Video Audio Joiner Splitter, Joined MPEG Movies

Select the option button to save your new file to an MPEG format:

Your selection will enable the MPEG drop-down list and the fast encoding check box option.

Your MPEG encoding option selection will set the default resolutions, bit rates and other properties to match the appropriate MPEG standard and the television standard you have selected.

The demo version of Fx Joiner and Splitter will display only MPEG-1 and VCD encoding options.

These output file default settings can of course be over-written before encoding but should be maintained if your output file is to be burned to a CD or DVD for playback in a stand alone player.

For example, if VCD is selected in the drop down list of MPEG codecs the file resolution will be set to match the size of the first file in your list of files to be joined.

However the standard resolution for MPEG-2 using the NTSC television standard is 720X480. As stated above you can over-ride these dimensions before encoding but if you use a non-standard resolution the file will be distorted or won't playback in a DVD player.

Pressing the Codec Settings button will display additional MPEG properties.

If you elect to use Constant bit rate and change the default setting you may also change the duration and quality of your output movie. Higher bit rates produce higher quality, larger files and lower bit rates produce higher compression, smaller files.

Variable bit rate (VBR) uses an additional algorithm that decides when a higher bit rate can be used without sacrificing quality. VBR encoding is obviously slower than is CBR encoding.

Selecting a new standard will change the bit rate but will not change the resolution.

Likewise if you change the MPEG Codec type from the drop down list the Bit Rate will be changed to match but the resolution ill be left as it was and must be changed manually to match the correct standard.

The table below lists the various format resolutions.

	VCD	SVCD	DVD
Resolution NTSC	352x240	480x480	720x480
Resolution PAL	352x288	480x576	720x576
Video Compression	MPEG1	MPEG2	MPEG2
Audio Compression	MPEG1	MPEG1	MPEG1, MPEG2, AC3, DTS, PCM
Size/min	10 MB/min	10 - 20 MB/min	30 - 70 MB/min
Minutes per 74 min CD	74 minutes	35-60 min	15-20 min
Hours/DVD-R	NA	NA	2-4hrs
DVD Player Compatible	Yes	Yes	Yes
CPU Demand	Low	High	Very High

If you stop the encoding before completion the results will be unpredictable.