linked, you can use the MPEGOrganizer together with the MPEG Encoder and the Device Control to setencoding parameters and browse through your input source.

To open the MPEG Organizer:

• In the MPEG Composer folder, double-click the MPEG Organizer icon;the MPEG Organizer appears.

The MPEG Organizer

The MPEG Organizer’s tools are arranged in a hierarchical tree on the leftside of the main screen. The right side of the MPEG Organizer contains afile window. The file window lists files according to the tool which is active.At the top of the file window there are several tabs. Each tab lets you setdifferent system settings.


Using the MPEG Organizer 5-3

You can drag files listed in the file window to a new location in the filehierarchy.

Managing Files and ClipsThe MPEG Organizer lets you manage files listed in the file window.

To... Do This...

Activate a tool On the MPEG Organizer Tree, click the toolyou want to use.

Add a file to the file window Select the desired tool and click Add.

Delete a file from the filewindow

In the file window, select a desired file andclick Delete.

Copy a file to the filewindow

In the file window, select a desired file andclick Copy OR

In the file window, select a desired file andpress CTRL. Now drag the copied file to anew location.

Paste a file in the filewindow

Place the mouse pointer in the file windowand click Paste.

Move a file to a newlocation

Select the file you want to move and drag itto a new location.

Check files in the filewindow

Place the mouse pointer to the left of thefile name and click or press theSPACEBAR.

Check all files in the filewindow

On the MPEG Organizer Tree, use the rightmouse button to select a tool or file. Thenselect Check all or Uncheck all.


5-4 Using the MPEG Organizer

Assigning Key Image NamesYou can select an image of your choice to represent each file listed in the filewindow. The key images are visible when you click the Large Icons button.

To load a Key Image:

1. In the MPEG Organizer’s main screen, click the General tab; General tabproperties appears.

2. Click once under Key Image Name; the Image File Name diaolog boxappears.

3. Select a desired image. MPEG Organizer can load bmp or dib images.The image file name appears in the Key Image Name box.

4. To view the image, on the MPEG Organizer tool bar, click Large Icons.

Executing FilesWhen you click Execute, the MPEG Organizer carries out the encoding,decoding or multiplexing job you defined. The MPEG Organizer onlyexecutes the files that are checked in the file window. You can check eachfile listed in the file window separately or check all the files in the filewindow.

To check each file in the file window:

• In the file window, place the mouse pointer to the left of the file nameand click or press the SPACEBAR.

To check all files in the file window:

1. On the MPEG Organizer Tree, use the right mouse button to select a toolor a file.

2. Select Check all or Uncheck all.


Multi-session Encoding 5-5

Multi-session EncodingThe MPEG Organizer’s Encoder tool lets you carry out multi-sessionencoding. An encoding session consists of a batch of files which are encodedconsecutively. Each file in the batch is one target file that has uniqueencoding parameters. Files can also contain additional clips which have theirown encoding and system parameters.

Encoder Files and Clips

A file can contain several clips. Each clip forms a segment of the target file.Each clip has its own calibration settings and In and Out points. All the clipsare encoded to the same target file. In this way, you can encode clips fromdifferent source devices with different parameters to the same output file.The following illustration shows the concept of multi-clip encoding.

Clips

Files

Clip 1 Clip 2 Clip 3

Final MPEG Clip


5-6 Multi-session Encoding

To create a file:

1. On the MPEG Organizer Tree, click Batch and then select the EncoderTool; the MPEG Organizer switches to encoding mode and opens theDevice Control.

2. On the MPEG Organizer’s tool bar, click Add; the MPEG Organizeradds a file to the file window. All new files are loaded with defaultparameters or the parameters you set last. By default, each file you add tothe file window contains one clip. This clip’s In and Out points are thesame as the Encoder file.

3. Repeat Step 2 for each Encoder file you want to add to the file window.

Working with Encoder FilesEach file listed in the file window contains clips. You set source parametersand calibrate each clip separately. In addition, you assign each clip In andOut points for encoding.

All clips are encoded to the same file. For this reason, you cannot adjust aclip’s target or advanced parameters since these relate to the file your willencode.



To create a Clip:

1. In the file window, double-click the file to which you want to add clipsOR

On the MPEG Organizer Tree, under the Encoder Tool, select the file towhich you want to add clips and click Add; the MPEG Organizer adds aclip to the file window. The new clips contain MPEG Composer defaultparameters or the parameters you set last.

2. Repeat Step 1 for each clip you want to add to the file.

3. To return to the Encoder file level, on the MPEG Organizer Tree, clickthe Encoder Tool.

Editing Encoder Files and ClipsThere are two ways to edit Encoder files and clips:

• Using the MPEG Organizer’s Properties tabs.

• Using the MPEG Encoder’s Properties sheet.

Editing Encoder Files in the MPEG OrganizerThe fastest and most efficient way to edit files is to use the MPEGOrganizer’s Properties tabs. The MPEG Organizer has six Properties tabs.To view a tab, click its label. You can use the keyboard or the mouse to editencoding settings.

The General and Clip tabs are available only on the MPEG Organizer. Youuse the General tab to assign general user comments to each file (see page 5-10). You use the Clip tab to determine In and Out points for files and theirclips (see page 5-11). For a detailed explanation of the Source, SignalCalibration, Advanced, Target and Scheduled Command tabs, please seeChapter 4.

An overview of the MPEG Organizer tabs appears below.



To fast edit Files and Clips:

1. In the MPEG Organizer’s file window, click a desired Properties tab; thetab’s properties appear in the file window.

2. Select the file you want to edit and click once on the parameter you wantto change; a list of options appears.

3. Select an option from the list or enter a desired value in the parameterbox.

4. Repeat steps 1-3 for each parameter you want to edit.

Using the KeyboardYou can use the following keyboard shortcuts to edit Encoder files.

Function Keyboard Combination

Cut CTRL + X

Copy CTRL + C

Paste CTRL + V

Rename CTRL + F2

Move Up UP ARROW

Move Down DOWN ARROW

Up One Level Backspace

Check file SPACEBAR

Editableparameter



Editing Encoder Files in the MPEG EncoderSince all MPEG Composer tools are linked, parameters that you enter in theMPEG Encoder are automatically updated in the MPEG Organizer’sProperties tabs. For a full explanation of the MPEG Encoder’s Propertiestabs, please see Chapter 4. (The MPEG Organizer does not support thePreset mode.)

The MPEG Encoder’sProperties sheet



Using the MPEG Encoder to edit parameters:

1. In the MPEG Organizer’s file window, select the file you want to edit.

2. In the MPEG Encoder’s main screen, click Properties; the MPEGEncoder’s Properties sheet appears.

• To enter Source parameters, click the Source tab.

• To calibrate the video signal, click the Signal Calibration tab.

• To set system parameters, click the Target tab.

• To set advanced MPEG parameters, click the Advanced tab.

3. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for each file and clip you want to edit; MPEGComposer updates the encoding settings in the MPEG Organizer.

Assigning User Comments to FilesThe MPEG Organizer’s General tab lets you enter general user commentsabout each file and clip. These comments help you keep track of files youare creating.

Assigning user comments:

1. In the MPEG Organizer’s main screen, click the General tab; General tabproperties appears.

2. Select the file you want to edit and place the mouse cursor in the Namebox.

3. Click twice; the box becomes available.

4. Enter a file name.



5. Place the mouse cursor in the Comment box and click twice; the boxbecomes editable.

6. Enter a desired comment.

7. Repeat Step 1 for all files and clips.

Using the Device Control to Edit Time CodesYou can use the Device Control together with the MPEG Organizer to setframe accurate In and Out points for files and clips. Alternately, you canenter In, Out and Duration values directly into the MPEG Organizer’s Cliptab.

To set In and Out points:

1. In the MPEG Organizer, click the Clip tab; Clip tab properties appear.

2. Select the file or clip you want to edit.

3. Use the Device Control to browse through your input source.

4. When you reach the first frame you want to encode, click the DeviceControl’s Mark In button; the time code of the frame you selectedappears in the MPEG Organizer’s Clip tab.

5. When you reach the last frame you want to encode, click the DeviceControl’s Mark Out button; the time code of the frame you selectedappears in the MPEG Organizer’s Clip tab.

6. The updated Duration value appears in the Device Control window andin the MPEG Organizer’s Clip tab.

7. Follow Steps 1-5 for each file or clip.



Assigning ID Tags to Encoder Files:The MPEG Organizer lets you assign ID tags to files that are encoded fromdifferent source devices. When the MPEG Organizer detects a change in theSource ID value, it prompts you to switch your input source before encodingthe next file. This is very useful when your file consist of clips from differentcassettes or source devices.

To assign ID tags to Files:

1. Select the Encoder file you want to edit and click the Clip tab; Clip tabproperties appear.

2. Click the Device Source ID field twice; the field becomes editable.

3. Enter a source ID tag.

SourceDevice ID



Importing CMX EDL FilesThe MPEG Organizer can import CMX EDL files that contain previouslycompiled editing lists. This feature saves you having to re-create editinglists. The MPEG Organizer recognizes the In and Out points in the EDL fileand creates files which have corresponding In and Out points for encoding.You can assign each file an ID tag after importing the EDL file.

To import a CMX EDL file:

1. On the MPEG Organizer’s File menu, select Import; the File Openwindow appears.

2. Select the EDL file you want to import and click OK; the Import CMXEDL box appears.

3. Select Product and Click OK.

4. The MPEG Organizer creates an file with clips that contain In and Outpoints that correspond to the original CMX EDL file.

Saving Batch SessionsThe MPEG Organizer lets you save the encoding parameters of the file andclips listed in the file window. MPEG Organizer files have a *.manextension.

To save a batch session:

1. On the MPEG Organizer’s File menu, select Save As; the Save windowappears.

2. Enter the name of the batch you want to save and click Save; the MPEGOrganizer saves your batch list with a *.man extension.



Executing Batch SessionsOnce you have entered the encoding parameters for all your files and clips,you can start to encode.

To encode a batch session:

• In the file window, check the files you want to encode OR

1. On the MPEG Organizer Tree, select the Encoder tool.

2. To select all files, click the right mouse button and select Check all. Toselect a single file, click on the file you want to encode.

3. Click Execute; the Encoder tool encodes the files you selected anddisplays encoding information in the Status bar.

4. To stop a batch, click Stop.


Decoding Play Lists 5-15

Decoding Play ListsWhen the optional VideoPlex MPEG-2 playback board is installed, theMPEG Organizer can play back multiple files consecutively. Each playbackentry listed in the MPEG Organizer’s file window is called a Play List. APlay List is saved as a *.man file. A Play List can contain several files.

Loading Play ListsYou load Play Lists to the MPEG Organizer’s file window. Play Lists have a*.man extension.

Creating Play Lists:

1. On the MPEG Organizer Tree, click the Player Tool; the MPEGOrganizer switches to playback mode.

• On the MPEG Organizer’s tool bar, click Add; the MPEG Organizeradds a Play List to the file window.


5-16 Decoding Play Lists

Loading an existing Play List:

1. On the MPEG Organizer Tree, click the Player Tool; the MPEGOrganizer switches to playback mode.

2. On the MPEG Organizer’s tool bar click Open; the Open dialog boxappears. Browse for the file you want to add and click Open; the MPEGOrganizer loads the Play List to the file window

Each Play List in the MPEG Organizer’s file window contains files.

Adding files to Play Lists:

1. On the MPEG Organizer Tree, under Player Tool, select the Play List towhich you want to add files.

2. Click Add files; the Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse for the files you want to add and click Open; the MPEGOrganizer loads the selected files to the file window.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for every Play List to which you want to add files.

5. To save a Play List, click Save or form the File menu select Save As; theSave As dialog box appears.

6. Enter the name of the Play List you want to save and click Save.


Decoding Play Lists 5-17

Selecting Video or Audio Streams for PlaybackSome files contain multiple audio and video streams which you can selectfor playback.

To select video and audio streams for playback:

1. Select a file for playback and click the Audio Parameters tab.

2. Click the Audio Stream ID box twice; an Audio Stream ID list appears.

3. In the Audio Stream ID list, select the stream you want to hear.

4. To select a video stream for playback, click the Video Parameters tab.

5. Click the Video Stream ID box twice; a Video Stream ID list appears.

6. In the Video Stream ID list, select the video stream you want to view.

Playing Back Play ListsOnce you have loaded desired Play Lists and files to the file window, youcan start decoding. You can select specific Play Lists and files for playback.

To execute Play Lists:

• In the file window, check the files you want to encode OR

1. On the MPEG Organizer Tree, select the Player tool.

2. To select all files, click the right mouse button and select Check all. Toselect a single file, click on the file you want to encode.

3. Click Execute; the Player tool encodes the Play List and files youselected.

4. To stop playback, click Stop.


5-18 Multiplexing MPEG Files

Multiplexing MPEG FilesThe MPEG Organizer’s Muxer tool lets you create several types of MPEGfiles.

• System

• Video-CD (video and audio)

• Transport (video and audio)

• Program

Video-CD and CD-i files can contain one audio and one video stream.Transport, System and Program files can contain multiple audio and videostreams.

Creating Muxer Target FilesYou can list multiple Target files in the file window. Each Target fileconsists of Source files.

To create a Target file:

1. On the MPEG Organizer tree, click Batch and then select the MuxerTool; the MPEG Organizer switches to multiplexing mode.

2. On the MPEG Organizer’s tool bar, click Add; the MPEG Organizeradds a Target file to the file window. New Target files are loaded withoutsource files.

3. Repeat Step 2 for the number of Target files you want to add to the filewindow.


Multiplexing MPEG Files 5-19

Adding Source FilesEach Target file listed in the file window can contain Source files. EachSource file is a separate file that is multiplexed into a single target file.

To add a Source file:

1. On the MPEG Organizer tree, select the Target file to which you want toadd Source files.

2. Click Add Files; the Open dialog box appears.

3. Browse for the files you want to add and click Open; the MPEGOrganizer loads the selected files to the file window.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 for every Target file to which you want to addfiles.

Setting Properties of Target FilesThe Muxer tool lets you set properties for the type of file you want to create.

Assigning Names to Target FilesYou can assign any name to the Target files listed in the file window.

To assign names to Target files:

1. In the file window, select the Target tab; Target properties appear.

2. Under Name, click twice; the Name box becomes available.

3. In the Name box, type a name for the Target file.



Saving Target FilesTo complete a multiplexing job, you have to give your Target file a name.

Saving a Target File:


2. Under Target File Name, click twice; the Target File Name dialog boxappears.

3. Enter or browse for the name of the file you want to create and clickSave.

Setting a Target Bit RateThe Muxer tool lets you set the bit rate of your Target file.

Setting a Target Bit Rate:


2. Under Target Bit Rate, enter the bit rate you want to set.

The Muxer tool lets you lock the Target Bit Rate to the bit rates of yourSource files. When the bit rate is locked, the Target Bit Rate is automaticallyset according to the bit rates of your source files. In this case, you cannotchange the Target Bit Rate. When the bit rate is not locked, you can adjustthe Target Bit Rate, as long as the value you set is not less than the bit ratesof your source files plus multiplexing data. By default the bit rate is locked.When calculating the Target Bit Rate, the Muxer tool only takes into accountthe bit rates of files that are checked.

To unlock bit rates:

• Under Lock Bitrate, select No.



Selecting a File FormatThe Muxer tool lets you create the following file formats:

• System

• Video-CD

• Transport

• Program



2. Under File Format, click twice; the file format box becomes available.

3. From the File Format list, select a desired file format.

Setting a Transport IDThe Transport tab is only available if you have chosen to create a Transportfile.

To set a Transport ID:

1. In the file window, select the Transport tab.

2. Under Transport ID, click twice; the Transport ID box becomesavailable.

3. Click the arrows to set a Transport ID value.



Setting Properties of Source FilesSource files are the files that will be multiplexed into a Target file.

To view Source Files:

• In the file window, double click the Target file you want to edit; Sourcefiles appear. OR

• On the MPEG Organizer tree, select the Target file you want to edit;Source files appear in the file window.

Assigning Names to Source FilesEach Source file can have a user defined name.

To assign names to Source files:


2. Under Name, click twice; the Name box becomes available.

3. In the Name box, type a name for the Source file.

Assigning Comments to Source FilesYou can assign user comments to each Source file listed in the file window.

To assign a comment to a Source file:

1. In the file window, select the General tab.

2. Under Comment, click twice; the Comment box becomes available.

3. Enter a comment.



Setting Stream IDsThe MPEG Organizer lets you assign ID tags to video and audio streamsresiding in the same MPEG stream. An MPEG stream can contain up to 16video streams and 16 audio streams. Source files that have the sameTransport Program ID must have different Stream IDs. For more aboutTransport Program IDs see page 5-21.

To set a stream ID:

1. In the file window, select the Elementary Data tab.

2. Under Stream ID, click twice; the Stream ID box becomes available.

3. From the Stream ID list, select a desired Stream ID value.

4. Repeat Steps 2-3 for all the Source files listed in the file window.

Selecting a Stream TypeIn most cases, the Muxer Tool automatically detects if a Source file is avideo or audio file. If a file hasn’t been detected correctly, you can select theappropriate type.

Selecting a Stream Type:

1. In the file window, select the Elementary Data tab.

2. Under Stream Type, click twice; the Stream Type box becomesavailable.

3. From the Stream Type list, select a desired type.

Selecting a Stream PIDTransport streams consist of different types of data packets. These datapackets can be video, audio or PMT packets. Each type of data packet has itsown ID tag. The Stream PID box is only available if you are creating aTransport file.



To Select a Stream PID:


2. Under Stream PID, click twice; the Stream PID box becomes available.

3. Select a desired value.

Setting a Program IDThe Program ID is an ID tag assigned to each Program in the Transportstream.

To set Program IDs


2. Under Program ID, click twice; the Program ID box becomes available.

3. Select a desired value.

Multiplexing FilesAfter you’ve set the properties of the file you want to create, you can startmultiplexing.

To start multiplexing your file.

• In the file window, check the Target and Source files you want tomultiplex OR

1. On the MPEG Organizer Tree, select the Muxer tool.

2. To select all files, click the right mouse button and select Check all. Toselect a single file, click on the file you want to multiplex.

3. Click Execute; the Muxer tool multiplexes the Target and Source filesyou selected.

4. To stop multiplexing, click Stop.

Chapter 6

Playing Back MPEG Files

OverviewThis chapter shows you how to use the MPEG Player to play back files. TheMPEG Player is only available if you have installed an optional VideoPlexMPEG-2 playback board. The MPEG Player decodes all streams at up to 15Mbit/s, except Transport streams which are limited to 12 Mbit/s.

In this Chapter:

• Using the MPEG Player, page 6-2

• Setting Playback Options, page 6-3


6-2 Using the MPEG Player

Using the MPEG PlayerThe MPEG Player allows you to set playback options for the files you wantto decode. You can change playback options while files are playing. TheMPEG Player also lets you view file information.

If you have not already installed the optional VideoPlex MPEG-2 playbackboard, please see your encoding system’s installation guide.

To open the MPEG Player:

• In the MPEG Composer folder, double-click the MPEG Player icon; theMPEG Player appears.

The MPEG Player Main Screen

To open a file:

1. Click Open File; the Open File window appears.

2. Enter or browse for the name of the file you want to play back and clickOpen.


Using the MPEG Player 6-3

Setting Playback OptionsThe MPEG Player lets you change playback settings for the files you wantto decode. You can switch playback options during playback or beforeopening a file.

To set playback options:

1. Click Properties and then select the General tab.

The MPEG Player Properties Sheet

2. In the Playback Speed list, select a playback speed.

3. In the Output Video Format list, select a color system.

4. In the Audio Stream ID list, select the audio streams you want to playback. If you are playing back a Transport stream, select an AudioProgram ID.

5. In the Video Stream ID list, select the video streams you want to playback. If you are playing back a Transport stream, select Video ProgramID.

6. Close the Properties window.


6-4 Using the MPEG Player

Playing Back Files

1. Use the controls on the MPEG Player to view your file.

2. Use the Left and Right volume sliders to adjust the volume.

Viewing File InformationThe MPEG Player lets you view file information about the file you openedfor playback.

To view file information:

• Click Properties and then select the Information tab.

The Player File Information Tab

Appendix A

A Guide to MPEGCompression

Video Compression - The MPEG AlgorithmBefore proceeding to encode your first MPEG files, you should be familiarwith the MPEG compression algorithm. This will help you to better choosethe compression parameters that are appropriate to your application.

The MPEG algorithm for video compression was designed to satisfy twobasic requirements: high quality video playback and high compressionratios. The techniques used to achieve these high compression ratios areknown as transform coding (which reduces redundancy within pictures)and motion compensation (which reduces redundancy between pictures).To provide limited random access into the file, a complex scheme of inter-frame coding is used in conjunction with the motion compensation.

Temporal Redundancy ReductionIn MPEG each original frame is coded as one of three pictures:

• Intra picture (I-Frame)

• Predicted picture (P-Frame)

• •Bidirectional interpolated picture (B-Frame)


A-2

I-Frames provide access points for random access but only with moderatecompression; P-Frames are coded with reference to a past picture (I-Frameor previous P-Frame) and will, in general, be used as a reference for futureP-Frames; B-Frames provide the highest amount of compression but requireboth a past and a future reference point for prediction. Note that B-Framesare never used as references. In all cases when a picture is coded withrespect to a reference, motion compensation is used to improve the codingefficiency. The relationship between the three picture types is illustratedbelow. The organization of the pictures in MPEG is quite flexible and willdepend on application specific parameters, such as random accessibility andcoding delay.

MPEG Data Stream Structure

Motion CompensationMotion compensation is used to code both P-Frames and B-Frames. Themotion is estimated for each 16x16 block pixel (macro block) and adisplacement vector is included in the compressed bit stream. The differenceframes (error of prediction) are also coded with transform coding. For bothP and B-Frames a macro block can be either Intra coded (no reference frameused) or motion compensated to the previous reference frame (forwardprediction). In addition, for B-Frames, backward prediction (motioncompensated to the next reference frame) and bidirectional prediction(motion compensated to both the previous and next reference frame) ispossible. Backward prediction is useful to code areas that do not appear in aprevious reference frame. The motion vectors of adjacent macro blocks arehighly correlated and are coded with error free compression techniques.


A-3

Spatial Redundancy Reduction - Transform CodingBoth the Intra and the error macro blocks have high spatial correlation. Thisredundancy is removed using Descrete Cosine Transforms (DCT), which arealso used in JPEG and H.261. The DCT is applied on 8x8 blocks resulting in8x8 frequency coefficients in which most of the energy coefficients withlarge values are confined to a small number of coefficients. Quantization(the lossy part of the compression) is applied to these coefficients. Since thesubjective perception of the quantization error is generally lower for highspatial frequencies, the high frequency coefficients are quantized morecoarsely. In error blocks, coefficients are quantized more coarsely aroundlevel zero to take advantage of the prediction coding (this is referred to asthe “deadzone”). Also, the quantization can be adjusted for each macroblock separately providing adaptation to different areas of the picture aswell as fine control of the bit rate.

DCT QuantizationZig-ZagOrder

Run-LenPairs

HuffmanCoding

Transform Coding Block Diagram

The combination of DCT and quantization results in many zero coefficients.The coefficients are organized in a zig-zag order to produce long runs ofzeros. Next, a series of run-amplitude pairs is formed and coded withvariable length coding which reduces the bit rate further.


A-4

Encoding Resolution Quick GuideThe MPEG compression process is made of several steps. First, the videosource is digitized according to the CCIR-601 specification. Then 16 pixelsthat make up two black horizontal lines along the edges of the image areremoved. The resulting digital representation of the image is known as D-1.The D-1 image is then scaled in order to produce the input resolution forcompression. The scaled image is then compressed using a DCT basedalgorithm. Next, binary compression is applied to further reduce the amountof data.

In this process, scaling holds a very important role. On the one hand itdiscards information in the original image before the DCT compressionprocess. This discarded information is lost and cannot be retrieved. On theother hand, scaling helps reduce the amount of data that is compressed andtherefore enables low data rates.

This guide explains the four main input resolutions that can be used forMPEG compression in order to achieve full screen full motion digital video(Full D-1, Half D-1, SIF). It explains the advantages and the disadvantagesof each resolution.


A-5

What information do I compress?Numbers for PAL color system

Source Result

Full D1 (MPEG-2)(704 * 576)

Half D1 (MPEG-2)(352 * 576)

SIF (MPEG-1)(352 * 288)

• Storage :3.5 GBytes (1 hr at 8 Mbit/s)• typical data rates : 6-10 Mbits/s• Top image quality

• Storage : 1.3 GBytes (1 hr at 3 Mbit/s)•Typical data rates : 3-5 Mbits/s• Very high image quality

• Storage : 675 MBytes (1 hr at 1.5 Mbit/s)•Typical data rates : 1-3 Mbits/s• Good image quality although : - Staircase effect may appear on oblique lines - Text may be unsharp - Edges may appear slightly blurred

The Effect of the Input Resolution

CCIR-601 format(720 * 576)

QSIF (MPEG-1)(176 * 144)

• Storage : 167 MBytes / hour• Typical rate : 250Kbits/s• Good for quarter screen playback onVGA monitors


A-6

Even Field

Odd Field

1. The original frameenters the encoder asFull D-1. This is a fulldigital representationof the original analogsource.

2. Vertical scaling isaccomplished bydiscarding one field. Theinformation contained inthis field is completelylost.

3. In order to reduce theoriginal image, theencoder performshorizontal decimationand line dropping on theframe.

What is QSIF Resolution?

The Scaling Process (PAL)

576

704

288

704

144

176

D-1 Half D-1 QSIF

Image Quality Intense decimation and scaling causes loss ofdetail.

Common data rate 300 kbit/s.

File size 135 Mbytes for one hour at 300 kbit/s.

Optimal distributionmedia

Intranets, hard disks, CD-ROM, T1, E1.

Special QSIF files are very small and can therefore beplayed back on limited bandwidths and withMPEG software players.


A-7

Even Field

Odd Field

1. The original frame enters the encoder as Full D-1. This is a full digital representationof the original analog source.

2. Vertical scaling is accomplished bydiscarding one field. Theinformation contained in this field iscompletely lost.

3. In order to horizontally reduce theoriginal image, the encoder performshorizontal decimation on the frame.Decimation is a process that averagesout the pixels in the image.The resulting image that is going to becompressed represents a quarter ofthe original source.

Original sourceFull D-1 1/2 D-1

Result after scaling1/4 D-1 = SIF

What is SIF Resolution?

The Scaling Process (PAL)

576

704

288

704

288

352

Characteristics:

Image Quality • Similar to VHS.

• The loss of one field introduces stair caseeffects on oblique lines.

• Small text may be difficult to read.

• Edges may be slightly blurred.

Common data rate • 1.5Mbits/s.

• Usually used between 1 and 3 Mbits/s.

File size • 675 MBytes per hour at 1.5 Mbits/s.

Optimal distributionmedia

• Single speed CD-ROM, Video-CD, CD-i,Ethernet, T1, E1.

Special • Many systems have the capability to playthese files. MPEG-1 playback capability isalready installed on many PC motherboardsor provided as a software solution.


A-8

1. The original frame enters theencoder as Full D-1. This is afull digital representation of theoriginal image.

2. Horizontal decimation is applied. Nofield is discarded. This will result in a muchsharper image than SIF. Because thevolume of information to compress ishigher, data rates must be increasedcompared to MPEG-1.

Original video sourceFull D-1

Result after scaling1/2 D-1

What is Half D-1 Resolution?

The Scaling Process

Even Field

Odd Field

576

704

576

352

Characteristics:

Image Quality • Nearly Betacam.

• The image is very sharp.

• Text is clear.

Common data rate • 4 Mbits/s.

• Usually used between 3 and 6 Mbits/s

File size • 1.7 GBytes per hour (at 4Mbits/s)

Optimal distribution media • Quadruple speed CD-ROM, Hard Diskfor VOD and kiosks.

Special • 100% MPEG-2 compliant.

• Can be played on all MPEG-2decoders.

• Offers a good balance between imagequality and storage.


A-9

Even Field

Odd Field

1. The original frame enters theencoder as Full D-1. This is a fulldigital representation of theoriginal image. No information isdiscarded.

Original video source and resultFull D-1

What is Full D-1 Resolution?

There is no Scaling Process

576

704

There is no scaling process. The entire image is compressed

Characteristics:

Image Quality • Nearly Digital Betacam.

• The image is very sharp, even on thefinest details.

Common data rate • 8 Mbits/s.

• Usually used between 6 and 10Mbits/s.

File size • 3.4 GBytes per hour (at 8Mbits/s).

Optimal distribution media • Satellite, ATM, Hard disk for VODeven though heavy storage capacity isrequired.

Special • Full D-1 resolution is usuallycompressed in Adaptive Field Frame(AFF) mode. This means that motionof objects is detected between fieldsand not between frames as is usuallydone in SIF and Half D-1. Thisincreases image sharpness.

Appendix B

List of SoftVTRSupported VCRs

1/2"S-VHS

3/4"U-MATIC

1/2"COMPONENT

1"TYPE-C

DIGITALTAPE

DIGITALVTR

Hi-8

BVU-800 BVW-10 BVH-2000 DVR-1000 EVO-9600*

BVU-870 BVW-40 BVH-2180 EVO-9650

BVU-950 BVW-11 BVH-2500

BVU-900 BVW-15 BVH-2700

BVU-920 BVW-35 BVH-2800

VO-9850 BVW-60 BVH-2830

VO-9800 BVW-65 BVH-3000

BVW-95 BVH-3100

BVW-96

BVW-70


B-2

1/2"S-VHS

3/4"U-MATIC

1/2"COMPONENT

1"TYPE-C

DIGITALTAPE

DIGITALVTR

Hi-8

BVW-75

PVW-2800

AG-7750 MII AU-650

AG-7650** MII AU-660

MII AU-65

BR-S822U D-1000

CVR-40Betacam

CVR-70Betacam

CVR-75Betacam

* Not Frame Accurate

** Not Recordable

Appendix C

Troubleshooting

My system has not configured my new PCI hardware correctly.In rare cases, your system may encounter problems configuring newlyinstalled PCI hardware. Usually this is due to conflicting resources allocatedby your systems operating system. If this occurs, follow the steps below:

Windows 95:• BIOS level configuration. When you configure your PCI system at the

BIOS level, you must enable a PCI slot and assign an IRQ.

• OS level configuration. When you configure your system at the OS level,you might need to manually configure your system in order to solveresource conflicts. To configure your system, follow the steps below.

1. On the Windows 95 Start menu select Settings.

2. In the Control Panel window double-click System; the SystemProperties Window appears.

3. Under Device Manager select Other Devices.

4. Under Other Devices, select PCI Multimedia Device and clickProperties; the PCI Multimedia Device Properties window appears.

5. Click Resources.

6. Disable the Use Auto Settings checkbox.


C-2

7. In the Resource Settings list, change the IRQ setting.

Under Windows NT:You must adjust these parameters in your system’s BIOS configuration.Enter the BIOS configuration and make sure that there are no conflicts inIRQs and memory spaces.

In some situations, interrupt conflicts may exist even though all the boardsin your system may seem to use different IRQs. If this occurs, disable theuse of interrupts on your encoder. To do this, in the rte.ini file, set UseInt=0.If this command causes the encoder to function correctly, an interruptconflicts exists. You can then reallocate the IRQs among the boards in yoursystem. This command is not available with the MPEG Fusion. If youencounter IRQ problems when installing MPEG Fusion boards, re-installeach board one at a time, each time verifying that a correct IRQ has beenassigned.

I received an I/O message after I installed the MPEG Composer.

If you encounter I/O problems after installing the MPEG Composer, do thefollowing:

1. In the MPEG Composer program group, double-click Configuration; theOptibase Configuration window appears.

2. Under Audio Encoder Board, select an IRQ value from the I/O list andclick OK.

Alternatively:

1. On the Windows 95 Start menu, click Settings.

2. Click Control Panel; the Control Panel window appears.

3. Double-click Systems; the System Properties window appears.


C-3

4. Under the Device Manager tab, click System Devices.

5. Select I/O Read data port for ISA plug and play enumerator.

6. Under the Resources tab, select the correct I/O address for the AV6000board.

7. Restart Windows 95.

How do I change Soft VTR system settings?

You can use the Windows 95 Multimedia panel or the MPEG ComposerConfiguration utility to change the SoftVTR COM port setting and timecode settings.

To change SoftVTR settings from Windows:

1. On the Windows 95 Start menu, click Settings.

2. Click Control Panel; the Control Panel window appears.

3. Double-click Multimedia; the Multimedia Properties window appears.

4. Under the Advanced tab, click Media Control Devices.

5. Click SoftVTR MCI VTR Driver and then click Settings.

6. In the Soft VTR MCI Driver Configuration window, change the timecode and COM port settings.

If you encounter other problems connecting the SoftVTR software andcables, please refer to the SoftVTR manual provided with the MPEGComposer package.

To change SoftVTR settings from the MPEG Composer:

1. In the MPEG Composer program group, double-click Configuration; theOptibase Configuration window appears.


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2. To make the Device Control available, select Use VCR Device Control.

3. In the Port list, select a new COM Port and click OK.

When I enter target or video bit rates I get an “Out of targetrange” error.Place the cursor in the target or video box and type in your target or videobit rates.

The audio encoding quality of my MPEG files is bad.Under [AV6000] in the rtesdk.ini file, change the IsaSlow parameter to 0.


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MPEG Composer Error Codes

Error Error Message Meaning Recommended Action

-2 Hardware not detected AV 6000 addressincorrect.

In the rte.ini file check thatthe BaseAddress entry inthe AudioEncoder sectionmatches the settings ofthe dip switches on theboard.

-3 Error writing to disk The disk is full or adisk error hasoccurred.

Free up disk space tocontinue encoding. If thisdoesn’t help check thatyour hard disk functionsproperly.

-4 Audio record error MPEG Composerfailed to initializethe AV6000 board.

Make sure that theAV6000 is installedsecurely in its slot.

-5 Memory allocationerror

Your system is lowon memory.

Try closing all non-essential applications.

-6 The system cannotsustain the specifiedbitrate

Systemconfiguration is notpowerful enough tosupport encodingat specifiedparameters.

Try one or more of thefollowing actions:

1. Reduce video bitrate.

2. Turn off Decodingwhile Encoding.

3. Disable Write to Disk.

4. Transport encodinguses more systemresources than othertypes of encoding. Tryselecting Program orSystem encodinginstead.


C-6


-7 Buffering error - maybe related to anunstable videosource.

The video inputmight bedisconnected ornoisy.

1. Check that the videoinput you selected isconnected.

2. Check that yousource device isfunctioning properly.

3. Use the Auto Detectbutton in the MPEGComposer’s Sourcetab to set the ColorSystem correctly.

-28 Message queue error A communicationerror occurred withthe video encoder.

Try exiting the applicationor switching color systemsettings (NTSC, PAL) andthen revert to yourprevious setting.

-70 Video Fifo Overrun PC overloadingprevented videodata from beingretrieved from theencoding board.

See actions described inerror -6.

-103 Audio source time out Hardware problem. Contact Optibasetechnical support.

-106 Error opening file MPEG Composerfailed to open afile.

This file might be openalready or may have aninvalid name.

-107 Error reading file The MPEGComposer failed toread a file.

This may be an empty file.When offline multiplexingmake sure the filesspecified as elementary bitstream sources are MPEGcompliant files.


C-7


-114 Video source is notvalid, checkconnections

A D1 videosource wasselected but notconnected.

1. If you’ve selected aD1 source, check thatthe flat cable isinstalled correctly.

2. If not using a D1source, contactOptibase technicalsupport.

-125 Error loading dll One of the dllsrequired by theMPEG Composerhas been movedfrom the MPEGComposerdirectory orcorrupted.

Uninstall and then re-install the MPEGComposer.

-117 Failed initializing DWEboard

The MPEGComposer couldnot initialize theVideoplexdecoder.

1. Make sure that theVideoPlex isfunctioning as aplayback board.

2. Make sure thatanother application isnot using theVideoPlex board.

Winopti not found The MPEGComposer couldnot find the low-level driver.

1. Reboot your systemand try activating theapplication again.

2. If the above does nothelp, try re-installingthe MPEG Composer.

-128 Winopti versionmismatch

This problem isdue to low-leveldriverincompatibility.

Refer to the actionspecified in error -127.

Warning Messages


C-8

These appear as warnings on the status bar at the bottom of the mainwindow and do not affect encoding unless otherwise specified.

1) "Drift detected between Video and Audio boards". The drift warning canusually be ignored unless a loss of synchronization between the videoand audio are evident at the decoded output. If this occurs, see the actionreferred to in error -7 above. If the warning continues to appear, contactyour Optibase Technical Support representative,

2) "Blocks skipped during decoding while encoding". This warning mightappear when decoding while encoding. It may occur at high bit rateswhen the VideoPlex loses packets of data, usually as a result of systemoverload. When this occurs, blocks may appear in the decoded output.This does not necessarily mean that the encoded stream is faulty. Toprevent system overload during see the action specified in error -6.

3) “Audio record lost samples”. A minor audio compression erroroccurred, probably due to system overload. To reduce system overload,refer to the action described in error -6. This warning may beaccompanied by a loss of audio/video sync. If audio/video sync wasmaintained despite the warning, it can be ignored.

Appendix D

Timecode Types

This appendix gives a brief overview of time code types.

In analog video, there are two types of timecode:

LTC - Longitudinal Timecode

LTC is recorded on one of the audio tracks (CH2 specifically). It can beadded to an existing video track without having to regenerate.

LTC is based on a mutual audio+video starting position. It is not veryaccurate since the position of the timecode stamp for any given frame maybe read as if it belongs to the next, or previous frame. In any case, an errorof ±1 frame can be expected, at most.

To recognize LTC:

• Set the Audio CH2/LTC switch (located in the tray) to LTC.

• Set the CTL/TC/UB switch to TC.

• Set the LTC/AUTO/VITC switch to LTC.

• Play the tape.

• If the dial displays a colon (:) between the Seconds and the Frames, thetape has LTC.

• If the "on display" option is on, 'LTCR' appears in the display.


D-2

The AG-7750 can record a timecode on an existing NTSC video cassette.

VITC - Vertical Interlaced Timecode

VITC is recorded in the vertical blanking period of the video signal. To addVITC to an existing video track, a new generation must be created.

VITC accuracy is absolute. The timecode data itself occupies two verticalscan lines. When recording VITC, the VITC starting scan line must bespecified.

To recognize VITC:

• Set the CTL/TC/UB switch to TC.

• Set the LTC/AUTO/VITC switch to VITC.

• Play the tape.

• If the dial displays a colon (:) between the Seconds and the Frames, thetape has VITC.

• If the "on display" option is on, 'VTCR' appears in the display.

To find which scan line contains the VITC:

1. Move the REMOTE/LOCAL switch to REMOTE and press the RESETbutton. The scan line numbers are displayed and are separated by a dot(e.g. 11.13).

To 'view' the timecode (a monitor with an under scan option mustbe present):

• Repeat the above steps.

• Connect a monitor to the tape.

• Set the BYPASS/LOCAL/REMOTE switch in the TBC CONTROLpanel to BYPASS.

• Switch the monitor to "under scan" mode. The timecode will appear aswhite dots and lines above the frame display.


D-3

Setting the Tape to Work with MPEGComposerOnce the timecode is fully recognized, the tape must be configured to usethe specific timecode which has been found. To do this move theLTC/AUTO/VITC switch to either LTC or VITC. The AUTO mode maynot be completely accurate.

Confirm that the following menu items are set:

Menu # Description Value

3002 9P Device Type S-VHS ID

3003 RemoteOperation

9P

4004 Frame Servo ON

5002 TC Source Select Accordingto TC

When both LTC and VITC are present, always choose VITC.

Using the TBC During EncodingThe TBC is a digital circuit which performs the following two tasks:

• Corrects shift of scan lines at the end of the tape that are caused by themechanical rotation of the head.

• Compensates for frames dropped during recording.

To view TBC's function:

• Connect a monitor to the tape.

• Set the BYPASS/LOCAL/REMOTE switch in the TBC CONTROLpanel to BYPASS.


D-4

• Switch the monitor to "under scan" mode. Pay attention to the lines at thebottom of the display: they tend to shift to the right.

• Move the switch to LOCAL and wait for this artifact to disappear.

This artifact is not desired in the encoded bit stream. Therefore, duringencode, TBC should be on LOCAL. However, you must verify that theencoder mode is appropriate. For example, if the video is 29.97 fps, the TBCwill round it up to 30 fps, so the encoder mode must be set to 30 fps.

SoftVTR Problems and LimitationsIn the SVTR MCI Driver the following problems have been observed:

• SoftVTR supports the Sony 9 Pin protocol. It functions adequately on allSony decks, but may not work well on other decks. A SoftVTRdistributor has indicated that he had problems with it on Panasonic andJVC decks.

• For the Panasonic AG-7750/7650: SoftVTR does not always recognizeLTC timecodes. When an LTC timecode is present, the tape display doesnot indicate (when it is in remote and under SVTR's control) the colonspecifying that LTC is present. When returning to LOCAL mode, theLTC detection is successful.

• When no timecode is present, SVTR prerolls and measures the time tocapture using the PC timer. Because of the PC timer's accuracy (≅18mS),it is likely that the correct frame will not be captured. Do not try toencode without specifying a timecode.

Appendix E

MPEG Composer PresetParameter Values

This appendix details the numerical values that a user selects when workingin the MPEG Encoder’s Preset mode.

The Target Media options in the Target tab have the following values:

Option Value

Modem Video Elementary Target File Format:

• Current Item Video Bitrate = 24 Kbit/s

• Frame Sampling = Quarter

Audio Elementary Target File Format:

• Audio Bitrate = 24

• Frame Sampling = Half

Other Target File Format:



• Frame Sampling = Fifteenth


E-2

ISDN Single Channel Frame Sampling = Quarter

Video Elementary Target File Format:





• Current Item Video Bitrate = 41.2 Kbit/s


ISDN Dual Channel Frame Sampling = Third

Video Elementary Target File Format:







Intranet 256 Kbit/s • Video Bitrate = 204 Kbit/s


• Frame Sampling = Full

Intranet 512 Kbit/s • Video Bitrate = 444 Kbit/s


• Frame Sampling = Third

Intranet 1.2 Mbit/s • Video Bitrate = 1 Mbit/s



T1 Connection • Video Bitrate = 1.25 Mbit/s



E-3

Video CD • Target File Bitrate = 1.4112 Mbit/s



MPEG-1 2 Mbt/s • Video Bitrate = 2 Mbit/s



MPEG-1 3 Mbit/s • Video Bitrate = 3 Mbit/s



The Movie Content options in the Target tab have the following values:

Option NTSC Value PAL Value

Mixed M=3, N=15 M=3, N=12

Fast Movement M=2, N=10 M=2, N=10

Talking heads M=3, N=18 M=3, N= 18

Landscape M=3, N=21 M=3, N= 21

Glossary of Terms

Access time - In mass storage devices, the time from issuance of a commandto read or write a specific location until reading or writing actually begins atthat location.

Algorithm - a detailed description of a method.

Analog Video - Video in which all the information representing images is ina continuous-scale electrical signal for both amplitude and time.

API - Application Program Interface. A set of routines that an applicationuses to request and carry out services performed by a software package.

Aspect Ratio - The ratio of width to height of a pixel or an image. Most TVscreens have an image Aspect Ratio of 4:3. Some wide screen TVs are 16:9.The pixel aspect ration on a 4:3 TV screen is 486/711 x 4/3 = 0.911.

Artifacts - A blurred or blocky part of the image in a digital video stream.

AVI - Audio Video Interleaved. Original term for Microsoft’s Video ForWindows.

Bandwidth - Refers to the frequency range transmitted by an analog system.In video systems, specifying the highest frequency value is sufficient, sinceall video systems must transmit frequencies down to 30 Hz or lower.

Bi-directional (B) - Most highly compressed frame in MPEG file.

Bit Stream - A serial sequence of bits.

Bitmap - An image made up of pixels on the screen, stored as a collectionof bits. A bitmap file usually has the extension .BMP.

Bits per Pixel - The number of bits used to represent the color value of eachpixel in a digitized image. The color value of pixels can be 8, 16 or 24 bits.


2 Glossary

When the color value of a pixel is 24 bits there are 16.6 million colors in animage.

Brightness - The brightness of a picture is a description of how much lightappears to be emitted from it.

CCIR-601, now known as ITU-R 601 - A standard that defines theencoding parameters of digital television for studios. ITU-R 601 refers tocolor difference (Y,R-Y, B-Y) and RGB video. It defines sampling systems,RGB/Y, R-Y and B-Y matrix values and filter characteristics. ITU-R 601usually refers to color difference component digital video (as opposed toRGB) for which it defines 4:2:2 sampling at 13.5 MHz with 720 luminancesamples per active line an 8 or 10 bit digitising.

CD-i - Acronym for Compact Disc - Interactive. A hardware and softwarestandard disc format that encompasses data, text, audio, still video imagesand animated graphics.

CD-ROM - Compact Disc - Read Only Memory, a high capacity storagedevice of 650 MB that can read, but not write data.

Chrominance - In an image reproduction system, the signals whichrepresent the color components of the image, such as hue and saturation. Ablack-and-white image will have Chrominance values of zero. In the NTSCtelevision system, the I and Q signals carry the Chrominance information(sometimes abbreviated as chroma).

Clip - a segment of a video or an entire video that is considered one unitbased on content.

CODEC - Acronym for coder and decoder.

Coding - The process of representing a varying function as a series ofdigital numbers.

Color Noise - Random interference in the color portion of a compositevideo system. Because of reduced color bandwidth or color subsampling,color noise appears as relatively long streaks of incorrect color in the image.

Compact Disc (CD) - The 12 cm. (4.75 in.) optical read-only disc with astorage capacity of 650 MB used for digital audio, data, or video in differentsystems.


Glossary 3

Composite Video - A color video signal that contains all of the colorinformation in one signal. Typical composite television standard signals areNTSC, PAL, and SECAM.

Compression - A digital process that allows data to be stored or transmittedusing less than the normal number of bits. Video compression techniquesreduce the number of bits required to store or transmit images.

Contrast - The contrast of a picture describes the difference between lightand dark. In a picture with high contrast the transition from dark to light isvery clear.

D1 - A format for recording digital video tape based on the ITU-R 601standard.

Data Rate - The speed of a data transfer process, normally expressed in bitsper second or bytes per second. For example, the data rate of CD-ROM is1.2 Mbit/s

Data Transfer Rate - Is the amount of compressed data to be passed to thestorage device each second. Each storage device has it’s own specificationas to what this rate should be, a general guidelines is:

- hard drives 300-600 KB/sec- CD-ROM drives 150 KB/sec- double speed CD-ROM drives 300 KB/sec.

DCT - Discrete Cosine Transform. A way of representing and compressing8 x 8 pixel blocks of an image in terms of frequency amplitude and color.

Decode - A term meaning decompression.

Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) - A high capacity storage disk that cancontain 4.7 GB of data. The DVD specification was defined to be universal,meeting the needs of all parts of the consumer electronics, entertainment andcomputer industries. Thus the same DVD disc can play in a DVD videoplayer or a DVD ROM drive.

Digitizing - The process of converting an analog signal into a digital signal.With images, it refers to the process of scanning and analog to digitalconversion.

DLL - Dynamic Linked Library. A development tool.


4 Glossary

Driver - A software entity that provides a software interface to a specificpiece of hardware. For example, the MPEG-5000 video driver providessoftware access to the video board hardware.

Dropped Frames - Frames in the original video which have not beenencoded in the compressed video. A large number of dropped framesreduces the quality of the encoded video.

DVI - Digital Video Interactive, Intel compression scheme, rejected by theISO for the MPEG standard.

EISA - A full 32 bit bus developed in 1989 to offer support for existing ISAexpansion boards and to provide a platform for future growth. The EISA buscan accommodate more pins than an ISA bus. An EISA connector has a twotier slot design that can accept both ISA and EISA cards.

Encode - A term meaning compression.

Field - Individual pictures inside a video stream. One-half of a frame iscomposed of odd lines of video. These odd lines comprise the odd field.Likewise for the even field.

Frame -A single picture which is part of a series. When the series is viewedat speed a “moving picture” is created.

Frame rate - The frame rate of a video sequence refers to how many framesare viewed each second.

Full Motion Video - Video reproduction at 30 frames per second forNTSC-original signals or 25 frames per second for PAL-original signals.

Green Book - The formal standards document for CD-i.

Hue - The hue of a color describes whether a color is basically red, orange,yellow, green, etc.

Hue-Saturation-Intensity (HSI) - A tri-stimulus color system based on theparameters of hue, saturation, and intensity (luminance). Sometimes calledHSV, for Hue-Saturation-Value.

IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission, a governing body workingwith the ISO.

Image - A still picture, or one frame of a motion sequence.


Glossary 5

Interleave - An arrangement of audio and video data inside the file.

Interpolation - Scaling the image from a smaller size to a larger size whileintelligently creating new pixels.

Intra (I) - Key reference frame in MPEG compression algorithm. I-Framesare one of the three types of frames used in MPEG compression. Theycontain all the data needed to represent an entire frame, hence are referred toas key reference frames.

ISDN - ISDN is an all digital transmission technology that integrates data,voice and video signals. ISDN is innovative in that it delivers the speed,reliability and flexibility of a digital signal to the home or office. The maindifferences between ISDN and T1/E1 is that ISDN is a switched servicewith pay-as-you-go rates, unlike a dedicated T1/E1 line. Also, in ISDN,signaling is done on a separate channel so that more bandwidth is availablefor data transfer.

ISDN uses time division multiplexing (TDM) to divide the availablebandwidth into a number of fixed-size time slots called channels. In ISDN,the local loop (the data link between the customer and the local exchange)consists of several logical channels. There are two basic types of channelsfor ISDN: B and D. The B channel (bearer channel) carries digital data, aswell as digitized voice and video information. The B channel, whichoperates at a data rate of 64 Kbit/s, can be used for both circuit-switched andpacket-switched applications. The Delta channel (signaling channel)provides signaling and control for each ISDN line installed. Becausesignaling messages over the Delta channel rarely uses all its availablebandwidth, the Delta channel can sometimes be used to carry data. When theDelta channel does carry data, signaling messages always have priority. TheDelta channel carries 16 Kbit/s.

ISO - International Standards Organization. The governing body that createsstandards.

JPEG - Joint Photographic Expert Group, an ISO committee formed todevelop the standard for the compression of still images.

Kbits/sec - Kilobits per second. A data flow rate indicating exactly 103 bitsper second.


6 Glossary

KB/sec - Kilobytes per second. A date flow rate indicating exactly 210 bytesper second.

Kiosk - a self standing unit used for delivering information.

Laser Disc - An analog storage device that can read, but not write, videoand sound.

Level - The signal amplitude in video.

Luminance - A component, the black and white or brightness element of animage.

Macro block - 16 x 16 pixel squares used in the MPEG compressionscheme.

Mbit/s - Megabits per second. A data flow rate indicating exactly 106 bitsper second.

Mbyte/s - Megabytes per second. A date flow rate indicating exactly 220

bytes per second.

MJPEG or Motion JPEG - A deviation from the JPEG specification wherestill image compression is used to compress motion video.

Motion Compensation - A video compression technique that makes use ofthe redundancy between adjacent frames of motion video.

Motion Video - Video which displays real motion. It is accomplished bydisplaying a sequence of image (frames) rapidly enough that the eye sees theimage as a continuously moving picture.

MPEG - Acronym for “Moving Picture Expert Group” - a working party ofthe ISO - IEC Joint Technical Committee 1, working on algorithmstandardization for compression of motion video.

MPEG-1 - ISO standard designed for low bandwidth of compressed digitalvideo and audio.

MPEG-2 - ISO standard designed for transmission of high bandwidthcompressed digital audio and video such as that used by broadcasttelevision.

MPEG Playback Device - A hardware or software based device thatdecodes MPEG files to a VGA monitor or a TV monitor.


Glossary 7

Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) - A serial digital busstandard for interfacing of digital musical instruments. MIDI is widely usedin the music industry.

NTSC - Acronym for National Television Systems Committee, thestandardizing body which in 1953 created the color television standards forthe United States. This system is called the NTSC color television system. Itis also used in Japan, Canada and Mexico. The bandwidth for NTSC is 4.2MHz for the luminance signal and 1.3 and 0.4 MHz for the I and Q colorchannels. NTSC produces 30 frames per second. The line and field formatof NTSC is 525/60.

OLE - Object Linking and Embedding. A Microsoft protocol for linkingapplications.

PAL - Phase Alternation Line describes the video standard used in Europeand most of the world. PAL is based on a 625/50 line/field system. Thebandwidth for PAL is 5.5 MHz luminance and 1.3 MHZ for each of thecolor difference signals, U and V. PAL produces 25 per second.

PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) - PCI is a high speed system busspecification that provides 32 bit or 64 bit data paths at 33 MHz or 66MHzclock rates. The PCI specification was developed by Intel.

Pixel - a single element in a picture.

Post-filtering - Processing done to a picture after compression. I.e., scalingto size and smoothing edges.

Pre-filtering - processing done to picture prior to compression. I.e., scalingto size and smoothing edges.

Predicted (p) Frame - frames used in MPEG compression which are codedwith respect to the nearest previous I or P frames. P-Frames serve as aprediction reference for B-Frames and future P-Frames.

Red Book - the formal standards document for CD Digital Audio.

Saturation - defines the purity of a color. A color with a high saturationappears very intense and strong, a color with low saturation appears washed-out. Zero saturation is white (no color), and maximum saturation is thedeepest or most intense color possible.


8 Glossary

S-Video - a video signal that carries separate luminance and chrominancesignals.

SECAM - Acronym for “Sequential Color Avec Memoire (Sequential Colorwith memory), which is the color television system developed in France andused in some other countries.

Seek time - In a mass storage device, the time required to position the readhead over the track containing the desired data.

SIF - Standard Image Format describing a resolution of 352 x 240 (NTSC)pixels or 352 x 288 pixels (PAL).

SMPTE time code - A standard for a signal recorded on video tape touniquely identify each frame of the video signal. It is used to control editingoperations. (SMPTE stands for Society of Motion Picture and TelevisionEngineering).

Stream - The flow of data as a sequence of bits. Also bit stream.

Subcarrier - In a composite color television system, a high-frequencycarrier on which the chrominance information is modulated, beforecombining with the luminance signal.

T1/E1 - A T1 service is a framed communication protocol that delivers atwo-way connection at 1.544 Mbit/s each way. In Europe and othercountries outside the U.S., the equivalent of T1 is a service called E1 - atwo way connection at 2.048 Mbit/s. T1 and E1 define the physical,electrical and framing requirements of the interface. Therefore the actualtransmission media is irrelevant and can be different types of lines such asmicrowave, optic fiber or copper wire.

Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) - A class of software program which,upon execution, installs itself in RAM and quits. The “resident” modulewhich remains in RAM performs some kind of function for other programswhich are subsequently run. The TSR is one approach for installing aspecial-purpose driver.

Threshold - In a digital circuit, a dividing line between circuit signal levelsrepresenting different digital values.

Time Base Corrector - Equipment that corrects time base errors in videotape recorders.


Glossary 9

Time Base Errors - In video tape recorders, analog artifacts caused bynonuniform motion of the tape or the tape head drum. Typically visible as ahorizontal jitter or instability in the reproduced picture.

Transform - In data compression, a process that converts a block of datainto some alternate form that is more convenient or efficient.

True Color - The representation of color by varying amounts of red, green,and blue. There are 256 shades of each available. When you mix all of thesetogether you find there are 16.7 million possible colors. Hence the term TrueColor.

Truncation - In video compression, the technique of reducing the numberof bits per pixel by throwing away some of the least significant bits fromeach pixel.

VFW - Video for Windows, Microsoft’s interface for digital video.

Video-CD - A compact disc format standard developed by Sony, Phillips,JVC and Matsuhita. Compact discs recorded in Video-CD format can beplayed on CD-i, Video CD, CD-Rom drives, and CD players that havedigital ouput and an add on video adapter.

VOD - Video on Demand. A term describing the ability of a user to requestany given video at any given time.

VTR/VCR - Video Tape Recorder or Video Cassette Recorder, a frameaccurate recording and playback tape deck, usually of professionalcapabilities.

.WAV file - widely used sound file format for the PC.

Index

A

Adjusting Audio Gain Control, 4-14,4-24

Assigning

Audio Stream IDs, 4-39Video Stream IDs, 4-38

Audio elementary. See Setting a FileFormat

B

Batch Entries

Assigning ID tags, 5-12Editing, 5-7Editing Time Codes, 5-11Executing, 5-14Tabs, 5-7

C

Calibrating

the Video Source, 4-12, 4-21

Closed Caption Encoding, 4-10, 4-20

Composite. See Selecting a VideoInput. See Selecting a Video Input

D

Decoding Play Lists, 5-15

Detailed Encoding, 4-18

Calibrating the Video and AudioSource, 4-20

Setting Advanced MPEG Options, 4-33

Setting Source Parameters, 4-18Setting Target Parameters, 4-25

Device Control

Device Delay, 3-4Drop Frame Mode, 3-6Keyboard shortcuts, 3-8Playback controls, 3-7Preroll Delay, 3-5Setting properties, 3-4Time Code Format, 3-5Using, 3-3

E

Encoding

Device, 4-5in Drop Frame Mode, 4-31Manual Encoding, 4-3Semi-manual, 4-4


2 Index

The Basics, 2-4with 3

2 Inverse Pulldown, 4-30

with Scene Change Detection, 4-38

Error Logging, 2-6

Event Viewer, 2-6

F

File Name, 4-3

Filtering the Video Source, 4-13, 4-23

H

Horizontal Filter, 4-23

I

I Frame Insertion, 4-42

M

Maintaining Audio and Video Sync,4-34

MPEG Organizer Tools, 5-3

Multiplexing MPEG Files, 5-18

Multi-session Encoding, 5-5

P

Playing Back MPEG Files, 6-2

PRD files, 4-2

Preset Encoding, 4-8

Calibrating the Video and AudioSource, 4-11

Setting Source Parameters, 4-9Setting Target Parameters, 4-15

Previewing

MPEG Streams, 4-6with Decoding while Encoding, 4-7

with the MPEG Player, 4-7

Program. See Setting a File Format

S

Saving

Batch Entries, 5-13Encoding Parameters, 4-2MPEG Streams, 4-3

Scheduled Commands, 4-41

Selecting

a Color System, 4-9, 4-19a File Format, 4-27a Video Input, 4-10, 4-19an Audio Input, 4-10, 4-19an Audio Mode, 4-31Resolution, 4-28

Setting

an Audio Frequency, 4-32an Output Time Code, 4-29Audio Bound, 4-40Bit Rates, 4-25File Format, 4-16GOP Values, 4-36M Values, 4-36Movie Content, 4-16N Values, 4-35Playback Options, 6-3System Clock Reference, 4-34Target Media, 4-15VBV Levels, 4-37

S-Video. See Selecting a Video Input.See Selecting a Video Input

System. See Setting a File Format

T

Transport. See Setting a File Format


Index 3

U

Unbalanced, 4-10, 4-19

Using the MPEG Organizer, 5-2

V

Vertical Filter, 4-23

Video CD. See Setting a File Format

Video elementary. See Setting a FileFormat

Video+audio. See Setting a FileFormat

Viewing File Information, 6-4


Technical Support

If you encounter problems installing or using MPEG Composer™ afterthoroughly reading the MPEG Composer™ user’s manual, contactOptibase’s technical support staff as listed below:

International

7:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. (G.M.T.) Sunday to Thursday

(Friday: 7:00 A.M. to 2:00 PM)

Telephone Number: +972-9-9709288

FAX: +972-9-9586-099

E-mail [email protected]

North America and Mexico

8:30 A.M - 5:30 P.M., (Pacific, Monday to Friday)

Telephone Number: 1 800-451-5101, +1-408-260-6760

FAX: +1-408-244-0545


Europe

Telephone Number: +44-1249 460 066

FAX +44-1249 461 066


Before calling Optibase’s technical support, please fill out the TechnicalSupport Worksheet on the following page. Having this information availablecan save a lot of time. In many instances, the configuration informationdescribed in the worksheet will be needed to accurately diagnose yourproblem.


Technical Support Service Worksheet

Before requesting technical support from an authorized Optibase distributoror Optibase technical support staff, please fax in this form.

Company

Contact

Address

City/State/Zip

Tel Fax

Product Purchased

Serial Number

MPEG Composer Software Version

System Configuration

Vendor Model

CPU Type Speed

RAM(MB) BIOS Rev

Disk Controller I/O Address

Bus Type Hard Disks

Network Adapter I/O Address

Graphic Board/Overlay Board/VIW Board

Sound Board I/O Address

Other I/O Address


End User License Agreement for the Attached Software

1. The software and the documentation are unpublished copyright works that may only beused on the type of machine described on the label of the pertinent diskette.

2. Neither the software nor the documentation may be copied in whole or in part, except forback-up and archiving purposes. The copyright notices and trademarks appearing on thesoftware, on the diskette, and in the documentation as supplied to the End User mustappear on all copies. If stated in the documentation, the End User may incorporate all orpart of the software, or documentation in other software, but this other software ordocumentation must then contain the copyright notices appearing in the software anddocumentation as supplied to the End User.

3. The End User shall not reproduce (except as provided for above), transfer, download,reverse compile, disassemble or modify the product in whole or in part. Title to an interestin the software shall remain at all times the sole and exclusive property of Optibase and/orthird party copyright owners.

4. Subject to the End User Registration Card being completed and returned to the addressspecified herein, Optibase Sales Organization, or the sales outlet from which the softwarewas obtained, guarantees: (i) the carrier material (diskettes, tapes or other) against badworkmanship or faulty material; (ii) that the reproduction of the software on the carriermaterial is complete; (iii) that the software functions as described in the documentation.The warranty period is 90 (ninety) days from the date of delivery to the End User by thesaid organization or outlet. Under this warranty, the End User will be provided withanother, unopened software package containing the same software, provided that the faultis reproducible under normal use in accordance with the documentation, and the faultysoftware package is returned. The above is a limited warranty and the only one given tothe End User. It replaces any other express, implied, statutory or other warranties, such as(but not limited to) the warranty of merchantibility or fitness for a particular purpose.Optibase shall not be liable for loss, or damage to, data; loss of revenue or any indirect orconsequential damages; loss or costs caused by the use of the software or documentation.

5. The End User acknowledges that the software, documentation and user’s manualcontained unpublished copyright work and valuable confidential and proprietaryinformation and know-how of Optibase and/or third party copyright holders.Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Standard End User License Agreement,Optibase shall have the right to invoke any and all remedies available to it in law andcontract, including the right to claim damages, in the event of the End User’s failure tocomply with the obligations of this Standard End User License Agreement.

Catalog No: UMG3640

Documents

Movie Maker Manual 138Seiten