Directory/File
Information
Outcome
\44.1kHz audio
48kHz audio
\VCD\SVCD\CVD
An MPEG CD is just a data CD with a number of MPEG data files written on.
In this test I wanted to try how the NorthQ reacts to plain MPEG1 and MPEG2 files on a regular data CD. I have made a standard CD with MPEG1 (VCD resolution, 352x288) and MPEG2 (SVCD resolution, 480x576) files.
All files I have tried is encoded with TMPGenc v2.57.41.146. They are all in PAL-format. The VCD and SVCD files are CBR (Constant Bit Rate) and the CVD are VBR (Variable Bit Rate).
Here is a table that explains the structure of the CD with MPEG-files that I made. It also has information about which MPEG's that played as they should.
|
Directory/File |
Information |
Outcome |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
\ |
Root directory | ||
| VCD.mpg | VCD (352x288), MPEG1, 1150 kbit/s | Played OK! | |
| XVCD_2M.mpg | XVCD (352x288), MPEG1, 2 Mbit/s | Played OK! | |
| XVCD_3M.mpg | XVCD (352x288), MPEG1, 3 Mbit/s | Played OK! | |
| XVCD_4M.mpg | XVCD (352x288), MPEG1, 4 Mbit/s | Played OK! | |
| SVCD.mpg | SVCD (480x576), MPEG2, 2520 kbit/s CBR | Played OK! | |
| XSVCD_4M.mpg | XSVCD (480x576), MPEG2, 4 Mbit/s CBR | Played OK! | |
| XSVCD_6M.mpg | XSVCD (480x576), MPEG2, 6 Mbit/s CBR | Played OK! | |
| XSVCD_8M.mpg | XSVCD (480x576), MPEG2, 8 Mbit/s CBR | Picture slows down, sound skips. | |
| CVD_44K.mpg | CVD
(352x576), MPEG2,
1100/1900/2520 kbit/s VBR, 44.1kHz audio |
Played OK! | |
| CVD_48K.mpg | CVD
(352x576), MPEG2,
1100/1900/2520 kbit/s VBR, 48kHz audio |
Played OK! | |
|
\VCD |
Subdir with MPEG1-files copied from an actual VCD | ||
| VCD.dat | Played OK! | ||
| XVCD_2M.dat | Played OK! | ||
| XVCD_3M.dat | Played OK! | ||
| XVCD_4M.dat | Played OK! | ||
|
\SVCD |
Subdir with MPEG2-files copied from an actual SVCD | ||
| SVCD.mpg | Both picture and sound is mostly garbage | ||
| XSVCD_4M.mpg | Both picture and sound is mostly garbage | ||
| XSVCD_6M.mpg | Both picture and sound is mostly garbage | ||
| XSVCD_8M.mpg | Both picture and sound is mostly garbage | ||
|
\CVD |
Subdir with MPEG2-files copied from an actual CVD | ||
| CVD_44K.mpg | Both picture and sound is mostly garbage | ||
| CVD_48K.mpg | Both picture and sound is mostly garbage | ||
The subdirectories in the table may need some explanation. What I did was to burn actual VCD/SVCD/CVD's and then copied the files from the MPEGAV/MPEG2 directories of those CD's. These files are not exactly the same as the original MPEG1/MPEG2 files, and that is why they are in the subdirectories above. I thought that it would be interesting to see if the player could play the actual files from a VCD/SVCD/CVD disc.
Here is a picture of what's shown on the screen when I inserted the MPEG CD:
 |
The SmartNAVI menu is displayed, and it is possible to navigate in the directory structure
and choose which clip to play. The clip presently "selected" plays in a small window as you can see. |
These are all the resolutions I have tried. Of course I could try out other resolutions, CBR/VBR and bit rates, but it takes to much time and does not give that much extra information.
So as an MPEG player, the NorthQ seems to do a pretty good job, at least I think so!