Text in video - Good with WinAVI, blurry with Winff (.flv to mpeg/DVD)

[Paker]

I'm converting small YouTube clips to mpeg/DVD.

WinAVI is easy to work but the problem is that it only can convert down to 2000 kbps. The clips isn't in 2000 but under 1000.

If i convert a clip in WinAVI text incoded in the video is ok but with Winff (ffmpeg) the text gets blurry, even with 2000 kbps.

Command in Winff: (Can be some errors in line below. Typing is, not copy/paste)
-f dvd -target pal-dvd -aspext 4:3 -b 1000kb -mbd rd -trellis -mv0 -cmp 0 -subcmp 2 -acodec ac3 -ab 128kb -ar 48000 -ac2


Why I ask this is because a clip with 1000kbps in Winff is 40MB (with blurry/cruddy text) but with WinAVI is 74MB. I have limited space on the disc so theese 30MB is needed.

[Baldrick]

Try lower the resolution to 352x288(it is supported by the dvd standard) when using WinFF. 1000kbits for 720x576 wont look good using any encoder.

And try also other better mpeg2 encoders like hcenc(together with a gui like avstodvd).

[Paker]

I have now tested "PAL DVD Fullscreen" in WinFF. Resolution 352x576 (Did just see it when I'm writing this) with default 4000kbps but the text is still blurry.

It feels like the encoder has some problems with text.

I will test hcenc.

[Paker]

AVStoDVD (HC Encoder was included) was what I was looking for. It can make .vob files AND save audio and video separated (Demuxed). I can't find where to save the audio in 48000 or 44100.

There is no file size difference and I cant se any quality difference in that I have played with. I will test some more. If their isnt any difference all will be in full.

[_MrC_]

AVStoDVD (HC Encoder was included) was what I was looking for. It can make .vob files AND save audio and video separated (Demuxed). I can't find where to save the audio in 48000 or 44100.

Good to read that AVStoDVD suits your needs.

You won't find 44100 Hz because it is not a DVD-compliant audio sample rate.



Bye

[Paker]

I have one TINY LITTLE problem.

I have a subtitle to one video that is 1hour 45min. I tested to reencode from 3,04GiB to 2,7GiB.

I took the demuxed .mpv file from DVD Lab Pro and converted it in AVStoDVD but it only encodes around 45min and then says it is done. Have tested a couple of times but the same resault.

I then tested to reencode the .vob files but the result is four .mpg or .m2v files (demuxed option).

Is it possible to mux (correct term?) the four separate files to one .mpg, .m2v or .mpv (DVD Lab Pro demuxes to this file name. Any data difference?)?

I had an idea. DVD Lab Pro demux .vob files. AVStoDVD can compile to .vob files. I'm testing it right now.

And update...
I have now tested to demux the .vob files created by AVStoDVD but DVD Lab Pro didn't merge the .vob files together.

I tested to rename the .vob files from:
VTS_01_01.VOB
VTS_02_01.VOB
VTS_03_01.VOB
VTS_04_01.VOB

to

VTS_01_01.VOB
VTS_01_02.VOB
VTS_01_03.VOB
VTS_01_04.VOB

DVD Lab Pro took it as one movie BUT the "Time" of that clip in DVD Lab Pro is the length of the last .vob file, little over 9 minutes. Avg Bitrate shows 42114 kbps, that is little over 3500 that i used in AVStoDVD and 3502 VTS_01_01.VOB (before renamed) is. The renamed and demuxed .vob file plays fine in VLC with the normal 00:00:00 time stamp of mpeg encoded files. That trick don't feel like a good solution.

[_MrC_]

@Paker

post here the AVStoDVD log file. It may contain some useful info to understand what's the problem.



Bye

[Paker]

Here it is, from the conversion from .vob to .vob.

AVStoDVD splits the .vob files to four separate Title and not one title with all the vobs under it.

dvd_26%20copy.log

[_MrC_]

Workaround.

Open a text editor and copy&past these avs script:

V1=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_1.VOB")
V2=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_2.VOB")
V3=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_3.VOB")
V4=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_4.VOB")
Return V1+V2+V3+V4

Save the file, i.e. "D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS.avs" and add this avs file to a new AVStoDVD project.



Bye

[Paker]

Thanks! Encoding now and seems to work great.

Add this as an feature in AVStoDVD?

[Paker]

More weird problem. When using this workaround AVStoDVD identifies the .vob files as 4x3 media. If i change to 16x9 it chops of top and bottom but it is in widescreen. If i use the "falseidentifysetting", 4x3, it stretches it to 4x3.

How many problems can I get? If this gets fixed, what next?

[_MrC_]

Replace the old script with this new one:

V1=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_1.VOB")
V2=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_2.VOB")
V3=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_3.VOB")
V4=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_4.VOB") 
LanczosResize(V1+V2+V3+V4,720,406)

Welcome to the "trial & error" world of AviSynth!



Bye

P.S. To AviSynth advanced users: I know this workaround is not very elegant. Do not blame me too much. A better way would be to create a DGIndex project file and then add it to AVStoDVD. That's a feature to add.

[Paker]

I will try that, thanks.

Another problem. Converting clips to PAL works great but to NTSC is a big no no.

ERROR, can't process AVS file, wait for Avisynth error message
ERROR, ChangeFPS: Ratio must be less than 10 for linear access. Set LINEAR=False.

[_MrC_]

Please post the full log file. It would be more useful.



Bye

[Paker]

Here it comes, the .log file.

dvd_6.log

[_MrC_]

Try to edit the AVS script and remove this line:

Video = Video.ChangeFPS(29,97)

It's a matter of decimal separator: less used "," instad of more used ".". I will handle it with next release.



Bye

[Paker]

This thread has become about two things.

Converting a widescreenvideo in four .vob files (AVStoDVD "removes" the last 1hour in the demuxed video) to lower quality (and converting to PAL).

The other is that it cant convert to NTSC. That seems now to be fixed with that bug in AVStoDVD.


Using this method:

V1=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_1.VOB")
V2=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_2.VOB")
V3=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_3.VOB")
V4=DirectShowSource("D:\Avi convert\THE_THINY\!ORIGINAL\VTS_10_4.VOB")
LanczosResize(V1+V2+V3+V4,720,406)

...didn't work. With 406, 480 or 576.

The source is NTSC.

AVStoDVD identifies it as 4x3 under Video settings. If I use preview in AVStoDVD it is 16x9 stretch to 4x3. If i force to use 16x9 it remove top and bottom, Crop. It looks exactly as "Return V1+V2+V3+V4".

[_MrC_]

1.
Forget the workaround (suited more to AviSynth expert users) and let's go back to the origin of your trouble. Post here the AVStoDVD log file of the conversion of "demuxed .mpv file from DVD Lab Pro" and let's try to understand why you get only 45 min.

2.
Just to be clear, AVStoDVD CAN convert to NTSC. Your system is setup with "," as decimal separator. Put the more standard "." and everything will work. As I said I will manage the "," exception in the next release.



Bye

[Paker]

Here it is.

It can be an error in the demuxed file because playing the converted video from AVStoDVD has some problems in the end of the file. I will test to demux the original .vob files again in some other program. Any recommendations?



dvd_12.log

[_MrC_]

Some questions:

1. Why are you going forth and back from NTSC to PAL? Can't you stay with NTSC?

2. Assuming you could stay with NTSC: you have already 2 DVD compliant streams (mpv+ac3). It is more convenient to feed them to a muxer (i.e. ImagoMPEG) or to a authoring program (i.e. MuxMan) instead of going thru AVStoDVD. The only reason to go thru AVStoDVD is that you want to edit your streams or you want to make a DVD menu. Is that your case?

3. Why did you toggle on the option CLOSEDGOPS and you forced PROGRESSIVE encoding (without deinterlacing it is a wrong setting)?

4. Why are you using the mpv file (DVD Lap pro output) instead of using directly the original video file?



Bye

[Paker]

1. I'm working with some media that is in PAL and NTSC. If i could convert NTSC to PAL without reencoding everything would be great. NTSC would then be removed.

2. No menu, just converting. Converting in AVStoDVD. Use the converted file in DVD Lab Pro to make menus and add subtitle. (Havn't found and "perfect" converting program. WinFF makes text almost unreadable (known ffmpeg problem?). WinAVI can only work dont to 2000kbps and cant choose if 2pass, deinterlace. WinAVI is also extremly slow)

3. DVD Lab Pro is nagging about the media isn't closed GOPS, so I choose that option. Don't know if it is good or bad. Is there an option to deinterlace?

4. Because AVStoDVD cant handle it (pointing to eariler of my posts in this thread. 4x3 16x9, crop thing.) The .mpv (DVD Lab Pro output of the .vob files) is the video. I use the orgiginal audio demuxed my DVD Lab Pro.

[_MrC_]

Ok I got it: you are trying to recompress a DVD structure (VIDEO_TS with VOBs), is it correct?

The best tool is not AVStoDVD, which is good for file-to-DVD conversions, but DVD Rebuilder which does exactly DVD-to-DVD and may use HCenc as an encoder. Or you can give DVD Shrink a try: it is a transcoder (that means less quality) but very very fast.



Bye

[Paker]

AVStoDVD works great to convert all the small videos I have. When they are converted I have them.

The problem is that AVStoDVD seems that it cant convert that video I have. It have problems with demuxed .vob files from DVD Lab Pro and it has problems with the .vob files (.vob files in the folder, and only the four .vob files. No ifo or anything) from the DVD.

I'm now playing around with DVD Rebuilder but I cant find any settings where I can set in what bitrate it will encode in (3450), PAL or NTSC, interlace or deinterlaced, 1pass or 2pass.

Is there any program that can convert .mpv files. There must be some where that "just works" and not makes text incoded in the video harder to read like ffmpeg in WinFF. If WinFF (ffmpeg) didn't have that problem you would be spending your time on better things like this thread.


Thanks for you help and patience.

[Paker]

I'm going crazy. Isn't there any encoding program out there that can convert .vob files, or can handle a .mpv file demuxed from the .vob files, to a little lower quality but not ffmpeg (WinFF gui) of WinAVI?

I tested DVD Decoder, free version, and I didn't get any settings to choose. Only input and output and if i wantes subtitle or audio. When it had ripped from the DVD, took 58min(!), it was splitted to many mpv files with as many avs and other stuff.

The best would be. Choose file. Read its settings and show them in the encoding program. I choose that I want to lower the image quality from default 4000 of the video file to 3500. Choose output and then hit Encode. AVStoDVD to this but some how it cant handle the .vob or .mpv file.

I will test this guide, but without subtitle and dvd making. Only Avisynth, FitCD and hcenc:
https://forum.videohelp.com/topic353434.html

[_MrC_]

Unfortunately I do not know very well DVD-RB, at least not so well to tweak that settings.

BTW, within few days, AVStoDVD 2.2.2 will be out, and it will support DVD structure parsing, DGIndex project file creation and encoding.



Bye

[Paker]

Ooohhhh... That sounds like it would fix all the problems I have.

hcenc encodecs well and AVStoDVD is a good GUI. Not the ultimate program for what I'm doing but I'm not encoding much so it works for me.



Bye