Burn MPG file onto DVD

[geek2330]

I have a stream movie file *.ts and converted this to MPG format using the freeware MPEG StreamClip, this worked fine and I can play the new *.mpg in Windows Media Player.

Can you suggest a very good freeware to burn this onto DVD, do I need to convert this MPG first into another format in order to burn onto the DVD ?

[guns1inger]

Some players will play mpg files without the need to author them to a DVD. If yours can, you can use Imgburn in Build mode to create a data DVD with the file on it.

For players that cannot, you will have to author the file into a compliant DVD structure. If you were in Australia and this came from an OTA broadcast then I would say simply author with GUIForDVDAuthor and burn. This is because Australian OTA digital broadcasts are DVD compliant. Unfortunately, in the rest of the world, streams take on many different shapes. Open the file in g-spot (latest version) and compare the content to What is DVD (top left corner of this page). If you file is compliant, author with GUIForDVDAuthor, and burn with Imgburn (build mode, browse for the Video_TS folder). If it isn't compliant then you will have to make it ciompliant by potentially resizing, adding borders and re-encoding.

[geek2330]

thanks man, I am checking the What's DVD section and trying to understand if I need to convert into something, looks like I don't have to based on the info in the GSpot screen, am I correct?

GSpot says codecs are installed. If so then I just want to burn into "standard" DVD compliant so I can play on any DVD player

[guns1inger]

If you want it DVD compliant so that it will play on any player then it has to be re-encoded and authored into a DVD structure. I would recommend FAVC for a quality conversion. Should take around 6 - 7 hours on your system if you choose the Predictive Quantisation option under HCEnc. If you choose 2-Pass VBR then expect it to take around 8 - 9 hours.

ConvertXtoDVD will probably take around 3 hours or less.

[geek2330]

One more, if I need to re-encode I assume this process will NOT cause any quality degradation.
Lastly, I just installed Total Video Converter on my PC for the first time and am trying to figure out what option I pick to encode the video, look at this screenshot.....I'm looking through the help but if you can please quickly let me know so I make sure.....

[mats.hogberg]

The mpg from the GSpot screen shot has to be reencoded, yes, as the resolution is wrong for Video DVD. And, unfortunately, every reencoding (untess reencoding to an uncopmressed format, which is out of the question here) means lower quality. But it must be pretty low to begin with - 544x480 @ 1457 kbps is really too low to begin with.
I'm not familiar with Total Video Converter, but DVD Mpeg seems like a good choice if you want to create a Video DVD.

/Mats

[geek2330]

Thanks for the info.
I also noticed that the resolution is 544x480, why would it be that low? Movie looks nice in Windows Media Player. The file was originally in *.TS format and I used MPEG StreamClip to get the MPG file. My final intention is to burn onto DVD, not to play with WMP.

Did I do something wrong to begin with?

Thanks for all the help..!!

[mats.hogberg]

Don't know if MPEG Stream Clip has reencoded, but if not, no, you've done nothing wrong. Resize to 720x480 and reencode @5800 kbps (preferably 2 pass VBR with min 1000, max 8000) to fit it all on one DVD-5, and the quality drop will be minimal.
The resolution is smallish, yes, but the bitrate (1457 kbps) of the original is what bothers me. That's close to VCD bitrate, and VCD is only 352x240!
Have you tried HDTV2DVD with your original .ts file?

/Mats

[geek2330]

oh, thanks Mats, I will look into the HDTV2DVD, hopefully this tool will do everything and better. Let me try it now....

Will post results back, thanks again...

[geek2330]

using the HDTV2DVD but don't feel much positive this will work, notice the resolution still shows the same....
When I play the resulting MPG file from MPEG StreamClip using WMP let me tell you that the resolution is pretty good, it's gotta be 720x480 or higher, so not sure why these programs show a lower resolution.....something is wrong somewhere...!!!
See screen (I cannot make changes to the res. numbers)
In case it is important: note that the transport file is originally .TRP and I renamed it to .TS
I was told I could do this, please correct me if I am wrong.

Most of the apps I find load .TS files, not .TRP and to my understanding both are transport stream file formats.

Thanks again for all the help, as always..

[Midzuki]

When I play the resulting MPG file from MPEG StreamClip using WMP let me tell you that the resolution is pretty good, it's gotta be 720x480 or higher, so not sure why these programs show a lower resolution.....something is wrong somewhere...!!!

WMP "thinks" every MPEG-2/VOB is or must be 720x480/576.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

[geek2330]

... Resize to 720x480 and reencode @5800 kbps (preferably 2 pass VBR with min 1000, max 8000) to fit it all on one DVD-5, and the quality drop will be minimal.
The resolution is smallish, yes, but the bitrate (1457 kbps) of the original is what bothers me. That's close to VCD bitrate, and VCD is only 352x240!
Have you tried HDTV2DVD with your original .ts file?

/Mats

Mats, I am playing with HDTV2DVD and looks like a very good tool that goes from the trasnport file and will output a dvd folder.

Before I endeavor in this and spend a few more hours for this single 1.5 hour movie, if I really need to resize the .TS resolution BEFORE I use HDTV2DVD, what free tool can I use for this.

I am very confused on why the resolution shows that low, specially knowing that the res. in the source file is higher...I think.

NOTE: My source TS file is not highdef, however the resolution is better than 352x240, it's gotta be..!!
Please help..!!......

[geek2330]

Here's an output when I analyzed running ffmpeg from the folder where HDTV2DVD is installed:

C:\Program Files\BadgerIT\HDTV2DVD>ffmpeg.exe -i "C:\Documents and Settings\VA00
1PU\Desktop\MOVIES\Disturbia.ts"
ffmpeg version CVS, build 3276800, Copyright (c) 2000-2004 Fabrice Bellard
configuration: --enable-a52 --enable-gpl --enable-memalign-hack --disable-deb
ug --enable-vhook
built on Sep 23 2005 15:20:26, gcc: 3.2.3 (mingw special 20030504-1)
Input #0, mpegts, from 'C:\Documents and Settings\VA001PU\Desktop\MOVIES\Disturb
ia.ts':
Duration: 01:39:40.4, start: 34494.805244, bitrate: 1706 kb/s
Stream #0.0[0x0]: Data: mpeg2ts, 4778 kb/s
Stream #0.1[0x1922], 29.97 fps: Video: mpeg2video, yuv420p, 544x480, 15000 kb/
s
Stream #0.2[0x1923]: Audio: mp2, 48000 Hz, stereo, 160 kb/s
Must supply at least one output file

[mats.hogberg]

Resizing is one of the things HDTV2DVD should do. The output from ffmpeg looks a little more promising - 4778 kbps video - which is fine for that res. Wonder where the 1706 kbps is coming from?

/Mats

[guns1inger]

Gotta admit I did chuckle when I saw your post about losing quality and using Total Video Converter. If ever there was a way to guarantee quality loss, that is it.

[geek2330]

Thanks guys for all the support, last night I let hdtv2dvd do its thing and it gave me the VIDEO_TS folder, I finally burned my DVD using ImgBrn.

The DVD picture is good, obviously NOT highdef but it looks almost the same as the original movie, looks like I lost a little pic quality, however it is not much.

I gotta admit that sometimes I think if it is better to just use a DVD burner and burn the DVD right from the live signal instead of spending this much time using all these tools to burn a DVD, I guess it is part of the learning curve.....LOL

Thanks, you guys rock..!!