DVD format: Okay to do it in MP4?

[00glitch]

I understand that the standard format for DVD is MP2 but is it okay to do it in MP4?

I'd eventually need to convert it to a .VOB file using using Nero's DVD Video function, so not sure if MP2 is necessary.

[yoda313]

I think you need to be more specific. What is your source? Is it a dvd? Is it some other format? Are you trying to make an mp4 or a dvd?

If you are trying to make a dvd that is playable on a normal dvd player it will need to be mpeg2. Mp4 has nothing to do with standard dvds that all dvd players will be able to play (recordable disc format issues aside - and that should only impact really old players - most should see no difference between - and + r only early models would have problems with one or the other - now CHEAP discs are another story altogether).

If you are starting with a mp4 file and converting to dvd yes you can do that. Depending on the format it may look worse or stay the same. Is it a high def mp4? Than it will be downconverted to sd and not look as good because there is less resolution to show.

If this is less than sd (small for portable players like ipod/zune/phones etc) than blowing up to dvd size may make it look a bit grainy depending on what you do with it - you could letterbox it and preserve the original ratio but it might be hard to see).

there are tons of programs to do mp4 to dvd if that is what you need. Nero may not be the best one to do the job. Format factory and avstodvd are just two freeware programs to check out for the process of converting mp4 to dvd.

A little more description is necessary to give you the full details.

Also are you sure your destination device can't playback the mp4 file if that is what you are starting with? A lot of settop players are now able to play more than just standard dvd or bluray formats. Though with the wide range of specs mp4 can come in it will probably need a lot tweaking to get it to work just right - making a dvd might be just as easy in the end.

[00glitch]

Thanks for the detailed answer Yoda.

I shot the video from my HDR-CX500v Canon. The video file was originally saved in AVCHD. I then edited the video through Vegas Movie Studio and saved it as an MP4 file.

Then I made a DVD video out of it using Nero.

In this process, the MP4 was converted to .VOB files.

I just want to make sure this DVD video will plays okay in all DVD players (old or new).

If this matters, I'll be sending it to Amazon's CreateSpace program afterward.

[edDV]

See "What is DVD?" above left.

"NTSC" DVD is MPeg2 video with AC3 or PCM audio (MP2 audio allowed in "PAL" version but still seems to play in American players).

[edDV]

Thanks for the detailed answer Yoda.

I shot the video from my HDR-CX500v Canon. The video file was originally saved in AVCHD. I then edited the video through Vegas Movie Studio and saved it as an MP4 file.

Then I made a DVD video out of it using Nero.

In this process, the MP4 was converted to .VOB files.

I just want to make sure this DVD video will plays okay in all DVD players (old or new).

If this matters, I'll be sending it to Amazon's CreateSpace program afterward.

Why didn't you "render as" MPeg2 using DVD Author templates? That would be directly DVD compliant.

MP4 is a wrapper not a codec. Explain the "render as" tree that got you to MP4.

VOB+IFO+BUP files are the desired result for DVD within a VIDEO_TS folder.

[00glitch]

hmm interesting, even though it was an MP4 instead of an MP2 video, I still see the .VOB+IFO+BUP files in the final VIDEO_TS folder.

It also plays fine in my DVD player.

"Why didn't you render as" MPeg2 using DVD Author templates?"

Didn't know how to do that at the time.

Will try it again.

[00glitch]

Quick update since this may help someone else.

It seems like my DVD was in MP2 + AC3 the first time around. This made sense now because I simply added my video file to Nero Video and it must have converted the files to make sure it was compatible with all DVD players.

Thanks for everyone's help though! =)

[Ai Haibara]

Yes, Nero usually does re-encode everything (even when you don't want it to), but in this case, it would definitely have re-encoded and authored it for a proper (more or less) DVD-Video structure.

[00glitch]

Awesome, that's good to know. Thanks!