[TheGreatButcher]

I have a video I'd like to export using MPEG 1, but I can't see any option in QT, iMovie, or FCP 3 to do it with. The files I've seen encoded using MPEG 1 keep near perfect image quality while having a data rate of under 200 k/sec from what I've seen, so I'd like to use that format. Anyone know how?

[neutrino23]

My 2 cents: You can export to MPG1 with QT and then you can use Toast to burn a VCD formatted disk. However, I haven't seen anyone say this produced a superior result. It is pretty amazing to see the rather good quality that the pros produce on VCD. I suspect that they use Media Cleaner Pro or Sorensen Squeeze as an intermediate step to nicely prep the data.

[jtc]

Originally posted by neutrino23:
<STRONG>My 2 cents: You can export to MPG1 with QT and then you can use Toast to burn a VCD formatted disk. However, I haven't seen anyone say this produced a superior result. It is pretty amazing to see the rather good quality that the pros produce on VCD. I suspect that they use Media Cleaner Pro or Sorensen Squeeze as an intermediate step to nicely prep the data.</STRONG>

I've seen many VCDs that look *very* good - better than VHS tape, but not quite as good as DVD. I've made a few VCDs that people thought were DVDs. If they are done right they can look great. They key is to use high quality video - either DV (from a DV cam) or straight from a DVD rip. If they are converted from a divx then they'll look like crap.

[Theodour]

The toast export they are talking about is for VCD only. To control bitrate and other variables, you'll need a more sophisticated mpeg program. Cleaner with charger gives you extreme control over the mpeg 1 codec, inlcuding 2-pass VBR. This is an expensive solution, though.
Heuris makes one that I've heard good things about, but it is expensive also.
If you have OSX, your best bet are the free solutions, believe it or not. MediaPipe give you pretty extensive control, and is only slightly cryptic: http://mediapipe.sourceforge.net/MediaPipe/
MjpegTools also gives you pretty extensive control, but it needs to be compiled and is command line only.
You can find info for how to use these programs at these two sites (they are focused on mpeg for use in VCD and DVD, but very conprehensive about the tools): http://www.bu.edu/linguistics/UG/hagstrom/vcd.html http://homepage.mac.com/rnc/

Originally posted by TheGreatButcher:
<STRONG>I have a video I'd like to export using MPEG 1, but I can't see any option in QT, iMovie, or FCP 3 to do it with. The files I've seen encoded using MPEG 1 keep near perfect image quality while having a data rate of under 200 k/sec from what I've seen, so I'd like to use that format. Anyone know how?</STRONG>