Copyright: ©2004. Sony Pictures Digital Inc.
Citation: ©2004. Sony Pictures Digital Inc.


About this File

This file contains context-sensitive help topics that are used by the Sony Pictures Digital/Main Concept MPEG plug-in.

Revised August 18 , 2004


Multiplexer Type
Stream type

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to indicate how video and audio elementary streams should be packaged.

Choose Program to create a standard MPEG file.

Choose Transport to create an MPEG file for digital video broadcast, HDV, and other applications.


Sector size

Enter a value to specify the size of the MPEG pack or sector in bytes:

Recommended Settings

Streaming MPEG	306 to 4096
NTSC SVCD	2324
PAL SVCD	2324
NTSC DVD	2048
PAL DVD	2048


Packets / Pack
Packets per pack

Enter a value to specify how many packets are put into each pack.

We recommend using a setting of 1 if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Sectors delay

Enter a value to specify the number of sectors to wait before the first sector is written.

We recommend using a setting of 0 if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Video delay

Enter a value to specify a delay (in milliseconds) to apply to the video stream timestamps. You can use a delay to correct audio/video synchronization problems.

We recommend using a setting of 180 if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.

Note:	Software emulation of DVD playback is not a reliable method of verifying audio/video synchronization.

Do not change this setting to compensate for an apparent a/v synchronization error in an MPEG-2 file destined for DVD, until you have confirmed the sync error occurs in a file on a DVD disc when played back on a true DVD player and viewed on a television monitor. Even then, be aware that some DVD players have their unique synchronization problems that should not be compensated for in the encoding, as the disc will play out-of-sync on other players.


Video buffer size

Enter a value to specify the video buffer size (in KB) coded in the pack header.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	230
PAL SVCD	230
NTSC DVD	232
PAL DVD	232


Audio delay

Enter a value to specify a delay (in milliseconds) to apply to the audio stream timestamps. You can use a delay to correct audio/video synchronization problems.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	180
PAL SVCD	180
NTSC DVD	180
PAL DVD	180
Note:	Software emulation of DVD playback is not a reliable method of verifying audio/video synchronization.

Do not change this setting to compensate for an apparent a/v synchronization error in an MPEG-2 file destined for DVD, until you have confirmed the sync error occurs in a file on a DVD disc when played back on a true DVD player and viewed on a television monitor. Even then, be aware that some DVD players have their unique synchronization problems that should not be compensated for in the encoding, as the disc will play out-of-sync on other players.


Audio buffer size

Enter a value to specify the audio buffer size (in KB) coded in the pack header.

We recommend using a setting of 4 if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


User MUX Rate
System bit rate

Enter a value to specify the multiplexer rate in bits per second:

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	2,788,800
PAL SVCD	2,788,000
NTSC DVD	Auto-Calculate
PAL DVD	Auto-Calculate


Align sequence headers to packets

Select this check box if you want sequence headers to be aligned to the start of a PES video packet.

We recommend that you select this check box if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Frame timestamps

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify which frames will have PTS/DTS timestamps.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	Timestamps on all frames
PAL SVCD	Timestamps on all frames
NTSC DVD	Timestamps on I-frames only
PAL DVD	Timestamps on I-frames only


AUDIO Tab


Include audio stream

Select this check box if you want to include the audio stream in the encoded MPEG file.

The controls on the Audio tab are available only when this check box is selected.

If you’re creating an MPEG-2 file for an NTSC DVD and need to render separate audio and video streams, clear this check box and render your audio stream as a separate file. Consult your DVD-authoring application’s documentation to determine the required format.

If you’re creating an MPEG-2 file for a PAL DVD and need to render separate audio and video streams, select the Save as separate elementary streams check box on the System tab, and separate audio and video streams will be created. The video stream will be saved as an .m2v file, and the audio stream will be saved as an .mpa file.


Audio mode

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify how audio should be encoded:

•	Stereo: contains two distinct audio channels.

•	Joint Stereo: a stereo file that is encoded to take advantage of the redundant and irrelevant information in the two channels.

•	Dual Channel: contains two distinct audio channels, and each channel has separate content (e.g. one channel might be in English and the other channel might be in French).

•	Mono: contains a single audio channel.

We recommend using the Stereo setting if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs. Change this setting only for special situations, such as when encoding a multilingual DVD.


Psychoacoustic model

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the psychoacoustic model that will be used for audio compression.

We recommend using the Psychoacoustic Model 2 setting if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Audio layer

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the MPEG audio layer that will be used for audio encoding.

We recommend using the Audio Layer 2 setting if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.

Note:	Some DVD-authoring applications require PCM audio. For those applications, render separate audio and video streams separately, and render your audio stream as a wave file. Consult your DVD-authoring application’s documentation for more information.


Bit rate

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the maximum bit rate for the audio data in your encoded file.

We recommend using a setting of 224 if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs. If you want higher-quality audio, you may increase the bit rate.


Emphasis

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the type of de-emphasis to use during encoding.

During encoding, a filter is applied to improve the signal-to-noise ratio at high frequencies.

We recommend using the No emphasis setting if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Sample rate

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the number of samples per second used to store the audio data in your encoded file.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	44,100
PAL SVCD	44,100
NTSC DVD	48,000
PAL DVD	48,000


Embed CRC error protection

Select this check box to enable CRC error protection in your encoded file.

Cyclic redundancy code (CRC) is required by the SVCD and DVD specification and is used to determine if data is corrupt.


Set copyright bit

Select this check box to indicate that your encoded file contains copyrighted information.

This bit is for informational purposes only and does not affect encoding or decoding.

Note:	There is generally no need to adjust this setting unless it is required by your DVD-authoring application.


Set original bit

Select this check box to indicate that your encoded file contains original information.

This bit is for informational purposes only and does not affect encoding or decoding.

Note:	There is generally no need to adjust this setting unless it is required by your DVD-authoring application.


VIDEO Tab


Include video stream

Select this check box if you want to include a video stream in your encoded MPEG file.

The controls on the Video tab are available only when this check box is selected.

If you’re creating an MPEG-2 file for an NTSC DVD and need to render separate audio and video streams, select this check box and render your audio stream as a separate file. Consult your DVD-authoring application’s documentation to determine the required format.

If you’re creating an MPEG-2 file for a PAL DVD and need to render separate audio and video streams, select the Save as separate elementary streams check box on the System tab, and separate audio and video streams will be created. The video stream will be saved as an .m2v file, and the audio stream will be saved as an .mpa file.


Two Pass

Select this check box if you want to the encoder to analyze your files before encoding them.

When the check box is selected, the encoder can produce higher-quality video, but the encoding process takes longer.


Video type

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the type of MPEG video to encode:

If you chose MainConcept MPEG-1 from the Save as type drop-down list, you can create the following formats:

MPEG-1	General MPEG-1 video
VCD	VCD-compatible MPEG-1 video

If you chose MainConcept MPEG-2 from the Save as type drop-down list, you can create the following formats:

MPEG-2	General MPEG-2 video
SVCD	SVCD-compatible MPEG-2 video
DVD	DVD-compatible MPEG-2 video


Parameters constrained

Select this check box to limit the video parameters to a specific set of values.

This setting applies to MPEG-1 or VideoCD formats and is used to ensure that your encoded file meets the requirements of the MPEG-1 specification.


Aspect ratio

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to determine the aspect ratio of your target display.

Choose 4:3 for standard televisions or 16:9 for widescreen televisions.


Frame rate

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the number of frames that will be encoded for each second of video.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	29.97
PAL SVCD	25.000
NTSC DVD	29.97
PAL DVD	25.000


Width

Enter a value in the box to specify the width (in pixels) of the encoded video frames.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	480
PAL SVCD	480
NTSC DVD	720
PAL DVD	720


Height

Enter a value in the box to specify the height (in pixels) of the encoded video frames.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	480
PAL SVCD	576
NTSC DVD	480
PAL DVD	576


I Frames

Enter a value to specify the number of frames between I-frames. I-frames contain all the data to draw a complete video frame.

A setting of 15 is recommended for all NTSC and PAL DVDs and SVCDs.


B Frames

Enter a value to specify the number of B-frames that will be inserted between consecutive I- and  P-frames.

A setting of 2 is recommended for all NTSC and PAL DVDs and SVCDs.

P-frames, also known as "predicted frames" take advantage of the fact that successive frames of a video have areas of the frame that have not changed from previous frames. A P-frame contains only the data that has changed between frames. These frames cannot be played on their own since because all data needed to display the frame may not be present. There is no manual adjustment for P-frame frequency.

B-frames, also known as "bidirectional predicted frames" are encoded like P-frames, except that they are calculated based on the data in both the previous and subsequent frames.


Profile

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to set the MPEG-2 syntax required for decoding the stream:

High Profile	Use for video-production equipment that requires 4:2:2.
Main Profile	Use for most television, VCR, and cable TV applications.
Simple Profile	Low-cost memory, e.g. no B pictures
The Main Profile setting is recommended for all NTSC and PAL DVDs and SVCDs. Change this setting only when required by specialized production environments.


Level

If you’re encoding an MPEG-2 file, choose a setting from the drop-down list to set the acceptable ranges of parameters —  such as bit rate, sample rate, and the maximum allowed motion vector range — for your destination:

High Level	HDTV production rates: 1920 x 1080 x 30 Hz
High 1440 Level	HDTV consumer rates:  1440 x 960 x 30 Hz
Main Level	CCIR 601 rates: 720 x 480 x 30 Hz
Low Level	SIF video rate: 352 x 240 x 30 Hz
We recommend using the Main Level setting if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs. Change this setting only when required by specialized production environments.


IDH VIDEO1 PROGRAMSEQUENCE
Field order

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to determine the field order of the frames when drawn on the screen.

Progressive Only should be specified when the video will be viewed on a computer.

Interlaced, top field first and Interlaced, bottom field first are used when the video will be viewed on a television. Consult the hardware’s documentation for the proper interlacing method.


Video quality

Drag the slider to determine the quality of the video when rendered.

A setting of 31 is recommended if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.

Note:	Quality settings affect various types of material differently. With some experimentation, you may find that certain types of scenes can be rendered at lower quality settings (resulting in faster rendering times) with little or no apparent loss of quality. Other material may need the highest possible setting to achieve the desired quality level.


Constant bit rate

Select this radio button and choose a setting from the drop-down list if you want to encode your file using a single bit rate.

Many MPEG-1 players can play only constant bit rate files. If you’re encoding in MPEG-1 format, select this button.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	2,375,000
PAL SVCD	2,375,000
NTSC DVD	6,000,000
PAL DVD	6,000,000
Note:	With some experimentation, you may find settings that allow you to increase the amount of video you can fit on a disc. However, we suggest using the template settings as the starting points for any variations, and we only recommend changing these settings with caution.


Bit rate

If you’ve selected the Constant bit rate radio button, choose a setting from the drop-down list if you want to encode your file using a single bit rate.


Variable bit rate

Select this radio button if you want the encoder to vary your file’s bit rate to accommodate high- and low-motion changes in video. Variable bit rate files can produce higher picture quality and smaller file sizes than constant bit rate files.


Macroblock quantization

Enter a value to specify the macroblock quantization value to use in Variable bit rate mode.

Frames are quantized by this value as a starting point. If the bit rate is too low, the value is decreased to quantize less. If the bit rate is too high, the value is increased to quantize more.


Maximum bit rate

Specify the maximum allowable bit rate for encoding.

When the Variable bit rate radio button is selected, the encoded file’s bit rate cannot exceed this value regardless of the amount of motion in your video.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	2,376,000
PAL SVCD	2,376,000
NTSC DVD	8,000,000
PAL DVD	8,000,000
Note:	In general, we do not recommend changing these settings. Setting the maximum bit rate for DVD higher than 8,000,000 may result in a disc that will not play properly in standard DVD players. For SVCD, some players can handle bit rates higher than 2,376,000, but others cannot. For general distribution in which widespread compatibility is important, we do not recommend exceeding the default maximum setting for SVCD.


Minimum bit rate

Specify the minimum allowable bit rate for encoding.

When the Variable bit rate radio button is selected, the encoded file’s bit rate cannot be below this value regardless of the amount of motion in your video.

A setting of 192,000 is recommended for all NTSC and PAL DVDs and SVCDs.


Average bit rate

Specify the average bit rate that you want the encoder to use when encoding your video.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	2,000,000
PAL SVCD	2,000,000
NTSC DVD	6,000,000
PAL DVD	6,000,000


Advanced Video Tab


Write sequence end code

Specifies whether the encoder writes a sequence end code at the end of the stream.

We recommend that you select this check box if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Sequence header

Select this check box to insert a sequence header before every group of pictures (GOP). Some DVD-authoring software requires sequence headers at specified intervals.


Alternate Scan Pattern: B Frames

Select this check box to use the alternate scan pattern (better for interlaced video) on B frames.

We recommend that you select this check box if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Alternate Scan Pattern: I Frames

Select this check box to use the alternate scan pattern (better for interlaced video) on I frames.

We recommend that you select this check box if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Alternate Scan Pattern: P Frames

Select this check box to use the alternate scan pattern (better for interlaced video) on P frames.

We recommend that you select this check box if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Color primaries

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to indicate the color format of your source media.

This setting is a flag to the video decoder and does not affect video encoding.

Recommended Settings

NTSC SVCD	ITU-R rec. 624-4 System M
PAL SVCD	ITU-R rec. 624-4 System B, G
NTSC DVD	ITU-R rec. 624-4 System M
PAL DVD	ITU-R rec. 624-4 System B, G


DC coefficient

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to specify the precision of the DC coefficient in MPEG-2 intracoded macroblocks.

If your project contains low motion, you can increase this setting to improve image quality.


Video format

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to indicate the format of the video you are encoding.

This setting is a flag to the video decoder and does not affect video encoding.


Coefficients

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to set the matrix coefficients to use in deriving luminance and chrominance signals from RGB values.

If you’re encoding to MPEG-1, use the default setting.

If you’re encoding to MPEG-2, the decoder will use the appropriate conversion. Consult your video hardware documentation to determine whether the device requires a specific setting.


Non-Linear Quantization: B Frames

Select this check box if you want to use non-linear quantization scale types for B frames.

This setting is applicable to MPEG-2 only and allows more precise quantization at low levels.


Non-Linear Quantization: I Frames

Select this check box if you want to use non-linear quantization scale types for I frames.

This setting is applicable to MPEG-2 only and allows more precise quantization at low levels.


Non-Linear Quantization: P Frames

Select this check box if you want to use non-linear quantization scale types for P frames.

This setting is applicable to MPEG-2 only and allows more precise quantization at low levels.

We recommend that you select this check box if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Optimize to Table 1: B Frames

Select this check box to use the variable-length encoding table for B frames.

This setting is applicable to MPEG-2 only and uses compression of 0.3 to 0.6 bits per pixel. Clear the check box to use the previous encoding table (the previous table may work better for some videos—especially if the compression per pixel is outside 0.3 to 0.6 bits per pixel).

We recommend that you select this check box if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Optimize to Table 1: I Frames

Select this check box to use the variable-length encoding table for I frames.

This setting is applicable to MPEG-2 only and uses compression of 0.3 to 0.6 bits per pixel. Clear the check box to use the previous encoding table (the previous table may work better for some videos—especially if the compression per pixel is outside 0.3 to 0.6 bits per pixel).

We recommend that you select this check box if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Optimize to Table 1: P Frames

Select this check box to use the variable-length encoding table for P frames.

This setting is applicable to MPEG-2 only and uses compression of 0.3 to 0.6 bits per pixel. Clear the check box to use the previous encoding table (the previous table may work better for some videos—especially if the compression per pixel is outside 0.3 to 0.6 bits per pixel).


Allow Field Base to Motion Compensation
Allow field-based motion compensation

Select this check box if you want to use field- and frame-based motion prediction when predicting frames. When the check box is cleared, only frame-based motion prediction is used.

We recommend that you clear this check box if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Transfer

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to set the opto-electronic transfer characteristic of the video being encoded. This setting is for informational purposes only and does not affect the encoding or decoding process.


VBV buffer size

Choose a setting from the drop-down list (or type a value in the box) to set the size of the video buffer verifier.

This buffer ensures that enough data is being fed to the encoder.

The drop-down list displays the minimum and maximum settings, which vary depending on the setting of the Level control on the Video tab. You can also type any even value below the minimum or maximum, or type 0 to allow the encoder to choose an appropriate VBV buffer size.

Level Setting	Min VBV	Max VBV
High Level	20	1194
High 1440	20	896
Main Level	20	224
Low Level	20	58

We recommend a setting of 224 if you’re creating MPEG files for NTSC or PAL DVDs or SVCDs.


Sampling Format

Choose a setting from the drop-down list to set the resolution of the luminance (i.e. grayscale info) and chrominance (i.e. color info).

4:2:0 is the format used for DVDs and should be used for most applications.

4:2:2 is available only when High profile is selected from the Profile drop-down list on the Video tab is selected. Use this format for specialized applications as required by your equipment.


Write sequence display extension

Select this check box to write a sequence display extension for every GOP (group of pictures).

This setting must be turned on to create valid VideoCD, SVCD, and DVD MPEG files.


Extra Tab


Always Apply System Header


Compute SVCD Scan Offsets


Default VBV Delay


Half-Pel Searching


Max MUX File Size


Min Frame


Motion Search


Pad Frame


Pad VCD Audio Sectors


Video Pulldown


Rate Control


Repeat First Field


Reset Clocks to Initial Values


Set Broken Link Flags


Start Time


Write Program End Code


Write Picture Display Extensions


Display Width


Display Height


Save as separate elementary streams

Select this check box if you want to create separate files for the audio and video portions of your project. Instead of rendering a single .mpg file, this option will create an .m1v (MPEG-1) or .m2v (MPEG-2) file for the video stream and an .mpa file for the audio stream.

Note:	If you render your audio and video streams as separate files, your Sony Pictures Digital applications will be unable to read the elementary video file.