Test clip behaviour?

I'm converting vobs that I previously ripped with DVD2SVCD. I've noticed that the program encodes a "test clip" about 4 or 5 times before moving on to the real encode. My problem is this: the "test clip" it's using is not the clip I'm encoding (or a portion thereof), nor is it even on the same drive. If it's doing a test, shouldn't it be encoding the right clip? And, why so many times? Is there a way to change either of these behaviours? Thanks. Conversion so far: -------------------------------------------------------- - 7/25/2002 11:54:28 AM - DVD to SVCD Conversion - DVD2SVCD ver. 1.0.9 build 2 -------------------------------------------------------- Initializing Initializing finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 7/25/2002 11:54:30 AM - DVD2AVI -------------------------------------------------------- Creating DVD2AVI INI file: - C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.INI Variable settings: iDCT_Algorithm: 32-bit SSE MMX Executing DVD2AVI. Executing DVD2AVI. Commandline: "C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\DVD2AVI\DVD2AVI.exe" -CS=2 -YR=1 -EXIT -OF=[C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\DVD2AVI_Project_file] -IF=[C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\VTS_02_1.vob,C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\VTS_02_2.vob,C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\VTS_02_3.vob] Analyzing DVD2AVI Project file Hybrid Film activated. IVTC will be applied and will slow down the entire process! Framerate: 29970 DVD2AVI processing done. -------------------------------------------------------- - 7/25/2002 11:56:05 AM - Free on drive C: 4592.19 mb - Free on drive Z: 5931.02 mb - AUDIO Extraction -------------------------------------------------------- Found AC3 stream id: 0x80 Filename: C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\Extracted_audio_1.ac3 Audio1 delay: 14 ms Audio extraction finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 7/25/2002 11:58:55 AM - Free on drive C: 4592.19 mb - Free on drive Z: 5931.02 mb - AUDIO conversion -------------------------------------------------------- Converting Audio to MP2. Filename: C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\Extracted_audio_1.ac3 Executing BeSweet. Commandline: "C:\Program Files\DVD2SVCD\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe" -core( -input "C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\Extracted_audio_1.ac3" -output "C:\DOCUME~1\TIMWEN~1\MYDOCU~1\MYVIDE~1\DVD2SV~2\Encoded_audio_1.mp2" -logfile "C:\DOCUME~1\TIMWEN~1\MYDOCU~1\MYVIDE~1\DVD2SV~2\Encoded_audio_1.log" ) -azid( -L -3db -c normal -g max ) -ota( -d 14 ) -ssrc( --rate 44100 ) -2lame( -e -b 160 -m s ) Audio conversion of C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\Extracted_audio_1.ac3 finished. Audio conversion finished. -------------------------------------------------------- - 7/25/2002 12:16:02 PM - Free on drive C: 4592.19 mb - Free on drive Z: 5931.02 mb - Video Encoding using TMPGEnc -------------------------------------------------------- Pointers: 1370 - Encoding Test Clip Z:\\AviSynth_Script_file_CQ_TEST.avs StreamSectors: 771186864 AudioSectors: 54669776 VideoPAPO: 11099232 ScanOffsetBytes: 58066 SeqAligningBytes: 3690430 DVDBytes: 0 VideoEndHeader: 4 SubtitleSectors: 0 EmptySectors: 238.00 PictureSectors: 1.00 PureMPEGStream: 701669356.20 Seconds: 2696.94 CalcMPEGStream: 701669356.20 Frames: 64518 CDSize: 740.00 Cut point 735.00 Calculated Quality Value: 80.00 Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (No borders, encoded as 4:3) ---AVS Begin--- LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\MPEG2Dec\mpeg2dec.dll") LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\INVERS~1\DONALD~1\decomb.dll") mpeg2source("C:\DOCUME~1\TIMWEN~1\MYDOCU~1\MYVIDE~1\DVD2SV~2\DVD2AV~1.D2V") Telecide() Decimate(5) BicubicResize(480,480,0.00,0.60) ----AVS End---- Executing TMPGEnc. Commandline: "C:\Program Files\TMPGEnc-2.54.37.135\TMPGEnc.exe" "C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\TMPGEnc_Project_file.tpr" /Encode /Close Video Encoding finished. - Encoding Test Clip Z:\\AviSynth_Script_file_CQ_TEST.avs StreamSectors: 771186864 AudioSectors: 54669776 VideoPAPO: 11099232 ScanOffsetBytes: 58066 SeqAligningBytes: 3690430 DVDBytes: 0 VideoEndHeader: 4 SubtitleSectors: 0 EmptySectors: 238.00 PictureSectors: 1.00 PureMPEGStream: 701669356.20 Seconds: 2696.94 CalcMPEGStream: 701669356.20 Frames: 64518 CDSize: 740.00 Cut point 735.00 Test Clip: Got MB per Frame: 6605.679 Test Clip: Want MB per Frame: 10875.5596298707 Test Clip: CQ per Frame: 0.0121107913357582 Test Clip: New CQ value: 131.71163333696 Test Clip3: Calculated CQ value: 105.85581666848 Calculated Quality Value: 105.86 Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (No borders, encoded as 4:3) ---AVS Begin--- LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\MPEG2Dec\mpeg2dec.dll") LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\INVERS~1\DONALD~1\decomb.dll") mpeg2source("C:\DOCUME~1\TIMWEN~1\MYDOCU~1\MYVIDE~1\DVD2SV~2\DVD2AV~1.D2V") Telecide() Decimate(5) BicubicResize(480,480,0.00,0.60) ----AVS End---- Executing TMPGEnc. Commandline: "C:\Program Files\TMPGEnc-2.54.37.135\TMPGEnc.exe" "C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\TMPGEnc_Project_file.tpr" /Encode /Close Video Encoding finished. - Encoding Test Clip Z:\\AviSynth_Script_file_CQ_TEST.avs StreamSectors: 771186864 AudioSectors: 54669776 VideoPAPO: 11099232 ScanOffsetBytes: 58066 SeqAligningBytes: 3690430 DVDBytes: 0 VideoEndHeader: 4 SubtitleSectors: 0 EmptySectors: 238.00 PictureSectors: 1.00 PureMPEGStream: 701669356.20 Seconds: 2696.94 CalcMPEGStream: 701669356.20 Frames: 64518 CDSize: 740.00 Cut point 735.00 Test Clip: Got MB per Frame: 12710.4385 Test Clip: Want MB per Frame: 10875.5596298707 Test Clip: CQ per Frame: 0.00832825843644026 Test Clip: New CQ value: 90.5744712384801 Test Clip2: Calculated CQ value: 98.2151439534801 Calculated Quality Value: 98.22 Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (No borders, encoded as 4:3) ---AVS Begin--- LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\MPEG2Dec\mpeg2dec.dll") LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\INVERS~1\DONALD~1\decomb.dll") mpeg2source("C:\DOCUME~1\TIMWEN~1\MYDOCU~1\MYVIDE~1\DVD2SV~2\DVD2AV~1.D2V") Telecide() Decimate(5) BicubicResize(480,480,0.00,0.60) ----AVS End---- Executing TMPGEnc. Commandline: "C:\Program Files\TMPGEnc-2.54.37.135\TMPGEnc.exe" "C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\TMPGEnc_Project_file.tpr" /Encode /Close Video Encoding finished. - Encoding Test Clip Z:\\AviSynth_Script_file_CQ_TEST.avs StreamSectors: 771186864 AudioSectors: 54669776 VideoPAPO: 11099232 ScanOffsetBytes: 58066 SeqAligningBytes: 3690430 DVDBytes: 0 VideoEndHeader: 4 SubtitleSectors: 0 EmptySectors: 238.00 PictureSectors: 1.00 PureMPEGStream: 701669356.20 Seconds: 2696.94 CalcMPEGStream: 701669356.20 Frames: 64518 CDSize: 740.00 Cut point 735.00 Test Clip: Got MB per Frame: 12622.8385 Test Clip: Want MB per Frame: 10875.5596298707 Test Clip: CQ per Frame: 0.00778074946878867 Test Clip: New CQ value: 84.6200048128962 Test Clip1: Calculated CQ value: 91.4175743831881 Calculated Quality Value: 91.42 Aspect Ratio: 4:3 (No borders, encoded as 4:3) ---AVS Begin--- LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\MPEG2Dec\mpeg2dec.dll") LoadPlugin("C:\PROGRA~1\DVD2SVCD\INVERS~1\DONALD~1\decomb.dll") mpeg2source("C:\DOCUME~1\TIMWEN~1\MYDOCU~1\MYVIDE~1\DVD2SV~2\DVD2AV~1.D2V") Telecide() Decimate(5) BicubicResize(480,480,0.00,0.60) ----AVS End---- Executing TMPGEnc. Commandline: "C:\Program Files\TMPGEnc-2.54.37.135\TMPGEnc.exe" "C:\Documents and Settings\Tim Wentworth\My Documents\My Videos\DVD2SVCD scratch files\TMPGEnc_Project_file.tpr" /Encode /Close

It does encode test clips from the dvd you are converting. What gives you any other idea? Look at the log again and you'll see it does it right. Code:

OK. Then what does "Encoding Test Clip Z:\\AviSynth_Script_file_CQ_TEST.avs" mean?

Try open that file in Notepad and you'll see that it points to the right D2V file.

Fair enough. But why is that avs file on my network drive? Due to the fact that I get intermittant crashes when reading or writing from network drives, I want to avoid it. How do I make sure that my network drive is not used at all? I haven't found any option in DVD2SVCD to change this. Thanks.

You must have a reference to Z: somewhere in dvd2svcd. Easiest way to find out is opening dvd2svcd.ini and search for z: