hi i have dowloaded a svcd file.How do i burn it so i can use it in my dvd-player?

If you mean mpeg2, then you need Nero to burn it. On wizard mode, you are given a choice of selecting SVCD disc.
Hope this helps,
regards,

i've tried it but it seems to MPEG1 and nero can't convert it.(Do i need a patch or something?)

what's the extension that i need?
thi file i have is *.m2v

thx

You need an SVCD compliant mpeg to burn a compliant SVCD disc. If the mpeg you supply Nero is not compliant, then Nero will offer to re-encode it. However you need to purchase the Mpeg-2 update from Nero for it's Mpeg-2 encoder to work. Out of the box, Nero only supports "Encoding" for Mpeg-1.

NOTE .. you do NOT need the additional mpeg-2 encoder for Nero IF your Mpeg-2 file IS fully compliant.

The M2V extension, unfortunately could be anything, as some people change the extension or some encoders use different extensions that are not proper. Usually M2V is a "video only" elementary Mpeg-2 stream. That's an Mpeg with no audio.

Nero's strong point is it's burning and not it's encoding. While you CAN let it "re-encode" the entire Mpeg to make it proper (after you purchase and install the mpeg-2 Nero optional encoder) it will take many hours and the quality is not as good as you would get if using other software that is designed purely as an encoder.

how can i recognise a mpeg-2 file?
what's its extension?

Well actually the extension can be several things and you really would be better off looking at the parameters of the file itself.

For example, an Mpeg file could have an extention of just plain MPG and it could be either Mpeg-1 or Mpeg-2. Then you also need to know if it's got variable bit rate video encoding or constant bit rate video encoding.

But there is a simple and free way to find out all about the mpeg itself. Hop over to the teco web site and download their "Bit rate veiwer". It will tell you everything you need to know about your Mpeg.

Here's the URL: http://www.tecoltd.com/products.htm

Good luck ..

thx i've downloaded that program, now i have some information about the file but how do i know what is good and what's not? can someone give me an example of whats a good mpeg-2? What's important? bitrate? frames? ...?
i'm a real newbie so maybe these are stupid questions but plz help me

thx

Oh boy ... that's a loaded question. It's like asking what's a good Italian Dinner ?? There's LOTs of answers to that. Some here will probably just refer you to the VCDHelper web site. And if you are starting from scratch you have a lot to learn.

Mpeg-2 can be many things. It all depends what your final playback environment is going to be. SVCD? DVD ? Let's stick with SVCD as that's what you first asked for. I'm going to consider that you want a standard type-compliant SVCD. To be that there's a LOT of things that have to be in place.

There are also "non-compliant" SVCD Mpegs as well. These are sort of hybrids where bit rates or frame sizes and other things are out of spec. But let's just deal with a normal compliant SVCD like you'd buy over the counter.

Frame size 480x480 (NTSC) 480x570 (PAL) If you are in the US NTSC is the standard. In Europe and some other countries PAL is the standard.

FPS .. (frames per second) 29.97 (NTSC) 25.0 (PAL)

Audio: 44.1 kHz @ 224 kps

Video: Usually it a variable video bit rate, and the nominal video bit rate is around 2.3 Mb/s

Now that's just the major parameters to start with. To be fully SVCD compliant (and be accepted by most SVCD authoring / burning software) there are intrinsic things that are in place that you have little or no control over. These are things like packet size, and muxing rates and so forth. This things are part of what's generated during the encoding and multiplexing of the raw video and audio into Mpeg. Sometimes when you have all the afore-mentioned user parameters correct you may still find it rejected by an SVCD burning program because one or more of those "intrinsic" values are not correct.

That is often the easiest thing to fix and also the fastest. When you have problems with those internal settings, you can de-multiplex the audio and video into separate streams .. one an audio mpeg often using an extension of MPA and the other a video mpeg often using MPV. Then if your Mulitiplexing tool HAS an SVCD profile you can RE-Multiplex them back together. Those intrinsic setting are created during the multiplexing process and they are also part of the original encoding process as well.

So if you simply RE-multiplex, but use a proper SVCD profile ONLY those things internal are changed .. not the quality, frame size, bit rate, sound or anything else. Just the packet size, multtiplexing rates etc. and THEN your SVCD Mpeg-2 will be accepted for burning.

Whew .. Hope that helps .. I'm trying to give you a very simple "crash course" covering a very complex area. Bottom line .. you need to learn a lot more. But .. this is a good place to start.

Next question? ..

PS .. somebody help me if I left anything out.

Of course I forgot this ..

I said: Video: Usually it a variable video bit rate, and the nominal video bit rate is around 2.3 Mb/s

It has to be Mpeg-2 and not Mpeg-1. The TECO BitRateViewer will tell you which it is.